Fun with ATC's

Today I am a Guest Designer for A Vintage Journey..   I won a challenge a month ago for this piece of art work called the Ode to the Butterfly... 

This really is a very special piece of art to me... as we have an organic farm and we protect as many lives as possible here... and that includes the butterfly...  we grow special plants that they can lay their eggs on... and also will enjoy eating from these plants... we have  a special area that is a Butterfly Garden... with all kinds of yummy wild flowers, and cultivated ones as well... 

 

I really thank all the Vintage Journey Design Team for choosing this particular piece...  I am very honored in many ways.. 


Allison choose to have the theme this time and here words are this... 

I'm looking for "A Little Touch of Tim" from you. The challenge is to use Tim's products and/or inspiration to create ATCs (Artists Trading Cards), so they must be 3.5 x 2.5 inches in size.

You could create a single ATC or a pair or a set, but I'm being a purist here, and so your creation must be ATCs only - NOT chunky ATCs or ATBs - to qualify for the prize or to be one of our Pinworthies.

 

 

So with that in mind... I set out to gather my inner thoughts and WHERE DO  I  START with this project..???? 

"ATC's ?"
I have not really done any ATC's to speak of in a LONG time... but lets start here... 

When I first started to trade ATC's it was at conventions in the early 2000's..  and we would stop and meet someone and trade an ATC... get to know where they were from, and then move on... when you got home, you had a nice little collection of ATC's and also learned a few more techniques from them... of course you saved them... and shared them with others in your groups to show them what TREASURES you had possession of now... wow... what a great way to share ART... little canvases of ART... 

 

 

Each group of traders have rules that they follow, but generally they are all the same... you name, address and email etc are on the back of each card... and if you make more than one the same, you number them 1 of 10, 2 of 10 etc... 

some gals only will make 1 of 1's.. and they are very special... at least to me they are... and some gals even name their ATC's...   

 

I have made quite a few 1 of 1's here ... and will also share some old ones that are some 1 of's also...  mainly so you can see the difference and the style of earlier ones...

 

Some gals will share techniques, folds, color patterns, holidays, instructors, etc etc...  some gals run contests and have special themes... just like any other challenge... but this is with ATC's that you trade... 

 

So with out more ado... here are some that I made with Tim Holtz in mind... a great teacher and man of many techniques..  He is uniquely always there with more to learn... and also has a huge array of new things to embellish your creations with... 
Ohhhh yes... I
 am addicted to it all... 
and the more the better... LOL.. 
oh well... 
life is such that we need to spoil our selves when we can...
right??? 
 

 

 

 

I wanted also to share with you a really nice booklet type of thing to keep your ATC's in after they are made... 

 

 

 

If you notice... the pin says VINTAGE and the key says... JOURNEY... very special.. for a 

Very SPECIAL CHALLENGE BLOG 

A VINTAGE JOURNEY   

 

This is the front of the booklet... I used all Tim's paper on this book... unless otherwise stated...  the Clip Art?? never know where I get them... it comes and goes off my desk and I use what I can... I love it all.. 

 

 

The flower is made from Baby wipes... as I do love to use things that I can recycle...and of course the famous Tattered Floral Template and Die cut...  love that "THING" ... stays next to my Big shot all the time...    and the leaves are made with Texture Paste and a stencil...  then cut out to use as you see them in a bouquet... 

 

 

Now here is one of Tim's Ideology items... and it really gets the point across... don't you think???  this cute little heart... so very useful and just perfect for here... 

 

When you start to open this booklet... there is an inner page also...

 

I won a $50.00 gift certificate at Simon Says Monday challenge... and got so many stencils... had a blast picking them out... but a lot more fun using them...  love this feather one... 

 

I love making these simple little flowers... I generally will make about 100 plus at a given time...  a simple flower punch... paper that is colored with Distress inks... misc papers even that you have left over from tags etc... and punched out... and made into flowers by 'making a hole in the center and then adding a stamen... voila' a cute little flower... that gives a very vintage feeling...  the dyed ribbons are also a favorite to use... 

 

Perfect for almost any project.

 

I created three sections for my ATC's... and the pockets are made from used coffee filters that we get from our health food co-op...  they are large and afford many projects from them... the pockets are entirely put into place with the little stapler from Tim again..  love that little thing... best stapler going...  I attached tim's tissue wrap on the edges of these sections...  and then glued them onto chipboard that was covered in the Wallflower paper pad... love that paper... I love a lot of things... and that is why I have them...  sorry if I repeat that... but I do love these special things... and am fortunate to have them and better yet that I use them... I use to hoard them... not a good thing...  no one sees them.. . 

