January Faith Art - Artist Trading Cards

Hello friends!  A quick post today to share my January artist trading cards for the "52 Card Pick-up" group.  I didn't sign up for the class til late january so I'm playing catch up.  The class / group is taught by Stephanie Ackerman.  Stephanie had the idea to alter a deck of playing cards.  I've been working on trying to fill up my Revolving ATC holder for a while now, so all my cards will be for that.  If you check out Stephanie's blog you will see she loves faith art and the grunge look.  She is known for using hearts as her main element on projects.   If you need some inspiration to get you started on a project like this then please join the class.  Details HERE.  There are lots of creative ways you can use your cards beyond the standard ATC's.

Create them to add to the front of cards or scrapbook layouts.  Make a mini album out of them.  One member is doing a set for her grandson.  Use some of them as book marks.  The sky's the limit.

As a part of the class she creates an ATC each week, and share's some techniques or idea's that she uses to create hers.  But you can do what ever you like.  I have a lot of stamps .... so my first cards will focus on how I can use them to create faith art cards .... like the Hero Arts chair image above.  And I LOVE butterflies, so I will try to make them the thing that I try to work in as much as possible.

Normally ATC's are 2.5" x 3.5" and if I were doing a swap I would stick to that.  But since this is for my Revolving ATC holder, I'm making them a little wider to compensate for having to punch the notches to attach them.  So I am adding 3/8".  

The other fun thing about doing them for me is that I can hang things over the edges without the constraints of the standard 2.5" x 3.5" size, like the ruffle on card #1.

Tips of idea's for creating my cards :

Card #1

1.  Spray book paper and add random stamp patterns in black ink.

2.  Stamp heart on green tissue paper.  Use tissue paper to create a ruffle and then stamp polka dots over it.  

3. Use oil pastel to add that grunge look (Stephanie shares another product that she uses for this).

Stamp Image : SU

Card #2

I created this background a while back and shared the tutorial HERE.

Stamp Image : Hero Arts

Card #3

This one is just patterned paper with script stamp over it.  One of the things I like to use to add just a little random pattern to a background is the "Rollagraph" stamp wheel by Clear Snap.  I know that SU sells them as well.  It allows you to lightly apply the image / ink in small area's. So when I talk about randomly stamping the background with an image I've either used my Rollagraph wheel or added ink to a background stamp only in small area's.  Hopefully that makes sense.  

Stamps : Gina K. Designs

Card #4

Consider creating a background by typing the words over and over again and then printing them on your paper.  I used words from a new Christian song by Colton Dixon "You Are"

On the back of the card I'm either printing the full bible verse or some personal journaling about what the verse means to me.

Hope you have a blessed day!!

hugs, Melisa

You can check out all my Faith Art HERE
You can check out all my ATC's HERE
You can check out more background inspiration HERE