Artistic Trading Cards received during exchanges

Project: Artistic Trading Cards received during exchanges

Designers: Names under each ATC whenever I could find identification

which is all except one person

Type of needlework: Mixed media

Photos: 5

Comments: I have recently found in my treasure box some Artistic Trading Cards received during various exchanges done in the past and I thought it would be fun to put them on my blog. I took group photos and identified most of the ATC makers. Sorry about the one that I could not do so.

The first two photos above show the front and the back of an ATC made by someone that I unfortunately can't identify anymore. I should have written her name down.

From left to right with middle ones included starting with the upper one: Denise C., Mireille V., Terry W.,

Denise C., Elaine E.

From left to right, by rows starting with the left one above: Mary J.T., Mary J.T., Darsie B., Linda F.

From left to right, by rows starting with the left one above: Linda L., Terry W., Denise C., Juliette C.

Links of Artistic Trading Cards I have made and given away: Guardian Angel, Dancing Queen, Halloween ID Card, Little Clown

Guardian Angel for a Friend

Project: Guardian Angel for a Friend

Designer: Something I put together

Type of needlework: Embroidery

Photo: 1

Comments: When a very dear friend of mine got sick a few years ago, I wanted her to have something special with her during that difficult time, something that she could carry with her wherever she went, something that would let her know that she was not alone, that she was loved and that good vibes were coming her way and that all would be allright in the end, which I am happy to report that it did.

The size is a something between an ATC (Artistic Trading Card) and a postcard. It has for background a lovely cigarette silk print of an angel, which I have outlined with threads, couched a little gold thread around the wings and halo and made some roses with silk ribbons.

-------------

UPDATES ON TWO PROJECTS: JUNE 30, 2010

Wild Rose has been framed and a photograph can be seen at the end of the post here.

Winter Frost has also been framed and you can see a photograph at the end of that past too. Here is the link.

Dancing Queen: Jean Walter, designer

Project: Dancing Queen

Designer: Jean Walter

Type of needlework: Cross Stitch

Photos: 2

Free pattern can be found here at the Chart-Shop on http://www.cross-stitching.com/

Comments: New Year Eve was coming fast and I happened to come across this funny cross stitch chart and I immediately thought of a good friend of mine.

I could actually visualize her dancing the night away and I could not stop grinning from ear to ear while thinking about it.  I knew then that I just had to stitch it for her. This darling design shows a woman with attitude, full of confidence, knowing her worth and .......... unless she  ........... just had one too many. Nah!

I decided to finish it as a little Artistic Trading Card (ATC) so that she could carry it with her and show it to her friends and family members, which she did and it brought lots of laughs.

(Photo before finishing)

A Little Story with Artistic Trading Cards: The Secret Knicker Gang

ATC # 1: Created by Elaine

Project: A Litttle Story with Artistic Trading Cards

Designers: The Secret Knicker Gang

Type of needlwork: Artistic Trading Cards

Photos: 7

Comments: The idea of creating a little story with ATCs (Artistic Trading Cards) came to the Secret Knicker Gang, minus myself, during the time we were making the miniature knickers.

As I said in a previous post here, we had lots of fun, exchanging ideas, joking around, etc. and since I am Francophone, I sometimes express myself in ways that is not what one can call "perfect" English and it makes things funny at times.

Anyway, we kept talking about dropping our knickers at the post office to send to Terry and it did not take too long before ideas germinated in their mind and they started plotting something else.

Without my knowing anything about it, the Secret Knicker Gang decided to play a secondary joke on me this time around and made those little ATCs telling a little story. Each member of the Secret Knicker Gang was responsible for her part in that story.

In the 1st Artistic Trading Card above, Elaine established my position as Commander-in-Chief of the Secret Knicker Gang. Would that mean that I was the "bossy" one?

In the 2nd one below, Jackie created a POSTER with my photo and the knickers that got me on the Ten Most Wanted, mostly at post offices.

In the 3rd ATC created by Linda, the Gang tried to establish a good defense for me or perhaps I was just in plain denial about the whole thing. Sometimes they go hand in hand.

In the 4th one created by Jill, she put me in a different pair of knickers, one that would fit better with the prison life that might or would be in store for me, if things went all wrong.

In the 5th ATC created by Catharine, we can see my initials, a saw, a heart and a pair of knickers. Does that  mean a broken heart due to dropping my knickers at the Post Office or over a bad possible outcome like "life in prison"?

In the 6th one, Denise provided me with some useful tools that I might/would need in prison, perhaps to launch a daring escape.

