Just a few ATCs :o)

Hi - can't believe it's been a fortnight since my last post!  I thought I'd just quickly share some ATCs I've created for some of the swap groups I'm in.  I've found that even when I'm struggling a little with my Fibro I can do little bits and pieces to them so that over a day or so I can finish a set.  Also because they are small the idea of working on them doesn't seem too daunting.

These first ones are for the monthly swap organised by Smeared and Smudged; the theme was Bees.  I am going to enter these ATCs into the Tando Creative Challenge Blog where the theme this month is 'Come Fly with Me' and Try it on Tuesday's challenge 'Things with Wings'.

For these I used a brilliant bee design that I found the blog of Romney David Smith - http://drawingsdaily.blogspot.co.uk/ - and he very kindly has allowed me to use them and his two single bee images also, the other bee images are an embroidery outline from Urban Threads (they have loads of fabulous designs!) and a Crafty Individuals stamp.  I also came across a great quote 'The breeze, the trees, the honey bees - All volunteers'! from Juliet Carinreap which I printed out to use on one card.  As the only real rule that Smeared and Smudged have is to include stamping somewhere so I stamped a music stave on each and wrote Waggledance - which is what bees use to communicate the location of a fresh find of pollen rich flowers.  Each card was then given a gold metallic edge.  I am really pleased with the way these turned out.

The next set of ATCs is for a swap themed Roses and Pearls.  I found the 'Rose' bit fairly easy but I am just not a 'Pearls' person so I had to dig a bit for that!  I used patterned paper, a rose image on each (3 were postage stamps the other two were Inchies) and tiny ceramic rose flowers; I then added a little sentiment on each.  Then I managed to find my Pearls - I had a set of 6 stitch markers which had come free with a knitting magazine so I punched a hole in the top corner of each and attached the stitch marker there.  I felt they needed a little more so I added some 7 Gypsies postal themed rub-ons (you may be able to see them in the group picture).

The last set were for an Anything Goes swap that had to include lace somewhere on the ATC.  I forgot to take individual photos of these though - doh!  For these I again used patterned paper for the base, and then using a set of Spellbinders dies I cut 5 vintage female portrait images and two paper 'frames' each one die larger.  I wrapped a strip of lace across the bottom of the card and then layered up the portraits, I again added tiny ceramic roses and stamped 'Vintage Collage' across the top.  (except for the one shown at the bottom of the group which I accidentally stamped upside down so I had to turn the portrait around and reverse the card so on that one the lace is now at the top! - luckily with this swap we keep one of the cards made, so I kept that one :o) )

I would like to enter all the ATCs in this post into the Use Your Stuff Challenge 145 - Layers and also Fan-Tastic Tuesday's Challenge 45 Anything Goes.

I'm hoping I feel up to a few more challenges again throughout August but for now I'm working on another set of ATCs which must use purple, and a tag swap which had to include at least 8 items from a 'recipe'.

Thanks for reading

Stefanie xx

Tando Creative Challenge Blog - Come Fly With Me - here http://tando-creative-challenges.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/new-month-and-junes-winner.html

Try it on a Tuesday - Things With Wings - here http://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/things-with-wings-is-new-challenge-at.html

Use Your Stuff - Layers - here http://useyourstuff.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/challange-145-layers.html

Fan-Tastic Tuesday - Anything Goes - here http://fattastictuesday.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/fan-tastic-tuesday-challenge-45.html