ATC Swap At The Grind

ATC Swap At The Grind
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

One of the themes for the May swap at the Grind is noodle so I started with a bowl and chopsticks I bought at Chinatown and took photos of rice noodles on various lace centrepieces I made. The photos are cut a little smaller that ATC size and mounted on black cardstock. The words and image are from Inkadinkadoo Asian Life clear stamp set and attached with foam mounting tape.

Recycled Tag

Recycled Tag
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

I used a piece of corrugated pizza box cut with the Sizzex die for the base of this tag and peeled the printed layer off the top. The image is printed on watercolour paper and the word "April" is from a Recollections Flourish Months stamp set. The eyelet boarder is a Fiskars punch rubbed with Vintage Photo Distress ink. The stitching border is a Cuttlebug Embossing folder.The ribbon comes from a grab bag of notions.

ATCs For A Special Swap

Some ATCs I've been working on for a special swap. The first one is on painted watercolour paper and the next 2 are on recycled corrugated pizza box. I peeled the printed paper off the surface, added a burgundy cardstock embossed with Cuttlebug folders. I hit the high points of the embossing with white pigment ink and the image of children the embossing was highlighted with Fired Brick Distress Ink. Both have buttons and bits of lace from my trims grab bag.

Bad Bird Day

Last Thur. April 22 was a bad day in the bird world around here, when I went out to take the garbage and green carts out for collection I saw what looked like someone had dropped an Easter egg candy on the driveway. When I reached to pick it up this is what I found, and it split apart. Most of the contents had drained out a hole in the bottom. How sad for the birds, I've been watching chickadees, stellar jays and robins building nests for awhile now, but I guess this one didn't make it. I don't know if it was victim to wind, another prey or some other disaster, but the results are a sad conclusion.
A little later in the day was much nicer although noisy, see the lilac photos I took.

Lovely Lilacs

Well the lilacs sure bloomed early this year, the trouble is the weather isn't the best for sitting out by the tree to enjoy the flowers and scent. On Thur April 22 when I took the photos it was a lovely day, but not pleasant for sitting with the neighbours having a tree service working, between the chainsaws and chipper machine it was very noisy. I am glad I got the photos that day though. On Friday it was cloudy, but nice enough to sit, unfortunately by the time I did some errands, refreshed a bit and was ready to sit outside it was raining again. So here are some of the photos for you to enjoy with me. The last photo is a bit of digital editing I worked on to make an art image and to use as a journal page background.

April 15 and 16 Little Book

Well I don't have a book to post for yesterday, this one I started yesterday and it took me until today to finish it. I am pleased with this one, it is based on instructions from Teesha Moore. Mine is 4X5 in. I made 3 signatures of 3 papers made of 140 lb. watercolour paper. I covered the bookboard with a computer printout of a music paper collage and the spine is cotton fabric and I glued black ribbon along the edges. I did a stitched layered paper and fabric embellishment and added a piece of hand knit lace. The flower on the top left corner is from a hair elastic.

Little Book For April 14

Yesterdays little book is made with 3.125X5.5 in. brown envelopes, the sealed end trimmed and folded in half. The enveloped are alternated and the flaps glued together. The covers are cardboard covered with paper napkins and the spine is 2 fabric pieces joined with fusible web. Ribbons are added to tie the book shut and a Quietfire Design stamp is stamped on translucent paper and cut with Nestabilities Label Four. The envelopes can hold ATCs.

April 13 Little Book

For yesterdays book I used name badge holders and binder rings. The covers are painted watercolour paper layered over cardstock and the corners were rounded. I added some ribbon on the rings and inserted a few ATCs. Since it was our anniversary I needed a quick book and this one was quick, but I like it anyways.

April 12 Little Book

For April 12 I decided to do an accordion fold book for holding ATCs. I started with black cardstock and rubber stamped with bleach. I used stamp pad ink to colour in the bleached areas the rubber stamped with one side of the Stampendious Marble Texture Cube and embossed with Pirates Gold embossing powder. The twill tape tie is rubber stamped with an alphabet and numbers stamp.

April 11 Little Book

For April 11 I again used double sided scrapbooking cardstock for the covers of this book and Kraft cardstock for the pages. These are bound with a two-fold fastener which I covered with a piece of cardboard covered with the other side of the cover paper and added half pearls from a Pearls and Crystals package. I added a 4 layer die cut flower which I curved the petals and again added another half pearl to the centre.

April 10 Little Book

I've been keeping up with making my one little book a day, but have gotten behind with posting, my camera battery needed to be recharged, then I got busy. Well here finally is the book for April 10. It is a matchbook style book made with double sided scrapbook cardstock and assorted colours of cardstock for the pages which are bound with 2 large brads.

