Cemetery Postcard

Here's a new postcard I designed tonight. I colored the cemetery image with my Copic markers and scanned it in. The background is from a crypt at a Galveston cemetery. I added the birds, words and clocks in a graphics editing software program. Enjoy!

Collage Stuff August ATC Swap

Usually for these swaps, it's the following month before I get my ATC design done. I'm ahead of the game this month! The August theme is "Cemetery Imagery". I took a photo of this statue in a Dallas cemetery. I colored the photo with my new Copic markers! I used the Collage Stuff Stylish Background stamp for the background. The Collage Stuff Bulgarian Text stamp is used on the green at the right side. I found some black sparkly mulberry paper stuff in my stash. It's the black at the top left and bottom right. Did I mention that cemetery imagery swaps are my favorite??

Back of house book page

Here is the back of the house book page from yesterday. I used images from the "Merry Halloween" collage sheet. I got a little carried away with the stick on gems, but they are fun.

House book page improved!

I kept looking at this page, thinking it needed something in bottom right corner. I dug through my stash and found purple pressed flowers! Just what I needed!

House Book Page

My friend, LuAnne, makes gorgeous ATC's with Copic markers. I decided that I had to try coloring images with Copic markers. The markers came today and I tried them out on cemetery images for a house book page that I have to get done this weekend. It was fun and I like the way the colored images came out! I love to color.

It's hard to explain how I made this page. I started with painting the background with different color paints and making the purple the dominant color. I glued on a couple of different scrapbook papers and smeared diluted purple paint over them. I stamped with a floral background stamp randomly. I used my Cricut to cut the scrolls at the top. I glued the images down (used matte medium for glue for everything). I overstamped with blue ink and text stamp. I used black ink with a crackle stamp. I glued on the definition of "wish" from a vintage dictionary. I finger-painted the purple paint all around the edges. A little glitter glue provided the finishing touch! I think this could use something in the bottom right corner, but I'm stopping before I mess this up.

The Copic markers are an easy and fun way to add color to black and white photos.

New Halloween Collage Sheet

A new Halloween collage sheet - "A Merry Halloween". This collage sheet features images and backgrounds that I used to make the Halloween postcards. Plenty of witch hats to fit every size person image. Available now at Collage Stuff!

Second Halloween Postcard

The girls on this postcard are from an old CDV photo that I've had for some time. I decided it was time to use this image! What better than another Halloween postcard?? I think I will also use these girls for my Christmas postcards this year too!

Another new postcard

This is the last new postcard for a while. The girl image is on one of the "Angel Faces" collage sheets. This one started out in color, but I liked the sepia filter in my PSP X2, so it became sepia.

Leisure Arts ATC Collection

Have you seen the Leisure Arts ATC Collection paper pads? They are not technically new, but they are new to Collage Stuff. Each pack has 40 sheets that are 2.5 x 3.5 inches. There are 20 designs per pack. Some packs are all images, but most are images with coordinating patterned papers. It's impossible for me to scan or photograph each page of the 24 styles that are available, but here's a scan of 6 of the pages from the "Mixed Holiday" pack. I love these things! They are great for your ATC backs. You can cut out the images and use them. You can use them for greeting cards or anything really. You can alter them for ATC fronts. See all of the 24 styles here: http://www.collagestuff.com/page68.html

More new postcards

A couple of more postcards. It seems like when I start making postcards, I can't stop! I enjoy playing with my digital art. I can't resist putting a gargoyle in something to do with a Paris theme. It brings in the darker side of the city.

New postcards

I'm getting low on postcards to send with Collage Stuff orders, so here's a new one! This cemetery angel image is on the Collage Stuff Cemetery 19 Collage Sheet. She's from a cemetery in Galveston, Texas.

I like to make a Halloween postcard every year. I like this woman image and I have got to get her on a collage sheet.

I used MS Digital Image Pro and PSP X2 to create these postcards. Enjoy!

Melissa Frances stuff in stock!

Here's a sampling of some of the new Melissa Frances stuff that just came into today! Resin applique scrolls!

Chipboard flashcards in two styles - girl and boy.

Cameo resin appliques

Bingo card book. This book is 8 x 6", 9 pages of super sturdy chipboard. A nice price too! See all of the new Melissa Frances stuff at the Collage Stuff homepage. http://www.collagestuff.com

Crafty Secrets in stock!

The Craft Secrets stuff that I ordered at CHA is in stock! Here's a sample of some of my favorite Crafty Secrets items. See all of this stuff at http://www.collagestuff.com

July Collage Stuff ATC Swap

The July Collage Stuff ATC swap is titled "Pick a Card." Participants must use part or all of a playing or game card in their ATC design. I knew I wanted to use these heart-shaped playing cards that I've never done anything with before - in the one of the art stashes. (I'm always the last one done with my ATC's for these swaps.) I like to use text in my backgrounds. I looked for a photo that would work with the theme and found this pink paper. It's a good starting point. It lets me look at the sizes of the elements and decide where I want to go with the design.

Here is the final design. I like the background, but most of it is covered. I glued vintage text to a chipboard ATC base. I stamped with this background stamp I've been using for everything lately - the Acanthus stamp and embossed with gold detail embossing powder. It needed color, so I dabbed on some magenta liquid watercolor. It was too pink. I smushed the whole thing down onto my Fired Brick distress ink pad. Perfect! Now there is dark red mixed in with the pink! The playing card (1/2 of the playing card) was too bright. I stamped it with a crackle stamp and embossed with gold embossing powder. I glued on the heart. Next the image. The woman's dress was too pink so I colored it with a Red Stardust pen. (love that sparkle!) I glued the couple down, but they seemed too bright. I diluted some Making Memories Manilla paint and dabbed it around with my fingers and over the couple. I got this new Cricut cartridge, "Home Decor", so time to put it to use. I cut the branch out of some red paper and then made it darker with the Fired Brick ink pad. The bird is from a punch. I punched it out of red paper. Didn't like that. I made the bird darker with the Fired Brick ink and didn't like that. I ended up painting the bird with gold paint. What should this ATC say? Since I put the bird up in the corner, I decided on "lovebirds". I love the Acme labelmaker site! I made the "lovebirds" there. I outlined the word with my red sparkle pen. The last step was to edge the ATC with gold paint. Love those Ranger paint dabbers.

I only have to make 10 of these or so. I'll be able to get them done in time to swap out the ATC's!

If you haven't embossed anything lately, get out the embossing powder and heat gun! Have fun with it!