Artist Trading Card 2.5" x 3.5" I have to tell you that the best part of these 3 ATC's for me was creating the backgrounds! Back in Oct, my friend Deb and I got together for a mixed media day and experimented with some different techniques. I have a really great book, "Surface Treatment Workshop" and it has some fun techniques in it. Most of the technique's I have either tried or seen before, but all the projects using the techniques in the book were very inspiring. In addition, it's nice to have 1 book with so many techniques. I tend to forget things, so even though I've done something before, looking through the book reminds me / inspires me to do it again. Artist Trading Cards are great size for just practicing since they are only 2.5" x 3.5" and fast to create. If you are new to Artist Trading Cards, then you can take a look at a basic article I wrote way back in 2010 HERE. And view all of my other ATC's HERE. The first one was a "rinse aid resist" technique. It's the rinse aid that is found on the dish washing liquid aisle at the grocery store. Mine doesn't look as good as the projects in the book, but I still like how it turned out. I used 3 different color acrylic paints and 140lb water color paper. hmmmm .... I knew you were going to ask me what colors, teehee. I only wrote I used 3 colors, but not the colors, teehee. Well obviously pink and yellow. 1. Apply coat of paint and while it is still wet, let the rinse aid drip down the card from top to bottom. 2. Let the paint dry and then wipe off the rinse aid. Mine didn't resist so well, so I definitely want to try this one again. So I added more paint and rinse aid, dried and wiped again. I can only assume at this point I did the process again with a 3rd color since I wrote I used three colors, but I can't remember. My background is the result of a technique gone bad, teehee. So I just kept trying it with a different color and this is what I ended up with. 3. Stamp it with a script image and with orange ink. My girl with wings and the words are from Lisa's Altered Arts. The image is kinda fuzzy, if that makes sense. I don't know if they are intended to look that way or if it's my printer. My printer doesn't work that well at times. I guess I"m just used to clean crisp images. 4. Trim words (Lisa's Altered Arts). You can create your own with your computer. 5. Doodle around work blocks and edges. 6. Add button. Artist Trading Card 2.5" x 3.5" I have been using paste for a couple of years. After seeing a project in the book that had raised circles using the paste and the colors aqua / red, I was inspired to create this background. Paste are found in the artist section at your local craft stores. I've used Aquitex and Golden and both work fine for me. It comes in white. You can add acrylic paint to it. Or spread it on and after it dry's add paint over it. It's fun to use with stencils. I punched circles in heavy cardstock to use as a stencil. You can get lots of fun stencils from Layer's of Color and from Crafter's Workshop. 1. Spread modeling paste over the entire background with a palette knife (also found in the artist section of local craft store). 2. After dried I used my self-made circle stencil and applied more paste. 3. Apply paint (red, aqua, and a dab of white) until you get the distressed look you want. I often use fan brush to add little wisp of color here and there. 4. Distress using a script stamp. The one I used was already distressed (Prima). It's a 2 1/4" x 2 3/4" clear stamp. I swiped ink over parts of the stamp and added small parts of the image hear and there. see below. 5. Hand cut grass, flower, and banner from patterned paper, then doodle around the edges. Another great book with fun background idea's and great ATC inspiration is "Artist Trading Cards Workshop" . Artist Trading Card 2.5" x 3.5" The above background was created using a paper towel. I've read can also use a baby wipe, I've just never done it. Paper towels are more readily available at my house, thank goodness, teehee. 1. Wet paper towel and lay over some watercolor paper. 2. Add watered down acrylic paint. Just enough so it is thin enough to be absorbed easily. The paint bleeds together a little. 3. Pick up your paper towel and lay it down somewhere to dry. I use wax paper. The paint will bleed through on to the watercolor paper and you can use this for the base of backgrounds as well. 4. Lightly swipe more paint here and there if needed to get the distressed look you want. Whenever I do this, I use a fan brush. 5. Trim down to slightly smaller than ATC. Stamp randomly with a script image and black ink. Adhere to black cardstock. 6. Tear and add a patterned paper. 7. Add cut-out butterfly's and words. 8. Doodle around the edges of word blocks and patterned paper. I just realized I forgot to doodle around the sides, so I will be going back and adding that. I hope you are inspired to experiment with some new background techniques! I would love to see ATC's you create using these techniques. Email my a link when you have posted yours. hugs, Melisa You can view more of my Artist Trading Cards HERE. You can view more of my Mixed Media projects HERE. You can view more of my projects using Modeling Paste HERE. You can view more of my tutorials HERE. *********************************************** Modeling paste Palette Knife This is a fancy set. I just own one ... the first one on the left. You can buy just the one at local craft store

