May I Smoke? ATC

It has been ages since I made an ATC.  And then, while looking for something else, I stumbled across this sultry photo of Marlene Dietrich that I had printed ages ago.  And in the same pile of leftovers was this one-sentence book text scrap that seemed perfect for the photo.  I don't remember if I originally planned to use these two items together, but my muse was telling me to do so now.

I started by adhering two patterned papers to a cardstock ATC base and dry-brushing on white acrylic paint.  I then stenciled on the flourish pattern using molding paste.  After the paste dried, I tinted the flourish with wild honey distress ink and outlined each section with a very fine pigment pen.  I used a charcoal pencil to add a shadow around the photo, and stamped a splatter pattern before adhering the book text.

Thanks for popping by!  Have a fab day.

Supplies:
Strathmore blank ATC base; The Paper Studio patterned paper ATCs; titanium white acrylic paint; Tim Holtz stencil; Golden molding paste; wild honey distress ink; splatter pattern stamp by All Night Media; Adirondack watering can ink; Staedtler black pigment liner; Derwent charcoal pencil; photo of Marlene Dietrich; found book text.

Prohibition - ATC

This is my fourth and final ATC for the library card catalog swap.  The title on this card was Prohibition: Its relation to temperance, good morals and sound government.

I tinted the background with white acrylic paint and shabby shutters distress ink.  My stylish flapper from Artistic Outpost was stamped on vanilla cardstock and colored with Prismacolor Premier pencils before being adhered.  She needed some ground to stand on, so I smudged charcoal pencil along the bottom and then decided to extend it all around the card to create a soft border.

Now that all of my cards are done, I can get them bundled up and sent to the swap host.  I can't wait to see my returns!

Thanks for stopping by.  Have yourself a fabulous day!

Supplies:
ATC cardstock blank; retired library card catalog card; stamps from Artistic Outpost; Ranger Archival black ink; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; titanium white acrylic paint; shabby shutters, pumice stone and worn lipstick distress ink; splatter background stamp by All Night Media; punchinella; Derwent peat tinted charcoal pencil; Stickles.

Men in Groups - ATC

This is my second artist trading card for the Library Card Catalog swap.  The book title is Men in Groups, by Lionel Tiger.  Doesn't that sound like the name of a bad guy on a soap opera?

I used a bold color combination of peacock feathers and seedless preserves and Tim Holtz's wrinkle free distress technique to create the background.  The manly trio from Artistic Outpost was stamped on vanilla cardstock and trimmed closely before being adhered.  I added a strip of vintage book text along the bottom in order to fill in the composition.

Old Man Winter has hit the Midwest this weekend so I'm more than happy to stay indoors and make art!  Thanks for dropping by and keeping me company.

Supplies:
Library card catalog card; seedless preserves, peacock feathers and black soot distress ink; focal image from Artistic Outpost; black Ranger Archival ink; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; old paper Distress Paint; ocean Derwent Tinted Charcoal pencil; black Adirondack acrylic paint dabber; punchinella.

Great Traveler - ATC

In 2014, I participated in an ATC swap which required us to use a retired library card catalog card.  It was quite a successful swap so the host (who provided the cards) has organized another one and I was lucky enough to get a spot.

My first ATC is based on a catalog card for The Great Travelers.  A Collection of Firsthand Narratives of Wayfarers, Wanderers and Explorers in All Parts of the World from 450 BC to the Present.  My card features an image of Charles Lindbergh, who is arguably one of the great travelers of the early 20th Century.

I tinted the card with acrylic paint and distress inks.  The Charles Lindbergh image from Artistic Outpost was stamped on white cardstock and colored with Prismacolor pencils before being adhered to the background.  I added shadowing with a green tinted Derwent charcoal pencil.

Thanks for popping by!  Have a great weekend.

Supplies:
Library card catalog card; titanium white acrylic paint; mustard seed, ripe persimmon, and gathered twigs Distress Ink; stamp from Artistic Outpost;  Ranger black Archival Ink; whisper white cardstock from Stampin' Up; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits;  All Night Media splatter pattern stamp; Derwent forest pine Tinted Charcoal pencil; punchinella; Adirondack espresso acrylic paint dabber.

