Artist Trading Cards

Dear Diary,

I’ve mentioned several times in recent months the Artist Trading Cards that I’m getting wrapped up in.  I have mixed feelings about them.  I’m having a lot of fun with them but I sort of think it’s a waste of time, too.  I’m not sold on collecting them.  I think I’d feel better about the whole thing if I started to include them on cards and scrapbook pages.  Most people just collect them and fill binders full of their collections.  Or they display their collection in some other way.  I’m going to share some of the little creations here.  I joined a group this summer.  There are 18 of us.  We split into two groups of 9 and trade cards in whatever the theme is that month.

These are going to be in no particular order….

My holiday themed cards for December…..  I’ve had this Pointsettia stamp since I was about 16 years old….  I stamped it off the edge, sponged ink in the large areas, watercolor penciled and then blended in the finer detailed areas, sprayed the whole shebang with a Glimmer Mist type product (I think it was actualy a Perfect Pearls spray in this case (gold), I Stickled the center of the pointsettia, inked the edges all around.  And you can see the one that’s different….. that’s the backside.   I’ve decided I’d rather just make enough to give the entire group (18) one even if we aren’t trading.  Some others have extras too though.  I also save one for my mom…..

A bit closer…

The back….

I package them up in individual bags and leave them at the store (Paper Place on Main – Mount Joy, PA <—  best scrap boutique ever!) just in case I can’t make that month’s meeting.  So far I’ve been able to make all but it is going to conflict with Cub Scouts starting next month and for the rest of the year.  That week each month I may just let Keith and Reagan handle Scouts while I go play with the ATC group….

Last night’s meeting / swap theme was "French Country".  I ended up making this sunflower card for all.  It’s the same idea as the pointsettia.  Again, I’ve had the stamp since I was about 16 years old…..

This was again stamped, sponged, water color penciled, blended, inked edges and chalked background…..

The back of the sunflower card….

For my group of 9 I also made these for the French Country Theme.  I think I ended up making 12 total??  The window, framed pic and rug are prints and then I stamped and colored the chair image.  That’s another stamp I’ve had since my teens…

And the back has the toile fabric…..


Packaged up….

Next month’s theme is "School".  So far I’ve made 24 of these…..  On cork….  letter strip left over school supplies, punched/stamped/ colored scissors and pencil, owl sticker, punched apple on punched circle…. I used a Glossy Accent type product on top of the apple.  Ruler along the bottom is a printed paper….

I made a chalkboard back for the info….  Wrote on it with white to try and make it look like chalk.  Inked the edges….  I don’t think I mentioned that these are 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"… the size of a baseball card….

Last month the theme was "Beach"….  I came up with this….

My favorite of all the beach themes traded was this one…. Isn’t it pretty?  It’s stamped on canvas….  Glossy Accents along the bottom along with some Muddy Puddles sand.  I believe it’s colored in with Copic Markers….

 

Some more beach themed cards…

The month prior the theme was "Birds".  Here are some of those cards…  On the left is an altered playing card.  On the back the image is also a cardinal.

This was my bird card…

One of the months coming up is a "Patriotic" theme….  Here’s my ATC for that theme…

Little wooden stars….

The back….

Each month there is also a challenge item.  For last night’s meeting we were given little gold stars to do something with.  Unfortunately I did not take a picture of what I did with mine and now it’s traded off.  But the card I traded for is this one….

Again…. last nights actual theme was "French Country".  My cards were the little chair with window, rug, etc and then the sunflower up above in this entry.   What I brought back home are….

This lady made a whole series….  I think they are really pretty.  She used a product called Flower Soft for the grassy area in the forefront….

She also used flower soft for the window box….

Reagan went with me to the meeting and asked me what was with all the roosters….

This was a favorite from last night….

It unfolds to show lots of different patterns….

SOooooooo, who thinks we should do an Open Diary ATC swap??  Any interest?…..

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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