Happy Thursday TCW Fans!!! Today I am back with another video but this time I created a scrapbook layout using some pretty cool products. So sit back, relax and I hope you enjoy my tutorial….…

Colorful printed paper collage bird project inspired by artist Clare Youngs. Explore collage, drawing, painting and stamping. Kids will learn and have fun while creating beautiful artwork. Grades K-8

Hello mixed media fans. Today I"m sharing an altered cardboard project I created a while back after taking a class called &q...

2016 Topic 19: Die Cuts Eileen Godwin Well hello everyone, Darcy here with another new topic for you get your teeth into or rather get your cutting machines into. For the next two weeks we will be exploring die cut shapes, and the ways that they can be used. did you know that PaperArtsy have their very own line of metal dies. There are a good selection, everything from flowers to leaves, birds and hearts. They cut beautifully and work on regular smoothy, waxy, tissue paper, sheer fabrics, card, grungepaper, and even a metal-humungo-card sandwich. Some of the PaperArtsy die also coordinate with stamps, so look out for the ones that match up. Often just the die cut image will be used as an embellishment, but these shapes are excellent to use at masks too, and don't forget the 'negative' space left behind. The 'hole' in your leftover card can be used as a stencil, this means you get a lot more value from your dies. Here you can see that Wanda has used the negative card left behind from using a PaperArtsy flower die, these leftovers were turned into a great little niche. Wanda Hentges Before we start, let's see who won the Topic 18: Autumn Leaves Challenge... The winner of Autumn Leaves is: Raquel from Scrapcosy Email Darcy to claim your prize. [email protected] Some of you may be very familiar with dies and die cutting machines, but other people maybe not so much. Paper and fabric have always been shaped either by hand or with knives or scissors, but when it comes to tougher substrates such as leather and metal then more specific tools are needed for the job. Once humans were able to extract metal from rocks skilled people were needed to from this metal into usable or decorative objects. The ancient Greeks used dies and punches to create coinage. This continued well into the middle ages, the most common method needed two die, one a positive image and the other a negative image. A blank piece of metal was placed between the two dies and the sandwich was struck with a heavy hammer. Even today we use the term 'coins being struck' By the 15th century dies and punches were being used in machines, and in 1796 a Frenchman obtained a patent for dies specifically for punching sheet metal. Throughout the first part of the 20th century dies continued to be used by companies wishing to mass produce their own products. These products were of course not images for art, they were industrial products used in engineering. These methods of precision stamping and punching are still used on a huge scale to produce components for almost everything that we use. Within the art and crafts industries we began to use dies to create multiple shapes, quickly and with more precision than using a knife or scissors. These dies meant that we could cut paper, card, leather, fabric, foam, thin plastics etc. within the leather industry these dies became important in making shoes and gloves, it became possible for many more pieces to be cut that were all of an accurate size. Just look at these dies for making gloves! As the need for decorative embellishments increased so did the variety of die shapes available, and now we have access to almost every shape imaginable. These can be used to cut just one layer or multiples and it has transformed the accuracy of hand made items. For those that hate to 'fussy cut' or have difficulties with hand cutting, the die cutting systems have become a vital part of the tool kit. Here is a great video tutorial from Leandra, showing how easy it is to cut some metal flowers and then stamp the shapes with the corresponding stamps. Helen Chilton is a regular on this blog and she loves to experiment, so when given the challenge to see what she could do with the PaperArtsy dies she came up with a ton of ways to use them. check out her whole post HERE. Die cut shapes can be all kinds of intricate, take a look at this card. Can you imagine cutting one delicate butterfly out by hand , never mind three? Using a die makes this quick and painless. Tobi Crawford Similarly with this so very delicate Memory Box die, I don't mind a bit of fussy cutting, but this would defeat me. Let the die do all the hard work. Val So now we know that dies are great for cutting delicate images, what else can we use them for. tis piece by Kay is a perfect example, Here she has used her die cuts in the background of her project and painted over them, they have turned into the