ATC Techniques Book

Several months ago I had a 'brilliant' idea for an ATC book swap - techniques. The whole book would be filled with techniques to use on ATCs. Backgrounds, transfers, paint effects, anything, as long as it could be used on an ATC sized canvas. 27 people signed on with some really great technique ideas. Well, finally, here is the end result. As is usual with these sorts of things and with such a large number, a few fell by the wayside and we ended up with 23 gorgeous ATCs. There were a few hiccups along the way too, such as printing out the instructions before the books were bound and the ATCs went in and we won't mention the coils will we?! Still, I have had some very positive comments so far and hope everyone is pleased with the final product.
So here are the ATCs in the order they appear in the book - all 23!

Enjoy!
Kylie

Wendy Cooper - Fabric/Stitching

Lorri Lennox - Soot Stamping

Jennifer Jones - Dyed Paper Towels

Marie Doody - Masking Tape

Evelyn Watt - Fabric Paper

Jackie Hodgson - Emboss Resist

Lorraine McNeil - Peeled Paint

Michelle Smith - Foil Tape

Peta Lockhart - Credit Card

Ruth Spitzer - Texture Paste

Liz Aitken - Beeswax

Gail Pennycuick - Luna Lights

Meredith Lane - Alcohol Inks

Genevieve Payne - Dress Pattern

Lee-Anne Devlin - Bleached Out Images

Charmaine Black - Watercolour

Alicia Gibbs - Papercasting

Kelsey O'Mullane - Transparency Transfer With Gel Medium

Kylie Mell - Doodling

Felicity Smith - Felting

Nikki Blowers - Textured Alcohol Inks

Dawn Thomas - Potato Chip Patina

Debra James - Glitz Spritz & Adirondack Reinkers

Sniffle, sniff, sniff

January is a month of birthdays in our family. First is our eldest child, Jess, who turned 13, yep, officially a teenager! She got her ears pierced (her idea) and can't wait to try on all of my earrings! Next is my Mum. We had a lovely BBQ birthday dinner as it is her favorite. Next is Josh our eldest son who turned 7 and lost his two front teeth all in one week! Actually Mum's and Josh's are two days apart and when I was in labour we thought they might even share it but he had other ideas. Below is the card I made for Mum. I had attended a Cuttlebug demo night at Scraptivate the night before so was all enthused to make something with it. Mum really liked it (as she does everything I make her - 'cause she loves me!) which was what I was aiming for. One year I didn't make Mum a hand made card but found her a really nice one from a shop. I thought she might like that better than what I could make . Well! she tore pieces off me for NOT making her a card, so every year I try to do something different and just for her.

Speaking of Mums, we went to visit my MIL in Toodyay (NE of Perth) for a couple of days and she admired the bracelet that Jess was doing (her first commission!) so we sat down to make one for her. It ended up being me who made it as Mum was sure she couldn't do it (I know you can Mum!) and this is the result. Thanks for the props, doesn't it look good against the black?

Jess and Amy signed up to do a couple of kids classes at Scraptivate this holidays which they enjoyed immensely. The two canvases below are from a class they did with Mel today. Don't they look great. I signed up to do the adult version later in February as I really like these Poppet people.

Jess

Amy

Well, I am off to bed. I have been struggling with a runny nose and headache for most of the day (thanks Jess!) and I can hear my bed calling, plus I have a book I want to finish!

Take care,

Ky

RAKs, MMs & a Calendar

Let's start with the calendar. When Dad died my mother's sister came over from Adelaide to help Mum. In conversations we had during her time here I deduced that she would like me to make her a calendar for 2008 like I had for 2007. Now not having had any previous intention to do so I hurried out to the local scrapping store to see what they had in the way of premade calendar bases. (I would have made one up myself with my new Bind-It-All but at that time I wasn't allowed to have it as it was before Christmas and the machine was my pressie - what a mean DH!) Anyway, after finding this chipboard one and several papers I thought she might like I set to work with the goal to get it to her before New Year. Well, it is sitting on my kitchen bench as I type all packaged up ready to go and only a couple of weeks late! I lost my inspiration there for a while but with some help from the ladies at stamp club on Friday I managed to finish it.

I forgot these first few from the previous post so thought that while the kids were happy for a moment that I would get them up.

These first two ATCs are from Julie H. The photos just don't do them justice, all that rust and layers! Love it!

