Playing card swap plus Lots to do challenge- boxes

I don't normally post photos of my altered art swap piece before everything is swapped out (I don't want people to say 'I don't want that'!) but as the Lots to do challenge this week was boxes, I just had to break my tradition. Sam had posted a tutorial to her Technique Zone blog, and I found it fitted my original idea (house of cards) really well. My lovely friend, Lucy, had lent me this stamp, and it all just came together so well. Where would we be without friends, eh?

Colour: Whispers markers, Versafine, Distress Ink, Whispers inkpad, fineline pen, Sharpies
Stamps: Crafty Individuals (birds), Paperartsy (swirls)
Other: Playing cards, acetate, white card, Pinflair glue gel, mountboard

The shadows in the background are not a trick of the light, I stamped first onto acetate and then coloured the birds black, before placing on the bottom playing card. I like the feeling of depth this gives. The layers are supported by thin strips of mountboard glued in place with white craft glue. And I hope that all my friends who twitter enjoy the little joke about birds tweeting to each other :)

Lots-to-do Challenge- Wire-wrapped Heart Pendant

This piece came about thanks to the influence of Sam and Nicky, who are both very talented in the melt pot department! Sam does brilliant things with UTEE using silicone ice-cube moulds, as does Nicky. Nicky does great wire-wrapped items (and now has a Folksy shop if you want to buy her jewelry). I had poured the black and gold heart recently, when I did my bottlecap piece, but had not thought of how to use it. Then when Sam set the wire challenge at the Lots-to-do blog, I thought this might be a good project. The wire is florist's and beading wire, and I covered the back in Glossy Accents to stop the wire from sliding off and make it more comfortable to wear. The pendant is 4cm long- about the same size as would come from a certain heart-shaped ice-cube tray I have! Thanks to Sainsburys, too!

Lots to do challenge- Masks

I made these little tags to send off with the swaps- I don't normally blog these little RAKs, but this week the challenge on Lots To Do is 'masks'. I bought a Tim Holtz mask a while ago, but hadn't got around to using it. Tags are a brilliant way to experiment, so I got out that mask and away I went! I haven't entered a challenge for ages, but since this one came along at just the right time, I am entering.

Colour: Glimmer Mists, Distress Inks, Versafine (red and black), gilt wax
Stamps: All Elusive Images (the damask design is actually the corner flourish from the new Butterfly Daisy Collage plate)
Other: Mountboard shapes cut with Sizzix (thanks, Tasha!), Tim Holtz flourish mask, Prima flowers, gem shapes from Hobbycraft.