Monday 20 January 2014

Free for All: A set of Artist Trading Cards

Hello, its Coco here! We have a "Free For All" week again Yay!...Today I share with you a set of ATCs (Artist Trading Card) made a few weeks ago, some are cute and some others not at all!!! However, there is a common point between them all... This is Andy Skinner, as I used on top of each of them a stencil designed by this stunning Artist.


On my two first ATCs, you may have recognized the beautiful Children stencil... It fits perfectly the size of an ATC which i2 1⁄2 by 3 1⁄2 inches (64 × 89 mm). 
If you are a regular follower, you must have viewed this first ATC on the challenge blog too, posted by Carol last Wednesday to help to inspire you for our "Bold and Bright" challenge this month. Don't forget it, this is an easy challenge I think and it's not over! 
Here's the second ATC I did using the same 'Children' stencil, but in a very different way.

Well... As a first good New Year's resolution, I have decided to try organizing myself better and to take time to write down (directly on the back when I can) all the steps of creation during my creative process. I'm happy it's been successful this time at least!! So here's the how-to for the second ATC only (I just discovered that I wrote nothing for the others hahahaha!!!!). I did my background with leftovers of Cosmic Shimmer (rose and violet) and Dylusions inks (red). I added texture over my Children stencil using cheap fine textured paste. I usually prefer a textured paste that dries quickly, but this time I was in no rush, so I let it dry all the night and it was okay. I covered almost all the parts with Treasure gold. 
I edged my ATC with Distress Dusty Concord, and also added a bit of Mustard Seed at the top right side.
The quote is from "Quintessential Quotes" by Dyan Reaveley. it was inked using Eggplant Adirondack ink on scraps of patterned paper, and heat-embossed using pearly transparent powder. 
A bit of intense Fuchsia colour was also added in the middle behind the children using a drop of alcohol ink (Rasberry), to add pink colour shades and extra dimension.


For the other ATCs, they have been done for quite a long time, being also used to mop up ink and paint remainders from other bigger projects and spillages, so even if I'd like to I couldn't be sure about all the ingredients I used I'm afraid!

On the two next ones, I used one of my fave stencil/masks forever from Andy: Skulldugerry. I love this stencil, it's so special and beautiful, you can do many different artsy works with it. 


This latter was done for a swap with a crafty friend on the theme of Halloween. There are lots of (Grunge) paste, Treasure Golds gilding wax, stamps, inks and paints over them... I remember I also sanded the surface of the skull (The little blank "holes" you can see here and there are done using this simple technique, done with more pressure at some places to create beautiful holes). 

Tip: If like me you don't have any ATC box yet and do not feel you will have time to make one in the next short while.. you can reuse the packaging of your long Sizzix dies (if you have some), they have the perfect size to store up to 4 ATCs!! Here's my strip of ATCs, I fill the fourth place with another ATC I did for Halloween with some remaining inks and stamps that were lying about.

I used:
A Skinner Stencil/Mask - Children

A Skinner Stencil/Mask - Skullduggery

Hope you like...  I had a great fun to do all these ATCs! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment if you feel you would like to and have time to do it of course. Have a great day and lovely week ahead all my crafty friends and/or fans of Tando products! (I've long been a fan myself!!!)  Coco xxx

3 comments:

Carol Plume said...

great set of ATC's Coco - its lovely to see the same product used differently - gives loads of ideas.

Words and Pictures said...

Fabulous ATCs - and what a good idea to record the how-to details on the back - love the display case too!
Alison x

Kaz said...

Fab set of ATC's there Coco xx