Wednesday, March 14, 2018

ATC- Artist Trading Card or Almost Too Cool

Day 3 UNIES!  I hope you are having fun and seeing things you like on my blog this week.  Today I have some ATC's for you.  What is an ATC you ask?  It stands for Artist Trading Card and you make these little 2.5" by 3.5" cards with cute designs and send them to others to add to a collection.  They've been really hot lately since Annie Sterner started blowing up the Show and Tell with all her ATC beauty.  That being said, she sent a lot of them to my sister who was/is in need of a pick me up since she is battling cancer, so I love her for those little ATC's.  To honor Annie's prolific ATC making and to show you don't have to make an A2 card to make someone's day, I give to you 2 artist trading cards I made using some mixed media techniques.

This lil' guy has a lot of bang for the buck, I must say.  I started with my watercolor paper cut to size.  I used Vicki Boutin art crayons colored on my mat and added with water.  I smooshed my card into it to get some random color effects.  I then used a cool wavy stamp from Find your Zen and used the art crayons to color right onto the red rubber. I spritzed the crayon with a water spritz before stamping.  I did the lines in blue crayon and green to make it look dimensional.

I then stamped the sentiment from The Ocean is Calling in Versafine Black Onyx ink and embossed with clear.  The texture on the sides is from another Vicki Boutin product called iridescent glaze.  The glaze comes in a tub and is whitish, but when you add a little bit of her magic crayon scrapings, you can blend the glaze into colors like this!  I just love the color.  I used a palette knife and the Tim Holtz Burlap stencil and went around the sentiment with the glaze.  


One more ATC. For this background, I used Tim Holtz distress spray in cracked pistachio and mermaid lagoon.  The paper is canvas paper, so it has a bit more texture than normal.  I used the tinted Vicki Boutin iridescent glaze through a mini stencil and with a palette knife to get some texture.  Then I got stuck, so I asked the ATC master, Annie Sterner what to do, and she said, "throw a butterfly and a sentiment on there and be done.  It's just a piece of paper!"  She is a wise woman, so I added the image and sentiment from Quilted Wings.  I did add a smidgen of glitter and some white accents to the stamp to make it pop a little.  

I want to know, how do you feel about ATC's (making them or receiving them).  What images or sentiments do you think would be the perfect piece of inspiration on a trading card?  Anyone excited about using glazes through a stencil?  Comment below for a chance to win 25 Unity red rubber stamps!

56 comments:

  1. I just love them and I confess....I’ve never made or received an ATC! What?! Time to change that. I love the vibrance and textures of both of these beauties. I’m excited to try to create a few of these gems. Way to inspire us Shannon!

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    1. We've gotta change that! I'll send you a couple to start your collection. They're addicting!

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  2. Amazing, once again. These are so pretty. I just started making ATCs. They are so much fun. Definitely a great way to check out different techniques, too.

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    1. Agreed. They are such a source of inspiration and a non intimidating way to try new techniques.

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  3. I love you ATC’s and how the colors turned out. I just joined 2 swaps and it is so much fun! Thanks for sharing! 🌺

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  4. Glazed? Stencils? You’re giving me quite the shopping list. I do love the texture you created on the first project!

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    1. #enableralert if you live near a Pat Catans they had these products on super sale, but they are also on scrapbook.com

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  5. Great job! I like the texture in the first one. Almost looks like a mosaic tile!

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    1. I thought it looked like a fisherman's net. Love the texture element.

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  6. These are fabulous. Love the colors and texture. For the first time I made some simple ATCs for an online friend's Birthday ATC party.

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  7. These are wonderful. I have never seen anything like them. I love the second with butterfly but then butterflies have been my favorite since I lost my grand daughter. Just a little something that keeps a memory alive.

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    1. I'm sorry about your granddaughter. That is just terrible. It's nice to have things that keep our loved ones' memories in our heart.

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  8. I just love all the texture and the colors in your latest card!

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  9. They both turned out great! I have never made an ATC before even though I have know about them for a long time. I do like that so many people try out techniques this way, sometimes it's easier on a smaller scale. I'm just not sure what I would do with them after I made them so I haven't tried. Although, as I typed that last sentence I realize they would be perfect to add to bullet journal or scrapbook pages.

