TOBY'S BIRTHDAY

Today, my special friend, Toby, is a big 18yrs old. In human years thats 88!!
He is in full voice as usual and has found a lovely sunny spot in which to spend his birthday morning.
Yesterday I took a birthday cake to his vets and a thank you card for their wonderful attention to his health. Without all the staff at the Rowen vets, Toby would not be a gorgeous, healthy chocolate Burmese pal.
I am having problems loading photos so will add some later.

TEMPT ME NOT and PAPER MASK

Leonie's Fab Friday Challenge #10 - Masking

I found this weeks challenge quite hard. Firstly, I don't have any mask peel offs, secondly, I don't have any stamps suitable for masking at ATC sizes. However, I will not be beaten and have given it a go. Today I had the privilege of attending a workshop at the new Dawn Bibby Design Studio. I learnt a technique which involved - toilet paper!!. Luckily the stamp I was given resembled a mask. You take a stamp which is quite well grooved, place a piece of toilet paper over it and using a paint brush, wet the paper and gently push it into the stamp. Repeat this using 6 or 8 pieces of paper. Leave to dry before colouring the image with a dry substance, I have used metallic rub ons on mine. The background to my ATC is achieved with Tim Holtz alcohol inks. I then stuck a maribou feather to it and then the 'cut out' toilet paper image over the top which I embellished with a few sticky gems. I hope this meets the challenge because, once again, I had fun.

Having watched Leonie on QVC this afternoon - 20 May - I realised I had some of those gorgeous Art Quest paints. Mine are the Pearl Ex-Press. As it has been a lovely sunny afternoon, I took all my peel offs outside and searched for something suitable for this weeks challenge as I know my first attempt was not really what was being asked for. I found this cheeky kitty from Magenta. Following Leonie's example, I stuck the peel off to a piece of black card which was slightly smaller than ATC size, then painted over the whole card using the colours, super copper, super bronze, super russet and a touch of brilliant gold. After removing the peel off I stuck a few gems to the kittie's collar. The fish embellishement is suspended on a bit of acetate so that it 'wiggles' in front of the kittie's eyes. I then simply used 3D foam to stick the card to the base card. My husband came up with the title 'TEMPT ME NOT'.

BILL'S ORCHIDS - Leonies Fab Friday #9 'a touch of white'

This is my effort for Leonie's Fab Friday challenge #9 - 'a touch of white'.

My lovely neighbour, Bill, is an avant gardener. He is over 80yrs old and still attends his allotment. Not only that, but he has a passion for orchids, this being a picture of one of his gorgeous examples. I took this picture and cut it down to ATC size. The acetate overlay has been stamped with Brilliance moonlight white and an absolutely beautiful inkadinkado stamp. I attached the acetate to the photo with a small white brad and a little length of white fancy fibres so that the acetate swings about over the photo. The gorgeous photo corner is from Anna Griffin's Hannah collecion.

ACETATE FLOWER CARD

I made this card following a Shari Carrol workshop at the Dawn Bibby Design Studio. Leonie's Fab Friday challenge this week is 'a touch of white' and her ATCs have been made using white Stazon on acetate. I'll have a go at a smaller version for the challenge when I get back from the pub! It's my wedding anniversary today and my husbands birthday so we are off for a meal - once Toby has had his lunch time pill that is.

Silhouetted Shadow

Leonie's Fab Friday Challenge #8 - music for the heart.

The music bit of this challenge gave me the inspiration as my husband is more musical than me. When he was 'nowt but a lad' he was lead guitarist in a 'mock' Shadows band called the 'Silhouettes. Being the lead guitarist meant he played the music Hank Marvin performed. This ATC is based on all of that. The base is a photo of my husband which I have overlayed with an acetate photo of Hank. I used alcohol inks to distress the base photo and colour the charms. The bits of print are simply from Word, again distressed but with Tim Holtz distress ink pads this time. I found this ATC hard to photo so I hope you can understand it.

I had fun again!

MAY QUEEN

This shy 7year old little girl was voted May Queen in 1956 by her school chums and teachers. Her headmistress crowned her with a lovely golden crown adorned with fresh anemonies. She wore a long white dress and a dark blue velvet cape. Her little page boy took her hand and led her round both the infant and junior schools so that all the pupils could applaud her.

I wonder who she is??