With Hope

I recently joined a Facebook challenge on the Saturated Canary page.  The challenge was to make an ATC.

I used a freebie from 2012 and coloured with some new Spectrum Noir pens, some Copics and Kaiser Markers.   I finished with a hand crocheted flower.  I added a large gem in the centre.  I must make some more of these flowers. The sentiment was a limited edition from Hero Arts.

We have been away for the weekend at Mangawhai Heads with our friends.  The weather was perfect and we had a very relaxing weekend.

The backyard.

Enjoying his morning coffee

Ruakaka Beach.

We drove north a bit to visit Ruakaka.  Our friends are building a new house in Managawhai and visited with building company while we went for a drive around Ruakaka and Marsden Cove.   I love that we can be there within an hour and a quarter and it really is restful.  

Thanks for stopping by.

ANZAC Day ~ Lest We Forget

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."
Lest we forget

Today is ANZAC Day here in New Zealand and Australia. It is a public holiday that honours the soldiers of the Australian and Zealand Army Corps who fought in Gallipoli in 1915.  My husband got up this morning to go to the Dawn Service.   

I spend the day pottering around in my craft room.   I did a couple of cards for some design work, finished off my ATC's for a swap that I'm involved in.  The theme was was "Text" ~ to use a book page on your ATC.  Here are my three

#1 ~ used some papers from a telephone directory that I tore up and glued onto the card.  I added some white and pink paint and some green distress stain.  My heart was die cut and stamped with some text and painted with some white paint.  The wings are stamped onto some pearlescent paper.  

#2 used some MME PP.  My book page was used for the photo corners and my flower.  I added some iridescence medium to the birds.  Added a flourish.

 #3 totally uses book paper from an old book on Roses.  I tore the page and distressed the edges and rubbed a white acrylic paint across it.   The rose was trimmed from the page and coloured with Gelatos and some pink and gold stickles.   The sentiment

I'll be posting these off in the morning and will be looking forward to receiving three in return. 

I'm also having a day off tomorrow.... I've got an appointment at the Dietician's at the hospital and then one with my own doctor to review my blood glucose levels.  It wasn't worth going back to work for the afternoon, so I'll be enjoying a long weekend.   And I'm going to Sandie's to stamp.  Yes, a good weekend!!!

  

Little Things

Recently on the HA Flickr group there was a little ATC swap going on.... Lucille K and I got each other, and we decided to do an "anything goes" three ATC's each swap.  My one's have reached Lucille ( but I've been away from home for 5 days so not sure if Lucille's have arrived yet)  As this swap was Hero Arts based our only criteria was there had to be a Hero Arts stamp on the ATC.



My first ATC used the Blackboard Technique and Hero Arts Watch Gears cling

My second one used some older Hero Arts stamps and some hand painted watercolour paper

and my final ATC used some shadow stamping and a background stamp and some flourishes.  I also used a Dyelusions stencil and distress ink for some texture

I also sent Lucille an extra ATC



I had fun making these and I hope that Lucille enjoyed receiving them.

I'm enjoying my break away and have even managed to make some more watercolour papers.  Tonight we are heading out to a vineyard to see The Hollies,  Should be a great concert... hopefully the rain we've had for the last 3 days stops and the ground dries out a bit.

Off to make mini bacon and egg pies to take for supper at the concert

Dawn 

From ATC to Card....

 Been a bit slack in the blogging this week.... been busy at work and then out to dinner on Friday night.  Early anniversary dinner.  Our 35th anniversary on Monday 21st... but more about that later.

Anyway, I'm taking part in an ATC swap over on the Hero Arts Flickr group and have been working on my ATC to swap with Lucille.  I won't share until I know she has them but with one of the themes over at Hero Arts blog this month being ATC's, I decided to make an extra one with some scraps sitting on my desk.



The piece of My Mind's Eye patterned paper was left over from this card and seem just perfect for the size.  I cut it a bit smaller and layered onto black and then onto the ATC base I had sitting on my desk.  I added some faux stitching and some butterflies from the reverse side of the PP.

So was looking at my ATC and thought it would look good on a card.

 So I got out my embossing folder and did a background.  I sponged distress inks onto the card ~ Pine Needles, Wild Honey and Frayed Burlap.  I then spritzed it with gold Perfect Pearls water.  That gave a really neat splotchy look.

 

I cut some red card stock ( from a Christmas pack from American Crafts that I got on sale this week) layered onto black.  Once I pop dotted the ATC I added the pearls and gems.    Have to say I am pleased with the final product.    ( And I made a second identical ATC to pop with the ones I'm sending to Lucille~ a bonus ATC so to speak!)

