Steampunk Swap

   Just got word that my partner in creativity received her ATC's from me in the post! What a fun exchange: Hero Arts Flickr group hosted a swap for making ATC's. I was paired with an artist from Burnaby, BC. We decided on a number and a theme and fit in making the cards with our mutually busy schedules. The results are proudly displayed in this post! When Celina mentioned "Steampunk" as the theme I was thrilled--this genre is big at our house this year as that's the style our kids' robotics team chose as their spirit identity. I got to work with some fun new supplies and accessories I'd already bought to make things with the kids.

   Using one of my favorite techniques--making faux tin. I used grey card stock, embossed my design in a folder through the Big Shot; then tapped the raised areas with embossing ink and dusting with silver powder to heat/transform into faux metal. I really like using this as a background and also punching/cutting it into shapes to make my own embellishments.

   Here are a couple more tips to help visualize a design/generate ideas: I cut scrap paper to the ATC size in order to get a sense of scale and try things out before committing time and expense to the final products I choose. Also, I combined stamps from two different sets, and used masking tricks to isolate parts of a particular stamp to get the clock face I wanted for my station clock. [Do you recognize the alarm clock from the It's a Special Time Hero Arts clear set?!] Because it was clear, I was able to use an embossing marker, color the outline of the face, and stamp in next to the scroll design to emboss! I call it McGyver stamping! [Do share your favorite McGyver techniques as a comment--I'd love to see how you put your stamp on things!]

   Here are the other two in my Steampunk ATC Series...a little more McGyver as I cut out the compass rose from the Past Times set to get an astrolabe-type element, and added an extra balloon to the airship! These images come from the Hero Arts Flying Airships, and I cut them out of their frames to make my own. Also featured in the series stamped here and embossed in the metallic cards above is the HA/Basic Grey background Painted People! 
   I had great fun combining lots of different techniques and ideas, and it was a joy to make something unique for our swap. 
   Thanks to all the Hero Arts Flickr group for their continued inspiration and sharing! These are Celina's wonderful creations: