ATC PLAY

Sometimes

you have to go back 

to your roots.

Artist Trading Cards

are my first love.

And my first foray 

into mixed media art.

I'm going through

an upheaval aka

disequilibrium.

My only chick is about to 

leave the nest.

Themes are running around here.

Middle age, 

and 

Launching my kid

are fighting for time

in my freakin psyche.

It's like an 

emotional roller coaster

around here. 

I wonder if 

I could be analysed

by these 

seemingly random

ATC subjects 

that just popped

into my head. 

Me thinks there is

a conspiracy afoot.

teehee.

Thanks for looking.

And I hope 

you are experiencing

more equilibrium than

disequilibrium.

xoS

ANTI-VALENTINES REVISITED

Just for fun

I'm going to post 

Anti-Valentines from past years.

Cuz, well, I haven't had time to create.

My first Photoshop class was last night.

I am HOOKED. Gone. Done. In Love. 

We spent an hour learning "selections". 

Old, tired after a day at work, selections

are not so easy. 

Keyboard Commands!! Who Knew!!

Hope you like the previously posted Anti-V's!

I'll post more oldies but goodies friday.

I'm off to practice selections. 

xoS

ANTI-VALENTINES 2011

First Batch!!

 "The Horror" 

is a Purell transfer 

using Apollo 7039 transparency 

and an ink-jet printer. ATC substrate

is Illustration board which takes the transfer like a dream.I added a little color on the lady's face with my new Pan Pastels and pencil. I messed up the other side of the ATC so I cut around it and mounted it on top of a piece of last years homemade Anti-V paper, "Blood Streaked". cool, right?    

"Extreme Measures" also uses the Illustration

board/purell/ink-jet transfer recipe. Pan pastels for color and a rub-on and eyelet. The dymo words do not want to stick to the Pan Pastels. Crap with a Capital C. I love my Dymo. 

"Louise" has as a substrate altered baby wipe adhered to a baseball card. The wipe is altered with watered down acrylic paints and alcohol inks. Transparency pic of Louise glued down (actually a leftover transp from a failed transfer), a bit of sequin waste and some silly brads and flowers as embellishment. And as you can see the damn words are lifting here too.

More to come.....

xoSusan

More ATC's Inspired by Music

First ATC is surprise, surprise, inspired by Ludo's "Love Me Dead" tune. Both ATC's have collage sheet freebies from Somerset Studio magazine, purell transfers, dymo words, oil pastels and chalks.

The next one is from Weezer's "No One Else":
I don't really stick to one "artistic style" but I guess a big portion of my work uses the same blond man from a cabinet card, transferring something over his face and adding words. I have come to love this man, and the man I use for most of my other cards, who I call Grumpy Guy in my head. My PhrenMen series uses the phrenology stamp and speaks to the "two faced-ness of man". or conflicting emotions in one man etc. I then added transferring shells over faces and now clowns and bones to my repertoire. The Blond Guy is under there. You just have to look real hard to find him. Kind of like real life. xoSusan

Dee's Teasel ATC

Dee, the glorious winner of my 200th blog post prize wins this 2 piece ATC. She likes Fred B. Mullett's teasel stamp. Bleached stamping, paper scraps, glimmer mist, chalk, rub-on corners, watch parts, embossing powder. I love this pair a lot, am quite proud of it. I hope Dee likes it. xoSusan

Mermaid ATC's

These next 2 ATC's are more practice with Purell transfers. I used an old book page, sticker flourish, oil pastels, Apollo transparency. I don't like the sticker, but when I tried to pull it up, it started to tear the image. Live and Learn!!

I really like this one. Old book page, purell transfers from Apollo transparency, and bling. I transfered on top of other transfers with very little wait time in between. No problems, nothing smeared. This is one of those times that practice results in a most satisfying ATC!!
I'm digging Purell big time. Almost as much as my white wine. Ok, well not that much. teehee.
xoSusan

Yet More Shell Seeker ATC's

Here are 2 more ATC's based on my beloved Ludo song, Love Me Dead. I think I may be obsessed.
The first one is scrapbook paper that I inked, purell transfered and beeswaxed. Another virgin foray into wax. Not so good. ah well. I got messy with the embossing powder too. But that just makes him More Hideous, right? There is also 7 Gypsies book tape on the bottom.

The second one is scrapbook paper, ink, chalk, purell transfer, rub-on. I just love this mans face. xoSusan

POST 199

POST 199 WAIT FOR IT!!! 1 MORE TO GO!!! MY GIVEAWAY WILL BE :

• A WHITE SIGNO UNIBALL PEN



• AN ATC OF YOUR CHOICE



• WHATEVER EPHEMERA I FEEL LIKE THROWING IN THE ENVELOPE AT THE TIME!!!!

LEAVE A COMMENT AND BUDDY GUY WILL RANDOMLY PICK A WINNER TONIGHT AFTER DINNER BUT BEFORE "TRUEBLOOD" BECAUSE I LOVE THAT SHOW!!! TEEHEE.

POST 200 COMING UP!!!

XOSUSAN

Two Fun ATC's

First is a male rendition of my "Stand A Little Less Between Me and The Sun" ATC. Purell transfer from an Apollo Transparancy, (which I am out of and having Serious Withdrawal from), scrapbook paper, stamping, chalk, ink, Dymo words, embossing powder.

I messed up the line from his eye to the planet. My gel pen was not cooperating, I am SO PISSED. The other lines are perfect. What does one do in this situation? Should I scrap him and start over? What do you do when you have an oopsie? Give me some advice, here. Is there a way I can fix that? The gel is not thick enough to scrap off with my xacto knife.

Next one uses a background I posted about previously. Tissue paper from my favorite store, Torrid, vintage sewing pattern, old map, lips from a Torrid clothing tag.

Remember when Snapple beverages had Facts on the underside of the bottle caps? Well, my daughter, who was probably 11 at the time, started saving them. This quote cracked us both up and we never forgot it. I knew one day it would pop up on an ATC. Those shiny lips were the inspiration I needed. xoSusan

More PhlyingPhren

This PhlyingPhren has a baseball card substrate. I went to the store 5 Below and got an obnoxious amount of cards, like 500, I think, I'm too lazy to get up and go look, for about 9.99. Philosophically, I believe the price should have been under 5 bucks, but the oft pierced and huge ear holed cashier hated me and I wasn't even gonna joke with him. Transparencies, scrapbook paper, ink, paper clip, brads, chalk pencil, pages from old Encyclopedia. This one has all the same stuff with the addition of a cool piece of chinese? ephemera received in a trade from another artist. I have received the most interesting things in trades. Often, I find the perfect embellishment in these generous goody bags!

The inspiration for these ATC's is the song, One Day I'll Fly Away, written by Joe Sample and Will Jennings. Nicole Kidman sang it in Moulin Rouge. But if you want to hear the BLUESY Most AWESOME rendition here is Randy Crawford sing it here.

One Day I'll FLy Away

I make it alone
When love is gone
Still you made your mark
Here in my heart

One day I'll fly away
Leave your love to yesterday
What more can your love do for me
When will love be through with me

I follow the night
Can't stand the light
When will I begin
My life again

One Day I'll fly away
Leave your love to yesterday
What more can your love do for me
When will love be through with me
Why live life from dream to dream
And dread the day that dreaming ends

One day I'll fly away leave your love to yesterday
What more can your love do for me
When will love be through with me
Why live life from dream to dream
And dread the day that dreaming ends

One day i'll fly away, fly away, fly away (repeat to fade)

Enjoy. xoSusan

Another Shell Seeker ATC

This one was fun. Baseball card substrate, scrapbook paper, transfer, embossing powder and chalk pencils. Love the colors. Words from the song, Basket Case, by Green Day. That song has a lot of other great lines for inspiration, too. I am keeping this one for Me! Oh, come on, admit it, Haven't you Ever Felt the Same Way???? xoSusan