Monday, January 16, 2012

Woo Hoo! ATC's With Melissa Samuels and an ATC Challenge!!!

Hello Everyone:)

How did I get here again so soon!
LOL!!!
Yes, it was just yesterday that I did one of the
largest blog posts I've done in a long time,
but with the Fun Giveaway Announcements,
and all the Wonderful Eye Candy I had to 
share, I wanted to get it all listed before
Todays Fabulous Blog Post!!
(So if you have the time, and a cup of coffee settle in
and have a Boo!:)

I'm so very pleased, as it's been a little while, to share with you todays blog post is with my Dear Friend

Melissa Samuels


Melissa asked me back in December if I would be interested 
in doing some ATC's for a blog post 
Featuring her Shop's
Great Selection of ATC Products and Accessories.
No Problem!!! I love ATC's!

In case you don't know what an ATC is, 
here is my knowledge on the subject. 
An ATC is an 'Artists Trading Card'.
Artist Trading Cards are for the sole intention for 
trading with other artists, and are not for sale.
There are a plethora of websites on the Internet just for the fun of making and trading ATC's! 
And, I believe the only rule in making ATC's is that they 
are to be exactly 2 1/2" wide x 3 1/2" long.
And that's the only rule!
You can use any medium in art you wish to make 
an ATC, as long as you have them the correct size!



Well I have to tell you.
Melissa  has a Wonderful Full Product Line of
anything you might need for making ATC's!


With a Full Selection of Inkssentials Brand
Artist Trading Card Blanks in a huge selection 
from Card Stock Blanks to Black Chipboard
and everything in between!
(Tags too!:)

Melissa so kindly sent me a selection of the 
Inkssentials Brand Blanks and other Products
for making Todays Project:)
And Scor-Tape too!
I hadn't seen the Scor-Tape before in such great
sizes, from 1/8" all the way to 1/2" and above!


And look at all these Fabulous Embellishments!
Woo Hoo!!
Everything from Prima Brand Shabby Chic Treasures,
Melissa Francis Brand Vintage Embellishments,
Websters Pages Sparklers, and even
My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Pad 
of 6x6 Papers
in all the colours I'll be needing, 
as today I'm making 
Valentines Day related ATC's:)

So lets get to it!

The ATC's that I'll be showing you, are all
going to be 3 Dimensional as that is my 
very favourite kind of ATC.
Because I enjoy making Mixed Media 
Altered Assemblages when I can find the
time, I tend to enjoy in other mediums
building layers. So any of these ATC's
I'm showing you today, are just 'my' thing.
When it comes to doing your own, 
do your own favourite type of ATC, 
paint, draw, cut and paste,
staple, sew, glue,
whatever you chose:)

Using the wonderful 6 x 6 pad of 

My Mind's Eye Paper that Melissa sent me, 
I covered the Inkssentials Blank ATC with
paper using the Scor-Tape to secure the paper.
These lovely papers come double sided and 
I kept in mind that the other side was complimentary
to the print on the front, so not to waist the paper,
I would cut a piece for the front, then flip and cut
a piece for the back of the ATC. Always do the 
backs of your ATC's as that is where you'll be 
signing and dating your ATC's for Trading them!
I also chose in this example a
Melissa Francis Brand 
Vintage Embellishment Frame and 
Prima Brand Shabby Chic Treasures Corners.
I had the Red Heart Button and chose a vintage
music sheet to back the frame 
with to offset the button.
Melissa also sent a lovely bag full of 
samples of all sorts of beautiful 
lace and ribbon trims that she also 
carries in her shop! 
Paper flowers, and lovely Pins too! 
(Yummy and so much fun!! LOL)

In this example
the double sided paper had this lovely
graphic of a pair of birds on the other side,
you'll see in the finished ATC pictures what
I did with it:)
I like to use Ranger Brand
Inkssentials Glossy accents to attach my
3D Embellishments as I think it helps
them stay on the card stock well.
And I also always edge my ATC's with
Tim Holtz Distress Inks to give a 
Vintage Edge to my ATC's.

So that's the basics of how I made the ATC's
in Todays Blog Tutorial!

Thanks to all of you for checking in!
wait....what am I forgetting.....
oh yeah...


(grin)

Like I said before, these are just suggestions
of some 3D ATC's 


and everything you see on these examples
you are able to find in Melissa's shop
at


(except this little charm, that was mine, LOL)


And as you can tell these are all about...


Valentines Day:)


So I really hope you all will consider making 
some ATC's or get back into making ATC's!
And check out Melissa's Great Selection of Products 
to get you started and/or back into making them!
Matter of fact.....while I think of it....

Here's a little idea:)

I made 5 ATC's for this Tutorial 
if you all might be interested,
and to encourage you to get into making
your own ATC's:)

Leave a Comment on this Post
(and sign on as a Google Follower if you 
aren't one already:)

And on Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
I will pick 5 Winners to send these ATC's to:)
But here's the catch!

The 5 Winners have to make 
1 Valentine's related ATC
of their own to mail back to me:)
When I have received all 5 of your ATC's
I will post them here on
Birdnuts Mixed Media's Blog
to 
Highlight Your ATC's!

Please do leave me a Comment anyway as I always
appreciate hearing from you all, but Highlight
in your Comment if you're throwing your hat in 
for the ATC Challenge!!!
Woo Hoo!!!

I'll Announce the Winners 
in the Challenge
on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012!
And send you an email for your mailing information
to send you one of the Tutorial ATC's!

Big Thanks to Melissa Samuels
for all the Fun Goodies she sent to me
for the making of these ATC's!

Now get to making your ATC's!!!

ENJOY!!!