Picturetelling!

P + S: New Craft Idea (for me)--ATC's

 

THE SETUP

Have you ever heard of ATC's?  Well, I hadn't until this week.  They're an intriguing art form that I was introduced to in a blog post at Altered By Me.  Apparently, there's a whole community of multi-media artists and crafters who make these little Artist Trading Cards using a variety of fine art techniques.  I say little, because they are restricted to 2.5 X 3.5 in size.  They're traded among members of the ATC community.  Arlene Mobley offers instructions for making them out of fabric embellished with transferred images.

 

THE STORY

Are you like me?  Do you love a challenge?  Do you love creating NEW artwork or writing?  I'm not one to produce repeats of the same project.  Oh, I'll create multiples of the same Heritage Makers storybook so all the interested people in my family can have a copy, but then I'll move on to a new, novel project.

So, reading about ATC's sparked my imagination, (I'm not alone--read Jessica Torres' blog, Life, Love, Yarn), and I wondered if I could create some artworthy ATC's in the same vein as Arlene Mobley's using Heritage Makers' online Studio. 

THE PICTALE

I tried my hand at creating paper trading cards with Heritage Makers' Premier collection of digital art.  (The photo below is a digital rendition of downloaded previews of the four separated artist trading cards, which is why the resolution is not as sharp as the actual cards will be.)

Also, in the Heritage Makers Online Studio, previews can be downloaded and printed onto fabric or transfer sheets to make fabric ATC's and book covers the way Arlene Mobley does.

I truly welcome comments and critique from artists who trade ATC's.  I may have broken all kinds of rules by making up designs without thoroughly researching the art form.  What do you think?

 

A PARTIAL HOW-TO WITH AN OFFER

I can tell you how to make 4 ATC's on one 5 x 7 digital postcard.  The dimensions fit perfectly. 

    1.  In the online program I use, there's a ruler on the Studio Toolbar that helped me create boxes that are 2.5" x 3.5".

  

   2.  I swapped out the boxes for background papers.

 
  

   3.  Then I embellished each card with photos and digital artwork.  (Some of you will recognize my granddaughters.)

 

If you're trying to make your ATC's online, would you like to eliminate the first step where you create the template?  If you said "YES", then you're in luck--I'll give you the 4-piece template so you can start creating your ATC's immediately!

Just respond to my email, and write ATC Template in the subject line; I'll send you the template as a jpeg.  Do you want to use the program I use? Click here to start creating! Just go to "Start a new account" at the top of the website's home page.

There are several videos and tutorials on the website I use and on You Tube to help you create.  And then, of course, I can help you, too.

ATC ARTISTS...

I meant what I said when I asked for criticism of my first foray into making ATC's.  Just venture on down to the red word COMMENTS, or possibly an open comment box at the bottom of THIS post.  I'd love to know if I'm on the right path, or way off, with my digital designs.  I'd also be interested in knowing what the most satisfying or motivating factor for making ATC's is.

Arlene, (I think) I'd love to know what you think... 

I ordered publishing of my postcard today, so I can trade my cards in a week or so.  Does anyone want to trade with me?

P + S IS BEST! ~Donna

 

P + S: Bunnies and jellybeans or Jesus?

THE SETUP

I love Easter. It just blows my mind that God loves you and me SO MUCH that He sent His Son to Earth to be the sacrificial lamb that takes away the sins of the world and purifies us so we can be in a relationship with God, our Holy Father. 

(I am eating Easter candy right now, but) I'm sending you an Easter card that eschews images of the Easter Bunny, candy baskets, Easter eggs and baby chicks because I'm celebrating Christ's resurrection today, and His triumph over death.  Because Jesus overcame death, we can have eternal life with Him, if we believe in His power to save us, too.  What an amazing and reassuring promise!  Truly a reason to celebrate!

