Make Artist Trading Cards with a Grungy Twist

Are you a crafter that loves mixed media projects? Or maybe you have always wanted to create a mixed media project and don’t know where to start? Join us and learn how to create a set of grungy-style Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) using elements from the Sunny Days Collection. These works of art are packed with personality with a mix of layers, distressed finishes, and bold bugs as focal images, a perfect way to explore different techniques on a small scale.

Hello everyone! 

Jacqueline here. Join me in making grunge-style Artist Trading Cards (ATCs). I love turning projects into something that looks really old, and today, I will show you how I do this. I used stamps and dies from the Everyday Elements collection for this project.

Step 1: First, stamp sentiments over a sheet of thin paper. I used printer paper and the stamps in the Playful Sentiments set.

Step 2: Then I added brown Ink to an acrylic block, sprayed it with water, and pressed the ink onto the paper. Once I was happy with the coverage, I scrunched up the paper to wrinkle it and give it that distressed feel.

Step 3: Once dry, I tore off a piece of the paper, gently inking over the top to highlight some of the texture added when we scrunched the paper up. Then ink the edges, to really give it that grungy look. The rest of the sheet can be used in another project.

Step 4: I then stamped and die cut the beetle from the Beetles and Bugs Stamp and Die Set before coloring it with watercolor paints.

Step 5: I did the same with the bee from the same set. Once dry, I colored the parts I wanted black with a gel pen and added white highlights with a white acrylic marker.

Step 6: To build the ATCs, I cut the ATC card and background paper using the Classic ATC cutting die folder and inked the edges. Then, it’s just a matter of gluing all of your elements in place. First, glue down your stamped paper and then add your bugs on top. You can even add additional elements if you want to, like the greenery I’ve added to the Bee ATC.

Now that you know how to make these Artist Trading Cards, let’s make more with the other bugs from the Everyday Elements collection. I loved to see your Sunny Days ATCs

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Elizabeth Craft Designs Products Used:

Other products used: Print paper, White Acrylic marker, Black gel marker and Brown and black distress inks