Hello everyone,
Today I am sharing a set of three dragonfly Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) created using a mixture of old favourites, recent purchases, and a little bit of creative recycling.
One of the things I have enjoyed most since returning to regular crafting is rediscovering supplies that have been quietly waiting in drawers and cupboards for years. These ATCs are a perfect example of that.
The base for each ATC was cut using a Tim Holtz Alterations Bigz die called ATC & Corners. I honestly could not tell you how old this die is, but it still works beautifully and creates the perfect foundation for Artist Trading Cards.
For the background, I recycled some brown packing paper from a recent Amazon delivery. The paper was coloured with Gathered Twigs and Frayed Burlap Distress Inks before being embossed with my trusted wood grain embossing folder. I wanted to create the look of aged timber, providing a rustic backdrop for the dragonflies and foliage.
The embossing was done using another blast from the past, my Sizzix Texture Boutique. Although it is no longer widely available, I did spot a few for sale on eBay while researching supplies for this post. It is always satisfying to see older tools still earning their place on the craft desk.
I tested a few options before making the final decision and glueing things down.
The decorative dragondlies were die cut using a selection of dies from Temu and assembled using my usual liquid glue. I layered the delicate foliage and sections of honeycomb die cuts and finished each ATC with shimmering dragonflies that add a lovely touch of colour and movement against the natural wood grain background.
Each card was completed with a black die-cut sentiment. The words were created one letter at a time using an old Tattered Lace Alphabet set. It took a little patience, but I think the finished sentiments add a lovely personalised touch to each card.
To finish the backgrounds, I added subtle white and black splatter using my Chakola paint pens. The effect is quite delicate and not immediately obvious in the photographs, but it adds an extra layer of texture and interest to the finished cards.
The sentiments I chose were:
- Transform
- Joy
- Flight
All three words felt perfectly suited to dragonflies, which are often associated with change, freedom, growth, and embracing new beginnings.
One thing I discovered while writing this post is just how many of the products I used come from a different era of my crafting journey. Finding links and information for some of these older supplies proved to be more challenging than making the ATCs themselves! It was a lovely reminder that good tools never really go out of style.
Thank you for stopping by today. I hope these little dragonflies have inspired you to dust off some forgotten supplies and give them a new lease of life.
Until next time,
Bon
