Artist Trading Club- Guest Artist

I was asked to be Guest Artist for February over at The Artist Trading Club.  I decided that rather than offer a theme for this months challenge... I would leave that choice up to the individual... instead I am asking everyone to make an ATC easel card for which I have provided a template and tutorial which you will find below. 

This is one of my completed atc's... I used a print of one of my paintings and a public domain quote by Helen Keller which I love, some ribbon, bling, watercolour crayons and acrylic paint.  (Sorry for the pants photo)

Ok here we go :-)  You will see the template below... please click to enlarge before saving to your computer to print out. 

If you prefer to cut without the template the three piece sizes are one each of the following :-

7" x 2.5"

3.5" x 2.5"

2" x 1.5"

Step 1...  Fold the long piece in half  then open it back up and decorate the bottom half ... also decorate the atc size piece and the smaller one.  You can use any medium you wish... paint, collage, stamps, etc...

To assemble the Atc easel card.... take the long piece and bring the undecorated outer edge in to the centre fold and use a bone folder to flatten as shown below.

 Now when you bring the outer edge forward from the centre fold you will have a shape as seen below.  Cover the part of the undecorated piece that faces you with glue (or as I did...DS tape).... this is where you will adhere the bottom of your previously decorated  atc.

Your easel card will look like the pic below once you have adhered your atc and the smallest piece to the bottom of the card to act as a stopper.  You may wish to use a button, brad or something else in place of this piece depending on the style of your atc.  As long as whatever you use is not totally flat... the sky's the limit.

 I hope you will join in with the challenge and I will be looking forward to my swaps :-)
hugs
Chris xx

Miniature Suitcase

I found this fab little suitcase template at Mirkwood designs... it's totally cute.  Small but fun and I would imagine you could enlarge the template to make different sizes to stack if you spent a little time. There are so many fab template on this site that you will be spoiled for choice... check it out!!

I used stamped onto my card and clear embossed before colouring with distress ink.  I love the resist effect when you remove the ink from the embossed images.

I did the same for the straps but on paper so the effect is a little different and so is the colour of the ink due to the different porosity.

The handle is made by threading fibres through punched holes.

I used the punched out pieces to add little studs by sticking them to punched out sticky pads and colouring with silver ink.

I think it would be a cool place to keep cuff links or loose change for a guy eh.

Now just check out that shine.... Tim Holtz rock candy crackle.... ooooh how cool is that stuff!!

Thanks for looking... catchya later :D

hugs

Chris xx