ATC business cards

I joined another ATC swap.  This time it's for the Gecko Galz  Ephemera Emporium Crafting Challenges Yahoo Group. There are eleven of us swapping. 

Penny asked us to make an ATC that represented us as an artist.  She mentioned that she uses ATCs as business cards (ATCs are Artist Trading Cards--always traded, never sold).  This got me thinking about making an ATC that really was a business card. 
(If you'd like to see a larger version, just click on the photo.)

Because this was for a Gecko Galz group, I decided to incorporate what Gecko Galz is all about--digital images.  Then I decided not to reinvent the wheel. 

Since I'm on the Gecko Galz design team, I already had made a special banner for my gallery of projects at the Gecko Galz website.  It consists of three Gecko Galz images (from the collage sheets: A Rose is a Rose; Edwardian Beauties; Pretty Little Butterflies) which I cut, resized and layered onto each other using my Photo Shop Elements (PSE) software.  I then added text--my name.  YAY---doing a happy dance when I realize the front is already done!  Details on my banner are posted HERE.

For the back--the business card portion, I took the lovely Gecko Galz 2013 design team badge that had been designed for us and used my software to erase the design team info and replace it with my personal info.

Using PSE, I hit the "print multiple copies" and chose the option, eight 3-1/2' x 2-1/2" (perfect ATC size--another YAY!).

I printed the back business card on blue paper and cut it to ATC size.  Because I wanted some "hand-craftiness" on these ATCs,   I printed the front on matte photo paper and then fussy cut around each frame.  I decided to double mat--first on black for a striking contrast, and then onto the blue to pick up the color of the flowers.  The double mats and the pearl embellies are for the ATC swap.  I'd use a simpler version for actual business cards.  And I would not use the Gecko Galz' design team logo for the business card side. 

Since this ATC is to represent my artistic style, I would have to say that the vintage image, as well as the layering and fussy cutting, represents my style.

And vintage it is as I'm quickly approaching another birthday.  I told myself when I got to my birthday month, I'd change the blog background and header to The Birthday Girl, free from Vintage Made For You.  So you aren't imagining things--I did change the blog look.  

And I had a great early birthday surprise, yesterday and today on the Gecko Galz site, my Queen of Spring tag, from a couple of posts ago here was featured as the Design of the Day.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

The latest Rebel Challenge #22 April Showers has me thinking about combining products and techniques.
Please head over to the Rogue Redhead Designs blog for the details on my design team card and to learn more about the latest Rebel Challenge.

How fortuitous that the Rebel Challenge is in keeping with my cardmaking theme, April Showers Bring May Flowers.  

Also entering this card in the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge:  Use a Background Stamp.
I used the Rogue Redhead Designs bubble wrap background stamp from the Behinds the Scenes stamp plate.  I used the background stamp in a different way in that I created rain to place behind my die cut window.  To create rain, first I stamped with blue ink, then I turned the stamp around and stamped over the same area with gray ink.


We've had a temendous amount of rain here in the Midwest and are dealing with flooding issues everywhere.  I hope you are keeping safe and dry.

Materials Used:

Rogue Redhead Stamp Plates Used:
Behind the Scenes (bubble wrap)
Just Sayin" (cat and sentiment)

Metal dies:
Spellbinders Shapeabilities Fancy Tags Two
Poppy Stamps Inc. Grand Madison Window

Papers:  DCWV and Bazzill

Inks:
Black Archival
Ranger Distress:  Weathered Wood and Tumbled Glass

Visionary Queen Tag

 I made this tag, the Visionary Queen, as one of my April design team projects for Gecko Galz.  

I always look to internet challenges for inspiration when creating with Gecko Galz products.  There are so many great products to choose from that I have to narrow them down to what fits a current challenge.  

This tag is made for this week's Shabby Tea Room challenge where I was inspired by the color combo.

