Sea Creature ATC

This week at Wicked Wednesday ATC challenge blog, the challenge is Sea Creatures. We are sponsored by DigiStamp Atelier. And I have used Baby Ursula : 

I used water colour pencils on water colour paper. I coloured sections in different colours then sprayed with water and made the colours run. The image is coloured with copics and fussy cut and outlined in black. I added crystal effects to her eyes and glitter to the star fish. The flowers were added, with sequins on top and words printed on my typewriter.

Thanks for stopping by x

I've still go it !

Today I am sharing some fun Artist Trading Card's (ATC's) I made.
And I am over on the VLVS blog too :) 

The star of the show is Senior Lady doing split by Viva Las VegaStamps!

Isn't she fun. Seriously, can you imagine being able to do the splits in later life. Kudos to her. 

In the background that I have also used a stamp from the most current release, Squiggly star collage.

The background is made up of torn music paper, acrylic paint and black and white ink.

A close up :

I actually made a series of these ATC's, here they are : 

Thanks for stopping by, Nikki x

ATC Inspired by Pinterest

This weeks challenge at Wicked Wednesday is to be inspired by something you see on Pinterest. 

We are sponsored by The Fantasy Art of Nikki Burnette. And I have used Telsa.

Here is my ATC : Background is acrylic paints, white sharpie and distress ink. I used a collage image of flowers from a magazine and the image itself is coloured with copics :

What inspired me was a card on Pinterest by Rosie Schirrmeister.  You should check out her blog, many many many gorgeous creations. Here is her card, which she has given me permission to show :

And HERE is the Pinterest link.

What I liked about Rosies card was the combination of image and collage. Whilst the layout isn't the same, its somewhat similar in that the girl is in the bottom right corner. I think it worked really well with the Telsa image from Nikki Burnette. 

Thanks for stopping by, please head over to Wicked Wednesday for more inspiration :)

But tomorrow may rain ...

A quick recycled make, with a butterfly my friend Corrie sent to me on a tag :

I made this for the colour challenge at the Vera Lane Studios Facebook group.

The grasses are from a set called Snail's Pace. And the words are from a set called Sunny. For the background I created an embossed look with a doily die, then colourised it with Dylusions inks and distress ink. The grasses are coloured with copics and white sharpie. 

I really liked how all these different elements came together, and it felt good to recycle :)
Thanks for stopping by x

Sweet and undefinable

Such an adorable new set released today from Vera Lane Studios, its crazy and fun .. in a fruity sort of way !

The set is called Be a Pineapple and this crazy girls name is Audrey :)

The background is a acrylic paint. I added doilies that were colourised with inka gold. And I added some strips of green washi. Audrey is coloured with copics and white sharpie. I also used diamond glaze on her eyes for that glassy look and I fussy cut her and popped her up on the card front. The words accompany the set, and they are pretty great for any occasion :)

Thanks for stopping by x

Blogiversary giveaway

Its been a full year since The Lost Coast Portal to Creativity launched. Wow, time has flown .. along with a multitude of challenges and events. Its been fun and lots of people have played and won ... more every month in fact. To celebrate this awesomness there is a celebration and giveaway, check out the blog HERE

In the spotlight ATC

My make for Wicked Wednesday this week, sponsored by Ppinky Dolls Art. The challenge is Circus Act :

I have used this absolutely gorgeous image called Clown Dance. She is coloured with copics and gel pen. Then I fussy cut her. 

The background is made with Nuance water soluble powders. Then I used white acrylic paint to make the white spotlight. When it was dry I added gel medium and glitter. The silver wall was punched out of glitter paper. I added the twine whip she has hold of. I typed the words on my typewriter and matter the whole ATC onto clack card stock. 

Please check out the other awesome makes at Wicked Wednesday. There is a new ATC challenge ever Wednesday :)

Our house .... postcard

This month I am taking part in a houses postcard trade, and here is my make. Inspired by two things, one of my fave bands, Madness, and art I made in a class with Dyan Reaveley recently : 

The postcard is 4x6" and the background is made in the class with Dyan. I also used the mixed media die to cut out some hexagons.  I have used various techniques with stencils and Dylusions sprays, including ghosting. 

The house is a retired stamp set from Close to My Heart. I stamped it onto a mixed media background I had made and fussy cut it, I cut out the little round window and used a circle punch to cut the windows in the house. I used clear plastic and drew in the panes. 

The door is from the same CTMH set, I stamped it onto yellow card and clear embossed it. Adding a little white detail. The flowers are punched from the same papers as the background with circle punches and glued into place.  I added a little green foliage.

The words are stamped and I also used the little alpha stickers from Ranger.

Its a very bright and cheerful make, I like how it came out :)

Thanks for stopping by x

Celebrating Women

We have a challenge at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity to celebrate women, Women Rule the World. It has been going on for a few days now and there has been wonderful  daily inspiration from the DT. 

