Stargazer ATC

The new release from Vera Lane Studios is this lovely star gal, I decided this needed to be a night sky :

She is coloured with copics and gel pen, as is the moon and the starry ground she is standing on.

The purple part of the background is a gelli® print. The orange I painted and then used molding paste through a stencil. I splattered white acrylic paint onto the background and finally added some fussy cut stars from the galaxy/milky way image in the set.

I made two of these ATCs. I have been trading them at an ATC trading group on Facebook, and now make one for me to keep since I am enjoying them so much :) 

 Thanks for stopping by, why not visit the Vera Lane Etsy store, or come and join the fun and get some inspiration from the facebook group.

Here is the complete set for Star :

Stampotique Square Challenge

This weeks challenge SDC233 at the Stampotique blog is squares. Corrie is the gorgeous hostess, and she mentions how she uses circles a lot and so she set a square challenge to get out of her comfort zone. I think I use circles and squares about the same amount, but it was fun to use just squares.

My make featuring the gorgeous Winter - her first inking, isn't she gorgeous ? I love the attitude :

For the background I used an acrylic block and distress inks :

I layered the colours, adding a purple and grey after these layers shown above.

I then used whipped spackle through a stencil with square on.

Winter was stamped onto the background in black ink and I sponged her skirt and legs in the same gray ink as the background. Then I stamped her again in black stazon and coloured her with the co-ordinating distress inks, using cut and dry nibs. I fussy cut her, but just the top half of her body, I liked the bottom being darker. Bit more dramatic :) Finally I clear embossed her and adhered her over the same stamped section.

The words 'Square peg in a round hole' were typed on my typewriter, matted onto black card stock and glued in place. Doesn't she look like a bit of a misfit ? 

Proof of Fun is from France's Barcode Text stamp, stamped in black onto white card stock.. 

Finally the front of the card was matted onto black card stock, then onto my 5" x 5" base. Because yes of course, it had to be a square card :)

I am entering this into the challenge this week, always so much inspiration over there at Stampotique, the challenge blog and the facebook group. Its a happy happy happy place to be x\

Thanks for stopping by x

Monkey cards

I have mentioned before that this year I plan to make more cards for Birthdays etc. I know its expensive to mail, but there is something very satisfying and pleasing about getting actual snail mail.

Here are some cards I made, with mixed media backgrounds using the fabulous monkey face stamp from Carmen's Veranda. I dont know if you know ... I LOVE monkeys. 

Thanks for stopping by x

Hawaiin Wedding card

A wonderful friend of mine jetted off to Hawaii recently for a Hawaiin ceremony, on the beach. It looked idyllic, and the family worse pink/purple and green leis.  

Here is the wedding card I made for them :

This is a gelli® print background with flowers from a retired Stampin Up set, coloured with copics. I punched the butterflies from the same background paper with the Martha Stewart butterfly punch. A little white edge to the card with gel pen and tadaaar ... finished.

Their wedding was the start of a beautiful life together and I wish them every happiness xxxx

Swaddled babe ATC

Vera Lane Studios has such a cute new baby set, called Swaddle them. 

I have made an ATC, using one of the babes and words from the set, and also I have paper pieced the blanket around the baby using the pile of hearts from Lil Love, this was coloured with copics and details added with a sharpie white paint pen :

Non traditional baby colours here. I wanted the blanket to be blue and I enjoy the contrast of orange and blue, so here we are ! LOL

The background is painted with acrylic paint, using a brayer, with orange and white. When the top layer of paint was still wet I put some bubble wrap on it to pick up some of the paint. It gives the background a but more interest and depth. I tore the edges matted it onto a piece of white cardstock that I had coloured with the same blue as the blanket. 

The hearts are punched out and coloured, the words printed and cut up, to be placed around babe. 

It is true : The smallest things take the most room in your heart X

Thanks for stopping by x

Bookmarks

I am a big reader, and making bookmarks is my fave this to make, well after ATC's that is ! LOL 

I have made a number of bookmarks recently, using the awesome images from Vera Lane Studios. They are long and thin - perfect for a bookmark shape, and because they are digital images I can re-size them to whatever works for me. Here I have used the bookmark die from Papertrey Ink.  

I have a variety of mediums, including copics, stamping, acrylic paint, gel pen, india ink etc etc. They have been laminated and ribbon toppers added :

These bookmarks, and more will be sent to friends and also abandoned in various places. I love to abandon artwork, its such a rewarding thing to do. More info at the Artist Network HERE, but also there are other online resources and there is a very active art abandonment facebook group.