Arab Scarab #2 and Artistic Notecard

I've been working on some things but I can't share them with you yet because I don't want to spoil a surprise.  In the meantime here's a picture of my second scarab ATC and a quick notecard I made to send it in.

I used more purple on this scarab in order to distinguish it from the first.  I just love this color combination.

For the notecard, I stamped the main image by Artistic Outpost on heavy cardstock then dipped it in some distress stains, being extra careful so the girl's face didn't get covered.  I added the small foliage images along the bottom to fill in the space, "stamped" on some faded jeans distress paint using a piece of punchinella and that was it!  These two items are going to an artist in South Carolina who requested the scarab after seeing the first one I made for the Spring in Egypt swap.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a fabulous day.

Love - ATC

I created this ATC using scraps from another card that went downhill when I tried to dress it up with glitter (which reminded me why I don't use glitter much). 

Thanks for stopping by!  TGIF.

Supplies:
Watercolor paper; vintage book text; heart stamp by Dina Wakley; love die-cut by Little Yellow Bicycle; festive berries, peacock feathers and wild honey distress inks; Stabilo black All Pencil; black cardstock; white acrylic paint; punchinella; Adirondack black acrylic paint dabber; Derwent light charcoal pencil; Stickles.

Nomad of the Woodland - ATC

I created this ATC for a Halloween-themed swap on Facebook.  It's a 1:1 swap which is good because my creative mojo has gone AWOL this week.

The background consists of patterned paper and vintage book text colored with distress inks and titanium white acrylic paint.  The bat was stamped on white cardstock and colored with Prismacolor pencils.  I added a lot of shading with tinted charcoal pencils to make the background look somewhat foggy so that the bat would stand out against it.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day.

Supplies:
Cardstock ATC base; patterned paper by Authentique; vintage book text; bat image from Oxford Impressions; Ranger Archival black ink; whisper white cardstock from Stampin' Up; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; red Sharpie; wild honey, gathered twigs and dusty concord distress ink; titanium white acrylic paint; crackle background stamp (unknown); postmark stamp by Stampa Rosa; Ranger Archival watering can ink; punchinella; Derwent tinted charcoal pencils (white, lavender, medium); Adirondack black and white acrylic paint dabber; Plaid glossy acrylic sealer.

Fall Weeds - Watercolor ATC

The idea for this ATC came from the July/August 2014 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors.  In that issue, Tammy Northrup used acrylic paint to turn splatters into flowers.  I decided to try the same technique using watercolors.

I started by painting a graduated wash in yellow and orange on a piece of 6x9 watercolor paper.  My paint didn't splatter quite the same, so I ended up using the script liner brush to add some stems.  I was able to get two ATCs out of the area I painted: one landscape, one portrait.  I cut the landscape one first, in the area that I thought turned out the best.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day.

Supplies:
Strathmore  Windpower 400 Series 140 lb watercolor paper; Grumbacher transparent watercolor paints; miscellaneous paint brushes.

Tobaccoman's Log - ATC

This is my fourth and final ATC for the library card catalog swap.  The book title on this card was Leaves from a Tobaccoman's Log, so I searched my stamps for a guy who looked like he could be a tobacco baron.  I rather like these two fellows by Artistic Outpost so I decided to use them.  They look like they could have been in the tobacco-growing business back in the day.

Hank, on the left, is the serious older brother who has been groomed since childhood to take over the family business and who holds controlling interest.  But playful, younger brother Aaron has something Hank can never have:  the heart of Loretta Piedmont, daughter of their major competitor and heiress to her family's tobacco fortune.  Their young love is tested when Loretta's brother is found dead, and all of the clues seem to point toward Aaron as the murderer.  Don't miss this stunning new novel that pits brother against brother in business and in love during the turbulent decades following the Civil War. 

Sounds like a good romance novel, don't you think?  A real page turner!  (OK, so I won't quit my day job just yet.)

Initially I didn't want to include the part of the image that says coffee, but the composition was off if I didn't.  So perhaps if I ever do write that novel, my two brothers will be coffee farmers instead of tobacco growers.  But don't hold your breath.

Thanks for popping in!

