Spring is Sprung

Yesterday was the first day of Spring.  Yeah.  Winter has been long - very long so happy to see Spring come.  Of course, I love Spring but I also hate Spring.  I love the warmth returning, the flowers and grass starting to grow but I hate the work - all the leaves that did not get raked need to be cleaned up.  Hopefully the rain predicted this week will wash away some of the grime left on our lawns.

This week the Wicked Wednesday ATC challenge is Spring.  I dug through my collection of backgrounds and found a yellow piece which I cut down to the correct size for an ATC.  This is a recycled background piece.  Recycled cardstock and a layer of an old book.  Add some gesso and paint and away we go.  I recently got the February color from Tim Holtz.  This time I got the ink not the paint.  The flower stamp is from Hero Arts.  I stamped it with Versamark and Black ink and then used clear embossing powder.  It really makes your image pop.  The flower was colored with distress ink and the leaves with distress paint.  A couple stencils and more distress paint added some texture to the ATC front.

The sentiment is a sticker from SRM Stickers.  I placed the sticker on a leftover piece of inked paper.  I added a strip of polka dot paper at the top of the ATC for some contrast.  I also used my favorite circle stamp from Stamps by Judith to add the circles.  Glitter gel was added to the flower and then glossy accents added to the petals and leaves.

I am leaving on vacation and if I can get up enough courage I want to do some art abandonment along the way.  I believe I will leave this piece somewhere in the Florida Keys.  I just want to try this but then I have lots of friends I could mail it to and they would love it also.  What to do what to do.

Oldie Moldie Monday

I have lots of eyelets so I am on a mission to use them up.  I have been using them on ATC cards.  I have a long ways to go.

Here are two ATC's I made.  I grabbed some pieces of background paper I had made for the base of the ATC's.  I believe both were made with Twinkling H2O's.

This ATC also uses a very old stamp.  The stamp really works great for an ATC.  It is the perfect size.  Two eyelets used.  Five circles colored with acrylic paint with glossy accents over the top and two eyelets - an uneven number.  I love that little circle stamp from Judith.  It is great for mixed media items.

This is a new stamp from Studio 490 and it has a coordinating stencil with it.  There are two sized flowers.  The sentiment is from a Unity Stamp Set.  You will note that 5 eyelets were used on this ATC.  I added Faber Castell Bead Glitter gel on the flower and then put glossy accents on the flower and leaves.

Be prepared for more eyelets.  I think it will become my new signature item until I use up the approximately 5000 I have.

Show some love for your old supplies.

Did You Miss Me?

I was on vacation in Naples, FL - although Wisconsin has not had a bad winter - Naples weather was much better.  Warmth and sunshine.  I got to see many things - alligators, beautiful homes, the beach, lots of great shopping - but unfortunately - no paper or stamp stores in the area - so sad.  Coming home was an adventure in several ways but we are trying to forget about that and just remember the best parts of the vacation.

It was good to get home and play with my paper.  Yeah - I do miss creating - CAS-ual Fridays challenge is "Jest for the Pun of it" - that is a fun challenge.  Hopefully my card is clean and simple enough for the challenge.  I used the Basic Grey collection - Little Black Dress - for the paper selection.  The stamp is from Stamps by Judith.  The stamp was clean embossed so it has a little depth.  The card design was based on a card I saw on the Hero Arts Blog from this last week. 

Another friend is starting her battle with breast cancer so this will be one of her cards to cheer her along her road to recovery.

Thanks for stopping by.  Now to find something to make for Oldie Moldie Monday.