 

This is what the sections look like when filled... 

 

totally opened... 

 

Here are some of the ATC's I made for this challenge... 

They are all very flat... and I have used all Tim's products...

Distress inks, Stamps, papers, Templates, embossing folders, etc etc... all Tim's/Rangers

 

 

 

I tore a hole in the paper and put the eye underneath... only coloring the pupil of the eye...  I do use a lot of Chit chat... as I am a chatty type of person.. 

 

A little clip art... but other wise all Tim's... 

Love these found relatives...  no karma on them... LOL 

 

clear embossed back ground and then inked... love that technique... 

 

I call this suggestion stamping...  love it... embossed with clear and then inked all around it... a slit in the card and the little papers inserted...  a little gold edging finishes off the card... 

 

A pocket ATC... 

 

Dry Embossed and layered... bits and pieces of things can easily be used on ATC's...  that is why I make so many at times... just to use up my piles of misc things.. 

 

These special birds... 

you have to love this one...

 

In the back of Tim's paper stashes... there are smaller pieces of the larger prints... and these are great for ATC's and smaller projects... also an ATC can easily be added to a large tag or to a card to finish off the project...  I have even used them in configuration boxes...  a great way to use a little piece of art... 

 

And even a card...

 

 

On this Card, I took the ATC and literally created a card around it... the sentiment would be on the inside...  or maybe it is going to be used for a note card,..... 

 

 

The ATC is the basis of the CARD...  just plain and simply put... 

 

The rain man... and special paper... core-dinations paper

 

also Remnant rubs are really quite easy to use and will sometimes be that special little thing that gives you a very finished touch... 

 

 

Backgrounds and stamping...

 

techniques... adding ink from a stamp pad onto your worksheet and then spritzing and dragging your paper across it...  lovely finishing touch... 

 

More relatives...  so glad ... 

 

 

 

Holidays... Halloween is coming soon... better grab some of the newer smaller stamp sets.. they are perfect for ATC;s also... 

 

If you haven't gotten the idea you can just about do anything to make an ATC...  layers of background, stamping, embossing, clip art, or things like found relatives.. 

 

This piece of brown kraft paper was on my worktable and a had a bottle of picket fence spill all over my table...  LOL... so I mopped it up with the paper... and of course I wouldn't throw it out... so here it is... 

 

 

Now I wanted to show you one that I put together ....

Actually an ATC is no different than a card, or any other paper project... but it is small.. 2.5 X 3.5... you can get 10 cards from one sheet of 8.5 X 11 paper...  and a little bit for the recycling bin as well... not much.. 

 

So here I have three pieces... on the far left.. .a piece of paper that I create Lace' on... it is a method of paper folding... I love it... very nice and very easy to create... ONCE YOU KNOW HOW to do it...  LOL... 

 

Then a piece of 3.5 X 2.5 for the actual card that I inked around the edges... and then a piece of printed paper that was laying on my work table...  notice it is different than the one I used on the ATC... I messed up.. it is two sided... and I didnt' use the right side... duh...

Oh well.. still looks nice... but would have preferred to have this side.. 

 

 

I did Distress the edges and inked them as well...  and then glued them in place... Glossy accents please... dries quick and  doesn't 'ripple' the paper.. 

Then I fuzzy cut out the little bird... and also used a Tim Tattered Floral in a long strip...  can't remember the name if it... I love this too... LOL..  inked the edges on the greens... and glued them in place... 

 

Now mind you... this has to be a FLAT ATC... but I wanted bricks... so I used a brick embossing folder of Tim's and inked a few on the edge... and cut them to fit on here... and then added a real BIRCH FENCE...  that is real birch bark...  but I peeled most of the back off of it...  so it is thin...

 

Then I added another little bird... 

Also I used a little bit of the Glossy Accent and spread it over the paper and leaves...  so that they would stay put... 

 

As you can see... 2.5 inches... 

 

Here is the finished ATc...

"SONG BIRDS"

 

 

 

Simple enough and I you can add more or less... to your hearts desire... 

 

 

Now here are some more recent ATC's I have made... generally all vintage...  but not all FLAT... some have huge flowers... that stick up about 1/2 inch... 

