Inchies

So now I would like to show you guys my other inchies that I created, but didn't have time to post yesterday. There are 5 that I want to show you - some I like more than others, but experimentation is the father of invention! I'll share with you guys some of my favorite techniques and maybe some color combos.

First is this ladybug inchie. I used a plain white background, stamped with two different images in two different colors, and then added a ladybug with a pop dot. This is my first inchie that I made, and, I have to say, it was hard to make. Mostly because I couldn't figure out what in the world to put on it without making them all look the same. But I tell you the truth - they get easier! The more of these little guys you make, the more ideas you get! Here is the ladybug inchie:



This next inchie is actually the second one that I created. I was working with this butterfly stamp that I really liked, but, instead of putting it directly into the middle of the inchie, I placed it off of the edge. I then added another stamped image with a pop dot. I then added some faux stitching around the butterfly with a pen. Another tip that I have for you guys is to use a piece of scratch paper underneath your project. That way, if you are painting, stamping, etc, you have something to catch the excess. Plus, afterwards you have a decorative piece of paper that you can use to create with! Here it is.



The next one is not my favorite. At all. In fact, I kind of hate it. But I'll show you anyways. I think I would like this inchie better if the stamped image was colored in.



These last two are actually part of a series that I'm doing. A fruit series. The first one is a strawberry and it is raised up with pop dots. To get the background, I took a regular piece of cardstock, and then I took the sprinkles stamp from the nook and pantry Basic Grey collection and just randomly stamped the sprinkles over the top. I then added words from the newspaper that say one-of-a-kind flavor:



And now for the apple one. This is another masking technique that I just had to try, and since I had an apple punch that I wanted to use for the fruit series, I thought it would be perfect. Plus, since an inchie is such a small canvas, it is not very intimidating, and a PERFECT place to try out new techniques. So this time, instead of punching out shapes and using them, I punched out shapes from the sticky part of the post it note and used the negative as a mask. It worked like a charm! I then continued on to ink the edges in cranberry Ink it Up ink and then wrote out apple. Some faux stitching finished it off and gave it a homemade feel.

New ATCs and Inchies

So recently I've been making a TON of ATCs and inchies, just because I was craving a new size. You guys have seen a couple of my ATCs, but I also made some inchies. In case some of you don't know what an inchie is, it is a small paper project, most commonly collage, that is measured at 1x1". You may think I'm crazy, but seriously, these things are quick, easy, and most of all, addicting! First off, I think I'll post my ATCs.

This ATC was originally created for the newspaper swap, but, as it turns out, I made this one a little too late to enter it, so I'll just post it on my Flickr as available. Here it is:



Next up, we've got some ATCs that I made for an elephant swap. The first one I'm going to show you is collaged. It has a cardstock base that was crumpled up into a ball, flattened out and smoothed, and then this process was repeated 2 or 3 more times. Then the creases were inked by rubbing an ink pad flat over the top of the ATC. I also inked several other portions of the ATC. The epoxy sticker is from ColorBok and I bought a pack of 12 at Target for a dollar. The stamped word is by Scrappy Cat and it is the Playful Classic. The edges were distressed by painting around the edges with tempera paint.



The next elephant ATC was drawn. On occasion I like to experiment with drawing and shading with Primsacolor pencils. Prismacolor pencils have a softer lead than regular colored pencils, which gives them an effect that might not otherwise be possible.



The last of the ATCs are for a swap I'm doing that is based around the 4 elements. The 3 that I'm about to show you are very simple, yet they still turned out really nice looking. The 4th, which is Earth, is not going to be the same. I'm actually going to draw that one as well. So for the 3 other elements, I simply printed out an image as big as an ATC to use for a background, then adhered it to a piece of cardstock to make it sturdier. Then I used the Playful Classic acrylic stamps again to spell out the correct word. I then cut them out, rounded the corners, and inked the edges. Perfect! First is the fire one. I have to say that I think I like this one the best. I used Ink it Up ink in the color Terra Cotta. Very pretty.



Next up we have the water ATC. I have to say that I REALLY like the image in the background. I just think that it's really cool. Again I used Ink it Up ink, but this time I used Indigo as my color:



Last of all the ATCs is the Wind ATC. I really like the image in the background of this ATC as well. The element is actually air, but since a tornado is just moving air, I decided to use a tornado as my image, and wind as the caption. I think it turned out pretty good!



Okay, that was all of the ATCs, so now onto the inchies we go! I'm only going to show you 2 ATCs today, and the rest tomorrow. The first inchie I'd like to show you is an inchie that I created earlier today. I stamped the background using the stem portion of flowers and it reminded me of bamboo! Well anyhow, I added the stamped image of a star, and then stamped cherish along the bottom edge:



And the last project that I'm going to show you today is my favorite inchie of all: one that I call entertainment. I punched out a bunch of flowers from the sticky part of a post it note and then stuck them onto my base. I then painted over it with lime green paint, added buttons and a piece cut from a newspaper. Complete!



Hope I inspired you and hope to see you next time! Bye!

ATCs

Hey everyone, I'm back, and like I said in the last post, I've been trying to make an ATC a day. I've entered several swaps and so far I've succeeded at completing 2 ATCs. The first ATC I did isn't my favorite, but it still turned out pretty well and I love the colors. It started out a collage ATC, but then I started painting over top of the collage and then added some embellishments. Here it is:



Next up, we've got an ATC that I created for a challenge over on Artful Ideas. It is a group on Flickr. It is invitation only, but if you send a message to the owner, they will send you an invite. The only restriction was that your card must have newspaper in it. I used newspaper as my base; then I painted over it, collaged, stamped, drew, etc. on top of it. I LOVE this card!



Hope that you got some ideas from this post and hope to see you guys next time. Bye!