most fabulous texture. Kay In the same way Eileen has layered up die cuts onto an MDF butterfly to create this stunning and very textural effect. If you fancy having a go she has all the details on her blog HERE. We saw earlier how the negative shape can be built into a niche, but even just one layer can provide a window on a card, as on this card by Meghan. Another window effect here, a totally different look from the one above just with the addiction of bright coloured paper behind the shaped hole. Amy Ryall Again using the negative space left in your card, this tutorial shows just how to build up colour using the negative as a stencil. Kittie Caracciolo Once you have used the stencil part of your die cutting, time to use the actual cut out images to build up your scene, till you achieve this fabulous 3d card. Kittie Caracciolo We often want instant art, especially when we need a card in a hurry, this is where dies really come in useful, for creating instant embellishments. they don't need to be fancy or intricate, simple letters like the ones below have a lot of impact when repeated and a punchy colour is introduced. Amy Kolling Bolder,chunkier die cuts also have great impact, see how Ellen Vargo has used these cog dies to great effect on this tag. Here you can see how the die cut image has been used as a mask, temporarily glued to a jar and then paint applied around the shape. Very clever. Laurie How about making your own foam stamps from die cuts, just layer up several die cuts, glue them together and Voila! you have stamps. Tim Holtz There are all kinds of neat tricks that you can do with dies, this technique is dry embossing. Sara See how Sara turned that into this lovely tag. Nothing could be simpler than die cut circles, but see how Anya has layered them up into a Snowman! Never overlook the basic shapes, they can end up being your best tools. Anya Schrier Take your dies to another level and use shrink plastic, then like Kimberly Crawford you can create beautiful and sturdy little buttons. There are so many ways to use dies, the negative cuts and the positive cuts. This applies to the dies used in hand operated machines and also to the electronic machines. If you don't have a die cutter of any sort then why take another look at your punches, see if you can come up with some interesting ways to use your punched images and also the negatives left behind. Think outside the die, and see what you can create! Try die cutting into another die cut! We look forward to seeing what ideas you come up with. Don't forget to follow Darcy and Leandra's Pinterest boards if this topic pushes your buttons, you will see plenty more examples to whet your appetite there! I am really looking forward to seeing what you create over the next 2 weeks! Darcy Topic 19: Die Cuts PaperArtsy Blog Challenge We'd love you to share your ideas and link up your creative response to our current blog topic. Take a minute to read the challenge guidelines below. All links go in the draw to win a voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. The Die Cuts link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, 16th Oct, winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00. 1. The challenge is a for you to show how you are inspired by the current blog topic. Your entry should contain: - a mention of which post inspired you and why, and - a link in your blog post to that original post on the PA blog. The whole concept of this challenge is 'play along with us'. You are encouraged to put your own twist on ideas you see on our blog, do your own thing - whatever grabs you! 2. The link you put on our linky page must lead directly to the specific post on your blog where you have explored the technique/ idea mentioned in point 1 above. Don't link to the home page of your blog. 3. We prefer your challenge blog post is created exclusive to our challenge, but if our topic fits perfectly with another challenge, then you may link to both if appropriate. 4. You are most welcome to use stamps/ products/ substrates you have to hand from a variety of companies, we do not expect you to exclusively use PA products - it's lovely when you do though! 6. You can enter as many times as you like. We don't want to restrict your creativity! NB. Link closes at 17:00 Sunday 16th Oct (London Time) 7. The winner of the random draw will receive a £50 credit voucher to be redeemed on the PaperArtsy Website. The credit voucher includes VAT and postage. We request that one of your purchases is an A5 rubber stamp. You can add any other items to your basket, but the final total should not exceed £50. 8. Each fortnight on Sunday, the winner will be announced at 19:00 (London time). In the same post, the link for the next fortnight will be posted. 9. It's your responsibility to claim your prize coupon from Darcy. email: [email protected] Good Luck! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

