Let's talk....

about ATCs

Just what is an ATC?  An ATC is an Artist Trading Card.  They are 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" little works of heART.  

Here are several that I have created for different swaps/exchanges.  You don't need any specific reason to created an ATC, just go with the flow and see what you come up with.  

I like to have a stash of them on hand for when I need a quick card.  I just pull one out and adhere it to a card front and I am ready to go.  

Creating ATC's is also a great way to try out a new product or medium.  

All you need are some basic supplies, here are my favorites:

Cardstock

Stamps

Ink

Tombow Dual Brush Pens or Irojiten Color Pencils (for coloring in all of the little details)

Tombow Foam Tabs (for popping elements up)

Tombow Xtreme Glue Tape (to keep everything nice and snug and where it should be)

Ribbon/Rhinestones/Other embellishments.

Have you ever made ATC's?  Do you trade them? Swap them?

Leave me a comment and let me know as I would love to know what you do with these little works of heART.

Watercolor Butterfly

Hello!  Wow, that is all I can say about the beautiful weather we have been having here in Cental CA.  I just want to be outside all of the time!  

A couple of weeks ago, I attended The Great Yosemite Stamp Escape and one of the things that we do every year is to trade ATC's.  ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) are 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" little pieces of artwork.  I normally make between 80-100 each year.  This year I chose to do a simple ATC.  I decided to use one of my all time favorite Penny Black stamps and Tombow Dual Brush pens to create these little works of art.

I chose three Tombow Dual Brush pens (Pink #723, Rhodamine Red #725 and Purple #665) and colored directly onto the stamp and spritzed lightly with some homemade pearl shimmer spray and stamped onto some Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock.  After you apply the stamp to the paper, count to three as this allows the ink to soak into the paper a bit and your image will have a bit more definition.  

Once the butterflies were all dry, I stamped the sentiment from the Hero Arts Clear Design Friends set in Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto the lower left corner.  I then rounded the upper right corner of my image panel and my Orchid/Black layering panels with the We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper.  Love that tool!

Next, I used some Tombow Mono Dots Roller to mat the image panel to some Orchid and Black American Crafts panels.  The black panel is 2 1/2" x 3 1/2", the orchid is 2 3/8" x 3 3/8" and the white panel is 2 1/4" x 3 1/4".  

Here is what they looked like once they were all assembled.  The Dual Brush Pens react so nicely with the shimmer spray and the butterflies just glisten!