ARTchix Tag Swap

For this swap we were wanted to use Helga´s most recent collage sheets on our 2 1/4 x 4 3/4 tags. I have used her lovely sheets about moons, tea, cats, and poppies here.

Beatles Swap Update No. 7

Time for another swap update, but as you can see I´m running out of ATCs for these updates, LOL! So here´s a 4 x 6 card just to illustrate the theme ...

Last week I´ve been watching a DVD with the musical "Across the Universe" - do you already know that movie? I like it a lot and sang and whistled half of the time because the soundtrack is a compilation of songs written by The Beatles, but sung and arranged quite different from the originals. The DVD extras show that the actors sang all the titles themselves, sometimes live, and that´s what makes this movie so lovely. I even recognized Bono as Dr. Roberts :-) If you still need some inspiration for your Beatles songs ATCs, just go and watch that movie! But hurry up, your ATCs should be in my mailbox before Saturday!

Since my last update, I received ATCs from Charlotte, Katrin, Debbie (sorry, I e-mailed you twice to say I got them, but my mails both came back to me!), Linda, Marnie, and Sabine D. So there are now 16 entries in my swap box, but I´m waiting for 5 more - hope théy´ll arrive this week!

And here are more links for you to finished ATCs from Fatma 1, 2, and 3, Charlotte, and Sabine D. - have fun looking at them!

Sunnier Days, Please!

It´s May now, but it´s still cold and rainy - can´t wait for sunnier days!

This week´s SPA challenge is Umbrellas, and this is just the right theme for the weather we have right now ...

My card goes to Barbara D. , my partner in the ARTchix sisters postcard swap. But though my naked Steampunk postcard made it to Illinois in two days (!!!) I don´t dare to send this one naked again - it´s just too wet outside!

Flying Home

Here´s my second 5 x 7 chipboard house for the Red Lead swap. It features four Red Lead stamps as well as two of their collage sheets and one of the lovely Patina birds flying on the roof. I have fixed the bird with wire and also used that wire to make the hanging.

Beatles Swap Update No. 6

Today the mail man didn´t come at all, how disappointing!
But during the last days, I have received Beatles ATCs from Trudi, Fatma, and Elizabeth H. - thanks, ladies!

Most of you participants have their cards finished and mailed, so here are more links to beautiful ATCs from Glenda, Julia 1, 2, and 3, Sarah, and Katrin.

Those of you who haven´t mailed their ATCs should hurry up because there are only 9 days left! Or if you have to drop out please let me know so that I don´t wait for ATCs that will never arrive ...
Please remember that all your ATCs should be in my hands before May 15.

In & Out

This is my first house for the Red Lead "Fly Away Home Altered House Swap". It´s made from a 5 x 7 inches chipboard house. I thought it would be nice to have the bird inside and the boys outside the house this time.

Green Beach

Green is this week´s TMTA challenge theme, and as I´ve made a green beach themed ATC just yesterday, here it is ...

Beatles Swap Update No. 5

You´ve all been so busy that it´s time for another update!

This week I have received Peggy´s lovely ATCs, thank you!

And here are a few more links to finished ATCs from Marnie, Linda, Trudi, and Debbie. Go have a look and have fun on their blogs!

The due date is approaching, so if you´re across the pond, please finish your ATCs soon and get them in the mail to me so that they arrive before May 15.

Last Minute ...

... I´ve made three house shaped ATCs for a swap that my sister runs - so glad she´s waiting for all cards to come in!

Totally Tim

This week´s Wednesday Stamper´s challenge is themed "Tim Holtz", so I´ve made this Totally Tim card today - all techniques and products by Tim.
The background card is covered with paper from his new paper stacks, the middle ground was made using his Dabber Resist technique, and the boy is another Tim paper tinted with Distress Inks.
The crown is made from Tim´s Grungeboard using his Rusted Grunge technique (with Vintage Photo Distress Embossing Powder and Ink).
The letters are Tim´s Salvage Stickers, and of course all stamps used are Tim´s (the circles, the swirls, and the postage stamp).
Well, yes, I´m a Tim fan :-))

Zetti Time!

I knew the Zetti postcard would be easier for me :-))
The only difficulty again was to use only water-resistant materials for this naked postcard - hope it´ll arrive safe and sound!