 

 

Flowers added...  words, tissue tape.. 

 

Little pieces of fiber...  burlap scraps... 

 

odds and ends from other projects... 

 

some old stickers that are sort of vintage looking...  and some clip art and words... 

 

I have a bin around my worktable... and bits and pieces go into it... so that when I need a little piece of something I will look in there first...  When making ATC's... I try to empty that bin out...   Right now it is EMPTY....  or maybe a flower... but that is it.. 

 

 

 

Sheet music pieces and safety pins left on your work table... 

 

tickets... 

 

Old vintage sheet music 

 

buttons that are pretty... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some that are over 10 years old generally speaking...  just as a sort of showing you that anything goes with ATC's... 

 

 

 

 

 

 Embossing technique 

 

 

Alcohol inks technique 

 

paper folding called Tea Bag folding and also Lace'

 

Movable parts.. 

at the chin, a brad that allows the 'face' to swivel down for easy mailing.. 

 

Theme which this pocket has tons of stuff related to sewing... each piece was hand cut out.. 

Little booklets attached at top.. 

 

A Egg... that opens/.. 

 

for EARTH DAY... 

 

Remember each one of these cards is only 3.5 X 2.5 large.. some stamps are also made for these types of projects as well...  too many... LOL..  this one opens to show the picture... so serene...  love it.. 

 

More techniques... people I traded with wanted to know new techniques... so we would write them down on the back of the card...  so much fun... 

embossing and background

 

My grandmother in full dress in the late 1890's...  a real relative...  LOL.. 

 

picture of my little brother and me... with a wig and ballet costume on... so silly...  Happy Halloween anyone??? 

 

Me in a pile of leaves in the wheel barrow... the leaves are all glittery...  just a technique .... 

 

Other assorted pictures used as a story line... 

 

My Dad and I  over the years...  Miss you Dad...  I love you. 

 

My Mom  when she was a little girl... Miss her too.. 

 

Me hanging up my stocking... 

 

During WW2...  I was born... and my dad was so proud...wish he could have seen some of these ATC's... 

Anyway.. girls would ask for the theme to be for DAD's... so we would use a picture of our Dad... 

 

Fred Mullet's Fish... and his technique...  love these.. 

 

Funny Die Cuts... 

 

Fish and Lace' again... love to create with Lace'... 

 

At times we would mess up a whole sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper with trying out different things and techniques... and then cut it up for the back ground...  LOL.. this is one of those...

 

Melted Crayon...  wow... love my crayons in the whole... not like this... but I did try it once... 

 

cutting out clip art...  I think I made 20 of these...  no I am not nuts...  just obsessed at times.. .LOL... love things to be the way I want them to look... you know the feeling.... 

 

Using a 99 cent foam stamp...  create an ATC...

 

What fun that was... 

As you can see all kinds of themes... all kinds of ways of making these cute trading cards... love them..  so many unique ones too... books and books of them.. 

 

 

 

 

 

A painting I did... and took a picture of it...

 

View from our Pasture of our mountain view... isn't it pretty... it was a cloudy day too... 

 

Make something from SCRAP... 

 

Use a domino...  and stamp on it... 

 

I also put this frog on a domino... LOL.. isn't he cute??? 

 

Secret Garden ATC... 

 

Easter, with a removable egg...

 

When I was learning how to write Chinese,  I would practice on my ATC's... 

 

Philosophy of life... 

 

Something that OPENS...

 

When you open this one up, the heart pops up... 

 

Air dried clay... 

 

Using silicone vs. pop dots...  what a fun time that was... 

 

Watercolor... 

 

So as you can see... there are tons and tons of ways to create an ATC... you will have fun creating one or two or three...  they are very addictive forming.. .I will warn you ahead of time...

 

Now after you have about 5- 6 made, there is something else you can do with them...  Put them onto a tag... or onto a card... and you have a head start...  they are really fun to make... enjoy making them... and I hope you have enjoyed this very very very long blog entry... 

 

Thank You again to all of the Design Team at A Vintage Journey for inviting me to be a Guest Designer... I certainly have enjoyed it... and hope to be able to return some time soon... 

 

Thank YOU for stopping by here today... and also thanks ahead of time for all the sweet comments you leave here too... I really appreciate them ALL... 

 

Love, Light and Peace...Bonnie