Supplies:
Cardstock ATC blank; library card catalog index card;  image from Artistic Outpost; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; distress inks: scattered straw, wild honey, fired brick, vintage photo and brushed corduroy; titanium white acrylic paint; punchinella; Adirondack espresso acrylic paint dabber; splatter pattern stamp by All Night Media; burnt orange and peat tinted charcoal pencil by Derwent.

The Boy and His Gang - ATC

I've signed up for an artist trading card swap with an interesting twist:  incorporate an old library card catalog index card in your ATC.  The host provided us with six library catalog cards; we are to use three of them to make ATCs and the rest are ours to keep.  The host even took the time to search for cards with titles that fit our profiles, and I ended up with some fun vintage-themed titles.

The first card I used was for a book titled The Boy and his Gang.  I knew immediately that I wanted to use this little tyke from Artistic Outpost.  He reminds me of the adorable ragamuffins from the Our Gang (Little Rascals) movies of the 1930s.  I stamped my rascal on ivory cardstock and lightly colored him with vintage photo distress ink to give him a sepia tone.  For the background, I sponged the library card with distress inks, added a small piece of book text, and grunged up the card with some stenciling and stamping.  I hope the host doesn't think that I obscured the library card too much, but I rather like how just a portion of the title is peeking through.

I'll admit it:  I'm old enough to remember (and to have used) library card catalogs.  But let me be clear:  by the time I was watching the Our Gang movies, the child actors were well into adulthood!

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day.

Supplies:
ATC cardstock blank; retired library card catalog index card; image from Artistic Outpost; ivory cardstock; jet black Ranger Archival ink; mustard seed, seedless preserves, vintage photo, and brushed corduroy distress inks; vintage book text; white acrylic paint; splatter pattern stamp by All Night Media; postage cancellation stamp unknown; Stazon timber brown ink; lavender charcoal pencil; punchinella; Adirondack snow cap and espresso acrylic paint dabber.

Opaque Watercolors and Red Tulip ATC

My mom and I decided to go to an estate sale last weekend.  We didn't go until Saturday and they still had plenty of nice items, including this old but little used set of Grumbacher opaque watercolors in a metal tin.  I paid a mere $2.50 for it!  Dick Blick is currently selling this set, in a plastic holder, for $22.25.  Even though the brush is missing and the tube of white is dried out, I think I got a great deal.  I love the large, round pans.

To test the colors I created a color swatch; the pigments are beautiful and intense.  Then I just messed around on some scrap pieces of watercolor paper and ended up with this tulip that I decided was good enough to turn into an ATC.  It may get added to an art journal page this week.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day.

Supplies:
Grumbacher Opaque Watercolors; Strathmore 140 lb watercolor paper; scattered straw distress ink; peat charcoal pencil; black Pitt artist pen; Adirondack black acrylic paint dabber.

Endless Despair of the Soul - ATC

So this is what happens when I force something:  I end up with a piece that's messy, a little off composition-wise, and in a word, disappointing.  I've been wanting to make an ATC for trade or for a RAK (random act of kindness), and yesterday was the day.  However, once I sat down I just wasn't feeling it.  Still, I kept plugging away and although I really liked the background and the combination of colors, an impending electrical storm caused me to rush some decisions on the placement of the text.  And then mucked up fingers (from gel medium) caused a "boo boo" that I tried to fix.  So I will keep this one for myself, and perhaps use it on a journal page about patience!

(Can you tell where the boo boo happened?)

On the bright side, the thunderstorm that blew through did not contain the quarter-sized hail they were predicting, and the much-needed rain will activate the lawn fertilizer we applied earlier in the day.  Not to mention a bad day of arting still beats a good day of working.

Thanks for stopping by!   Have a great weekend.

Supplies:
Strathmore Bristol Smooth ATC blank; vintage Czech book text; Tattered Angels Glimmer Screens fanciful stencils; Dylusions vibrant turquoise ink spray; vintage Flinch card; vintage postage stamps; 7 Gypsies rub-on butterfly; vintage book text; white acrylic paint; punchinella (sequin waste); peat charcoal pencil; Adirondack espresso and vintage photo acrylic paint dabber.

