The Crafty Den: ATC Scrap Makes IG Hop September 25

Hello friends, I hope you're doing great and you've had a great start to your week. I'm back to share my ATCs for this months's ATC Scrap Makes IG Hop. We challenge you to use leftover die cuts, sentiments, and card stock to create Artist Trading Cards (ATCs). You can send them in happy mail, save them on a ring to highlight your favorite creations, swap them with friends, leave them on a co-worker’s desk, or add sweet notes to a lunchbox. Join us if you like; the only rules are to use scraps and create cards that are 2.5” x 3.5” in size. We share our little snippets of happiness on the third Tuesday of the month. Sounds like so much fun doesn't it.

The theme is always 'anything goes', we just want to be creative and make ATC's using up our scraps or leftovers. I went with a mixed media vibe this month and actually used a scrap of copy paper that I keep on my desk when I'm ink blending or splattering etc to mop up the mess. It looked really interesting and I thought it would make a great background for my ATCs. I did add more ink blending to make the pieces darker but it was a great starting point. I hope you like my ATCs this month (I made 4!).

Here are my ATCs:

I made them so that they could 'join' together:

A closer look at one of the ATCs:

Plus I decorated the backs:

This is the scrap of paper that was my starting point:

I began by cutting the background in 2 1/2" x 3/12" pieces; some were made up of smaller pieces but when they were glued together and all the extra details added it was hard to tell that there was a join. As I said I did add some extra ink blending to the backgrounds and also made some areas extra dark. I found some vintage text paper in my stash and used that to add some interest to the corners and edges of the ATCs, I also added some pink ink blending to these areas. I used a post card stamp set to add some black details and used a stencil and a damp wet wipe to take off the colour in some areas. For my focal images I stamped 2 butterflies onto the paper and coloured the inside with 2 promarkers, one purple and one pink, before using the coordinating die to cut them out. I lightly taped two of the ATCs together along the back with masking tape and glued the butterfly along the join with liquid glue. Once dry I then cut them apart so that half of the butterfly was on each ATC. I repeated this step on the other two ATCs. I finished with some white gouache splatters. For the reverse of the ATCs I used some of the text paper which I added with liquid glue. I ink blended some of the pink and blue inks around the edge and added an ATC info sticker in the middle. I'm really enjoying the mixed media look as it can be a little messy and still look good.

I would like to enter my ATCs into the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark (ink blending/splatters)

Craft Rocket challenge - dots and/or stripes (stencilled dots in my background)

Girlz and the Art of Letters challenge - Letter I (ink blending)

Moving Along With The Times challenge - butterflies or dragonflies

Paper Rocks Scissors challenge - use paper and/or scissors (text paper for butterflies and background, scissors to cut paper and butterflies in half)

Sweet Stampin' challenge - use die cuts (die cut my butterflies)

Tag-along (& ATCs) challenge - things with wings

Triple B challenge - use birds, blooms or butterflies optional mood board

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #ATCscrapmakes2025 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you.

I'll be back tomorrow with my card for the Cards for All Seasons IG Hop so I hope you will pop back and check it out. Until then thank you so much for stopping by.

Love and hugs,