Getting Chunky

No, this is NOT a post about diet gone wrong.  It's about a chunky ATC.  If you don't know what that is, it's an ATC made of wood, and it is very dimensional and has not one, but SIX sides to decorate.  The "face" is the standard ATC size of 2 1/2" x 3 1/2", and the depth is 1 1/2", so there are many opportunities to embellish to your heart's content.

I completed mine a while back for a swap in my Kindred Souls group,  and just found out that I'm to send it to my great friend Elena, which is a relief, because the theme I chose, steampunk, is one I know she'll like.  So, Elena, you know the drill....if you'd like to be surprised, look no further!

I began by embossing two of Ranger's foil tape sheets with Tim's industrial look folders: diamond plate and riveted metal.  What's great about the tape is that it has a strong adhesive backing, so adhering it to the wood was easy.  Then I went crazy with the Ranger/Vintaj patinas I have come to love so much.  And then.....the real fun began.....finding just the right steampunkish elements to add to the piece.

Some gears and sprockets from Tim's idea-ology collection, including the newish mini gears, which I just love.  The focal image is from a stamp in his steampunk set.  I cut it and inserted it into whatever that doodad is (a 7 Gypsies doodad), filled the top with glossy accents, and surrounded it with some copper colored ball chain.  On the bottom, also cut from the foil sheet, a bit from Tim's washer border decorative strip.  The sentiment is also Tim...one of the word bands all patinaed (word???) up.

Here's a closer look of the main image:



On the flip side:

More gears, some from 7 Gypsies, and one I'm not sure of.  On the right edge, I used Tim's steampunk on the edge die to cut some real copper sheeting that my darling brother found and presented to me recently.  It's important to train all your non crafty friends and relatives so they know just what sort of junk will make your heart go pitter patter.  When I saw all the copper he'd found I definitely was on the verge of needing CPR.  It too, was altered a bit with the patinas.

Now, for the "sides" of the ATC:

The fellow with the camera is a Wendy Vecchi stamp, colored with distress markers, and enhanced with some glossy accents and a black glaze pen.  Behind him, some more of that washer border, and on top of that, a tiny lightbulb from my stash.  Here is a closer look of how I attached the bulb....wire and tiny copper nails (also courtesy of my bro).  Those nails appear all over this ATC!

Next side:

This side has a strip of metal, attached with more of those copper nails, and over top a piece of idea-ology with some scrap chain attached.

The top:

If you're wondering how I attached the watch key (so it would stay attached), this is what I did.  I first screwed it into the round piece of metal and then attached that metal to the top with a combination of strong glue and more copper nails.  I added the copper ball chain to finish it off.

No photo of the bottom.  Except for the metal it remains unadorned so that the piece will stand up nicely.  But I'm thinking of adding some little feet, if I can find just the right items to use for that purpose.

If you'd like to try your hand at a chunky ATC, all you need is a two by four from the lumber yard.  For some reason unknown to me (maybe it's a guy thing), the actual measurement of a two by four is

1 1/2 by 3 1/2".  So, all you need to do is make cuts on it every 2 1/2" and you have the exact right measurements for a chunky ATC!  Pretty cool, huh?















A Tale of Two......

.....chunky ATCs.   Here's the background to this tale:  Susan at EWV (the Everything Wendy Vecchi yahoo group) announced a chunky ATC swap.  She posted all the details, but I was so excited to get going I finished mine and THEN went back to look over her post.  Hah!  Seems in my eagerness to begin, it didn't register in my mind that there was a theme, and that the theme was winter/holiday colors.  I looked long and hard at my creation, and there was not one bit of it that said winter or Christmas or Hannukah or New Years.....you get the idea. 

What's a person to do?  Get out another block of wood and start again, that's what.  I had the notion to create a winter village and so I did.  I used lots of Wendy's stamps, of course, some of Tim's artful dwellings (cut down in size a bit to fit on the ATC), and some made from simple shapes cut from cardboard.  I call it "Home For The Holidays."

I used Wendy's gorgeous lace background stamp on the entire block of wood, embossed in white then inked with blues.  The icicles around the top are one of Tim's on the edge die cuts.  The snow on the roof tops was done with liquid pearls sprinkled with white glitter.

As for the first one I made, it's a bit quirky, maybe not to everyone's liking, but I think I know someone who will get a kick out of it, so it is packed and ready to go, an early Christmas present for a great friend.  So here it is....."It Started As An Ordinary Day."

Except for umbrella man (Tim's), this one is all Wendy, from the background stamps to the art parts. And don't you think that umbrella man and cane man go together perfectly?

More Chunky Goodness

Well, got myself involved in yet another chunky ATC swap.  Can't resist those little darlins.  This time it was my friend Lori who twisted my arm, conked me over the head, and otherwise forced my participation.  (funny, right?  all she did was post the swap on the EWV group and there I was, signing up.  in fact, truth be told, Lori put out a call for swap suggestions, and me and my big mouth came up with this idea).  This, after I swore no more signing up for stuff until after the cruise.  Too much to do, too little time.  Yada, yada, yada.  When do I ever listen to myself anyway?
I've done these before.  Click here or here to see other examples. 
And here they are in all their chunky goodness, Wendy-style: 

I completely covered the wood with Tim's tissue tape, then sprayed it with some glimmer mist.  Turned out WAAAAY too pink, so toned them down with some white paint.  Yes, folks, this is the toned down pink, LOL.

Attached the cool knobs (also from Tim) to the tops with adhesive, though it looks like the wire is holding them down.  The wire is really doing nothing, I just like the way it looks, plus the nails it's wound around came in handy for hanging the little tags with Wendy sayings on them.

The flowers.....came from a bunch I made for the CCC challenge (see this post for a better look at them), and the butterfly is also a Wendy stamp.
These are such fun to make....so, my advice is to get yourself a two by four, cut it down, and bring some chunky goodness into your lives.