by Elina Stromberg
Artist Trading Cards aka ATC’s are wonderful little pieces of art. Their small 3.5” x 2.5” size doesn’t require too many materials nor too much time. Using just one single sheet of mixed media or watercolor paper you can create a pile of cards on one go. This set of ATC’s was inspired by the beautiful autumn nature. Bright, bold colors, and wilted garden flowers getting ready for winter. Simple but elegant, and so fun to create!
Skill: Beginner
Time: 1 hour
Directions

Step 1
Apply purple, pink, and orange Memento DewDrops on a white mixed media paper with Jumbo Daubers. Sprinkle water on the inked paper, letting the colors to mix. Let dry or dry with a heat gun.

Step 2
Decorate paper by stamping random text patterns on the paper. Use only one pattern stamp, but two ink colors (orange Memento Tangelo and dark purple VersaFine Clair Fantasia). Cut several cards from the inked and stamped sheet. The standard size of ATC is 2.3” x 3.5”. If you want to mat the cards on a solid color cardstock, trim these foreground cards slightly smaller than ATC. Mix white acrylic paint with water, and sprinkle paint drops on the cards. Let dry.

Step 3
Cut ATC backgrounds from dark red cardstock. Attach card fronts on the backgrounds with two-sided tape. Stamp flower shapes on the cards using black VersaFine Clair. Decorate ATC’s with word stickers that express sentiments such as “friends,” “treasure,” and “inspiration.”
Supplies
Imagine
- VersaFine Clair – Nocturne, Fantasia
- Memento DewDrops – Rose Bud, Lilac Posies, Tangelo
- Jumbo Daubers
Other
- White mixed media paper
- Cardstock – Dark Red
- Acrylic paint
- Stamps – Text stamp (‘Tekst’ by Wycinanka); Flower stem stamps (Artemio)
- Word stickers
- Double-sided tape
Your ATCs are beautiful, Elina! I really like the colors you used, and the bold black stamping!