The two bookmarks together :

And another I have made features another of the images in the set. This is taking part in a pay-it forward art share at my Facebook group, Craft Chat

Colour Challenge at Wicked Wednesday : Gray, teal and red

This weeks challenge at Wicked Wednesday is a colour one : gray, teal and red. 

Before I show you my make, I have to tell you that I went to a Phantom of the Opera type of opera yesterday. The men were dressed very colourfully, with wonderful face make up/masks. It inspired me to make the weird ... weirder ! LOL

My make, featuring moustache ballerina from Bloobel Stamps :

I printed the image, but because this is an ATC it was tricky to know what size to make him. To fit the whole image onto the ATC would have meant making it really small, so I made him a little larger and cut a bit off ... but I dont think it detracts from the look, since I left his shoe ribbons in. 

The image is coloured with copics, sharpie white acrylic paint pen and prisma pencil.

The background I made with gray and white acrylic paint and a brayer. The teal edge piece was cut on my big shot with an ornamental edge die that I cut up to make it fit. The cardnstock I used was white originally and I coloured it with the same teal copics as the ballerinas outfit. The words were typed on my type writer. Not exactly Michael Flatley is he ? LOL Moustache Ballerina is waaaay more cool :)

Thanks for stopping by x

The Organics ATCs

Vera Lane Studios new release from the Floral Park collections is called The Organics, and features these gorgeous gals :

I made some ATC's :

With these gorgeous images, I think its all about the colour, so bright and vibrant.

I used a gelli® print background, then resized the gals in word and printed them. They are coloured with copics and gel pen. I used all the images for these, and cut up the words to suit my makes. 

Here are close ups :

Hope these gorgeous little gals cheered your day, Nikki x

All occasion cards

I made a few quick all occasion cards with the awesome anthropomorphs from Lost Coast Designs with gelli® print backgrounds. These creatures were amongst the first I bought when I discovered this company, with the original and quirky images :

This is my fave, the elephant looked perfect here I think :) 

Thanks for stopping by X

Crayon ATC

I made an ATC using a new digi set by Vera Lane Studios called Crayon de Couleur, I liked all the bright colour for this happy little ATC :

This ATC has two gelli® prints in the background, the purple sky and the teal ground. I wrote the words to the rainbow song .. red and yellow and pink and green etc....  in sharpie white acrylic paint pen on the background. The rainbow and girl are resized in word and printed. The rainbow is coloured with inktense pencils and copic. The girl is coloured with copics and sharpie white acrylic pen highlights added to her and the rainbow. Finally I embossed her with clear powder and cut up the words to include them. I matted the ATC onto plain white card stock.

Thanks for stopping by x

Flip the Birdie ATC

The title of this ATC trade was 'Put a Bird on it' ... well, I did ! LOL

This is one of the cracked critters from Lost Coast Designs, stamped onto a geli print and paper pieced. Doesn't he rock !

The background is molding paste and Lindys Stamp Gang starburst sprays.

Thanks for stopping by x

Its cold outside ATC

This weeks challenge at Wicked Wednesday is 'Baby its cold outside', sponsored by Polka Doodles. Here is my make using Frosty Penguins Octavia :

I tried create a scene of her looking in through the window from outside, think it worked out ok, but I have to say, it was harder than I thought it would be ! LOL

The window is a chipboard piece from Southern Ridge Trading Co. The image is coloured with copics, and once glued together put onto the patterned paper, erm I mean wallpaper (LOL), I added some ice effect in the windows with crystal effects and glitter :)

Thanks for stopping by, please come and visit us at Wicked Wednesday for more Polka Doodles inspiration from the awesome DT :)

Eenie Meenie Minie Mo Pocket Letter

So many people have been making these pocket letters, I thought it might be fun to have a go. This is the challenge over at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity. If you like to make pocket letters, please come and link up to our challenge and be in the chance of winning a shopping spree at Lost Coast Designs or Carmen's Veranda.

As I see it there are two ways to make a pocket letter, to make 9 individual ATC's, or to make one large picture and cut down to 9 3.5" x 2.5" ATCs. I liked the idea of continuous colour and pattern for this skull themed make.

