Here are some ATCs I have done for another swap called Serendipity. I must admit, although I had heard of this word in connection with Flemming, who discovered penicilin and also seen it as a name for an antique shop, I had to look it up to find it's true meaning. Serendipity means discoveries made by chance - hence the connection with Alexanda Flemming who discovered penicilin by accident after he left an old experiment to go mouldy. It let me to think of all the discoveries that might have been made in that way. Gravity, for example, was discovered by Isaac Newton after an apple fell on his head. This in turn led me to think how come they found out that the earth takes twenty-four hours to turn on it's axis and how long it takes to go around the sun etc etc. Which in turn led me to ask 'How was time discovered'? The only answere I could come up with was serendipity.

I am glad that I came to that conclusion, whether I am right or wrong, because that led me to create my ATCs for the swap.

I started with some glossy white card, which I stamped pocket watches, clocks and dandilion clocks all over in Versamark inkpad - this ink dries clear and create a 'resist' rather like wax would do. I then used dye-based inks with a brayer. The card then needs to be polished with a soft tissue or cloth. I then took a black dye-based ink pad and stamped the clocks again in a random pattern. Once all of that was dry, I use alcohol inks in meadow and grape colours, metalic mixatives and alcohol blending solution and created a 'polished stone' effect over the whole design. I used a Krylon guilding pen around the edges and mounted the designs onto a heavier card. A friend of ours had bought a 'job lot' of pocket watches some time ago, and there was some loose watch parts in the bottom of the box. Being the hoarder that I am, I couldn't let him throw them out. I am glad now, because I threaded them onto gold thread and wrapped the thread around the cards and I think the results are rather nice. The watch parts either have jewelled fixings or some engraving, so they are beautiful in themselves. I added some little home-made word stickers - 'time' - 'fluke' - 'chance' - 'discovery' - 'serendipity'. I dabbed some dye ink onto them to take off the whiteness of the paper. Unfortunately the photos can't really pick up the polished stone sheen, but I am very pleased with the results.

Well, I love my dear brother and my sister-in-law very dearly and enjoyed seeing them for a whole month in Cyprus. However, I did miss my friends whilst I was away, especially the ones I have met through artists' forums. So when I got back, I couldn't wait to start joining in on the swaps. These are ATCs which I have done this weekend and are actually for two swaps, which have Victoriana/Victorian themes.

I was really lucky to find some lovely little cameo buttons, which gave me the inspiration for three of ATCs. The profile of the lady is from a rubber stamp, done in black dye-based ink, I chalked the skin tones in and some brown to add highlights to her hair, cut her out and mounted her onto an oval background. I had to work really hard to get the shanks off the buttons in order to stick them down, but I think the effect is worth all the effort. The one in the center of the bottom row, is made from the same rubber stamp, but done with Stazon ink onto shrink plastic. I used an oval template to get the shape. The plastic shrinks to 1/7th the original size and thickens too. I went around the edge with a gold guilding pen to give it the effect of a cameo, matted and layered onto contrasting backgrounds, I was rather pleased with the effect. I hope the recipients like them too.