This book is my Mystery Muse gift from a couple of months ago that I still haven't acknowledged (doing right after this!). It is from Dawn the Prawn. So much to look at. All those tags. Another DTP original to treasure!

I received my January Mystery Muse on Friday but I haven't taken a pic yet so keep an eye out in a future post.

Take care till next time,

Kylie

This is going to be a long one I fear!

After two months of not blogging what do you expect?!

Well, November turned out to be hectic, even though I hoped it wouldn't, after the couple of months preceeding it, I should have known better! The whole of last year was just a blur and I am not (thankfully!) the only one who feels that way. Needless to say everyone who has the same opinion of last year as I do is determined to relax the pace a bit more this year. For me I hope it means more blogging, more art, more family time and more time for God.

We ended the year with what is becoming a traditional week-before-Christmas holiday. This time for the first time we took my Mum with us. I think we figured out that it was her first real holiday since I was a child. Following from previous years we decided to stay in Albany (about 4 hours south of Perth). We stayed in caravan parks the last couple of times so I decided it was time to stay a bit more up market. Silly me forgot to take a pic of the actual place we stayed but it was gorgeous. Rammed eather walls, feature stonework, slate floors and extensive use of wood. There was a huge bath and a double sided slow combustion stove (we actually got to use it too as the temps we very low - in the middle of Summer!)

My children will agree that although the location was great (5 acres and rural blocks all around), the peace and quite refreshing and the shopping and site-seeing fun, what beat all of this hands down were our 'neigh'bours. The girls discovered very early on that there was a miniature horse next door and in the paddock behind us 4 gorgeous horses who soon came to expect a morning pat each day. Unfortunately their feet were in a shocking state and I had to cantact the RSPCA to check them out but they were lovely animals none the less.

Of course we caught up with Julie H whilst we were there and got to meet Archer for the first time which, for Noah, rivalled the horses as the two of them are just the right size for each other. They both came over for dinner in the week and Archer was thoughly spoilt. I hope he has been a good boy for you since then Julie, what with Dawn treating him like a prince that week too?

The property had two magnificent trees which I braved the drizzle to take pix of. The bark on this first one is just amazing. I don't think I have ever seen such amazing colour before.

The second tree was Jess's dream come true! The best climbing tree ever! Just look at those branches!

I did get some time to create though most of it was for others. This first one is a canvas for Helen Franklin as part of a 1-4-1 Christmas swap on arty_oz. I liked it so much that I considered keeping it.

An ATC from my play night with Julie and Dawn (how lucky am I!).

This next pic is of some inchies that were part of a swap on Calling All Stampers. My theme was texture. My inchie is bottom left corner.

This is an ATC for another arty_oz swap. We had to use the Basic Grey Peripheries range of papers. I found it very interesting to note that of the 9 I got back at least half had used the same paper I had chosen.

Yet another ATC for yet another arty_oz swap (they do have some really good themes!) This one is for a texture paste swap. I love this stuff almost as much as beeswax. In fact I am doing another of Kelsey's classes on texture paste next month.

Lastly, a bracelet done for my Mystery Muse for December which she will be receiving on Friday at SAJ's. I had seen the idea on someone's web site and thought to have a go at sometime. Jess got all enthused about beading and I suggested she have a go at something like this. The one she made looked great so I decided to have a go myself. My Mum had a look today and has put her order in for one too! As well as a request that I make a pink one for my Auntie. Just as well they are super quick to make!

Well, I hope you survived that epic! I really need to get to my blog more often but with 5 people fighting for my attention (sometimes all at once) it does become a challenge!

If you are going to SAJ's tomorrow night see you there!

Till next time,

Ky

A Month of Upheaval

Definitely an inside, in front of the aircon type day today. The temp is currently at 38.6 for Perth which means it is about 40 in Armadale. So I guess there isn't any excuse for updating the blog. I have been feeling a bit blog weary the last month, hence the lack of posts! but a quick update is in order I think.

The last two months have seen so much stress and upheaval in my family. First was Dads' heart attacks and death, then my brothers' wedding and lastly my Mums' move. Don't 'they' say that those are the three most stressful events in a persons' life, I guess the one other would be a pregnancy and birth but that ain't gonna happen anytime, soon or otherwise! 4 is enough for me!

Still, the Lord is in control and I can do all things through Him (my mantra!).

I managed to get ahead in an ATC round robin with just two people to go. Here is the second to last.