 And now why we celebrated the Anniversary early.........Hubby is away for a few days on business... lucky beggar got to fly to Singapore and because of the flights had to leave Saturday.  He gets to have a day being a tourist then business Mon- Thurs, catching a late flight on Thurs evening getting back here mid afternoon on Friday afternoon.... so I get a few nights off having to cook a full meal... salads for me!!!!  And time in the craft room without feeling guilty of neglecting him!!!! Oh and control of the remote....   A few cards made already.

Thanks for stopping by my little old blog today.  I really appreciate my visitors and thank you if you manage to take time to comment... I know it's difficult at times to comment on all the blogs you visit...

Take care and be sure to call back tomorrow for my Mygrafico post..

Dawn

Hero Arts ATC Swap

A while back Karen in Canada set up an ATC swap over at the Hero Arts Flickr group.  I decided to enter this swap.  My ATC's are now in Karen's hands and in due course she will mix them with all the other's and send out 8 cards to each participant.

I decided to make  4 different designs with 2 of each ATC

For this one I use Hero Arts Antique Writing background stamped in green distress ink and distressed with the same ink.  The butterfly is a great favourite of mine which was also coloured with distress inks.  I added a Martha Stewart punched trellis and the sentiment from Kaisercraft.

More distress ink in #2 ATC.  I sponged a variety of colours and then liberally spritzed with water.  Once dry I added the little letters, flourish and the Hero Arts Bird.



My favourite ATC of the lot... Again lots of distress ink and Hero Arts stamps.   I started by sponging the inks onto the white card and spritzed with Shimmer spritz in silver.  Started with the Postcard stamp, the postmark, the Pennyfarthing and then the sentiment. Finished with the Fiskars Threading water punch.  



This last one uses a Tim Holtz stamp for it's main image with a Hero Arts sentiment.  Distressed with a mixture of Pumice Stone and Mustard Seed inks.  Finished with three little peelcraft dots

As this weeks challenge over at Simon Says Stamping Challenge blog is "Tags or ATC's" I'm entering these.

Hope your weekend is going to be full of fun and some crafting time too...
Dawn                           

Penny Black ATC swap

I just love making ATC's, especially if my Mojo is on a go slow.... it really is cool just to do such little treasures... so when I saw that Felicia had posted a swap over at Penny Circle I joined up.  I got paired with Felicia and we decided to do a 4 ATC swap... not particular theme ~ just whatever took our fancy.  So I pulled out some of my Penny Black stamps and a stickeroo or two... and came up with these 4 little goodies.... all very different!!!

this one used A PB kitty stamp and I did some distressing.  Used Copic to colour.

this one used a Stickeroo... just had to trim the bottom off.  The sentiment is a Kaisercraft one.

this one uses one of my favourite Penny Black flowers.... Gossamer Flower.  I coloured it with some glimmer paints and used a gold calligraphy pen to make the frame.

And finally

My favourite of the lot.... For this I used Pearl Ex powders.  I stamped the flower in Versamark and brushed on the powders.  Stamped the PB sentiment with Colourbox Frost White and then set the lot with Hairspray.  I used a dry square paint brush to swipe white ink onto the edges.

Felicia let me know they had arrived safely in Singapore.

Are you having a good weekend?  I am TIRED... we went out to dinner last night with friends.... a great meal with brilliant company and then called in to Hubby's nephew's 21st party.... and got home at 2.00am this morning!   Getting too old for this caper!  Certainly will be retiring early tonight that's for sure.

Cheers

 Dawn

Play Date Cafe ~ A splash of Green ( and some Happy mail)

 

This week over The Play Date Cafe it is a Colour Splash week farewelling one of the original organisers of the challenges.    I have already entered one card (here)  but had this idea the other night and had some green butterflies coloured and cut out.  And tonight I pulled the card together....

The butterfly stamp is from Rosie's Studio.  Coloured with Distress inks and cut out.  The pretty paper is double sided so decided the turned over corner would look interesting.  I then used the small piece cut off when layering on the card under the ribbon to allow it to be seen a bit better.  Added the sentiment from Hero Arts and a little stickles on the butterfly. 

And now look at the lovely mail I received from Nancy.... we swapped ATC's and a card too...

 

 thank you Nancy... these are so lovely.  It is so nice to have meet you through the Flickr group. 

Visited my back specialist today... looks like my surgery will be in July ~ hopefully the 21st or 22nd... ACC declined my request so I'll be seeing how much my insurance will pay... not all though!  I have to wait to get pre-approval and then I'll be able to organise time off work.   At least I know what is what now... 

Thanks for visiting, I do appreciate all your lovely comments.  

Dawn