Fabric of Nature ATCs

These are for an ATC swap on Kindred Souls Art Group, the theme is the Fabric of Nature, somehow I thought it was the Nature of Fabric, but it works either way for me ;). No paper is to be used in this swap and we are to keep our colors, soft, faded and vintage like.

I used fusible web to to adhere muslin to the back of batting and on the front used fusible web to layer cotton eyelet over a vintage pink handkerchief  and to adhere appliquéd flowers from other vintage handkerchiefs. The lace edgings were sewn on by hand. I really liked how these looked, but decided to add just a bit more.

 Used fusible web to adhere ecru lace over muslin and a die to cut out the butterfly shapes. Added  beads to make the butterfly bodies. Then added some white flowers cut out from lace trimmings and added some small beads when sewing them on. Also added same small beads to the larger appliquéd flowers.

 Here's a close up of one of the ATCs.

Pam's Round Robin Journal Page

Today, I finished my page for Pam's Round Robin Journal on Kindred Souls Art Group. Pam choose Ornate Doors for her theme. I decided to use an ornate frame die to create my door. Started with two pieces of previously made background papers. On the left is a sheet of paste paper, on the right is a resist with acrylic paint background that didn't turn out as I hoped, but knew would come in handy one day.

 After cutting out the ornate frame for both pieces, wrinkled up a sheet of iridescent wrapping paper and glued between to two frames. I like how the little bits of blue, purple & gold over the black give it an old chipped paint over metal look. Added a key embellishment with a "jeweled" rhinestone as the handle and the attached the door to some decorative paper with brass fasteners and large brads. Used decorative washi tape around the outside endues.

 When the door is opened, there is a picture I took in Panama that has been stamped over with travel related stamps using midnight blue StazOn ink.

 For the back, stamped sayings and compass image with the same StazOn ink, also added some key washi tape.

Pam's journal is fabulous, love the ornate door cover she created, and so many fabulous pages inside. This traveling journal swap is so much fun!!!

World of Color Round Robin - MaryBeth's Page

I made MaryJane's page for the World of Color Round Robin on Kindred Soul's Art Group. MaryBeth choose Blue & Green as her colors.

For the front & back, I used blue background papers and sprayed green Memory Mist over a floral stencil on the front, then flipped the wet stencil on the paper I'm using for the back and pressed the ink onto the paper.

 I used various green inks & paint to color card stock then stamped leaf outlines with green Distress Ink. Cut them out, folded them to add texture, opened the leaves, then creased to make the center.

Added shaped beaded blue flowers with little green bead center. Tore a strip of green fabric, fringed one edge and adhered to the bottom of the page. Glued blue batik fabric to grunge paper and used a die cut to cut out the butterfly shape. Glued the wings over green batik fabric and adhered to the page. Stamped a saying with Midnight Blue StazOn ink.

I stamped a dragonfly image on the back and colored it with blue  & green Distress markers. Added some blue perfect pearls (also to the crease on the leaves on the front of the page). 

 Wrote my name & date with metallic & glitter Gel pens. Colored the edges of the front and back papers with green acrylic paint. 

Hope MaryBeth likes her page.

Page for my own World of Color Round Robin Journal

Making a page for our own World of Color Round Robin Journals is optional. I realized I didn't leave enough room on the inside of my covers for my name or this project, etc. So decided to make a page that would also have that information. 

I colored some metal dragonfly charms with blue & purple alcohol ink.

 Sprayed an old dictionary page with blue color wash spray. Stamped other images with dark purple StazOn ink. Colored some of the images with blue & purples metallic and glitter Gel pens. Covered the large dragonfly's wings with rock candy Distress Stickles, attached the dragonfly charms with blue brads, and added my name and date.

 For the back of the page, used some blue background papers, colored the edges with purple Distress ink. Stamped a long saying with light blue Distress Ink on one side of the middle sheet of paper and also stamped on some dragonflies in different shades of purple. On the other half, wrote out title of swap, my name and listed the participating artists all in metallic & glitter Gel pens. Added some light purple "pearls" to the left side.

It will fun to see all the other blue & purple pages that are created by the other artists when my journal finally makes it back home.

