On Safari

Just been doing bits and bobs lately and nothing particularly creative or constructive!

I made this ATC at the weekend.

I used two different mediums for the background, imitation fur skin sent to me some time ago by a crafting mate Sassy - it has a lovely soft feel to it (a bit like stroking a cat!) and a strip of some patterned paper which co ordinated with the main zebra image.

I mounted the zebra on card then used 3d foam pads to raise it.

The beads are from a set in my stash and I finally managed to stamp a word into Sculpey clay that you could read! I covered the clay with gold ink and added a few fibres.

Da Vinci's Dreams

Theme Thursday's challenge was 'Famous Faces'

I have done a paper collage ATC in a tribute to Da Vinci.

Although Mona is a beautiful portrait, I think Da Vinci was an amazing scientist as well as a fabulous painter, and definitley born well ahead of his time!

Egypt

It's been a lovely day here, lots of sunshine - fingers crossed the sunshine stays with us for tomorrow as it is our 'Official' Club Opening Day!

I started this ATC last night and finished it this morning. It wasn't made for a challenge or anything, merely made because I have done so little in creative mode just recently.

I covered the ATC in brown mulberry paper and then distressed using a cream versamark ink. I then added the hieroglyphic printed paper attaching with 3d foam.

I have hardly used this set of stamps from Hero Arts so decided to give at least one of them a try! I stamped it onto black paper and then gold embossed, I think it's turned out OK! Again this was attached with 3d foam. I randomly gold embossed the entire ATC before threading the beads onto wire and glueing in place. I chose blue, black and gold as these colours always remind me of Tutankhamun's mask.

To complete the ATC I used a black cat brad, a 'coin' and glued on a couple more loose beads in the same colours.

Tea Time!

Not much spare time again this week to craft but have made a couple of ATC's to stave off the crafting withdrawal symptoms!

'Glamour Girls' is the challenge at this week's Theme Thursday.

Here's my entry!

(I have been unable to post my link on the Theme Thursday site - don't know why!!! But I confess to feeling a little frustrated about it this morning!" Never mind, at least I got to take part in the challenge even if no one from the site can see it!)

Sew Time

My blog posts today are like buses....... you wait ages for one to come along, then two arrive together!

I kept my promise to myself to make something tonight after being 'craft less' for nearly a week and here it is!

The challenge on Theme Thursday was 'Sewing' and Margaret's theme this week was 'Time'.

I have combined the two challenges and made this mixed media ATC.

The background is a pretty fabric that was sent to me by another crafter, the image is from Seneca Pond Crafts, the embellishments, lace and ribbon were from my stash.

April Evening

This week has passed so quickly! Have been catching up with a few jobs and have been taking advantage of the beautiful weather we've had.

I spent Friday in the garden and yesterday I was where I love to be on a warm sunny day - on a bowling green! We were invited to Opening Day at Southport BC and it was a really lovely afternoon and a great start to the outdoor season.

Today has seen us back out in the garden - am hoping to do a bit of crafting this evening but in the meantime I popped out, camera in hand and took a few pics of part of the garden in the evening sunshine.

The magnolia is one of my favourite plants - I adore the flowers and am real sorry they don't last all year! When I planted this shrub it was a mere 2 feet tall!

Isn't the double daffoldil just 'peachy' ?! (In more ways than one!)

I remember buying the yellow flowered plant a couple of years ago... it's now spread itself into several parts of one of the borders.. it only lasts during spring, but I love the huge glossy leaves and the tiny flowers... I just wish I could remember what it was called! I think it's an orchid of some description.... but whatever it is, it has certainly made itself at home!

Dreams

Maggies challenge this week was to make an ATC using this beautiful image of a young girl.

As soon as I saw it I thought about how innocent childhood is and it just seemed so apt to make a 'thoughtful' ATC with it. Children have such wonderful imaginations and because they are so untroubled by all the humdrum of daily life can allow their thoughts to raom free.

I used a background from the Flickr collage pool - I don't normally use the colour green a lot so this is a bit of a change for me.

After adding the image this quote from W.B.Yeats came into my mind -

'I have spread my dreams beneath your feet, Tread softly because you tread on my dreams'

and it seemed to capture everything about the expression on the child's face and the thoughts behind her trusting eyes.

To complete the ATC I added some vintage lace, a silk flower and 'cobwebby' fibres in an attempt to carry on the 'Dreams' theme throughout.

I have also entered this into the challenge on Saturday Suprise this week as the theme is 'Childhood'.

I hope this child, whoever she was, achieved her dreams.

The Golden Egg

This weeks 'Mamma' challenge was an ATC sized egg!

For the front I used embossed gold paper and ran some organza ribbon around the entire egg. I added some sparkly ribbon looped into a flower shape, secured with a shiny gold brad and some gold and pearl beads on gold wire. The sparkly ribbon has string threaded through it so I used the string to 'tie' the egg closed.

Inside I used gold embossed paper again, two printed images from my stash, some red/gold lace and red gems...

The opened out egg needs enlarging to view properly!