The Great Outdoors

Hi everyone, I'm just getting back into the swing of crafting having been on holiday to Rhodes (more of that later), and I wasn't too well with a shocking cold for 2 weeks before I went so I have done hardly any crafting during September. 

I am a member of the FB group for AALL & Create Tracy Evans fans, and this month a lady on there started up a new ATC swap - woo hoo, exciting!!  For the first few months there is a theme but also an "Anything goes" option whilst members get into the swing of it, as some have never made ATC's before. I couldn't wait to get started, though I am actually fairly last minute this time due to the holiday and illness, but I have finally got there!! This month's optional theme is "Circles" so I have managed to incorporate a few into the background of my design - here they are.

I created a smooshed background with Distress Oxide inks on a piece of white stamping card (it is rather subtle and doesn't show up too well in the photos!!), then cut the inked card into three pieces each 3.25" x 2.25". I inked the background leaf (which is part of a larger stamp, the famous A&C wellies!) using two shades of green Versafine Clair, then inked some background circles/postmarks from the same stamp set  using 2nd generation Warm Breeze VFC. I stamped the butterfly 3 times onto separate card and heat embossed, coloured with Sakura Stardust pens, then fussy cut and attached to each ATC. I also cut out, coloured and attached the letter "B" which I had heat embossed as part of the butterfly stamp. Finally I stamped a sentiment onto each ATC, edged them with black marker pen then matted onto standard ATC size black card stock. 

Here is a closeup of one of them...

... and an angled picture to show the sparkle on the butterfly.

Stamps: AALL & Create #370 The Great Outdoors (background), #449 Through the Meadows (Butterfly), #996 Forget Me Not (Sentiment);

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Tumbled Glass, Old Paper, Antique Linen); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Verdant, Shady Lane, Warm Breeze); Sakura Stardust pens (Yellow, Green, Aqua).

Challenges I would like to enter:

ATC's Around the World #105 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Butterfly Challenge #187 - Butterflies Galore

Make My Monday #210 - Create Your Own Background

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2338 - Anything Goes

Paper a la Mode (September) - Anything Goes in a Card Free Zone (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Use a Background Stamp

Stamping Sensations (September) - Garden Delights

Triple B (September) - Birds, Blooms and/or Butterflies (2nd entry)

We Love Stamping (September) - Trees/Leaves (3rd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #613/614 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

As I mentioned above I got back a few days ago from holiday on the beautiful island of Rhodes, where we celebrated our wedding anniversary 💕💕. The weather seemed a bit hotter than usual for the time of year, with average daytime temperatures of 31 degrees, so we didn’t go walking about too much in the daytime and spent much of the holiday reading under a sun umbrella!! However we did manage a couple of trips to Lindos and Rhodes Town .. here are a few photos.

Views from our hotel 

Lindos

Rhodes Town

Fab dining at our hotel!

That's all from me for today, though I hope to be back soon as I have a few craty makes to catch up on!

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,