I am celebrating women by using this beautiful Cosmos Face image as the main feature on my card : 

The background is made with the purple tones of nuance powders, they are water soluble and I just love the interesting backgrounds they create. I stamped onto the background when it was dry with the script image from the Leonardo Accessories Set and embossed it in white. I then stamped Cosmos Face in black versamark onto the background and embossed it. Cosmos Face was then stamped onto cream card stock in memento ink and coloured with copics and prisma colour pencils. I then fussy cut the main part of the image and glued over the top of the black stamped image. I like the way the black sort of shadows her.

Finally I stamped the Wish from Dictionary Words onto velum with stazon.

A close up, do you like her co-ordinating eye shadow ? :

Thanks for stopping by, please check out the event at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity, and join the fun :) If you link up your project by May 15th, you will be in with the chance of winning the $10 shopping spree at Lost Coast Designs or Carmen's Veranda. 

A versatile background

Today I am posting over on the Viva Las VegaStamps blog, with three things I made using the same background, and plate, 1400. This plate is the newest addition to my family and I wanted to try out a few of the stamps. I love green and orange together and this color scheme is apparent on each of the makes here, with the green background and orange rhinestones. 

My makes, an ATC, a tag and a card :

I started this whole process with an inked water colored background. I used water soluble powders, but you could use any water based product. I colorised the whole sheet of water color paper with greens and yellows. Its so pretty isn't it :

I then began stamping and using various portions of the colored background, cutting them down to size. Its a great way to quickly utilise a background you really like, rather than making smaller individual backgrounds :

More info about my three makes : 

The tag uses the funky gal Spikes on head #18507 as the focal point. She is stamped onto the tag directly, and then again onto plain white card stock, colored with copics and  the main head shape fussy cut and glued over top of the stamped image on the tag.  Close up of that :

In the tag background I have also used Measuring Tape #19565 and Mesh Texture # 19569. The words are The Truth is out there #19548

My second make is a card featuring the gorgeous 4" x 4" Sun background #18366, which I paired up with the sentiment Hello Sweetie #19148 :

And finally an ATC, using Steampunk Owl #18508, Writing Triangles # 19571 and Texture background #19570. The additional items in this ATC are words typed on my typewriter and die cut branch and cogs. Also I added a layer of diamond glaze/crystal effects to the owls eyes, I like that glassy eyed look :)

Hope you found some inspiration here. Thanks for stopping by.  Nikki x

Fruit and Veggies

This weeks sponsor at Wicked Wednesday is the wonderful A Day for Daisies. The theme is Fruits and Veggies. I have used this super cute image, Carrots for Supper :

Diamonds ATC

Today I would like to share an ATC with you today, featuring the gorgeous gal Manga Goth Dots from Lost Coast Designs. 

This was made for the challenge at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity to add a splash of neon or bright colour. I think the pink is pretty bright here, it makes the flowers in her hair appear even bigger !

This gorgeous gal is coloured with copics and gelli roll pen for her dress. I wanted to give it a PVC, leather sort of look. She is pretty sassy wouldn't you agree? Hence the words from the song 'Single Ladies' by Beyonce :

"If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it"

See the bling on her finger ? Looks like someone 'liked it' ! LOL

For the background I have used two background stamps. Firstly I stamped Grunge Black Swirl from Carmen's Veranda in a taupe color. Then I stamped the Fourth Dimension stamp from Lost Coast Designs in peacock feathers distress ink and embossed with iridescent ice embossing powder.  I don't normally use much bling, but really thought this ATC was calling out for it. 

Finally I added a few more gems to the background, the words which I typed on my typewriter and I edged the ATC in black ink.

Thanks for stopping by and please leave me a comment if you feel so inclined :)

Have a lovely day, Nikki x

New Pastures

I have made this card for the Cracked Critter Event over at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity :)

I have made a card featuring this adorable Cracked Yak. 

This is actually a card for a new home ... Moving onto New Pastures. 

For this card all the stamps I used are from Lost Coast Designs.

The yak is coloured with copics and fussy cut and clear embossed. I added a layer of diamond glaze to the eye and popped it up with dimensions on the card front. The yak was actually stamped onto the background as well, then the fine details didn't have to be fussy cut.

The background is sponged with distress ink then I spritzed the Circle Frame stamp with water and stamped the background. It gives such a cool effect as it removes the ink from the areas the water goes onto. 

The alphabet is stamped with Old Typewriter alphabet SOTA in black ink with a little white gel pen highlights.

I drew the hoof prints, the yak is after all moving ... onto new pastures. 

Here is a close up :

Please go and check out all the other awesome cracked critter makes at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity.

Put a bow on it

This weeks challenge at Wicked Wednesday ATC challenge blog is 'Put a bow on it'.