My pocket letter featuring sugar skulls from Lost Coast Designs

I know sugar skulls are traditionally associated with Day of the Dead, but I liked the idea of using them in the Valentines month and Eenie Meenie Minie Mo - well maybe that's how some of us choose a partner ? LOL. 

The background is neocolor II's, then I used the negative of a die cut and sponged through it in grey ink, like you would a stencil. I stamped some other random things lightly in the background and added modelling paste through a stencil. I sponged the edge with grey ink, then cut my sheet into none 2.5 x 3.5" ATC's. 

The sugar skulls were stamped and embossed and colored with prisma color pencils. I used the three small skulls across the top, and the larger black nose sugar skull for the bottom one. I fussy cut them, die cut my letters and bats, then glued everything together. The bats eyes are glittered.

Close up :

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found some inspiration here, Nikki x

Lots more inspiration over at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity.

Valentines Sandra Caldwell style

I made a valentine using this gorgeous stamp from Sandra Caldwell, isn't he fab :

Thanks so much Donna Mundinger for letting me use your words, they are awesome X

Its coloured with copics, I paper pieced the clothing. On the actual digi image it says 'Kiss Me'. I used a die to cut the circle at the top and punched some hearts and coloured them. I doodled and added the three heart beats in.

Happy Valentines everyone, celebrate friendships and relationships, not just the romance X

Love themed atcs

I am taking part in a love themed atc trade, normally I make three the same, but this month I have been influenced by Julie Steed ... So here's my atcs :

First is inspired by last weeks wanderlust class, which was about zentangle and abstract doodling. This heart is cross hatched, I used a Faber Castell artist Pitt pen and graphite pencil with a blending stub :

                                              

The second is using an image, Lil Love from Vera Lane Studios. She is printed and coloured with copics and I added highlights and details in her hair using a sharpie white acrylic paint pen. 

It is a painted background and I added molding paste through a stencil. When it was dry, I put the stencil back on and used versa mark with white embossing powder to make the swirls stand out more and add some texture/dimension.

Final details included a bit of washi, some hearts and words typed on my typewriter, a little blue edging. I don't know about you, but the words of this Justin Bieber song keep playing in my mind ... Yours now too .... Lol

                                              

This third atc features the image, Two Monkeys, from Carmen's Veranda, with a painted and stencilled background. The hearts are punched and coloured, the other words typed on my typewriter. 

                                               

Finally this is an atc using a vintage nude stamp from Paper Artsy, this has been the cause of great amusement. It's stamped, decopauged, fussy cut, coloured with copics, prismas, sponged in brown and blue embossing powder. I loved adding the hair, isn't she a doll :

                            

Seeing Red ATC

This weeks challenge at Wicked Wednesday is Seeing Red, sponsored by Lemon Shortbread.

I have used this cute image called Baking Love Cupcake Girl :

She is coloured with prisma coloured pencils and copics. The white highlights are made with a sharpie pain pen. The sentiment I typed out on my typewriter.

Thanks for stopping by, and please visit us at Wicked Wednesday, it is a very friendly and inspirational place to be :)

Home ... Where the Heart is ATC

Another ATC featuring the gorgeous images from Vera Lane Studios. I can honestly say I am having the most fun ever with these images.

This is Maison, and I can see many possibilities with her and love and home related projects, dont you just love her X

The background is a gelli® print. I used whipped spackle through a stencil for the butterflies, then added white embossing powder to them. I also stamped the words from a retired stamp set and white embossed them too. I love how the whipped spackle puffs up when you heat it, even more dimension :) I punched some circles from the gelli print and added them with butterflies I punched from the Martha Stewart Butterfly punch. The gal was resized in word and printed on my ink jet printer. I coloured her with copics. Finally I glued everything together and doodled around the edge with my new Sharpie paint pen.

Thanks so much for stopping by x 

Love birds

The season of love is upon us, and the new Vera Lane Studios set lent itself to how I was feeling today : This is a new digi set called Birdy : 

Dont you just love the sign, Oh the possibilities are endless with that ...

Gelli® print background, the images are printed and coloured with copics.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog :)

Valentines Day Event

We are having a fabulous Valentines event at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity, there will be lots of inspiration and love sharing with the varied and gorgeous images from Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda. 

Here is my make :

I had this idea in mind for a while, to use the backside of a wooden canvas for my make :
"The Human Heart'.

