Learn How To Create Artist Trading Coins

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by Elina Stromberg

If you like creating artist trading cards or ATC’s, I’m sure you’ve come across artist trading coins, too. They have become really popular lately; ATC Coins are just like artist trading cards but circular, with a diameter of 2.5 inches. When you make your first ATC Coins you’ll soon realize how fun the circular background is to work on. The coins are quick and easy to make, but even if the size is not too big there’s still quite a lot of space to play with patterns and textures.

Skill: Beginner
Time: 1 hour

Directions


Step 1

My plan was to make a set of light pinkish purple coins, as our beautiful color of the month is Lavender. I created the backgrounds for the entire set that I painted with Fireworks – my favorite liquid watercolors. Fireworks Shimmery Craft Sprays come with a gorgeous lavender color, but as I did not have it in my stash I mixed the pinkish purple lavender color myself. For this, I used ‘Paris Dusk’ and ‘Rose Bud’, and I think it worked out quite nicely. Instead of spraying, I applied the color on the paper with a brush. Before painting, I misted the page with plain water which helped the colors spread on the page. I’m always so intrigued about that process; it’s fun to watch the colors take their own path on the paper, without being able to fully control the flow of the colors. True color mindfulness!


Step 2

I used my heat gun to push the wet color on the page, and once the paper was dry I cut the circles with my BigShot die-cutting machine. One of the Sizzix nesting circle dies has a diameter of 2.5 inches, so the circular coin backgrounds were quick to cut.


Step 3

Using the Memento ‘Lulu Lavender’ ink I stamped some patterns on the background before gluing down my stamped and colored main images. The same ink I also used for inking the edges of the coins. I’m really happy how my lavender artist trading coins turned out!

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • White mixed media paper
  • Watercolor brush
  • Water mister
  • Heat gun
  • Wycinanka – Text pattern stamp
  • Spellbinders – Bird stamp & matching stencil
  • Sizzix – Circle die & die-cutting machine
  • Alcohol markers for coloring
  • Glue

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