ATC's and Feedjit Fun

I confess....I don't do breakfast unless it's at a restaurant or for supper. That being said...this ATC is part of a series of "I don't Do___'s".
The toast sits on top of the plate and is textured with a mix of Distress Embossing powders and the greasy aspect of the bacon,sausage and egg tops is Glossy Accents...Ranger Products, of course.
The other three are just to share....





About this Feedjit thing...it's the box in the left column...all the way at the bottom. It's a Live Feed of visitors to this blog. I have been having a ton of fun with it and I recommend that you add one to your blog if you haven't already. I have learned so much about where people come from; towns and countries and how they arrived via other websites and how they leave, like what links are of more interest. The most important, it shows search words from google and other search engines. Totally cool...check it out!

Doodling

ACEO ~ Art Cards Editions and Originals - is a group of people over at Ebay Forums that are always coming up with great challenges. We're going to have an ACEO Doodle Art Competition in June. Do You Doodle??? I used to....back in college or when I used to spend lots of time on the phone doing real estate, but I have to admit..I'm Rusty!!! I am now packing a mini tablet of paper with me everywhere I go..to the bus, dentist office, rides to town, even here at the putor. I am really going to TRY and loosen up!! Maybe some will be good enough to picture here...we will see..lol!



I did try my hand at making some altered doodad 'Shards' for some of my upcoming projects...it was fun!
These are real easy to make...use polymer clay, rubber stamp them, bake,paint with metalics or any color and then antique. They have little holes that you can't see for attaching them to paper pages with brads or for jewelry...they can be page titles, glued to collages, added to altered bracelets/neclaces or anything altered...endless, as I am finding out...lol!!!
A couple have torn edges, like paper...I kinda like that look....and the rubber stamp is pressed in, but you can just ink stamp them too....and you don't have to use stamps, anything that will leave a funky imprint will work. I did one tonight for a collage themed "I'm Tired" where I used one of the boys tonka trucks and drove the tires over the clay...lol! Oh...and you can embed stuff in it like rhinstones for some glitz...see, you can go nuts...

I decided to start my own collection of ATC's, with subjects of things that are from My History. That should give me lots of subject matter!! lol!
This first one is of... My Mom & Me.

If you're new to Altered Art, you'll be happy to know that it won't require much of an investment. If you scrapbook, you may already have everything you need! Start small … a tiny notebook or tag. Better still, how about creating your first Artist Trading Card? ATCs are often the most rewarding of my projects, mainly because I love working in miniature and they can be completed in no time.

The ATC " How-To "

Artist Trading Cards are a quick and fun way to do small art pieces that are cheap and less time-consuming, thus can be traded or given away. They say you should never sell them or they just wouldn't be ATC's and I get that....so to be politically correct when taking them to eBay to sell the name gets changed to ACEO's. That stands for Art Card Editions and Originals. They are also 2.5 x 3.5 inches, but since they aren't trading cards, they can be sold...does that make since?? Gotta love how women solve problems, huh!?!
Below are some simple instructions on how to do what I call cut&paste cards like the ones in my pictures at the bottom of my blog page. They are great for using neat ephemera, old vintage photos and using distressing inks and embossing powders!

The ATC " How-To "
1. Cut a piece of thick cardstock, chipboard, or watercolor paper to 2.5" x 3.5". This is the standard size for trading cards, and the thicker material will give you a sturdier base.
2. Choose your theme. What you would like for a focal point. This could be a picture or phrase … whatever catches your fancy.
3. Decide what sort of background you'd like to create. Go through your folder of paper scraps for inspiration, or consider paints, crayons, fabric or inks!
4. Next... cut, tear or outline cut the items that go on top of the background. Choose an adhesive that you use the same throughout your project. Using the same glue on both sides of media, as in decoupage, will reduce the frequency of wrinkling. Allow thorough drying between layers. You'll thank me later.
5. You'll know when your ATC is finished, much the same way you know when to stop with a scrapbook layout. Sign it, Date it and Name it! When complete, your ATC can be traded, saved or even incorporated into a tag, card or layout. Or don't forget...call it an ACEO and sell it!