More May Swaps

The theme for the following two ATCs was "French-Inspired".
The floral background is digital scrapbooking paper that I finally learned how to make myself.  This deserves a post of its own.  I've been spending a lot of time lately on PhotoShop Elements.

The postage on this ATC is a copy of a French Valentine's Day stamp.  Apparently France celebrates the holiday by issuing heart-themed postage--how sweet!

 Same swap, slightly different elements.  The title and tabbed Eiffel tower are from a French kids' activity book.

This swap is titled "Text Me!".  The theme was open, as long as text was used somewhere on the card.  Not a problem!  The background did not scan well at all.  It is actually a scrap of lovely foil wrapping paper with a rose motif.

To add a bit more interest, I cut out two copies of the stamped butterfly and used a tiny bit of foam to slightly raise the upper wings. 

 ...and here are just a couple of the PCs I've received recently from PostCrossing.

This one is from the Netherlands.

Netherlands Postage

Happy baby PC from a Russian postcrosser.

Looks like Red Square on the upper stamps, but I don't know what the buildings on the lower stamp are.

If you do, please leave a comment!

Turtle ATCs

No end to the swaps.  Actually, I took a few weeks off from swapping to allow time to get other matters under control.

Here the background is a paint-chip thingy (what are those called?) that I lifted from the hardware store.  The turtle's shell is made from marbled paper that I was given ages and ages ago by a stamping friend who was big into hand-marbling paper for a while.  She made some beautiful papers.  Many of the ones she gave me were used as endpapers for sketchbooks, but I could never throw away the scraps. 

This little sea turtle is one reason why.

More Swaps

Here are some of the swaps I sent out this week.

Flying Pigs PC--this went to a postcrosser in Australia who said she liked "unusual scenes".  I think this qualifies.

I stamped in black and colored with Prismacolors, my usual MO.  I liked this one so much I made extras.

 The title for this swap is "At the Heart of the Zentangle ATC".
We were instructed to include a heart somewhere in the 'tangle.  I'm really loving making these zentangles, but not feeling very confident about the results yet. 

 "Book / Library ATC"
I think the background text is in Italian, but I'm not sure.  This was a quick one.

 "Things that Go Bump in the Night"
For this swap, we send three ATCs to one partner.  I had fun reacquainting myself with embossing powder.  The skeleton is embossed in "sea foam" and the cat in black.  The eyeball was stamped on glossy cardstock, cut out and glued in place.

 Here the spider web is embossed in gold, and the card has a gold thread from which dangles a gigantic black spider.  Shudder.

My favorite of the three.  "Eyes in the Mist"...booga booga!
The background was sponged in midnight blue and eggplant.  These eyes are so creepy!  The house is a rubber stamp that was made from a carving done by a friend from many years ago.  She started a stamp business named "Karv'd" back in the 90s.  She was a great inspiration to me--always doing something with stamping or quilting, or combining the two.  Whenever I use one of the stamps she designed, I regret that I didn't do a better job of keeping in touch.