I got involved with the World Watercolour Challenge in July, but I, being me, took it a step further and challenged myself to paint only in ATC (Artist Trading Cards) size, which is just 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches. Now although I failed on some of the paintings, I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed myself. It’s ages since I painted so picking up the brushes again was such a joy to me.
However … in the comments, I got into various chats about ATC’s and tried to explain that if you fancied making an ATC, you didn’t have to paint in order to make them. You could glue, stick, adhere, ~ paper, magazine cut-outs, tissue, die cuts, anything basically. And attach all sorts of things. You can make a picture, a statement, a quote, or even a whole story on your ATC.
To try to show you what I mean, I made a quick to make ATC … it could be kept exactly as it is, and stored in a collectors folder. Or you can give ATC’s away to friends, family etc. Or you can swap them with other ATC makers. Or … you could use them on a handmade card or in a scrapbook.
First I made the fairy dress, out of bluey green feathers, a sticker and black card, and using a plain white card, pre-cut to ATC size (2.5″x3.5″).
I firstly coloured the ATC card using two different blues – one was called Freshly Washed Jeans – the other … I’m going to have to call Teal – it was ink left on a bit of sponge, which I’d saved in a sealed plastic bag (I’m such a thrifter!). Then using an embossing ink and gold Tonic embossing powder, I embossed all around the edge of the card.
I stamped the ‘message’ ~ “Don’t let life RUFFLE your feathers”, and stamped a feather over it. Then added the three pearl gems in contrasting colours.
Aw…. nearly forgot … before I began this ATC … I back-stamped it using my favourite ATC stamp:
I tend to stamp my ATC cards on the back before I begin my art work … but I’ve been known to forget and if you do it’s easily solved. You stamp your ATC stamp onto some plain white paper, fill in the details and cut it out to the exact size and simply glue it to the back of your ATC.
And that’s all there was to it!
Well, it’s Monday again. A brand new week, fresh out of the box and gifted to us to do with as we will. Do something good today. Make your day a memorable one. See if you can do something which will make another person smile. It could be a work colleague, a friend, a relative or a complete stranger. Whoever it is … make them smile. Do whatever you can, with what you have available to you. Just make someone smile today and make it a memorable day for you, and for them.
Sending a whole ton of squidges, all sent out in various directions around the globe, in the hope of one of them getting to you and making you smile too. If you’re smiling right now … then one has already reached you.
Have a groovy day … a memorable, groovy day.
The Art of Cobwebs 