Gecko Galz April 2013 products:

Waters Edge from Butterfly Meadow digital paper pack:  color digitally altered and then cropped, printed on card stock, and cut to 6x3 tag size.
Artful Visions collage sheet--crop circle image and size to 2-1/2 inches; cut with circle die

Other Materials used:

2-1/2 circle metal die from Sizzix Framelits
white paper doily from stash
Flowers:  Michaels and Flying Unicorn paper floral stems
Recollections Adhesive Faux Pearls
Ranger Gold Super Fine Detail Embossing Powder
Ranger Tarnished Brass Distress Stain
blue and gold Dresden metallic trims from stash
bow found in my stash of trims which was recycled from another project that has long since "bit the dust"--I'm pretty sure it was from one of my Bella Creations design team projects.
Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 Art Fit for a Queen stamp set (sentiment)


Entering this challenge:

The Shabby Tea Room:  Challenge #162 Pretty Shabby and use Colors in Photo and a recycled item (bow)

Time to Vote for your Favorite Gecko Galz Spring Project !!!!

It's time to vote for your favorite Spring Fling project created by the Gecko Galz design team members.  The voting is done at the Gecko Galz site, so you don't have to join any groups to vote. 

On the main page,  click on the underlined words Spring Fling Projects which takes you to two pages of projects.  At the bottom of the second page, you are asked to name your favorite project. 

Here is my project up for voting:
I had posted this earlier when it was time to announce our Spring Fling campaign.  It is my Florida spring break in a jar, complete with seashells I personally collected when in Florida.

I hope you take time to visit Gecko Galz and view all of our spring fling projects.  

You undoubtedly will recognize many design team member names and projects which you have been seeing posted in blogland over the past six weeks.  Please vote for your favorite!  

Here is the link:  Gecko Galz Spring Fling Projects.

Clean and Modern Card

One of my resolutions was to enter some challenges where I can use my Stampin' Up supplies.  Here's a card I made in keeping with my latest theme, April Showers Bring May Flowers.  My last card was funky vintage.  This one is clean and modern.

 

You can see that I stamped the umbrella again in teal and used a foam dimensional to pop it up.  

For texture, I used the narrow heart embossing folder several times.  As you know, when you run the folder through another time, it flattens what you did the first time.  But I liked the overall interesting textured effect.  

Supplies
Stampin' Up Rain or Shine stamp set
Stampin' Up Million  Memories stamp set
Stampin' Up Whisper White card stock
Hampton Arts Studio G teal card stock
Stampin' Up Tempting Turquoise ink
Ranger Mustard Seed distress ink
Ranger Ripe Raspberry distress ink
Archival Sepia ink
Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Eighteen die
Sizzix Stampin' Up heart Adorning Accents Textured Impressions folder
Queen & Co. heart Jewels

 Entering these challenges:

Card A Day:  Spring (there are four themes each month and you can enter once for each theme)


Freshly Made Sketches: Challenge #81 Cindy's Sketch
due April 15 Noon PDT  add up to 3 other challenges
 

Our Creative Corner: modern texture with these colors 
due April 12 11:59 EST 

Grey Skies

I'm in an April Showers Bring May Flowers mode.  Here's the first of what will be many projects around this theme.  This one is entitled, Grey Skies Are Gonna Clear Up (lyrics from old song).

This is one of my Gecko Galz Design Team projects using the new April products.

I've been wanting to try the grey and yellow combo that I've been seeing.  I thought my grey skies concept was perfect for this.  Gloomy, rainy grey sky.  Bright sunshiny yellow.  Grey card, yellow mat, grey embossed clouds, yellow label mat.

I stamped the umbrellas in bright spring colors as a contrast to the grey.  I like to fussy cut but the umbrella shapes (the yellow one in particular) were a challenge for my trifocals.  I had to cut the handles too in order to place them on top of the embossed clouds.  But I'm never one to back down from a challenge!  

I have made them 3-D by stacking two Stampin' Up foam dimensionals in the middle, and then placing just one dimensional on either side.  When placing them on the paper, I scrunched the umbrella to create an arched effect.

I used the metal die to trace the label shape and then hand cut it to extend into the photo mat.