Covers for World of Color Round Robin Journal

I've signed up for another Round Robin Journal Swap on Kindred Souls Art Group. This one is called World of Color, and each person is to choose two colors for their journals. All the pages for that journal are only two use those two colors. While working on my journal, I found this more difficult than I imagined. I choose Blue & Purple for my two colors.

For the covers of my journal, I started by applying white DAP (painters acrylic latex caulk) over corrugated cardboard, created a texture and let it dry overnight.

 Then I painted on two blue and a purple acrylic paint, then sponged on some metallic blue Lumiere paint.

 When the paints had dried, I rubbed some purple metallic rub-on over the raised areas.

 For the front cover, I cut & embossed some blue metallic foil in a cut & emboss folder. Then rubbed a light blue metallic rub-on over the raised areas.

 Decided I didn't like that, so sanded off the raised areas, sprayed on various blue sprays and dabbed on some purple alcohol ink.

 Colored some metal butterfly embellishments with blue & purple alcohol ink.

 Finished outside front cover: added some blue lace around the metal frame; stamped some butterflies on blue & purple paper, colored the butterflies with blue & purple metallic Gel pens; colored some metal flower embellishments with purple alcohol ink, layered with blue silk flowers and attached with blue brads; and sewed on the metal butterflies. Also tucked under some blue lace that is used on the other side of the cover.

 Finished back outside cover: only added blue lace that is wrapped around the entire cover.

 The insides of the covers are blue background papers that have some purple Distress ink rubbed onto part of the page. Large dragonfly, swirls and sayings are stamped with purple StazOn ink. Dragonfly is collared with metallic and glitter Gel pens. Blue lace is added.

Realized with all the different shades of blues & purples, I was able to create my covers after some playing with the different shades. I have punched wholes to later bind with the pages the other participants make when the journal returns to me. I will then show the completed journal complete with ribbons & fibers.

Print ATC

This month's theme on 9ATC group is Print. I started by stamping a background image on card stock with VersaMark ink, let it dry, then rubbed on various Distress inks with a foam applicator.

Next, stamped words with black India Ink.

Then I trimmed the background, layered it on black card stock and added 3 small black rhinestones.

"Orange" Color Perceptions ATC

For July, in the Color Perceptions ATC swap on ArtVentures the color is Orange. Orange makes me feel warm & comfortable which means cozy! I started with some previous made orange backgrounds and also colored a sheet of music with dried marigold Distress Ink.

 Tore up the papers and adhered them to an atc sized sheet of thin cardboard using the unused bits technique. The edges were colored with copper acrylic paint.

 Glued some orange fabric from my scraps onto thin cardboard and used a die to cut out the bird and wing. Colored the edges with terra cotta acrylic paint, adhered the wing to the body and added an orange 'pearl' for the eye. Also used the terra cotta to color the out side edges of the atc.

 Attached the bird to the atc, punched a music note out of orange colored foil candy wrapper, added orange feathers for the nest and stamped letters spelling cozy with walnut stain distress ink over orange colored paper. Nice and cozy!

ATC based on Tim's July Tag of 2013

Tim Holtz has some great new ways of using Distress Stains on his July Tag of the 12 tags of 2013 series. Check out the fabulous step-by-step instructions and photos on his blog. I made an ATC using some of these techniques with the supplies I already had at home, so mine is a bit different.

I ran out of the Rock Candy Distress crackle paint that Tim show's a fab technique with. I decided using tarnished brass Distress crackle paint would give my embellishments a nice "patriotic" look, so brushed it on over some die cuts and let it dry. (I think I did a heavier application of the paint than what Tim suggested).

 Next, applied Distress Stains over the dried crackle paint and bubbled it in using a heat tool. Cool!

 Following Tim's other technique, dabbed some Distress Stain on a craft sheet and lightly ran a brayer over the stain to pick up dots of stain, then ran the brayer over the cut manilla folder, heat set, then repeated with another color of Distress Stain. Cool background technique! Then colored the edges of the ATC with walnut ink Distress Ink.

 To finish my ATC, stamped part of a Pledge of Allegiance stamp on the background with walnut stain Distress Ink, and used this ink to color the edges of two word stickers. Adhered my Distress Stain over Crackle Paint embellishments on the ATC along with 3 tiny brass stars. Fun project!