How to Transfer Images onto Paper by Rebecca Parsons. Such a great Mixed Media technique, perfect to use in Art Journals or Junk Journals!

I just love the set Voices in My Head by Julie Ebersole! I also love Pinkfresh Studio's Abstract Builder. As soon as they came, I started fooling around with both of them and ended up with this quick card. Used a small splatter type stamp to frame the sentiment in two colors and added the heart embellishment. Busy day, so I'll cut this short. MOOD WHEN DONE: No complaints, except for the heat. Yikes! BTW, I need a Voices in My Head by Julie Ebersole, Volume II!!

I think the best part about painting scenes that take place in the depths of your mind is that, you get to venture into those places whilst creating. Each layer of paint, paper and glue takes you deeper in, and...

Labor Day has been declared as the unofficial last day of summer and the beginning of Fall. Before "Fall" begins I want to get in...

A mixed media box canvas which measures 50cm x 50cm created using acrylics, texturiser, PVA glue, oil pastel, paper, stitching, buttons and beads. The original of this picture has sold.

So happy to be a guest designer for Concord & 9th, one of my favorite companies. Today I'm sharing 2 cards made with a new, fabulous Bouquet Die. I used two different techniques -- 1. shrink and stamp, and 2. partial die cut. SHRINK & STAMP So where's the die cut? Well, I took the die, which is 5 and 1/4" tall and die cut it out of fun foam. (I got mine at Michaels). Then I heat the fun foam with my heat gun to shrink it and then turned it into a stamp. Pretty cool! (Learned this trick from Online Card Classes.) Here is a picture to show you the difference between the die and the heat set fun foam I adhered the fun foam "stamp" to my MISTI with double sided tape and stamped with Versamark onto watercolor paper. After embossing in white, I watercolored, using Tombow markers and Adirondack Dye Reinkers (and Ranger Black Soot Distress Paint for speckling). See that cute tag? It is from Concord & 9th's Bags & Tags Dies, and the little heart is from Concord & 9th's Love You, Mean It. This is my anniversary card for the husband, and I'm happy to report he likes it. PARTIAL DIE CUT For the second card, I die cut just the top of the bouquet and used an Exacto knife to separate the top flower. (Thought I was so clever to do this and then I saw that Concord & 9th posted a gorgeous card with these flowers cut out in white! Ha!) Be sure to check it out - just click on the Bouquet Die in the shop. The orange flowers are double thick and all the flowers are adhered to soft gray cardstock, while the card itself is white linen cardstock. I used a hint from Laura Bassen and sprayed the back of all the flowers with adhesive (I used an Elmer's product). It is so much easier to adhere small pieces this way. The sentiment is from another fantastic Concord & 9th set, Sophisticated Script. I see that it is sold out again, but it is worth waiting for. Much easier to use than I expected. I'll be back next week to feature more Concord & 9th! MOOD WHEN DONE = Happy!

Explore Kasia Avery’s 484 photos on Flickr!

