Last Christmas ATCs for 2023

Honestly, I was feeling a little "burnt out" for this swap, but fortunately found a great little book at the op shop with beautiful Christmas illustrations to inspire me. 

I also wanted to try this technique (far right) I spotted on Pinterest.

These ATCs will be mailed out tomorrow and I'll be grateful for a little break from crafting until the new year. 

And in just like that, Christmas is just days away! Gingerbread biscuits are on the menu tomorrow, my kids are driving around looking at Christmas lights tonight and I've been a good Elf sending letters from Santa to my nieces and nephews.

As always, thanks for looking, comments always welcome and a very Merry Christmas from me to you xx

ATCs - Be Flamazing!

Be Flamazing! Flamingolicious theme

LH card traded, RH available

I really struggled with this theme! 

Originally, I thought it was a great idea to break out of my comfort zone, but after coming up with NO ideas that I could translate into an ATC I realized my goose (flamingo!) was cooked 🦩😉

I had this lovely acrylic smeared paper that was the right colour for the theme, drew a simple flamingo silhouette and pieced the cards together.

Sadly, the original ATC I sent to my swap partner was lost in the mail, so I made two replacements - just in case 🤣

As always, comments always welcome and thanks for looking xx

Dreamcatcher ATCs

This idea has been bobbing around in my head since I first started making ATCs. Given the theme of "washi tape" by Australian ATC Themed Swap group the stars aligned and it was perfect opportunity to combine theme, idea and technique.

Fiddly as it was, I twisted wire into a circular shape, cut washi feathers using this technique and stitched the dreamcatcher web. I typed some phrases with my "new retro electric typewriter" straight out of 1992 and Facebook marketplace 😆

"let your dreams be your wings" is for open trade

"nothing is impossible" is for my swap partner

And "dream without fear love without limits" is for my personal collection, 

and a reminder to self.

Comments always welcome, and thanks for looking x

ACTs - Harvest of love

 Another ATC swap, this time with Artist Trading Card Swaps, with the theme Harvest and/or Thanksgiving. 

Harvest of love

I loved the phrase, "small seeds of gratitude will produce a harvest of love", and found it fit the theme seamlessly.

Wanting (and needing 😜) to get in some much needed watercolour practice I drew the pumpkins, washed them with colour & finished with some ink for definition.

I hope my swap partner likes my efforts 🤞

Comments always welcome, thanks for looking x

ATCs -The Nativity

 It's beginning to look a little bit like Christmas, but only a teeny, tiny bit.

After my Bush Christmas ATCs I thought about creating a series of cards that celebrate the "real" reason for the season - the birth of Jesus.

I've been going blind fussy cutting for my paper piecing, but am very happy with the outcome. The backgrounds are watercoloured.

The ATCs are proving popular in the swap groups. I've made sure that I made a card to keep for myself in my collection, something that I often overlook.

Comments always welcome, thanks for looking x

ACTs - An Aussie Christmas

Following from the fun I had making my Christmas inchies, I thought I'd make some ATCs for trade.

ROOdolph was traded before being listed for swap, and I decided to keep Hoppy Christmas for myself.

I think there will be another edition of this series, it was so much fun to make & there aren't too many "Summer" Christmas ATCs around. I'm hoping they will be popular among the trades 🤞

Comments always welcome, thanks for looking x

Inchies - An Aussie Christmas

 Another trade with Inchies Twinchies Swap Group - this time a set of 10 inchies in a Christmas theme.

My little art squares have been covered in patterned paper, I've hand drawn a gum tree and landscape, then collaged Australian animals into the scene. 

I thought it would be nice to include my inspiration for this piece, one of the few Australian Christmas carols - Christmas where the gum trees grow.

I hope my swap partner in The Netherlands enjoys a little taste of an Aussie Christmas! I wish I could send some fresh prawns, juicy watermelon and a strawberry topped pavlova for a genuine taste of our Christmas.

