Craft Consortium, The Riverbank, ATC Box

Do you know what an ATC is?

It's an Artists Trading Coin.

I've seen them being made for a while now and decided that I want to play along, too...  but first I need a box to keep them safe in!

So I made one...

I'm planning to add extra charms to mine so that the weight keeps the lid down, but for this photo I thought it best to show you just one dragonfly charm so that you can see it properly.

Here's a list of the Craft Consortium supplies used...

*

The Riverbank

Premium Paper Pad

Dragonfly Metal Charms

The Essential Craft Papers

Wood Textures

*

I'll show you the ATC's in a future project!

Thanks so much for stopping by...

*

Donna. x

https://www.instagram.com/roominacupboard/

Dragonfly Charm Card, Scribble Flower Circle, Friend

I haven't made a card like this for a while now...  

It reminds me of the stuff I started out making - not sure if that's a good or a bad thing really, but it does include lots of my favourites...

Dies, acetate, Mirri card, screw brads, dangling things hanging from invisible thread, sanding and distressed edges...  I could go on but I'm sure you get the idea!

The main difference with this card is that I've since discovered Spray Adhesive - which means no more trying to marry up dies on the back of the acetate as the spray adhesive leaves behind a shimmer that looks good enough to leave well alone.

Here's a picture of the card lying flat... 

I did spend an age describing in detail how this card was made, but for some reason or other the blog went on the fritz and everything froze - so l've lost over an hours worth of work today. 

So I'm sorry, but I can't type all of that up again...  not with sore hands/wrists that still need time to heal.

Wonder if it's just the joys of old age?

Supplies Used:

Dies:

MFT 'Friend'

Poppystamps 'Scribble Flower Circle'

Memory Box 'Fabulous Phlox'

Memory Box Woodland Branch'

Spellbinders 'Nestabilities' - Circles

Punch:

Flower Punch from stash

Other:

Dragonfly Charm

Screw Brads

Acetate

Invisible Thread

Challenges I'm Entering...

Poppystamps

Challenge #32   'Flower Power'

Pixies Crafty Workshop

All snippets except the Core'dinations...

As always, thank you so much for stopping by today...

Donna. x

Through The Window, Notelet Card, Brickwork

Do any of you recognise this scene peeking through the window?

Well done if you do...  

It was also used on one of the larger sentiment tags I made earlier on this year...
  

I wonder if you can figure out why this stamped image was kept to one side?

Yep, you guessed it.  I did a craft 'boo boo'...
...  and I don't know about you but most of my craft 'boo boo' moments come right at the end of my craft make.

 In the spirit of saving the environment and/or my sanity after spending my time on this 'mistake', I decided that the best thing to do was to keep it to one side for a few months, moved on to some other projects and then revisit it.
It's amazing what a pair of fresh eyes and some perspective can do when salvaging a project that's gone wrong.


So...

The part of the image that was still usable was cut to fit into this window frame that's been layered up by gluing three die cuts together.  (The tiny inked vellum butterfly and dragonfly were already attached from the last project, but this time the dragonfly needed to be a darker brown so I carefully removed and replaced it).
Then it was simply a case of adding a branch at an angle (also layered up for strength/durability), mounting on to a card front that's been stamped with a brick image and then heat embossing using Distress ink and powder.
One final butterfly as a finishing touch and I was done.

I made that sound simple, didn't I?


Please, Please...  If you can DO NOT throw your 'mistakes' straight into the bin.  Put them to one side (out of sight), move on to something else and just give it some time.  Then have a look and see what's salvageable.
I won't mention names, but I know of someone who throws her watercolour backgrounds out if they don't look 'right'.  She also throws things away because the paint splatters don't go where she wants them to.
What I'm saying is just because it doesn't work for one project doesn't mean it can't work for another.  If nothing else, I'm sure they would have made beautiful die cut butterflies...




Supplies Used:

Stamps:
Inkylicious 'Whispering Winds'
Bo Bunny 'Wall To Wall Textures'

Dies:
Poppystamps 'Grand Madison French Doors'
Memory Box 'Grove Branch'
Impression Obsession 'Cattails and Dragonflies'
Die Namics 'Flutter of Butterflies' (Lace) - I altered my dragonfly to bring the wings closer together and then glued on a butterfly body to hide the join.

Inks:
Tim Holtz Distress Marker 'Tumbled Glass'
Tim Holtz Distress Marker 'Stormy Sky'
Tim Holtz Distress Marker 'Forest Moss'
Tim Holtz Distress Marker 'Peeled Paint'
Memento (Tsukineko) 'Bamboo Leaves'
Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Ink

Other:
Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder 'Walnut Stain'
Martha Stewart Pop Up Butterfly Punch
'Crafter's Companion' Watercolour Card
Foundations Card 'Deep Cocoa'




Challenges I'm Entering...

CAS Mix Up
(I've gone for Stamping, Die Cuts, Heat Embossing and a Craft Punch - Not sure if CAL is allowed or not.  Loll/Bonnie - can you let me know?)

