Deutsche Bundespost ATC

This artist trading card is a companion piece to Excess Value, which was completed first.  I decided to not let the other half of my Flinch card go to waste.  That is the great thing about making ATCs:  even the smallest scraps can pack a big punch.

The pretty red postage stamp from Germany was in a packet of goodies from my fellow gluebook page enthusiast Marie of Lost Bird Studio.  The background text is from a late 1800s German prayer book and the Berlin postage cancellation is actually a rubber stamp.


We're in the middle of a major blizzard right now, with 14 to 18 inches of snow expected by the time all is said and done.  I already have a three foot snowdrift down the driveway, and the storm isn't over yet. 

Stay safe and warm, everyone!

Supplies:
ATC cardstock base; vintage German text; vintage Flinch card; vintage sheet music; butterfly clipart from Green Paper Packages; ticket clipart from ArtChix Studio; German postage stamp; "D" dimensional sticker (unknown); postal cancellation rubber stamp by Stampa Rosa; fired brick and walnut stain distress ink; light charcoal pencil; Adirondack copper acrylic paint dabber.

Prince Albert: Hero in Edinburgh ATC

"And now for something completely different" (spoken in my best Monty Python voice). That Love Awaiting ATC was just too saccharine for me, so the next ATC I made was at the opposite end of the spectrum.

What could be more masculine than a Prince Albert cigarette paper? I collaged a variety of papers around it including some wonderful text about the Scottish poet Robert Burns, who apparently burned down a house "welcoming the new year in bacchanalian fashion." (Must have been some party!)

Look for more references to Burns and tobacco products in upcoming creations.

Thanks for dropping by!

Supplies:
Cardstock ATC base; miscellaneous background papers from my scrap pile (the yardstick paper is Tim Holtz and the German text is from an 1889 publication, but I'm not sure about the others); Prince Albert cigarette paper; dry-cleaning tag; text from a 1920s book; Scrabble tile; brushed corduroy and walnut stain distress ink.

Collage Coterie: Small Packages #2

I am much happier with this second version of my Small Package ATC that used the blended paper technique in the background. I am so in love with this card, I may have to sleep with it. (OK, I'll just put it on the nightstand. I wouldn't want it to get wrinkled.)

Not only did I dry-brush some white acrylic paint onto my background papers, but I did the same to the bronze Dresden trim borders. (FYI--I returned to my first version and added a similar Dresden border, and now I'm much happier with that piece.)

My grandmother has been gone for over 15 years now and I miss her more than ever. She was an artist and it saddens me that I can't share my art with her. Oh, how I wish I had developed this hobby earlier! We could have had a lot of fun discussing our respective art projects and I think she would have enjoyed seeing her picture used this way.

Thanks for dropping by and have a great weekend!

Supplies:
7 Gypsies ATC base; vintage sheet music; vintage German text; white acrylic paint; brushed corduroy distress ink; 7 Gypsies patterned paper; pressed and dried hydrangea blossom; bronze Dresden trim; pearl brad; matte gel medium; paint brush for dry brushing; stipple brush.