Cowgirls - ATCs

I made this pair of ATCs just for the heck of it!  Some days you gotta listen to your muse and today, mine was telling me to make something blue and red.  Seriously.

The images and sentiments are by Artistic Outpost.  They're on a background consisting of blue and red patterned papers and vintage book text that I grunged up with paint and ink.

Thanks for popping by!

Supplies:
Cardstock ATC base; patterned papers by Farm House Paper Company; vintage book text; white acrylic paint; images and sentiments from Artistic Outpost; Stazon black ink; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; peat charcoal pencil; splatter stamp by All Night Media; antique crackle background stamp from Stampin' Up; antique linen, vintage photo, scattered straw, and fired brick Distress Ink; Adirondack black acrylic paint dabber. 

With a Flutter at the Heart - ATC

I've enjoyed my recent "roll" making moo cards, but frankly, I was ready to get back to making larger pieces of art.  I decided to start by making  a quick ATC using some scraps and ephemera that have been on my desk for a while now.

The three main elements of this card include a row of cancelled postage stamps from the 1920s (that miraculously were still connected to one another), a Crossword Lexicon game card with the middle cut out, and a clipart butterfly.  I adhered them to a collaged background of vintage book text and sheet music, and then brought everything together with some white gesso, distress inks, acrylic paint, and charcoal pencil.  The found poetry is from a 1911 school book.

Have a fabulous day!

Supplies:
ATC blank; vintage sheet music and book text; white acrylic paint; vintage Crossword Lexicon game card; vintage postage stamps; butterfly clipart; punchinella (sequin waste); white gesso; tumbled glass and peeled paint distress inks; Adirondack snow cap and espresso acrylic paint dabbers; Ranger frayed burlap and vintage photo distress paints; old plastic hair rollers (to stamp circles with); Golden gel medium; charcoal pencils.

Baker's Dozen - Family Photo ATCs

We had a family reunion Sunday and I decided late Saturday (crazy, I know!) that I would make some ATCs to give away.  I already had some old family photos scanned, all I had to do was print them and get busy.  I made all of the backgrounds first, assembly line style.  Then the challenge was to make sure that all 13 kids in my dad's family were represented!  I ended up with nine ATCs that I gave away via a drawing. 

 

 

Thanks for dropping by!

Supplies:
Strathmore ATC blanks; patterned papers from Stampington magazines; scraps of vintage book text and sheet music; titanium white acrylic paint; Heidi Swapp and Tim Holtz stencils, rubber stamps by Stampin' Up, Stampabilities, Stampa Rosa, and Inque Boutique; various distress inks; light charcoal pencil; Adirondack acrylic paint dabbers.

Speak with Comfort - ATC

I may have gone a little overboard with this collage, but I was having so much fun piling on the various layers that I didn't want to stop!  I could just dabble, dabble, dabble all day long (if I didn't have to work, sleep, and eat, that is).

This card is truly mixed media.  I used patterned paper, gesso, distress ink, Stazon ink, black and silver acrylic paint, a grunge-style rub-on, part of a Flinch game card, butterfly clip art, book text, sepia Pitt artist pen, and some fine orange mesh.  Oh, and a postage stamp!

For techniques (besides collaging), I did some stenciling and stamping.  The black circles were stamped by dabbing black acrylic paint on the end of an old-fashioned plastic hair roller.  My mom had a bag of them leftover from the days when one "set" your hair in rollers, let it dry, then combed and/or teased it out into the style you wanted.  Can you believe no one bought those rollers at our garage sale?!  So before she threw them away, I snagged about four of them in various sizes.

TGIF!  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

Supplies:
Strathmore ATC blank; Authentique patterned paper; white gesso, tumbled glass distress ink; saddle brown Stazon ink; Adirondack black and silver acrylic paint dabber; Heidi Swapp stencil; sequin waste (as a stencil); 7 Gypsies rubber stamp; My Mind's Eye distressed effects rub-on; part of a Flinch game card; butterfly clip art; book text; sepia Pitt artist pen;  fine orange mesh; vintage postage stamp; gel medium.

