What Really Matters and Let Love Grow ATCs

Sent these 2 ATC’s to another swap group for April. The first one, What Really Matters was fun to create. I first added watercolor to the cards and dried them. I added a second layer and then dried that. I then took a circle stencil and using a wet wipe removed a layer of circles to expose the initial light orange. I then used a Tim Holtz eye chart stencil with burlap oxide to add a few letters to relate to “seeing what really matters”. I then used a TCW stencil to add a partial frame around the bird part of the card using Aged Mahogany Oxide. Using my Misti, I then embossed the bird image from the 10/11 KOTM (not sure if still available, was cancer related kit. I picked it up in a swap.) and the sentiment from 3/18 KOTM. Love the 2 stamps together!

To finish the card I colored the bird with a light watercolor wash to deepen the color to emphasize it and used a clear Spectrum Noir Glitter pen on it. I then used a gold one, I believe on the clocks and feet! I also used my Posco pen to add some white dots. I, then added, with staples, a rick rack ribbon with green twine, meant to tie back to the burlap color and simulate a branch. I then popped a black crystal on the bird’s eye and 2 other spots. I was rather pleased with the results on this one and the sentiment is so true!

My favorite ATC this month (that I made) is the next one. Everyone reading this already knows, I presume, I love vintage looks. I had to pick up the 2/13 KOTM because of this seed stamp...I just love it! I then started playing around with it and decided I wanted to make it into a tag. I decided the colors I wanted to use from a piece of scrapbook paper I wanted to take advantage of.  I then decided I would mount the tag on that paper, but first it needed a background stamp. It occurred to me the accounting stamp from the Vibes kit was perfect. In fact, once stamped the paper reminded me of old green accounting ledger paper and could work as a seed “inventory”...sorry, my imagination just takes off sometimes. 

I then turned to stamping the seed packet image in the same oxide ink. I took my Prismacolor pencils and a white gel pen, colored the flower part and highlighted some other areas and then faux distressed the edges using pencil. I then took an Elizabeth Craft die that forms the top of the tag and once the top was cut, proceeded to cut the rest of the tag. I antiqued around  the tag edges using Distress ink.

Now the fun part, I won a Crop-a-Dile tool in January and this is the first time I had ever used it. I cut out the holes in the tags, added a little green hole strengthener and cropped on an eyelet. Woo hoo...it worked! I then stamped and clear embossed the sentiment from the same KOTM onto vellum using green archival ink. Since it was hard to see, I cut a green tag to go behind the vellum tag and punched holes in both. Then passed string through them and added it to the tag. Now I was done. I think this ATC turned out pretty cute, in a vintage way! Till next time, happy crafting!