So the umbrellas and clouds are the showers.  The 3 gems on the label are the flowers.

Materials:

Gecko Galz Merry Fairies collage sheet:  ATC-sized image is cropped from sheet and altered to black and white

Stamps: 
Stampin' Up Rain or Shine stamp set
 
Inks:
Memento Dandelion
Ranger Distress Ink Picked Raspberry
Stampin' Up Tempting Turquoise
Archival jet black

Machine:
Stampin' Up Cloudy Day textured impressions embossing folder
Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Eighteen die (used only a portion, traced and hand cut to create special mat for image)

Computer generated phrase from an old song.  I like spelling the word gray with an e -- it seems more grey.  Quirky, I know.

 Papers:
Stampin' Up Whisper White 
Yellow is Recollections from Michaels craft store
Grey from paper pack stash from dd2
Matte photo paper

Gems from stash for umbrella toppers and for label.

Ribbon trims from stash--I ripped apart, cut up, etc. to create the tiny bows.  


 Submitting to these challenges:

All Sorts Challenge Spring Has Sprung

The Paper Girls Challenge #29 April  Showers Bring May Flowers 

Paper Craft Crew Challenge #36 Card Sketch 
I made 3 bows on the umbrellas as they cascaded down the side rather than this ribbon in the sketch.  My 3 gems are on the label.

 


Since I'm on a few design teams, I thought I'd also feature one of the challenges they offer: 

Gecko Galz Papercrafting Ephemera Emporium Craft Challenges Yahoo Group: 
April Fools Challenge Create a card that has to do with trix. Place a photo in the album named April Fools Day. You have until the end of April to get your cards in. The winner will get 4 Gecko Galz Collage sets of their choice. 
Do you really think this tiny lace umbrella (er....parasol) is going to keep the rain off this fairy? I always thought an April full of rain was a mean trick to get to those May flowers.

More About In the Library

Today Shar at her Rogue Redhead Designs, LLC blog is featuring the In the Library Challenge offered by our crafting friends over at the Craft Room Challenge blog. So please pop on over HERE to see her article, The Craft Room is Going Rogue.

 

In Shar's blog post, she's featuring the work of Rogue Crew members Debi and me.  Not only are we both on the RRD design team, but also Debi is a regular design team member of the Craft Room and I'm a guest designer at the Craft Room for this challenge.  You can see our projects in the Craft Room blog post HERE.  

You can also visit my teamie Debie at her blog, My Bird Flying Free.

We both used the lovely RRD stamp plate, Relish Reading, on our projects.  

You can see my project details by scrolling down to my previous blog post.

Rogue Redhead Designs, LLC is sponsoring the Craft Room challenge and providing a lovely stamp plate to ink up as the prize.  I hope you'll join in the fun.  This two week challenge runs until April 14.

In the Library

I'm thrilled to be the guest designer for the Craft Room.  This is my second and final GDT piece for them.  I hope you join me in the Craft Room for this Challenge #48 In the Library.

As you can tell by looking around my blog, I'm on the Rogue Crew at Rogue Redhead Designs, LLC.  So I was very excited to see that they are the sponsor for this challenge.  It made it obvious then that I would use the RRD Relish Reading stamp plate ---  this was the very first stamp plate I got from RRD -- because we are a family of readers. As a matter of fact, our entire third floor in our Victorian home is my husband's (Frank Lloyd Wrightish) oak library.

A few of the details: 

I created a little scene.  Looking out the window you see two children on a swing reading a book.  To anchor them, I used the leaf vine so it looked like the swing was in a tree.  I used the cloud embossing folder to add some interest in the sky. And of course I added a little lace valance to the window.

Inside the room, the patterned paper is to be wallpaper which I overstamped with script.  I created a floor with the wood embossing folder and the rug is a label from the paper pack.  I didn't need to distress the window because it is in the design of the paper. The base board (dividing the wall from the floor) is ribbon and crochet lace which I wove together.