Shadow Man - ATC

Remember these graphic backgrounds I prepared a couple of weeks ago?  Well, I used one of them last night to create this mixed media ATC.  It's interesting how different the card looks from its original state; you can't even tell that some of the background papers were a deep red.

I started by painting on white gesso and wiping most of it off.  Next I stamped a crackle background using black ink and added more white gesso using sequin waste as a stencil.  I adhered a scrap of paper with the number 04 on it; it fell out of a recent purchase so I think it refers to the inspector who approved my item.  After sealing these layers with gel medium and letting it dry, I added my shadow man (a laser copy of an old cabinet card) using the gel medium transfer method.  The final step was to grunge it up further using black, silver, and pearl acrylic paint stenciled through more sequin waste, some star-shaped, some round.

It was just serendipity that the man's one eye is clearly visible.  I think it gives this card an eerie quality.

Have a great day!

Supplies:
Strathmore white ATC blank; miscellaneous scrapbook papers; white gesso; antique crackle background stamp (Stampin' Up, I think); black Stazon ink; punchinella (sequin waste); soft gel medium; laser copy of old photo; Adirondack black, silver, and pearl acrylic paint dabbers.

Leonardo's Horse of a Different Color - ATC

I decided to just play around a little last night (when I should have been making a mother's day card!), and ended up making this ATC using a new rubber stamp and distress stains I picked up this week when my mom and I did a little shopping together.

I rubbed two distress stains on my nonstick craft sheet, spritzed a little water, and then dragged my ATC blank threw it several times, drying with a heat gun between layers.  Once I liked the background, I stamped the horse, colored it with pencils, added some dots with a gold metallic pen, and then coated the entire horse with a layer of Crackle Accents.  I finished the  card edges with a dabbing of black acrylic paint and gold leafing pen.  Try as I might, I could not get the scan to match the colors of the original card.  The background isn't quite as bright a yellow as it may appear here. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great weekend.

Supplies: 
Strathmore white ATC blank; wild honey and vintage photo distress stains; black Stazon ink; Da Vinci horse image by Stampendous; Da Vinci signature stamp by Just for Fun; Prismacolor Premier Pencils; Recollections gold metallic pen; Adirondack gold acrylic paint dabber; Krylon gold leafing pen; Crackle Accents.

I'm 5, How 'bout You? ATC

I've been in a "post-vacation slump" this past week, which happens when you go from 70 degrees and full sun to 7 degrees and snow in the matter of a three hour plane ride.  Then there's all the vacation laundry to do, grocery shopping to restock the fridge, office work to get caught up on, and not one but TWO boxes of art supplies and purchases to unpack.  That job actually motivated me to get busy and create something, and for some reason I wanted to use the color orange.  I think because it's been so gray and dreary here the last couple of days.

I started with a scrap of vintage sheet music left on my craft desk.  I squiggled on some acrylic paint using a credit card and let it dry.  I then went in search of collage items.  I started with turquoise washi tape and a vintage postage stamp in the same hue to contrast with the orange.  The little cutie is a piece of clipart that I received from Red Lead Paperworks with a recent order.  The other items were recently unpacked from my vacation boxes.

I'm so pleased with how this card turned out and making it was good therapy for me.  I still can't wait to see the sun, but in the meantime this burst of orange and some creative thinking has done wonders for my frame of mind.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great weekend!

Supplies:
Cardstock ATC blank; vintage sheet music; cadmium red and cadmium yellow acrylic paint (mixed to create orange); turquoise washi tape; vintage French text; vintage German postage stamp; black and off-white flower cut from a handmade paper notecard; clipart girl from Red Lead Paperworks; canvas piece with word (unknown vendor); number 5 by Tim Holtz; punchinella/sequin waste; Adirondack acrylic paint dabbers (white, black, silver); heavy gel medium.

Darling Heart - ATC

I decided to make an ATC using some of the same supplies used to make yesterday's Gothic arch: my red and yellow stenciled background paper, washi tape, and a Dina Wakely heart stamp.

This is one of those pieces that just wouldn't scan well, mainly due to the abundance of silver paint on the heart.  I tried adjusting the colors with my software, but even that didn't help much.  You'll just have to take my word that this looks better in person!


TGIF!  I hope you have fun plans for the weekend.