(Max Lucado has put out two fantastic and easy to follow books about God's gifts of grace and salvation. They're "In the Grip of Grace", and "3:16, the Numbers of Hope".  He writes with a lot of entertaining metaphors and parables, and makes tough-to-understand topics clear.)

THE PICTURE

True Hope Christian Fellowship, Forest Grove, OR, awash in sunlight! 
 

THE STORY

This photo was a total accident--or should I say surprise?  I only saw the front of my church in my viewfinder; I didn't see all those rays shining down! 

Whenever I see a painting or a landscape photo with the vibrant sun pouring out of the clouds, I'll call it a "God picture" because it reminds me of art I've seen of the Ascension or the Second Coming of Christ.  I used this photo in my card because It looks like a WONDERFUL, bright, God picture, full of promise! 

 

 

THE DETAILS

I whipped this card up in less than 30 minutes.  This time I used my St. Patrick's Day card as a template, and I swapped out the paper, put braid in place of the lace, changed the angle of my drop shadow, and used a different font for the Bible verse.  I used a picture frame this time to enclose the picture, too.  I could print this out with my printer, but I only need an e-card again today.   My Heritage Makers online Premier account has 45,000 pieces of digital art and amazing effects tools that helped me change my St. Patrick's Day card to an Easter card.

I'd be glad to send you a FREE video tutorial for this Easter postcard if you email me at donna@sharefamilystories.com.  Just put EASTER CARD in the subject line, and I'll also give you my template, which is the completed St. Patrick's Day card.  This tutorial is much shorter, because the design was already developed, so you're just swapping out elements.  If you sign up for a free Heritage Makers account, I'll put an invitation (2-sided postcard) in your account!  Invitations are better than postcards, because the company will address your envelopes and mail them out for you!
  
I hope your Easter was wonderful!!

P + S IS BEST! ~Donna

P + S: New Year's Resolutions + Picture(s)

THE SET UP

I asked my facebook friends if they made resolutions for this year and got 2 responses--"Absolutely NOT!" and "uh, no!"  That surprised me, even though at my age, I was feeling the same way--my efforts at change rarely last more than a month.  Unexpectedly and serendipitously, I decided to take a new approach to my goals for 2010, and this is what it looked like.

THE PICTURE

 

Not a flattering picture, and I would probably discard it, except what I'm doing turned out to be important.  What's the pictale?

 

 

 

 

 

THE STORY

My Bible passage January 1st was Psalm 84, and it was very pointed in its implications for me.  So loud and clear, in fact that I realized my goals for improvement in 2010 were laid out right there: 

1.  Obey God more.  vs 1-2: "...my heart and my soul cry out for the living God."  God lives in me and I need to be obedient.

2.  Praise God more.  v 4: "Blessed are those who dwell in your house, they are ever praising you."

3.  Recognize that my strength is in God.  v 5: "Blessed are those whose strength is in you..."

4.  Pray more.  v 8: "Hear my prayer, O Lord Almighty; listen to me O God of Jacob."

5.  Trust God more.   v 12: "O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you."

Why are these MY goals?  I'm God's child who he looks after, and He makes sure that all my needs are met.  Where is my responsibility in these goals?  Remembering to honor my Father by following them daily.  What do I think will result from adopting these actions daily?  I think my life will be focused on correct priorities.

REMEMBERING YOUR RESOLUTIONS.  

I have 5 goals, which is probably too many for traditional resolutions.  But since mine are all related to one another, my action on one actually can support them all.  But just in case, because I 'm so easily distracted, I made a poster at www.sharefamilystories.com to remind me.    You can look at the poster here.  The project viewer is not HD; it looks best at the full size view.  You can make one, too.  email me to start your own.

SHARE!  Whether you're a digital pictureteller, traditional scrapbooker, journaler, or you just listed your new goals for a better year in 2010 on a scrap of paper, I'll post them here, if you share.  Here's a doodle from Ro at Scrapgirls.com--reminds me of my facebook friends!