I just did my first Artist Trading Cards (ATC's)! There are three in the series and they were made for a trade at
Swap-bot.
Read more about what ATC's are and then join in the fun! I like them because they they are small, like my "studio" in the corner of my bedroom. If you mess it up no big deal, you've wasted a few pennies, just start over. (Well... of course if you've invested in a lot of pre-printed collage images and do-dads this may not be the case...) These were done over old playing cards. I got an old dictionary from
Goodwill then
tea and coffee stained a few pages. I glued those on the cards and pressed them dry for awhile. Then I flipped them over and cut away the excess paper. I dragged the edges and a bit of the front of the cards across a black permanent ink stamp pad. Then I measured pencil lines for the calligraphy. I left them for that old drafting look. I did the calligraphy with waterproof ink, making sure I cleaned my dip pen afterwards! I think the owl stamp will be sort of my little signature mark. (Not that anyone will go out of their way to collect my "art".) The only thing I was a bit disappointed in was the drawing. I bought a pack of fine pointed colored
Sharpies but they are really too wide. I should have waited and bought the ultra fine somewhere else. Not really a waste, the colors will match and I can use the broader ones for color fill.
So far I have signed up for swaps two weeks apart at two different sites. Inbetween swaps I will make cards for one-on-one swaps. I think that is good spread. Some people sign up for way too many, get stressed out and it shows in the quality of their work. Click image for a larger view.
I finished these Sunday night for my Dark Halloween ATCs swap at Swap-bot. The gravestones are just cut-out black cardstock on an acrylic background with some pulled apart used dryer sheets for the wispy clouds and mist tendrils. Well, that's what they're supposed to be! The cards are both glued and sealed with Liquitex Matte Medium. The center card looks a bit shinier than it really is because it reflected the flash somewhat. These are the cards by the artist I'm sending my cards to. Now I'm embarrassed to send mine!