In the 7th  and final ATC created by Kerry, she is showing everyone a precedent which perhaps might be used in court by my attorney for my defense. I am thinking that if that does not prove my innocence, I am not sure what will. I may be able to stay home after all (big grin)

---------------------------------

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT A POSSIBLE MOUNTMELLICK STITCH ALONG

 Yvette Stanton is considering having a Stitch Along with one of her Mountmellick project if enough stitchers are interested in participating. You may read more about it here and perhaps you could leave her a message letting her know if that is something that you might be interested in participating in.

Yvette Stanton website is Vetty Creations.  I intend to participate myself. I have got most of her books, but have not yet stitched anything of hers, so I thought that this would be an ideal way to start me going with this technique.

--------------------------------

Now, let's continue with the little story created by The Secret Knicker Gang

ATC #2: Created by Jackie Y.

ATC #3: Created by Linda F.

ATC #4: Created by Jill

ATC #5: Created by Catharine

ATC #6: Created by Denise

ATC #7: Created by Kerry

-- END OF STORY and no harm ever came to me as of course there was never any actual dropping of knickers except of course those that had already been packed in a nice little package for Terry --

Halloween ID Card

Project: Halloween ID Card for Terry

Designer: I took the witch design from http://cathycreatif.free.fr/index_galerie.php

and added details to make it look like a real Witch ID Card

(if such a beast has ever existed)

Type of needlework: Mixed media and Embroidery

Photo: 1

Comments: Anytime that I get close to Halloween I start feeling the urge of stitching something a bit on the wild side and that was no exception for some past Halloween when I decided that I wanted to make something special for my friend Terry and I thought to myself what could be more personal than giving Terry her own Halloween ID Card, right?

There has been an ongoing joke between the two of us, with her jumping on her broomstick to come visit me in order to save on petrol (she lives in the UK) and I live in the USA and they don't put "gas" in their car overthere like we do here but they rather put "petrol" instead (grinning).

I was real concerned that with all the Halloween sky traffic, some overzealous policeman might stop her and ask her for some identification. She could nott very well show him her driver's permit since she would be flying and not driving, so I thought that with a Witch ID card made especially for her, she might then be ready for all eventualities no matter over which country air traffic space she might happen to be flying over at any given time.
I scanned the photo as the digital camera was not giving me good pictures, but I am afraid that her hair got a bit squeezed in the process. Oh well, we can't win them all.

It was actually a long process to make that little ID card as first I had to decide on some drawings for the witch, then I had to find photos for the ID itself, put the two together in a design, then I added a bit of color with Prismacolor crayons, then scanned it and printed it on fabric. After that I actually started stitching, then added a bit more color this time with some watercolor crayons and a little bit of water, then I found some purple fabric for the back, put a little padding in between and stitched the back with the front.

Of course, I had to write Terry's name with profession and I could not resist the impulse to stitch a little spider too. No Halloween respectable photograph would find itself without either spiderwebs or spiders, so added that last detail. Since I did not want the stitching community to think that Terry is a witch in real  life, I stitched her a plastic nose which is being held with an elastic. I gave her some reddish hair as those are Terry's natural hair color. I did not want to make her clothing too chic either as she is a witch after all and they are not supposed to be well dressed, at least I don't think so.

I had lots of fun with this little project and Terry also had fun with it showing it around.

Little clown

Project: Little clown

Type of needlework: Embroidery

Designs from http://cathycreatif.free.fr/index_galerie.php

(beautiful drawings that can be adapted to embroidery)

Finishing: Done as an ATC (artistic trading card)

Photo: 1

Comments: I love to try things at least once so when we had some ATC (Artistic Trading Card) exchanges, I signed up for some of them.

This is a little clown I have stitched for which I found a drawing on the website listed above. All that remains after that was to decide how to stitch him, what colors to use, etc.

I decided to do a bit of thread painting for part of his outfit, added a few juggling balls, finished it and it was ready to be mailed. I really like the little fellow and I wish I could have kept it. I have this thing for clowns ever since I made a drawing of one of them in class when I was in eight grade and I surprised myself and my art teacher as it was so well drawn with a very sad expression on his face. I am not normally great at drawing so this was one in a lifetime extra special drawing. Too bad I don't have that one either. I need to stitch myself a clown and keep it this time around.

If I had to redo this clown ATC again, I would probably put a cardboard piece sandwiched between the two pieces of fabric so that it would end up straighter. It looks a bit ragged as it is (grinning).