ATC Swop UK

I have recently joined an ATC  Facebook Group  - in fact this is my first month and the theme for July is 'Roses and Pearls'.
You can enter from 1 to 5 (no more) and I struck the middle balance and made 3.  Here they are:

I used some  internet images of roses in vases and then made a very simple parchment background  for them adding extra colour in the centre oval.  I used some new tiny button brads in a toning green to fix the parchment to the ATC backs.

Now the biggest surprise to me was how wonderfully our efforts are presented by the  husband of the swop hostess Sue.    Here is how mine appeared on the Facebook page.

Wow.  They look so much better than they did when I put them in the envelope.
I can't wait to see what the theme is for August.  It is chosen by a poll.

Carol
xx

CD Sunday - Food Glorious Food

Our team member Wynn has chosen this unusual theme for this challenge and I must admit that the card I have made is one of my own favourites of the CD cards I have made so far this year.  I made it a little while ago, as obviously we try have to have our cards ready and presented  in plenty of time before each challenge, and I have been dying to post it to see what you think.

Here it is:

It comes from a Joanna Sheen CD - The Gruffies & Happy Hoppers - which I fell in love with as soon as I put it in the drawer.
The background, image and sentiment all come from the CD but the ribbon I found in my stash.  It had been there sometime just waiting for the right time to use and I don't think it could have been a better match if I had made it myself.
There are quite a few CD's around that have food related images and themes so we look forward to seeing lots of fabulous work - as usual.

Thank you to all those that entered  my choice of the  'Round Again' challenge and Jenny will be posting my Top 3 choice on the Challenge Blog.

Lots of you will be enjoying this glorious weather but I am afraid I am not one of them.  I prefer cooler weather. My conservatory where I do my crafting is like an oven most of the time so much less time is being spent creatively and more time  retired to the couch with a fan going full speed.

But I wish you a good week.
Carol
xx

Border pattern

I have now finished the card using the Christine Coleman border pattern that I posted the other day.

Here it is:

For the centre panel I traced and coloured a stamped image by Woodware.  I then added some Itty Bitty bows from a new die set by Sue Wilson.  To get the colour right for the bows I scanned the purple card and then printed it out  on 160gsm paper (both sides).  It gave a lighter colour but of course in the right tone.

Carol
xx

The Forgetful Elephant

A parchment pattern by Judith Maslen.

Way back in April 2010 when I first entered Blogland I posted 'The Forgetful Elephant' that had been done by my great friend Debs.  Ever since then I have wanted to use the same pattern and at last - just a few years later - here it is.

This involves colouring on the back and the use of spreading medium and then pencilling on the front to create substance and shadow.  In fact the same method as that used in the creation of 'Cain'.  I am enjoying enhancing my skills in this area.  I have altered the background pattern very slightly.

I am trying to finish some projects that have been started before the lure of something new came along.  We all do it but in fact in parchment work it is to the good as it always benefits from 'resting'.

I have this one to finish:

This is a border pattern by Christine Coleman.  This is all finished now but it needs a centre image and I have found the perfect Woodware clear stamp.  I have stamped it onto card so that I can trace it and then do some colouring using the same method as above.

So watch this space.

Have a good day.
Carol
xx

'Parchtangle'

Some more Zentangle on parchment.  At the recent Art Stamps England Stamp and Papercraft Fair at  Newbury I visited the Sweet Poppy Stencil stand -  where I fell in love with a particular stencil which I purchased.  There was a sample of its use to make a Zentangle  but on card and I wanted to use parchment.  I experimented with drawing around the inside of the stencil with my fine liner black pens but didn't find it very successful.  So I used a graphite pencil onto white paper and then used that to trace on to my parchment.

Here is my card - mounted on black, white and then black card.

The border has been taken from a card design by Wendy Walters in the current Parchment Magazine.
I enjoyed making this card and I like the good clean lines.  No sentiment chosen yet.

Hope you like it.
Carol
xx

May I introduce you to 'Cain'

Cain is a rescue dog.  A dog that rescues people - not a dog that has been rescued.  He is a beautiful Border Collie and Judith has designed this pattern using a photograph of Cain so that his owner can sell cards with his image in order to raise funds.  All with Judith's permission of course.

I must admit that when Judith gave us the pattern of Cain for the morning session a few of us did say that we didn't know when we would use a card with a dog as the subject or in fact know someone with a dog like Cain but as we worked on him we liked him more and more.  I am very pleased with my effort - shouldn't say so- but I have.

I hope the lady owner raises a lot of money by selling cards of  'Cain'.  Here he is..........

And here is a close up of his head......

When drawing and colouring living things the eye always seems to be the most important part because if done well it can bring the animal to life.  I did the eye first before anything else and it seems to have worked - I hope you think so too.

Judith told us that the idea behind the method of colouring used on this image was to demonstrate that you could suggest the dogs fur or hair without having to show every individual hair done with very sharp pencils and lots of time and patience.  We coloured on the back of the parchment with the appropriate colour and then spread carefully and evenly with a spreading medium.  We then turned over to the front of the parchment and used the same appropriate colour to add shadows etc where needed.  If you look very closely at the white you will see very tiny little flicks with a white pencil to show the hair.  We had to make sure that they were done at the right angle so it didn't look as though the hair was growing upwards or in the wrong direction.

So from not being sure about Cain - I now love him.  He reminds me of a Border Collie called Flash  that we used to have when I was about 12 .

Another successful and enjoyable Workshop with Judith.  Can't wait for the next one in September.
Carol xx

CD Sunday - Kind and Caring Thoughts .....with Christine

Good Morning everyone.  Our challenge for the next two weeks has been chosen by Christine and I think the team have a lovely selection of ideas for you.
Before I show you my contribution to the pot I would like to say thank you for the entries in the last challenge of 'Round Again'.  I will choose my Top 3 and Jenny will post the details  in due course.

Here is my 'Kind and Caring Thoughts' card and it has come from a new to me favourite CD -
Joanna Sheen's - The Gruffies & Happy Hoppers.

Although I love the House Mouse I think I actually prefer these drawings.  I used some pretty pink mirri card for the mount and for the die cut balloons.  These matched the stitched balloons on the card perfectly.

I had another wonderful day down on the coast yesterday with friends at Judith Maslen's latest Workshop.  I have some finishing off to do to our projects before I can show them to you so I expect I will spend the day quietly working on them.

Have a good day.
Carol xx

Zentangle on parchment

or as one on my friends put it - Parchtangle.
I have made this for my daughter who prefers modern cards to handmade ones - such as decoupage etc - so I have decided that as Zentangle is all the rage I would make her one in that style.  Somehow I can't make myself go out to buy a 'modern' card.

She is animal mad and she and her husband have a beautiful cat called Jinks, hence my choice of this pussycat.  This is not my design  as  it was found on the 'net' but I have altered a great deal of the pattern content.  I have tried to track down the original artist but without success.