The woman reading in the chair is stamped twice, once for the chair on patterned paper, again on white in order to color the image.  They are fussy cut and layered together with pop dots.  I have acquired quite a collection of the Ranger Distress Ink markers.  I love them for edging my images.  I also used them along with some Copics for coloring the stamped images.

Materials:
Rogue Redhead Designs, LLC Relish Reading stamp plate
Rogue Redhead Designs, LLC  Behind the Scenes Handwriting background stamp
Archival Jet Black Ink
Ranger Worn Lipstick Distress Ink
Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage Collection:  Classic Paper Pack--all papers used in this project and the label are from this paper pack
Stampin' Up Whisper White paper
Stampin' Up Sissix Cloudy Day embossing folder
Poppy Stamps, Inc. Grand Madison Window steel die
Tim Holtz Sissix wood texture fade embossing folder
Crochet trim from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Green ribbon from Stampin' Up
Lace trim from stash
Variety of Ranger Distress Ink markers and Copic markers.

I'm entering this in the following:

Heartwarming Vintage/Crafty Secrets April Linky Party:
all papers and label (used as rug) are from Classic Paper Pack 

Simon Says Stamp and Show:  April 1 Very Strict--Just Kidding April's Fool--Anything Goes

Fashionable Stamping Challenge #44 Paper Piecing:  two step image sitting in chair, then put on rug; window with scene behind it

Card a Day Blog:  This is a new challenge site for me.  There are four themes each month.  In April, one of the themes is Teacher Appreciation Day.  I'm entering this theme challenge because, after, all, who teaches us to read, appreciate reading, and connect reading to the real world?  Teachers of course!  They play a primary role! (Spoken like a true family of teachers!  By the way, not only do I have a teaching certificate, I also minored in library science!)

I think you are beginning to see the full circle of this project and the challenges entered.  My humble thanks, again, to the crafters in The Craft Room for allowing me to be their guest designer!

Happy Easter Tag

I hope everyone who celebrates Easter had a wonderful weekend with lots of treats left by the bunny.  We had family here for the weekend so I cooked and visited instead of crafted. 

Under the wire, here is my version of the March Tim Holtz Tag.  
I'm three for three so far!  YAY!
I literally dragged out all kinds of things buried in the craft drawers (accept for the RRR trim) to create my version of Tim's tag.

Supplies:
Ranger Distress Inks:  Antique  Linen and Walnut Stain
EK Success Jolees by You Chocolate Bunny
Crochet trims from Really Reasonable Ribbon
DCWV Sweet Chocolate Frosting Glitter paper for tag
Bazzill Basics Paper:  Perfectly Pleated in Kiwi
Pink ribbon from stash
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Salvage Stickers
The Paper Company Ivory Large Fashion Tags 3x4"

A Fish Tale ATC

After sitting on the sidelines for about a year, I finally entered a challenge at the Everything Wendy Vecchi Yahoo Group.  The Making Art Challenges use Wendy's stamps.  This entry is for the MAC 6 challenge to use leaves and something green.  

I planned to make this before I left town but didn't; then my return was delayed due to the huge snowstorm in central Illinois.  To complicate things, I posted an entry, then decided I didn't like it, so did another and got it posted just at the deadline.

My entry is an ATC because it also is for our 3 for 3 ATC Swap over at the EWV Yahoo Group.  We are to follow the same guidelines as for the challenge:  something green and leaves.  Since I had all my fish embossed and fussy cut and all the leaves stamped and cut, it wasn't too hard to quickly change my background to something I liked better.

Yes, tale is a play on words!  You are so clever to catch that!

Materials:

Stampers Anonymous stamps:
Studio 490 Art By the Number (leaves from flower)
Studio 490 Art For Men (fish)

DCWV Linen paper pack (blue paper for fish)
Versa Mark clear stamp pad
Ranger Fine Silver embossing powder
Turquoise embossing powder
foam pop dots

DCWV Summer Dream paper pack (turquoise green for ATC)
Cuttlebug embossing folder


Ranger Iced Spruce Distress Ink (leaves, word strips and embossed swirls)
Black ric rac trim from stash
Computer generated word strips