Sponsored by All Dressed Up, I have used this cute image Little Bookworm:

She is coloured with copics and I used an oval die to cut her out, and matted it onto black card stock. I added the green bow over the top of the bow that was on her hat already.

For the background I tore a page out of a old book. I had decided I wasn't going to read it anyway. LOL

Thanks for stopping by :)

Birthday Girl ATC

Such fun images this week, from Lemon Shortbread, the theme of Wicked Wednesdays challenge is 'Birthday Girl'. She most certainly looks like a party reveler to me ... Her name is Balloon Girl Happy Birthday : 

She is coloured with copics and white gel pen. The background paper was cut with a spellbinders die in my big shot and I added the white dots and typed above the lines with 'Lets Party' and 'Party'. The balloons were die cut from glimmer paper and the twine added for the strings. 

Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you over at Wicked Wednesday soon :)

Snails

Vera lane studios new snail set, called Snails Pace. Its so cool.

I made a birthday card and an atc :

Card is 4.25 x 4.25". Background is distress ink, the images are coloured with copics.

The ATC background is made with dylusions sprays, stencil and a napkin. I typed the words onto tissue paper and attached them with gel medium. I also doodled some white in the background. The exhausted and fed up snail is coloured with copics and clear embossed :)

Thanks for stopping by x

Adventure now or tea first ?

Today I am sharing some inspiration for this months Coffee Fiends challenge over at the Viva Las VegaStamps! blog ... But I am a tea drinker, I don't really drink coffee ! Did I just hear you gasp ? LOL. But fear not .. I still get my caffeine fix :)

The inspiration for the April challenge includes : 

caffeine, coffee, tea, tea time, warm drinks, hyper, hype, cups, recycle, fancy, stain, spill, coffee rings, drips, drops, splatters, vintage, cardboard, corrugated,tan, brown, black, dark, roasted, light, vapor, and last of all.. date time with friends.

Here is my make : 

As my focal point I used this dapper gentleman, Man with teacup 18484. Isn't he great?

I stamped and colored him with alcohol markers and fussy cut him. The rather delicate pink bone china tea cup is embossed with clear embossing powder. I also used the tail from the Fantasy Bird 17852 to make the vapor/steam from his cuppa. Its stamped onto velum, embossed and fussy cut.

The background is sponged with tea dye distress ink and the corrugated cardboard is actually a recycled Starbucks cup sleeve :) I sponged it lightly with distress ink and added black and white splatters of acrylic paint. I also made the tea bag tag, instead of using ribbon.

This is such a fun quote from Peter Pan, and fitted perfectly with this gentleman I think. He looks like hes asking just this sort of question, or perhaps making a sarcastic remark ? LOL

Here is a close up :

If you feel inspired to come and join us, and check out the challenge, go HERE. 

Also, check our the other inspiration posts by the Design Team on the Blog HERE.

Thanks for stopping by xxx

Namaste ATC

At Wicked Wednesday this week, the challenge is Ribbon tags and we are sponsored by Aurora Wings. I have used Mischievous Little Lotus Sprite :

I really enjoyed the colour scheme in this ATV. The background is patterened paper. The sprite is coloured with copics and acrylic paint pen. I went around her in T3 and T6 copic and fussy cut her.

The ribbon tag was added top left. 

Namaste to you :)

Why Hello

Hello ! Today I am sharing my most recent make for Viva Las VegaStamps ! 

I made a simple card using this adorable whimsical dog image : 

Don't you just love his thoughtful expression.

The dog is stamped directly onto the background with black versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder, then coloured with water color pencils and white paint pen.

But its the background I wanted to talk about today. Anyone who uses acrylic paint or other mediums with a brayer, what do you do with the sheet you roll the excess paint off onto ? When you look at the sheet as a whole it might look as mess, but if you cut it down to card size, it appears quite different. You can see here some scrap papers I had used / background opportunities I had created:

I cut one of the sheets to a card front size, then stamped and colored the dog. The messy/painty paper takes on quite the different look as a background to my focal image. Again I always add a little white detail to any image, it just makes them pop :

 I wanted to ground the image onto the card, but not add anything too imposing.  I masked off the colored dog as shown below and stamped a scenic image over it in grey, I used the water mill scene :

Finally I stamped the 'Why Hello' sentiment and matted the card front onto plain white card stock and onto a black card base.

I think everyone probably has scraps of paper with ink or paint on them, try them as backgrounds before throwing them out :)

Nikki x

Some piggy advice :

Love this new piggy set, Bacon Bits from Vera Lane Studios :

I love the expression on this little piggy's face, he looks like a bit of a know it all. Here he is, dishing out advice : 

I used a couple of elements from different sets by Vera Lane Studios, Pig is one of the Bacon Bits, the cloud is from the March Birthday set and the ground is from The Organics. 

