Monday, October 31, 2011

ATC's - a new addicition!

Artist Trading Cards have always intrigued me! - everytime I have attended an Art Show or Craft Fair  I have admired these miniature pieces of Art Work...and wondered what it would be like to create my own. Just recently a lovely group of "Scrappy Friends"  decided to begin their own little ATC swap group and I accepted an invitation to join them. Wow! - what  a world of new discoveries did that open up for me! I "googled" ATC's and was simply "blown away" with all the inspiration to be found - mini oil paintings, paper folding, digital, and mixed media art work all done on a 2.5" x  3.5" base - just amazing!! The first challenge was to adapt myself to working on this surface size....very different to my 12 x 12 Scrapbook pages and the large square cards I use for cardmaking. The second challenge, was the theme for our first  ATC swap - "Shabby Chic Christmas" - eeeks!! I love the look of Shabby Chic but find it so hard to master...but I gave it a go....and here "blog readers" is my 1st ever ATC!!



I know it looks a little more vintage in appearance than Shabby Chic - but I am pretty happy for my first attempt. My background paper is called "Brown Sugar" - the music print is from Kaisercraft's Vintage Timeless collection - sprayed with "Coffee Shop" Glimmer Mist and inked with "Antique Linen" Distress ink. The little pearls in the centre of the snowflakes were coloured with a Copic Marker R37 to match my red paper.

As soon as I finished making this ATC - I was hooked.. and couldn't wait to do another one....so I'm all organised and have December's Swap Theme of "Anything Goes" finished - LOL!!



I adapted to working in miniature a little easier the second time around, even enjoyed cutting up tiny strips of patterned paper. The papers are all from my Creative Memories stash :) - the pink twine is from Jillibean Soup and the edges were inked with "Tempting Turquoise" from Stampin'Up.

Both ATC's have now been packaged up and sent off to our Swap Co-ordinator - can't wait to see what awaits me in return!!??

....and while I was experimenting with the Shabby Chic theme. I decided to create this card.... be sure to check it out at the Mad for Markers Blog for info on all the embellishments that I coloured in using my "treasured" Copic Markers :)


Tomorrow is a public holiday for the racing of the Melbourne Cup... famously termed the "horse race that stops a Nation" - I plan to spend my day in my "happy room" surrounded by paper, photos, stamps, copics etc!

Enjoy!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Time to Share the "Love"

...love of Copics that is!!

I often get asked what is the most favourite thing I love about my Copics - and it really is a tough question to answer! I love the vast colour range, I love how easy they are to blend, I love their versatility - I love.....yes the list goes on an on. However, I truly just love colouring in with them. As you are aware I have a passion for all sorts of Arts & Crafts but there is something very therapeutic about colouring. I find colouring very relaxing . I often have heaps of images stamped out on my X-Press IT Blending Card ready to go and when life gets tough I reach for them... and my 'beloved' Copics and have some good old chill-out time. I have been doing that a lot lately LOL!... and finally got to spend some time the last few days, making these coloured images into cards - here is a couple I thought I would share.




This is 'Hip Hop' girl  a 'Hanglar Stanglar' image coloured with my favourite shades of Pink - R81, R83, R85 & Blue - B91, B93, B95. I consider these a "must-have" in any Copic Collection.
 
The gorgeous pink embossed paper used for this card is from Kaisercrafts Paper Pad Miss Nelly and the beautiful paper flowers are by "Hooked on Craft" available from Karen & friends at scrap2relax - a very apt name for a store considering today's post LOL!!


The sentiment I made up and printed out on my computer using the font CK Journalling ( another favourite! )


..and this sweet 'Lily of the Valley' stamp is sure to cheer anyone up - that teddy-bear is so stinkin' cute! Mr Teddy was coloured with E31, E33, E35 and E37 - his rosey cheeks were courtesy of a little more R83 and his caring Nurse was coloured in with Warm Greys - W1, W3 and W5 and Red - R22, R24, R27
 
I made this card using the "Gertie" papers from My Minds Eye Stella Rose collection by Jen Allyson and another sentiment I made up myself.




I hope you get to have yourself some "chill-out" time this week with your favourite Copic colours and don't forget to check out the whole colour range available at Mad for Markers

Enjoy