Time Out Challenges

Challenge #58 - Home Sweet Home Photo Inspiration

(Inspired by the window, the brickwork...  and Nonni's DT card)

Pixies Crafty Snippets Challenge

Simon Says/Monday Challenge

Summer Garden

Allsorts Challenge

Week #366  'The Great Outdoors'

Addicted to Stamps and More

  

I still have plenty of half done projects I'm working through right now.   I wonder if you have any hidden away that you intend to get back to one day?

Enjoy the rest of your day...
...  or your evening.

Donna.

'#91 Donna@Room In a Cupboard – Marzena says: This project is absolutely fabulous. I adore the summer night scene. Love the view through the window and bricks around it. The dragonfly has stolen my heart :-) Beautiful CAS card. I’m really impressed. Great job, Donna!'

Acetate Tag, Flower on Branch, Female

Hi... 

Not long to go now until Christmas.  

I wonder how you are doing with it all...  the preparations, the gift buying, the card writing, etc...  Do you enjoy it all?  I know that there are those of you who plan ahead, those who endure but enjoy and those of you who would just rather not...   

Whichever category you best fit into, I hope it goes ok :)

Anyhow...  It's my turn to share my DT tag with you all today for the latest challenge at 

Tag You're It. 

I chose something with maximum impact but minimal effort - or at least that was my intention!

No inks, no embossing.  Just some simple die cuts (I layered up the branch 3 or 4 times for added durability and used a molding tool for the flower), embellishments (Dew Drops), ribbon and paper string...  all arranged on an acetate tag.

Yes, I know...  more acetate!  I do love working with this stuff, but it's such a beast to cut!

In my defence...  this was actually the first acetate tag I ever made. 

That was way back in early July of this year...  but I wasn't scheduled to post it until today 

so I opted for a 'non festive' design, knowing full well that by this stage Christmas tags would be in abundance and you may just possibly be planning ahead to a birthday or even a wedding for early next year. 

It does have an early Spring 'feel' to it, don't you think?

Dies used...

Memory Box 'Woodland Branch'

Memory Box 'Fabulous Phlox'

Impression Obsession 'Cattails and Dragonflies'

Spellbinders 'Deckled Rectangles'

In a future post I'll show you the other design ideas I had in mind and how I 'tweaked' them into very different looking tags...  despite using the same dies and layout.  

I don't think I'll ever get tired of how such small, simple changes can make such a huge difference to a design.

Challenges I'm entering...

Pixies Crafty Snippets Challenge

(Other than the ribbon, string and Dew Drops it's all made from my snippets stash)

Simon Says/Wednesday Challenge

That's Crafty

Others on the Tag You're It Design Team have created their own versions of this tag.

Please visit their blogs and see for yourself...  and then if you can, come and play!

I know that we are all busy right now...

so my heartfelt thanks goes out to anyone who can make or find the time to play along with this challenge.   

I love seeing the 'regular' faces who play along each time (Thank You)...  but I would also love to meet anyone new out there who wants to join in with us.  

After all, there would be no Tag You're It challenge if it wasn't for people like you :)

Wherever you are at this week, I wish you a peaceful time.

Take care...

Donna.

Dragonfly (Metallic), Happy Birthday, Male/Female

Hello.  

I wonder how you are doing today?  

Do you get the balance right between working hard and playing hard?  I wish I did...

When I saw the latest challenge by House of Cards with the cue word 'Metallics', I was very happy.  You see, I've been working on several projects at once recently as I'm trying to finish some designs, so I already had some metallic die cut leaves ready to go.  It was simply a case of coming up with an idea that worked...

Why am I working on so many projects at once?

Because there's this theory that I have a craft table somewhere...  but right now that's sounding more like an urban legend as it's buried away, hidden somewhere underneath too many half finished designs!  Come on...  confess.  I can't be the only one!

Here's my card...

I had a lot of fun with this design as I used some 'upcycled' elements - packaging from an embossing folder and from a disposable shower cap (of all things).  I don't know who came up with the idea but I've never seen something in a hotel packaged so beautifully!

Here's a quick rundown of the dies used:

Marianne Design Creatables 'Maple Leaves'

Elizabeth Craft Designs 'Dragonfly Silhouette'

Tattered Lace 'Retro Alphabet'

This is a simple card to put together, but I love the effect of the different textures combined with my trusty Walnut Stain Distress Ink and Paper Distresser Tool.  Giving the whole design some added dimension by targeting areas to glue and lifting edges just adds something 'extra' to this, I think.

As Seize the Birthday have an Embossing challenge 'Topper' to go with their 'Anything Goes' challenge this month, I did a two for one design special.  (In other words, I purposefully designed this card around both challenges).  Doesn't always work...  but I'm glad when it does :)

Other challenge being entered into:
Simply Create Too  (Challenge #91)  Anything Goes

I originally thought that this design might be suitable for men as well as women, but looking at it now I'm not so sure.  What do you think? 

If you have the time, I always value your comments.

Take care...

Donna