Amongst my favourite colors are pink and grey, and in this there is also a hint of blue.  I wanted the main focus of this piece to be the blood red heart, so I kept the other elements subtle and co-ordinating. The skeleton stamp I have used is Winged Skeleton from Carmen's Veranda. Yes I fussy cut it, and sponged it in gray and pink ink. The wings were stamps separately on velum, fussy cut and added for dimension.
Here is a closer look :

To do the background I painted the canvas in pale blue, grey and white acrylic paint. Then I added strips of printed paper to the background and around the edges. I swiped my grey stamp pad across it, then I stamped the Grunge Black Swirl stamp from Carmen's Veranda onto the background in pink and then added clear embossing powder to it all and heat set.  I dripped watered-down grey acrylic paint down the background of the canvas.

I then started work on the border. I stamped the Swirls and Dots border from Lost Coast Designs around the border in grey ink. Then I used a stencil and molding pasts around the edges of the canvas, coloring it with pink ink.  

While everything was drying I stamped the Roses image, which is a stamp by Lost Coast Designs and fussy cut it. I stamped it in gray and sponged in gray and pink distress ink.

The words were added using two alphabets by Lost Coast Designs, Old Typewrite Alphabet SOTA was used for 'The Human' and 'Heart' was done using Licence Plate Alphabet Set. I colored the cardstock with blue acrylic paint, then stamped in grey archival ink. I smudged the ink when  wet and added white splatters and cut them out. I also distressed the edges :

And another pic of the finished canvas. You can see I added pink tissue paper and white cotton thread behind the main elements, it added a more feminine touch.

Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your time here and found some inspiration x

Chicken ATC

I made an ATC recently with Chicken from Vera Lane Studios and traded it. There was another girl who really wanted her, it reminded her of her own chickens, so I made her a surprise one and will mail it tomorrow. Hope she likes it :

The background is made with molding paste and pumice stone distress stain. I added colour to the background with prismas coloured pencils, acrylic paint and washi tape. The images are coloured with copucs and coloured pencil and gel pen. I live her magenta hair, she is definitely the focal point :)

Thanks for stopping by x

You've been Naughty ATC

An ATC trade, for another rather risque card ... 

This is a stamp from Smeared Ink, who have sadly ceased business now :

Love you to the Sky Card

I made this card for a friend who has just adopted a little boy. I think this is my favorite set from Vera Lane Studios, well, up to now anyway ... LOL. This is Mothers Love.

I have also used hearts from the Have Hearts Set of 12.

This is a gelli® print background, then I used a die to cut the grass from another piece of the gelli® print, and added another strip of the same gelli print across the bottom. The images are printed on my printed, coloured with copics, pencil and gel pen, and fussy cut. The sentiment is from the Lil Love set.

My friend loved this card :) I made it in 4x6" size and I think shes going to frame it.

Head Shot ATC

This weeks make for Wicked Wednesdays challenge 'Head Shot'.

We are sponsored this week by The East Wind, and I have used Witchery. All coloured with prisma colour pencils :

Tape and Ticket

Gorgeous new images from the Floral Park Collection by Vera Lane Studios : Introducing  Tape and Ticket, a set of 5 digital images :

This is 'Ticket', with the very apt quote from Dr Seuss. I love the quote, and that book is so inspirational and positive.

Ticket was resized in word and printed. She is coloured with copics and gel pen. And I sponged the ticket with ink. She was fussy cut.

I used script patterned paper as the background of the ATC. Then I cut the tickets with a tag die from  a gelli® print, and I added the black detail with pen. I glued them down and decided to darken up the space between the tickets with a grey artist pitt pen. I printed the ticket from the Vera Lane Studios set and sponged it to match my gal. Everything was stuck down, and the edge of the ATC sponged with the purple ink :)

I love the colours here, the purple against the blue, yellow and grey :)

Now meet Tape : Isn't she adorable ? Look at that pensive look on her face ...

Tape was resized to fit my ATC and printed. I coloured her with copics, then cut her out and left a border, which I coloured black afterwards.

The background is made using a yellow ATC background. I used a numbers stencil and coloured molding paste black. When it was try I sprayed with orange dylusions spray. Then I ran a piece of velum through my xyron to make a sticker and stuck it over the background. I did this because the background was so bright and busy, it was over powering the other details.

For the tape and strip across the bottom. I printed a larger tape gal and cut it down to be just the tape part. I coloured a strip of white cardstock with the blue copics I did Tapes hair with, and typed the words. Then glued it all together :)

I am loving these gals from Vera Lane Studios, cant wait to see whats coming next week ...