Steampunk

This is my first postcard for another Paper Traders swap - we have to make two 4 x 6 postcards, one Steampunk and the other one Zetti themed, and send them naked (without envelope) to two different partners.
It wasn´t easy for me to avoid all those things I usually use but that aren´t water-resistant - like watercolour pencils, distress inks, and watersoluble wax crayons. I´ve used a lot of Gesso here, only permanent inks, and I hope that the faux-rusted Grungeboard pieces and the metal gear that I´ve glued with Diamond Glaze will arrive together with the card ...

Beatles Swap Update No. 4

Time for another swap update!
I´ve had two more sign-ups so we´re 22 people from 6 countries now - and there´s still plenty of time to sign up, make three ATCs and send them to me before May 15.
In the meantime, I have received the ATCs from Marilyn, Birgit, Lay Hoon, and Lenna, so I already have six envelopes here in my swap basket.
And here´s a link to Lay Hoon´s ATCs.

My own ATC is about a Beatles song I have always loved since I was a child - Eleanor Rigby. The beautiful melody perfectly captures the melancholic mood of the lyrics, and I´ve chosen my favourite sad verse here.

White on White

If you´re visiting often, you know that I love colour - so the White on White theme of this Paper Traders ATC swap has been a challenge for me. I´m sorry that the scan isn´t better, but believe me that there are many more shades of white and much more texture than you can see here ...

All Around My Hat

This week´s Three Muses challenge theme is "Hats and Crowns and Wings and Things", so I thought that my skinny page for Hermine just fits in - isn´t this a nice hat?

In the Sky

I´m still on vacation but not by airplane, phew! So I didn´t have to spend days and days waiting on airports but could just enter the train and go where I wanted to go. Some other people might have thought "If I had wings" so that they could have returned home easily.
"In the Sky" is this week´s Wednesday Stamper´s challenge theme, and here´s my 6 x 6 card.

Green, black, and white

Three more ATCs for personal trades; I´ve just been playing with what I´ve had lying on my desk.

Beatles Swap Update No. 3

Another swap update - so soon? Yes, and that´s because YOU have been so busy that there are three more links to finished ATCs!
Please have a look at the ATCs of Peggy, Lenna, and Elizabeth H.. And if these inspire you to make your own: There´s still plenty of time to join this swap, just send me your 3 ATCs before May 15.

April in Paris

... is this week´s SPA challenge theme.
If you look right into the man´s face, you´ll get the impression that this couple isn´t as much in love as it seems at first sight. My interpretation is that the lady just told him that it´s over but that they´ll have a wonderful memory for the rest of their lives - "We´ll always have Paris" ...

Beatles Swap Update No. 2

It´s time for a second update, and there´s some news for you.
During the last week I have already received Martina´s and Sabine´s ATCs, and I´ve had another sign-up.
For all of you who haven´t signed up yet: There´s plenty of time left to join and send three Beatles (or Stones) songs themed ATCs to me before May 15.
Have a look at Birgit´s and Sabine´s finished ATCs here - aren´t they lovely?
And my Nowhere Man ATC here is just an example to show that you don´t need to go with the song title but can pick any verses of the lyrics that speak to you - as did these to me.

Tagged by Sarah

I´ve been tagged by Sarah so I´m showing the tenth image of my picture file here - an old 6 x 6 bird page. As I still have it here, I can see that I´ve made it in July 2007.

I know that most of my friends don´t like to be tagged, so I don´t tag five other people - just show us the tenth image of your picture file on your computer if you like!

Create Art Share Happiness

... is the title of this ARTchix postcard swap.

New Videos of my Book Pages

My BIL has made two new videos for me, showing some of my book pages. You can find them on Youtube here and here.
As always, it´s not my own art room that you see in the video (but my sister´s), and the hand´s that are flipping through the books are my BIL´s (as well as the music).

Did you know?

Two more ATCs for trades at the stamping convention.

Bunny Man

This bunny has a secret - did he recently move to a big city? Has he been a member of Echo and the Bunnymen? Did he send you some Easter eggs this weekend? However - he´s really looking at you and wants you to listen to his story. He´s a happy bunny who has found his place in the world and encourages you to follow your own plans and have fun.

When I saw this week´s SPA challenge theme "Bunny People", I immediately knew that i HAD TO participate - what a fabulous theme!

Busy

As every year, I´m away from home right now visiting my sister. And as every year, we´re both busy making ATCs for personal trades at a stamping convention that we´ll attend in two weeks. I don´t have much of my own stuff with me, so this is why you see a lot of her stamps and some pics I´ve found in magazines. Sometimes I love the challenge to make ATCs with whatever I have at hand.

