Fly high, fly free

Hello everyone!  Thanks so much for dropping in.  It's time for a new challenge over at Fun With ATCs today, and it's a good one: we'd like to see Die-cuts on your 2.5 x 3.5 Artists' Trading Cards.  As usual, there are some wonderful makes from my inspirational design team-mates, and here's my offering for you.

I should probably apologise for the fact that my die-cuts have slightly burst out of the 2.5 x 3.5 boundaries of the ATC - what can I say?  My butterfly happens to have spread his wings at just the wrong moment!





I started with wanting to use my new (well - "ebay new") Tim Holtz Fanciful Flight die, and I'm
afraid even the size restrictions weren't going to stop me.

There's lots of recycling on this ATC too: old Coke cans and acetate packaging, as well as a tag which had been sitting around on my craft table for ages, awaiting its chance.













I started by applying alcohol inks to a piece of acetate cut from a die package (see, even using the packaging from die-cuts - does that make up for breaking the size rules?).  

Here's the panel balanced on the blending tool used to create it!

Then I applied the same colours to the back of a cut-up Diet Coke can - Stream, Denim, Bottle Green, maybe a couple of others...  

But when it came to the cutting out, I forgot to reverse the surface for the second set of wings, so had to start again.

I'm glad I did, since I'd decided in the meantime that it would be better to have some colour contrast between the lattice and the solid wings.  

So on the second can, I used some of the same blues and greens, but added Cranberry, Rust and some others to the mix too.










The great thing about having the wings made of acetate and metal is that they are super-mouldable
when you heat them...













... and hold the shape beautifully once you've got it how you want it.











I wanted plenty of dimension for the body, so I stuck a piece of the inked tin onto thick card before running it through the BigShot.  


I used some Viva Decor Precious Metal paint to colour the edges of the body.  


(Sorry not sure of the colour, and unable to check - since I'm still having to do all my writing and posting from a coffee shop while I wait for the return of my internet connection!)


And the antennae are made of rusty wire, curled round some dowelling.

I stuck the tag - which I'd wrinkle-free distressed some time ago - onto some card, and cut it out using the TH ATC and Corners die.

It's probably Stormy Sky, Weathered Wood, maybe some Faded Jeans - not sure any more, I'm afraid, but quite good as a "sky" background, eh?

I cut the corners out of some of the leftover tin can scraps.








The stamped words had been hovering in my mind from the beginning...















... so it was just a matter of deciding what colour to stamp them in (Sepia Archival) and where, using my little Hero Arts alphabet.












The butterfly is glued down with Glossy Accents - fiddly getting the antennae to stay put without getting tangled in each other, but worth it. 

And I do love how he's just ready to take off.







Since I've had no internet, I've had some time to make the most of the sunshine in the garden over the weekend - and I've had plenty of butterflies taking time out from the Buddleia to perch on my arm or leg.  Such a privilege to get to observe these exquisite creatures close up...

I'd like to enter this in the following:
At Vintage Stamping Challenges they are playing Wings and Things
At Out of a Hat Creations, they'd like to see Things Beginning with B - do I need to say what mine is?
And at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge the theme is Make the Cut, using die-cuts 

Lovely coincidence there with the Simon challenge: you could do the double too with the Fun With ATCs Die-Cut challenge! In any case, do pop across to see what my team-mates have been up to, and I hope to see you there, or elsewhere in Craftyblogland soon.

Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.
Nathaniel Hawthorne






As it's Tuesday, I'm also over at Artistic Outpost today, with a focus on the stamps from my Little Boy Bluebird canvas, so if you've time to spare you could always hop on over...

Happy Crafting, all!