Comments always welcome, thanks for looking x

ATCs Miss Vintage Rose

ATCs swaps Australia has the theme "Vintage Rose" for the current swap, so I practiced my watercolour & pen technique to make these blooming beauties.

These are not for the themed swap, but extras for general trading.

Each Miss is painted in different colours, and I've used a variety of simple doodled roses. Obviously a lot more practice is required to improve both techniques, but these small canvases are quite forgiving - thank goodness 😉

Hopefully my partners in the themed swap will be happy, and I can trade these extras to build on my little ATC collection.

As always, comments welcome and thanks for looking x

Patchwork Theme Swap - Australian ATC Themed Swap Group

My first themed group swap! 

Here are the set of 4 patchwork themed ATCS I made, 3 for trading and one to keep.

"A paper patchwork quilt "

Poor lighting, worse background 😆

More cathedral window paper piecing, machine stitching and a quick raid of the sewing box.

1/4

2/4

3/4

4/4 

Ridiculously excited to get these into the post box and can't hardly wait to see what trades I receive in return!

Comments always welcome, thanks for looking x

ATCs - Harvest, Gather, Yield

Harvest, Gather, Yield

Definition of harvest noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

 
harvest
 noun
/ˈhɑrvəst/
 
 
1. [countable, uncountable] the time of year when the crops are gathered in on a farm, etc.; the act of cutting and gathering cropsharvest timeFarmers are extremely busy during the harvest.

I have flirted with the idea of trying watercolour painting, so gave it a go with some "rustic" looking pumpkins.

Please, no feedback is required on my technique, I KNOW I will need a lot more practice 🤣

Harvest

Gather

Yield

Lots of texture was added with cardboard, paper ribbon, a chipboard butterfly and small Kaisercraft alphas for the titles.

Comments always welcome, thanks for looking x

ATCs - Hive Rules

I have definitely fallen in love with the teensy, tiny canvas that an ATC provides. "Hive Rules" celebrates bees. 

We have a bee hive in our backyard, and get to witness their outstanding contribution to nature on a daily basis, and occasionally their honey on our toast 😉

*Update - these have all been traded (yay me, first time showing my art), stay tuned for Edition 2

Hive Rules

1/4 Bee positive

2/4 Bee kind

3/4 Work hard

4/4 Stay bumble

It may be difficult to see - except in the series of 4 cards together - but the mixed media background was created as one piece; with patterned paper, torn book pages, paint, recycled cardboard, glimmermist, a little lace & hand cut hexagons.

Comments always welcome 🙂

As always, thanks for looking

First ATC swap - eek!

I have joined a Facebook group - Artist Trading Cards (ATC) Share and Swap and found my first trade partner!

We decided on a blind swap, and since she's in the US we opted for a 4 card trade to make the postage costs worthwhile. I just hope she's not disappointed with my first attempt at ATCs for about 10 years 😆

Here's what she'll be getting in the mail:

Bee Happy

1/2 who knew hexagons were so hard to draw freehand? Fortunately I made a stencil that could be reused - phew!

2/2 some doodling & re-purposed buttons completed these happy little cards

Lots of paper scraps were rescued for this project, and my old Glimmermist came out to play. I couldn't get the pump to work since it's been sitting neglected for too many years, so splatters were called for and did the job splendidly.

Cathedral Window Quilt

1/2 machine stitching is my go-to since I can't paint or draw, so perfect for this little project

2/2 raided the sewing box for pins, a timber button & safety pin cute for accents

I have had this technique Pinned for a million years and wanted to try it since first seeing Leanne Pearce use it here. Is it fiddly? YES but it's not difficult. Go ahead & give it a go, all it takes is to cut out some circles, fold the edges and voila!

Happy with my little cuties off I go to Australia Post to send them halfway around the world.

Thanks for looking xx

Finding my mojo... ATCs, inches, twinchies