The base is a playing card, I gessoed and added blue acrylic paint. The rest is coloured with copics and fussy cut. The words are typed on my typewriter.

Thanks for stopping by x

Colour themed atc trade, coral and turquoise

Using some vintage photos from the photo pack by Ranger, I made these ATCs for a colour themed trade :

I am not really a scrap booker, but I do admire this style of scrap booking, so thought I would start off with a smaller, more manageable version :) 

And a close up of my fave ATC : 

Thanks for stopping by, have a lovely day xxx

Fun little ATC

This fun little ATC features the newest release from Vera Lane Studios, Helga's Hedgehog : 

Everything is coloured with copics, and fussy cut. I doodled a little design into her dress and edited the green vine a little.

The background is actually from the Helga's Hedgehog set. I resized it to fit my ATC, printed it and sponged it with distress ink, sponging the edges grey and matting onto grey card stock. Final touch was a little Wink of Stella pen on her wings and eyelids.

Thanks for stopping by x


I actually made another of these little ATC's and stamped flowers in the background, I really liked how it turned out :

He's a Bird Dog

I am taking part in the ATC trade at the Vera Lane Studios facebook group, Cat or dog person. 

I think this ATC makes its pretty obvious that I am a dog person : 

The Vera Lane Studios images I have used here are : 

Dog from Rescue Puppies, Cloud from Helga's Hedgehog and Wings from Wings for Things.

Who remembers the Everly Brothers song, Bird Dog ? Although not my era, I grew up listening to this type of music and very much appreciate it still now : 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I65PxlOlHA4

The background of my ATC is actually a playing card, painted with blue and white acrylic paint. I matted it onto card stock that I had coloured with W3 copic.

The dog and wings are coloured with copics (mostly W1-5) and fussy cut. I actually cut the dogs back legs off the dog as it looked better with the wings. But of course had to re-add the tail :) And I thought he needed some additional embellishment, the glittery blue collar was perfect :)

The cloud was printed and covered with the Marvey snow marker. When it was dry I heat embossed it and it goes all puffy. I actually edited the cloud a little, removing the large cloud piece. I also added some cotton wool below the cloud to enhance the fluffy cloud-like feel.

I glued down the cloud, the dog on top and finally added some coloured dots and the words I typed on my typewriter. 

Final touch was adding some diamond glaze on the eyes, as I always do, but I did that after I took the pic. It gives a really awesome glassy eyed look.

Thanks for stopping by x

Garden Friends ATC

Miss Rach is this weeks sponsor of Wicked Wednesday, she has the cutest cartoon critters ever. She is a prolific drawer and has new images every day, you should check out her etsy store or Facebook :)

The challenge this week is 'Garden Friends'. I have used this cute lady bug for my ATC : 

The lady bug is coloured with prisma pencils, copics and white gel pen. Then I did some fussy cutting and added wire for the antennas :)

The background is distress stain applied with a baby wipe, then I used flowery washi for the ground.

Please come over and join the challenge at Wicked Wednesday :)

Reminiscing ...

I wanted to share with you an 4.25" x 5.5" card I made using a stamp from Viva Las VegaStamps!, this adorable angel pigs stamp, which contains two pigs. Seriously how adorable are they :)

 I think the pigs are looking very thoughtful, sitting up there in the clouds with their angel status ....  reminiscing perhaps about the past, about the days of rolling, frolicking and cavorting in the mud. Here is a close up of one of the piggies, so you can see how I reached my conclusion : 

The background is stenciled and I used water soluble powders to colour it. The clouds are hand cut and I used a cloud die. I lightly sponged the edges in gray and layered them. The pigs are stamped in black ink and coloured with copics. I fussy cut them and cut off the wings. Then I stamped the pigs again in grey ink, fussy cut and glittered them. I attached and glued everything together.

I thought this might be a great card for sending to someone to let them know you are thinking of them, they are certainly unique and memorable images :)

Thanks for stopping by, Nikki x

If you haven't been to the Viva Las VegaStamps! blog before, there is so much inspiration there, check it out ... HERE 

Sunny from Vera Lane Studios

One of the new releases from Vera Lane Studios, isnt she gorgeous. This is Sunny :

The background is created with a stencil and molding paste, then I used nuance water soluble powders. Sunny and the sun are coloured with copics and nuance powders. 

She looked like she is walking on a tight rope to me, with her arms outstretched :)

Puppy card

Seriously, how cute is this new digital image set from Vera Lane Studios, Rescue Puppies : 

 I made a card : 

A relative recently adopted a shar pei cross from a shelter, and it looks sooo much little this little guy here, I sent this off to her. Its such a perfect sentiment don't you think :)

The background is patterned paper, with gesso and doodling. The words are printed them matted onto the pink paper co-ordinating with the ground the dog is standing on and the card base. The dog is coloured with copics and clear embossed. 

Thanks for stopping by x