Romance Is In The Air by Gabrielle

Romance is in the air!

For those in the UK under a blanket of snow it might be hard to believe that Valentine’s Day is round the corner! Tim Holtz has released some fabulous stamps called Valentine Blueprints which fit Valentine’s Day perfectly (or indeed lots of other occasions like an anniversary!)

I chose to make a chunky ATC to showcase all of the stamps. An ATC (Artist Trading Card) is often used as a swop so you can make a batch of them and then give them to other crafters in return for one of theirs. If you are not familiar with an ATC the dimensions are 3.5" x 2.5" but you could cheat like I usually do and use a die! A chunky ATC is a 3 dimensional ATC often made of wood. The dimensions are 2.5" x 3.5" and are 1.5" thick. I am lucky to have an obliging dad with a saw but I am sure your local hardware store will chop up a little wood for you if 7you aren’t able to chop them yourself.

I painted the block with PaperArtsy’s Snowflake paint and then sanded it when it was dry. I rubbed Gathered Twigs Distress Ink over the edges to give a worn look. The images were all stamped using Jet Black Archival Ink onto white card and cut out with the sentiment word cut separately. I stamped the cupid onto the block and then cut out my card cupid and edged him with Barn Door Distress Ink (he’s my favourite of the stamps!). The Queen of Hearts was coloured with Postbox Red, Lemon Zest and Bubblegum Pink Dylusions Inks decanted into water brushes and edged with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.

The 14 was coloured with Postbox Red Dylusions Ink as before. The heart was coloured with Bubblegum Pink Dylusions Ink in a water brush and then the word inked in with Postbox Red ink. I then clapped a little water over the top (as I did here) to blend the colours. When they were all dry I adhered them to the block with Glossy Accents.

The top is a Leaf Art Part, painted with PaperArtsy London Red paint and a little of the Snowflake paint on the edges. The heart is from Wendy Vecchi’s Blossom Bucket range. If you choose, you can then stand your chunky ATC on legs (like these!) or like I did, an old spool but you don’t have to stand it on something if you’d rather not!

I hope that you like my chunky ATC and find time to make one yourself!