Happy Easter!

Have you already painted some eggs?

Beatles Blog Swap - Update No. 1

Well, with Easter approaching and today´s Wednesday Stamper´s theme "Eggs" this ATC is just perfect to accompany the first Beatles swap update! I am the eggman, they are the eggmen - I am the walrus, goo goo g´joob!

During the last week I´ve had 15 sign-ups from 6 different coutries for this swap, and while a lot of you are still working on their ATCs, some of you have even finished their cards. Please have a look at Marilyn´s and Martina´s ATCs and you know that this will be a great swap. And you can still enter and will have plenty of time to make your 3 ATCs - they just have to be in my hands before May 15!

Alice´s Spring Tea Party

Here´s my card for this week´s SPA challenge themed "Time for Tea". Of course this one is inspired by the new Alice movie I´ve watched recently.

4th Annual Blog Swap: Beatles (or Stones?)

Here it is, my 4th annual blog swap, and this year the theme is Beatles Songs - or, if you´re more on the wild side, you can even pick a Stones song ;-)

Five years ago, Jenny Russell´s Beatles ATC swap was one of my first ATC swaps ever, and I´ve loved it: There are sooooo many great songs to use, and they have great titles and lyrics to illustrate.

If your memories need a kick, you´ll find a song list here.

And as I know about the old squabble between Beatles and Stones fans, and because I love them both, you can even make ATCs about Stones songs if you prefer that.

Here are the rules:

Please sign up via personal e-mail (just click on the E-mail me link in the sidebar) and let me know your snail mail address. There´s no sign up date.

Then send 3 ATCs to my address (that I´ll send you when I answer your e-mail) before May 15.

I decided to limit the amount of cards to three per person this year because of swapping and postage concerns, and there won´t be any exceptions.

As always, you´ll find regular updates here on my blog with links to all participants´ ATCs. So when you´ve finished your ATCs, please send me an e-mail with the link to the place where you´ve posted them, and I´ll add that link to the next update so that everyone can go to your blog or other website to have a look at your artwork.

I´ll send out invitations to all previous blog swap participants, but this swap is open to all my visitors.

Have fun!

Diseases of the Heart

This is my 4 x 8 skinny page for Trudi. On the back there´s the mother of these siblings asking herself: "What did I do? Wasn´t it right? right or wrong?"

Birds

I´ve told you before that there´s a Birds themed swap just around the corner - now here are my finished ATCs for that swap.

Kopenhagen

This month our "Travel around the world" swap sends us to Copenhagen. As Kierkegaard was born and died there, he accompanies my version of the little mermaid.

Inside My Head

... there´s a permanent Tweet ...

Did I already tell you how much I love my new head stamp? It´s SOOOO versatile!

Luna

This week´s SPA challenge theme is "Goddess", so here´s my Goddess of the Moon, holding the silver crescent.

All my OWOH gifts arrived!

Yippieh, today I received the last of my three OWOH giveaways! I´ve won a lovely ephemera package from Mary, a handmade needlecase from Jen and a fantastic set of Derwent pencils including a sketchbook from Lois. Thank you, ladies!
My own giveaways have all reached their winners, too. And all those nice new contacts from all over the world made OWOH a great event again - hope it will happen again in 2011!

Spring Swap

Now here´s the whole bunch of Spring swap ATCs. Wonder why there aren´t more birds on them? Well, a Bird swap is waiting just around the corner!

More Spring

Isn´t this guy lovely? I´ve found the stamp on ebay and had it in the mail today, so I just had to use him immediately!

Think Spring!

Maybe a new hat helps? These ATCs are for a Spring themed swap at Altered Art Obsession.

Travel

I really believe that you have to be able to happily stay at home before you´re able to travel. So of course I love Emerson´s quote that I´ve used for my "Travel" card for this week´s SPA challenge.

A Passage To India

These tip-in pages for Lorna´s "India" book are my last contributions for the 2009/10 Paper Traders tip-in project. You can see some of the details in the scans below: for example there´s a beaded spiral in the sun, the elephants have some bling, and there are four little square mirrors at the bottom of the pages - remember those India skirts and bags with little mirrors in the seventies?

Curious and Curiouser ...

... to see the movie on Monday! Here are three more Alice ATCs in the meantime.