Insects

What do you think when you think of insects? Don´t bug me? Carpet Crawlers? Well, I´m not a big fan of insects in real life (I´ve been bitten too often - ouch!) but like to be reminded of another small world completely different from ours - so George Eliot´s words quoted here gather up my amazement when it comes to our small coinhabitants. This 4 x 6 card is my entry for this week´s Sunday Postcard Art challenge.

To-Do List

Here´s my monthly skinny page, this time for Lorraine. I´ve tried hard to do something less negative but failed ...

So here you can find some favourite verses of Russian poet Anna Achmatova (1889-1966). I thought that the mysterious look of Botticelli´s Simonetta Vespucci fits perfectly with these words.

Home Sweet Home

... is this week´s Gothic Arches challenge theme.

Orange

Seems to be a week of special challenges for me - after having to do a yellow piece, now orange is this week´s Wednesday Stamper´s theme. I don´t like orange very much but like to use it for some special occasions and themes and mostly in combination with black and a little bit of pink. So here´s my orange 4 x 6 card for this challenge. The stamps I´ve used are by Cherry Pie, The Artistic Stamper, Beeswax, Stamp Francisco, and Flamingo.

Ships

My ATCs for a Ship themed swap.

Yellow

... is probably my least favourite colour, but as I love a challenge I´ve had fun making a yellow ATC for the bi-weekly ARTchix lottery. Looks like we´ll have some sunnier days from now on!

Swapped Out!

It´s over now - 21 envelopes are packed and waiting to be put in the mail tomorrow. Please let me know when you receive your return cards! Hope to see you again in next year´s blog swap!

Beatles Swap Update No. 8

Look at these great buttons that Tamara sent as an extra with her Beatles ATCs - aren´t they lovely?

Then have a look at the last two entries from Tamara and Ingeborg 1, 2, and 3.

Today is May 15, the due date for my swap, and I´ve just found the last two envelopes in my mailbox, so yes: this swap is complete and ready to be swapped out! I´ll do this over the weekend and put the returns in the mail on Monday.

We´ve been 22 participants this year, 8 from Germany, 8 from the United States, 2 from Australia, 2 from Canada, 1 from England, and 1 from Malaysia. Thanks to all of you, you´ve made the last weeks much more colourful for me!

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 ...