Textured Pansy ATC

The background of this ATC I made weeks before, but couldn't decide until now what to do with it.

It is simply a piece of textured loo roll laid carefully onto a card spread with PVA glue, left to dry, and then when the PVA had hardened I painted another thin layer of PVA over it and allowed it to dry again.

Then I painted it with my Ocean pearl paints, by dabbing cream and gold on randomly and blending them in to give a patchy effect.

I stamped the pansy onto Polymer clay, and baked the clay in the oven for 20 minutes on one of my many indispensible wall tiles, then painted it with my equally indispensible Ocean pearl paints.

I then layered it onto a piece of purple recycled packaging, (if I remember right the packaging came with some tomatoes, or maybe it was mushrooms? lol )

Anyway back to the ATC, What came next? oh yes the accent beads, they are mixed shades of green, they don't show up very well in the picture, but believe me they ARE green.

I added the pinkie purpley ones around the packaging to soften the edge.

I felt it needed something else, so I added the gems at two opposite corners with a few of the green accent beads. I finished it off with a coat of glittery nail varnish over everything but the polymer clay pansy.

Doves in flight

My daughter Angy and I spent an evening together "playing" with shaving foam in a plastic food tray, we smoothed the top of the foam and added a few drops of glass paint, gently folding it in at the top of the foam with a cocktail stick, we then dabbed pieces of mount board (ATC size) onto the coloured foam then scraped the foam off the boards with the back of an old table knife.

The result was some pleasing background effects, and this ATC in the picture was made using one of them.

the Doves were stamped onto thin leather wrapped around a square of mount board, with a silver stamp pad and then embossed with clear embossing powder. I attached it to the background, and stuck silver cord around it, but didn't tie it as it wouldn't lie flat.

I added some little pearly white beads, some silver accent beads (I love those accent beads, lol) and a green gem.

Believe stamped ATC

I made some ATCs for a group swap on Docrafts.

The swap is called the Swat swap (stamping with a twist) where you have to stamp onto something other than paper or card.

This one I stamped onto thin leather, I then embossed it with Silver embossing powder.I also stamped the background as that is allowed.

The leather is wrapped around a piece of mount board. It is layered onto some pearlised paper,silver cord tied around it and silver accent beads added.

However I have not put this one in for the swap, as I made a few different ones to choose from which ones to send.

My porcelain miniatures

These are some of my 1/12th scale porcelain dolls house miniatures that I made for our Dolls house fairs.

I usually make the originals out of Polymer clay, and then make the mold with it, so that I could make several, as needed, but it was my daughter Angy that made the original for the very popular little Lady.

They have to be fired three times in all, at different stages.

Textured heart ATC

I made this ATC using the technique below.

Textured Stamping

This is fun to do, a bit messy, but I loved the results.

Take a piece of strong card about 2”x 2.5”. Mount board would be just fine.
Cut a piece of paper Kitchen Towel, or Loo Roll, slightly larger than your card.
Brush an ample layer of PVA glue onto the card, thick and even, (like spreading honey for the kid’s lol). Now take the paper and lay it carefully over the PVA’d card.

Take your DRY stamp, and press it down firmly for a few seconds, onto the paper and card, to make the impression, lift and wash your stamp immediately as the glue will have seeped through the tiny holes in the paper. Leave the paper in place, on the card.

Now take a steel ruler and using the edge press an outline around your stamped image.

Now put the card with your stamped image, on a tile or glass place mat or something similar, in a warm room, to dry, overnight would be best.

Once thoroughly dry, trim the edges, and paint, I used DecoArt Ocean Pearls very inexpensive and leaves a lovely pearly finish.

Now take a clear Ink pad and swipe it across your raised image, I then used Gold embossing powder, (silver works too), and heat with your heat gun.

It has taken me much longer to explain this technique, than to actually do, except for the waiting to dry time.

Try experimenting with different stamps, colours and embossing powders.
Add gems glitter etc, as desired.
Happy Crafting. Gwen xxx

My Altered matchbox

I thought I would have a go at an altered Matchbox, as I have seen several in peoples galleries on Docrafts that have inspired me.

I resized some of my favourite fairy pictures on my Adobe programme, cut them out, backed them with pearlised card trapping the ribbon between the two.

I resized another fairy image and printed it twice on paper adding the brown colour background, for the box and covered the sides of the little drawer with some of the brown paper too.

After covering the box I used Anita's 3D clear gloss then added a gem.

My altered Domino ATC

Alkohol inked background and domino, domino stamped with stazon, layered on recycled packaging, then accent beads and gems added, edged with my Gold inkpad.

This is my first try at making anything altered.

having an unsteady hand the doves are slightly blurred but I quite like the effect.