2019 Topic 6: Fish Beautiful positive and negative use of an image by Nikki, plus gelli printing and more in exploring all the blues for her fishy creation! ~ Leandra Hi everyone, it's Nikki from Addicted to Art here with you today, sharing my fish themed project. When the scheduling for this theme was taking place I had a vague idea and said I would use stamps from Courtney Franich (ECF) and Seth Apter (ESA). I planned to create lots of fish with the fabulous texture stamps they have both released recently. But when I got going I got carried away just using one stamp! The leaves on Courtney's recent stamp release (ECF06) are wonderful and the one with the 'bubble' seemed perfect. I have used this on my gelli plate using both the positive and negative image. Hopefully you can see on this close up how I have used the stamp in two different ways. The first is stamping directly onto the gelli plate once the colours have been brayered onto it. I then take a print of this. This process itself loads the stamp with paint which I then also stamped directly onto card. One is the positive image, the other the negative image. If you are with me so far you have probably realised I must be working on more than one surface at a time! I actually had 5 or 6 going - all using similar blue colours, sometimes working dark to light and sometimes light to dark. I used PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Acrylics - Chalk, China, Pea Coat and Caribbean Sea. I added some additional stamping using Archival Ink in Forgot Me Not and Cobalt. Having created 5 or 6 pieces I selected my base layers and fish layers. For the latter I drew a couple of fish like shapes and cut them out - adding a little Chalk paint to the edges to highlight. I really enjoyed this process and how it came together. So often I use a lot of stamps and colours - but this really was 4 colours and 1 stamp. It was a little messy and my stamp needed a good clean afterwards to remove the paint but stamping onto (and then off) the gelli plate does create some wonderful effects. Nikki Blog: Addicted to Art Instagram: @A2Acardscraft Pinterest: nikacton

Ive just got hold of a tub of duraglit which is basically brasso soaked in wadding which you rip off and use to clean your brass ware. You can also use it as an alternative for the Nevrdull Techniq…

Mixed Media Monday was just the way to start our week! Thanks to all who joined me LIVE from my Studio! If you missed it here is a complete re-cap of the creative fun. This is the 11 X 14 original print I painted LIVE in one hour: MATERIALS LIST: Paper-Strathmore Mixed Media Vellum Surface,

Hello Friends! Hope you are enjoying your weekend, especially if this is a long weekend for you! It seems like I've be...

Dans ce tutoriel en vidéo, je vous montre comment réaliser un sac à main que vous pouvez garnir comme bon vous semble . amusez vous !

Three flat, one layer, watercolored cards using Waltzingmouse Hello Happy Thanks (this awesome set is on sale....). Supplies: Waltzingmouse Hello Happy Thanks (link above) Ranger Distress Stain Spiced Marmalade, Wilted Violet, and Abandoned Coral Hero Arts Lemon Yellow Ink Dauber Watercolor paper Paper Trimmer Big Shot (run folded watercolor card prior to inking through Big Shot to flatten.) Craft Sheet (placed between folded card as I applied the daubers across the card. This avoids getting ink all over by stamping surface and the interior of the card.) MOOD WHEN DONE = Delighted. Now it is time to clean up the mess I've created in my stamp zone and put away some new stuff.

While i was at Create Retreat in Costa Mesa, CA this past May, Jenn Mason filmed this for the "Mixed Media in Minutes" series at Cloth Paper Scissors. Jenn is doing some greound breaking projects over at CPS, this being one of them FREE technique videos! My instruction was to make a journal page in one minute, yes, 60 seconds!! Have you ever had a conversation with me? Am i capable of talking for only ONE minute?? Daunting, i know, but i was up for the challenge. I decided to color up a page spread with some Crafter's Workshop stencils and my spray inks. Many of you know this technique your sleep, but it's a great for newbies. It's basic, effective, colorful and doable in a New York minute! CHECK OUT THE VIDEO HERE: One Minute Journal Page for Cloth Paper Scissors This is one of my favorite journal pages and i have posted it before. These backgrounds were spritzed in minutes. I then had a beautiful surface to fill with journaling with my Signo white pen. Simple, simple, but so lovely. There you have your Mixed Media in Minutes, enjoy!

BLOGGED here for my What If Wednesday

Mixed Media Tutorial - Art Journal Step 1. Start your page by applying Black Texture paste through your favourite mandala stencil...