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    1. Oooh, great idea. Love that idea for a bullet journal.

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  10. Very neat. I'd love to see you do a video of these techniques.

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    1. I've never done a video, but it is on my to do list to learn. If you go to YouTube and search Vicki Boutin, she has a bunch of videos using these techniques.

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  11. Your ATCs are beautiful and helped me. I was stuck in with my little blank pieces of paper staring at me. Now I have a few ideas

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  12. I don’t make ATC cards cause they are so tiny but I am just now getting the hang of using tags which is kinda the same. I like the techniques you tried and I’ve done some stenciling and like it. You are such a source of inspiration!! I do think they would make great encouragement cards.

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    1. I didn't know if I'd like them, but I do. I like being able to use my big sentiments.

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  13. These are great! I really love the texture on the waves. I’ve never made an ATC. Do you add your personalized stamp to the back? Do you sign it? These are fun and it’s clear you are enjoying the creation process!

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    1. I am going to start adding my custom stamp. I sign them and say what kits I used.

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  14. Great ATC cards! I really love your mixed media. I used to belong to an ATC swap group years ago and enjoyed it immensely. It really stretched my creativity and spurred me on to try things I never would have. I loved seeing how people would interpret the monthly challenge. I cherished receiving those little pieces of art. I'm currently in a Thrinchies group with some friends from a craft group I belong to.

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    1. Challenges are my biggest source of inspiration.

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  15. Love these ATC’s! I’ve made a few myself, but for the most part I stick with cards. I think they are wonderful though .. love your techniques .. will definitely have to try some of those crayons! Thanks for the inspiration!

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    1. I still love cards most too. When I get bored I try new things.

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  16. I love your work and your style. You inspire me daily Ms. Shan Shan.

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    2. You are my inspiration constantly. Like my crafty fairy godmother.

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  17. I love your pretty atc’s . Love the textures and blues and green. I have never made or received atc’s either.... I would use them as encouragement cards. I have been intrigued with the texture pastes and stencils, which is something I don’t have but would like to try when I have few spare coins 😊. Thanks for sharing!!!

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  18. I love your ATCs and that meowing Annie is something else...

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  19. I have never heard of this. But wouldn’t it be great to make these and card bases to take to your local nursing home. I think I have a new project. 🤗

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  20. I love ATC's, and have belonged to swap groups, so I have quite a collection which I keep in ringbinders.

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  21. Love the idea of these, but not sure I need to start any more collections, lol. These are very beautiful and I might do some just to stick around for some people to find that I know that could use inspiration.

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  22. These are so amazing Shannon! I’ve only just heard of ATCs so I’ve never made or received one. Sounds cool! Love both of these ♥️

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  23. Your ATCs are fabulous! I've never made any, but may try soon!

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  24. These are perfect!! I need to make ATC!! Never did before, but they are perfect for sending with a gift too!!

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  25. Lovely ATC cards,they are so inspirational,nice and creative. I must confess,I've never done them and never have received one. Hope someday!!!Are they the same as pocket letters?Just asking?Thanks.

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  26. Ok I screen shot your list, so I could give this a go. I looked at this before work yesterday and then found myself daydreaming about it later....oopsie!

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  27. Beautiful Shannon! The textures, glitter and shine, and sentiments all come together so well! I am exploring other products and texture pastes as well...makes a nice change. Now if only I could use them as creatively and beautifully as you have!

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  28. Hello Beautiful...just love it

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  29. Been a long time since I made ATCs. Glaze through a stencil sounds intriguing.

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  30. I like all of the texture on the first one. Even thought it is "busy", it is also simple since it's the same texture all over...so it's a great background for a deep saying. Nice.

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  31. I love ATCs but I've never made one. You always bring so much energy and creativity to whatever you do even if the piece is tiny. I remember the little magnets from the last time you were a GIU girl! I loved the magnets and I love your ATC's!

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  32. wow, you managed to make your little ATC's look LARGE. good job.

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  33. I’ve seen the ATCs before but never made one myself. Seems maybe easier than designing a while card and would be cute for little pick me ups to hang on the fridge on in the bathroom as I’m grtting ready for the day!

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  34. Fantastic techniques, love swapping with you!

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