And the third to last.




This is a canvas for the Pandora's' Box swap. The photocopied image came up heaps lighter than I expected but I was happy with the overall product.


And here is the happy couple. My SIL looked just gorgeous as all brides do. My bro scrubbed up pretty good too I thought!

DD1 has decided that she would like to make Salmon Patties for tea and who am I to refuse a dinner made for me? Off to check the state of the kitchen.

Till next time,

Ky

You Asked For It!

So here he is!

This is how we usually see him, in his office hunched over the laptop.

And this is the front view! Perhaps I should have waited till he had a haircut. My DH's favorite shirts are flannel or as we call them lumberjack shirts. They are the bane of my existance as he wears them almost everywhere. Alright so not work or church but anywhere else. Ok, Dawnie, I saw your dare and raise you one of your own!

Now for something alot prettier than those last two pix! My Aunt is very sick with cancer and I wanted to make her something to brighten her day. I do have an ulterior motive. The last card I sent her was my version of one I saw on a gallery somewhere and she went on about how wonderful it was and how clever I was with placement and such. I didn't have the heart to tell her it was a copy so now she will have a 100% original. It is ATC sized.

This round of the Pandora's Box swap has me struggling. Apart from the fact that, since we are at the tail end of the swap, the contents of the box which we all have to work with is getting slim I just don't seem to be able to find the right thing to do. This is the first thing I did but since it is tiny I wanted to do something else too. I am working on a wax collage canvas and we will see how it turns out. Sorry about the shocking photobut I can't be bothered to take another! Got to get upo and organise lunch for us all in a mo so want to get this finished before I do.

DH is away for 5 days starting tomorrow so I am looking forward to some serious art time in the evenings over the weekend. I am hoping to finish my inchies and the wax collage canvas and maybe my Technique book ATCs too.

Enjoy the sunshine!

Ky

Art & Other Stuff

Let's start with the 'other stuff'.

These first few pix were taken by my 12 and 11 year old daughters. They had a good model don't you think, very co-operative! You can see quite clearly how well Noah's nose has healed from when he split it open a few months ago.


I love pansies and these colours are just gorgeous.

Now to introduce a new member of our family - Woosha. We inherited him from my BIL when he went to live in QLD. We were only meant to keep him till the RSPCA had room for him but he has wormed his way into our hearts and lives and we have decided to keep him. If the BIL ever wants him back I think he will have a fight on his hands! (consider yourself warned Matt!) He is getting a bit fat as I think the kids keep slipping him treats. He looks very noble in this pic don't you think? We really couldn't have a better dog. He is very obedient and great with the kids, even Noah who, at 2, thinks playing with a dog means chasing him round the garden. Bit unfortunate in a Dockers household to have an ex-Eagles named dog but he is a bit old to change it.

And now for my close up!

Ok, to the art part!

This ATC was supposed to be for a swap but I loved it so much that I kept it! Always a pitfall when creating art for others.

This one did make it into the swap. The idea was to make a couple of ATCs for someone who was needing a pick-me-up. It is all going into a decorated tin and being called a tin of wishes. Just a lovely idea.

I feel so bad. This is another one that didn't make it. I was just messing around cause I was feeling uninspired so began with a couple of SU background stamps in two different TH ink colours. That looked boring so I decided to really mix it up and added the red splotches by dabbing on some Poinsettia Red Gold from the Star Burst Stains range - got to get me some more of those! Went hunting for a pic to match, some appropriate wording, bit of black around the edges and shazam! it is done.

Another ATC for SGATC round robin. This one is for Genevieve Payne who's theme is Mythical Creatures. This is as close as I could get.

Lastly a Mystery Muse gift. I picked up a collage book at Spotlight last week and saw a simliar project and wanted to do it straight away and, since I was needing to do something for my MM match, what better project. I am sending it off tomorrow. I used some more of the shellac that Dad gave me. Stinky but cool stuff. I have had it for a while and just never got round to using it. The day Dad went into hospital I used it for the first time but things were so rushed and hectic that day and the next that I didn't get to tell him that I had finally used it.

I am working on some inchies for yet another swap (glutton or what!) but am not getting too far. I thought, as they were so small, that I would knock them over quickly. They have turned out to be more of a challenge than I expected. Also getting some progress on ATCs for the Technique book I am hosting. Lots of repetition now and then I should be finished - whew!

Have a great week everyone,

Ky