April 10, 2010 Greeting Card

April 10, 2010 Greeting Card
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

This is the card I made on Sat. at Cherish The Thought. It uses the Nestabilities Poinsettia die, Crafts Too Swiss Dots embossing folder and Fiscars Kimberly Polson "Words and Whimsy" clear stamps.

April 9 Little Book

For today I made 3.75X4.25 inch book with a metal binder clip for the binding. The front and back cover are tissue box cardboard glued to cereal box cardboard and I made the hinge with cloth hockey tape. The pages are cardstock form the Value Pack Meadow cardstock package. I had to do a bit of tinkering to get the hinge to work right, but I'm sure happy with it now.

Little Book For April 8

This time I used a double sided Amy Butler Designer scrapbooking cardstock from K&Company. I made a 3.5X4 inch book with 3 signature pamphlet stitch with a fold over flap and added satin ribbon to tie it closed.

Spring Quotes ATCs

Spring Quotes ATCs
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

One of the themes for this month's swap at byhandartist's Yahoo group is Spring Quotes. For my cards I use a scan of the painted background I did a few days ago and added computer generated quotes I found online and added various embellishments.

Seventh Little Book

Well I needed another quick book yesterday, since I am also working on ATCs for this month's swaps. I hadn't planned on doing one so similar to a previous one, but what can I do? My daughter saw the book made from tissue boxes for the covers and came out with some boxes that she really likes, shoved them in my hand with the request that I make her a book. I encouraged her to have different pages, but it had to be the same pocket pages. So here is the April 7 book.
I'll be posting the ATCs soon.

Little Book 6

For my April 6 book I did something a little more complex, for me at least. I started by painting a piece of 11X24 inch HP Durable Scrim, which is a PVC banner material. I used MakingMemories Fresh Anthology acrylic paint set and used 3 of the colours for the background and 3 plus 2 other colours for foam stamps. I painted small areas of colour and used foam stamps to lift some of the colours. I did the stamping after the background paint was dry. While I just got the photo done, this book was done barely in time because of waiting for the drying time. I did a 3 signature pamphlet stitch with 2 envelopes and 1 printed cardstock based on the cover design. The yellow cord for the closure came from a grab bag of trims purchased from Dressew. and the button was from my most recent $1.99 button bag purchase. The closed book measures approx 3.5X4.5. I am pleased with how this turned out and look forward to adding ATCs, tags and journaling to this book, it's definitely staying in my own collection.

April 5 Little Book

April 5 Little Book
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

Another purse style book for ATCs made from paper from a gift bag. The trim on the bottom I knit from Red Heart Twinkle yarn and 5.00 mm needles. The pages are double-sided scrapbooking cardstock and there is a beaded handle and buttons and heavy thread for a closure on the bottom. The trim on the top is a labels 4 Nestabilities die folded over the top to the back. This one also holds ATC "hockey cards" and will probably go to my niece. I like the contrast of a girly purse book holding hockey photos.

Today's Book and ATC Backgrounds

So today being a holiday, I needed a very quick project so I used cardboard cut from a tissue box for the covers and double-sided scrapbook cardstock. This is very similar to the first Zutter ATC book I made some time ago. One of the papers had a nice stripe on one side, but a very bright pink floral on the other side, so I sponged gesso on and wiped off to tone it down.
I just scanned the ATC backgrounds I made yesterday with alcohol inks and canned air. These are precut ATCs with the aqua stripe down the side and I have a huge box of these given to me at the March swap.

Three Days, Four Projects

I showed you the first 2 books I made on April 1st and 2nd, so on April 3rd I got the inspiration from Charmane over on Tweedcurtain Productions blog to alter a watch box I've had for awhile.
This little cardboard gift box had an insert glued inside and the manufactures name on the lid. I pulled the insert out and lined the bottom with peal and stick black felt and the sides with black and white scrapbook paper. On the outside of the lid I used Nestabilities Label 4 and cut one piece of the scrapbook paper and a smaller piece of white cardstock which is rubber stamped with stamps from the Altered Art mini set. It's the perfect size to hold ATCs.

So now for the third book and fourth project I've wanted to try alcohol inks and canned air for awhile and this seemed like a good time. The long piece of shiny cardstock is 3.5 inches wide and has a black stripe on one side and a reddish stripe on the other. I dropped the inks on the black stripe side and blue it around with the canned air. On the reverse I dropped ink on the applicator and dabbed it on the used alcohol to blend it. I cut 2 pieces a little over 4.5 in for the covers.
For pages I folded 4.25 X 6 inch envelopes in half and punched the folded edge with the Zutter
Bind-it-all The envelopes were in my stash from when Ruby Dog's Art House had a bulk section and made pocket pages that will hold ATCs or tags.