MONSTER MASH, made by Julie on Sept. 30, 2010. Outlines and edges done with Slick Paint, and all areas filled in with seed beads and coated with varnish. Done on illustration board ATC cards. Sent all 4 cards to Soulbrush, whom I just had the idea I wanted to do that with...now she is making me some monster cards too! Yeah! Hehehe...

Made by Julie on March 13, 2010. Sent to SIL, Doris, in Louisiana!

ELLIE THE ELEPHANT, made by Julie on 2-20-2010. Made for a young girl far far away. A felt ATC.

Made for blogger friends!

OWL ATC, made by Julie in Jan 2010, for Laurel @ Studio Lolo


Cactus ATC, made by Julie, in Jan 2010, for Teri @ Painted Daisies

Both made from felt, with added names in beads.

ART HEARTS FOR HAITI ATC, made by Julie on 1/21/2010. "Touswit" means IMMEDIATELY in Creole!

Anyone can contribute to this art project (deadline Jan 29, 2010)...to raise money for Haiti victims of the earthquake. Click on logo at top of my sidebar to visit Laure at Painted Thoughts to see how to do this!

Karen and Julie were missing our other ATC maker, Ginny. She will be home in only 5 weeks, from Germany and can get together with us (or we hope she will anyway) to make fun ATC's!!! Looking forward to your getting home, Ginny!!!!!

ABOVE: "Stuffed Cactus" by Karen on 6-14-09

ABOVE: "Hot Cactus Nites" by Julie on 6-14-09

EARTH DAY by Julie, made on 4-20-09.
Newest technique to prepare the playing card for painting. I sanded it lightly to rough up the surface and painted it with one coat of Gesso. The painting was much quicker this way and you don't need as many coats to get what you are looking for. I love this new way that I just learned by reading a few altered board book websites! Possibly a new thing to try as well, one day!

I use a black construction paper to cover the back of my playing card and write the details using a white Milky Pen! It works great!

I left this card bare naked (NO gloss, or sealer) so it could be as natural as possible for Earth Day!

GALAXY STRAND made by Julie on 4-14-09

Background: Enamel shimmer
Circles: Acrylics
Top coat: High Gloss Varnish

Palm Beach Paradise, by Julie on 4-12-09

Painted in acrylics, with newspaper words added and coated with several layers of sexy high gloss varnish.

Live and learn...I wish I would have separated the two words Palm and Beach! Oh well.

Five new ATC's!!!

All of these cards were made by me (Julie), and finished on 4-11-09.

SNOW ON THE MOUNTAINS
Traded to Soulbrush.


EASTER CARD


ABSTRACT FUN
Traded to Soulbrush!


WHIRLEY GIGS


CHERRY BLOSSOMS
Traded to Soulbrush!

New ATC's started!

I just had to show Soulbrush that I am indeed making a start on some ATC's (Artist Trading Cards) to trade. A modest beginning...but I have to wait 3 hours drying time with this particular paint...semi-permanent enamel shimmers!!! They were just laying around the house for years, and I decided to open and try...they are very shimmery!!! I have a high gloss coat when I get them finished as well...it should be interesting with all the shimmer and shine! Others of you are into the idea of trading...maybe we could come up with a theme, and everyone could make something of that theme (enough for everyone who wants to do the trade), and we would end up with one card from each person of the same theme! Just like on the ATC trading card swaps out there. What do you think???

Fantasy plant... made by Julie on 2-10-09 (right after walking in from work...a stress reducing activity)! Made free hand with sparkle gel pens that flowed very smoothly! A real pleasure! The photo on left was taken inside in unnatural light, and the picture on the right was taken outside in natural light! What a difference!

PARODIA CONCINNA...made by Julie a few months ago...but when??? I can't remember! So I say I did it on 2-8-09. This was done with a micron pen, using one continuous mark...not lifting the pen from the paper till done! It was fun!

You can see a photo of one of these type cactus HERE!

This ATC is on it's way to a blogger friend, Aiyana from Water When Dry. She was the first person to introduce me to ATC making! I am grateful. These have been a lot of fun. I have had a little break from them to work on other things, but I am ready to make a few more very soon!

MADE BY JULIE, on Nov. 5, following the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States of America on Nov. 4, 2008!

OCTOBER FUN with Chuhuahua, made by Julie on Oct. 4, 2008

CHILLING, THRILLING...made by Julie on Set 10, 2008

FALL, made by Julie on Set. 12, 2008

Cactus Monday card (ATC sized), made by Julie on 9-21-09

BOO, made by Julie on Sept. 6, 2008
Made one night when I couldn't sleep! I had seen something similar in a magazine, and decided I could make my own pleated medallion-thingy myself, which I did, using a fanfolded cover from a magazine that had the colors I needed in it. This ATC has a magnet on back to hang on the refrigerator for the holiday!

Hurricanes Suck! Made by Julie on Sept. 1, 2008

Hurricane Living, made by Julie on Sept. 1, 2008
On the day Hurricane Gustav hit the coast of Louisiana (Category 2 Storm), and Hurricane Hannah moving possibly toward the coast of Florida as I speak. I am sick of hurricanes! GO AWAY!

My Brother DOUG!...made by Julie on 8/2/08
Made with beer box art.

RECYCLE, by Julie, on 8/2/08
Made with beer box art.

DAY OF THE DEAD, by Julie on 8/2/08
Made with beer box art.

THE DOLL ARRIVES, by Julie on 8/2/08

HAND TIED QUILT, or JUST KILL ME NOW QUILT! Made by Julie on 7/20/08

I have never made a quilt before. I got a hair-brained idea to try a paper one. It turned out kind of cutely, but with obvious errors. Amazingly it took the most time of any of my other ATC's. I made a pattern (below), and cut out one of my rectangles to cut from all the different colors.

Then I cut each rectangle into 4 parts that had to be mixed and matched. Talk about trouble...trying to keep them all lying on the paper without getting all jumbled up prior to gluing. After they were all glued in place and positioned as best they could be, I punched two tiny holes in each corner (with the needle) where I wanted to do a tie, and brought the string up through to the front of the card and tied the small knots. I can't think of anything else to do to make this look any more quilt-like, so I will consider it completed.
I had planned to make a series of quilt cards, but rather than it inspiring me, it has made me realize that quilting will never be for me...no matter how small.

Happy Halloween (or Fly Me To The Moon), made by Julie on 7/17/08
An attempt (at first) to make an all cloth ATC, but the black material on bottom was too flimsy to actually applique the other fabric designs onto, so I ended up using my cut yellow moon (fabric), and a white paper ghost. I was searching frantically for a little orange shred of anything to make a bow for the ghosts neck, and had NOTHING. Then my eye spied this orange butterfly sticker! It was an awesome bow tie! I had just bought these little metal stars, so I attached one to hang from the "bow". I tried to make a dotee doll head, using flesh colored felt. I will end up making another one later using all paper, with embellishments.

Lucky Stars, made by Julie on 7/13/07

Tampa MOSI, made by Julie on 7/12/08
Vacation day #7- our last day of vacation we stopped at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa. We saw the Dinosaurs Exhibit, and a special exhibit showcasing India, which was eye-opening. What a beautiful country!

Down On The Sponge Docks, made by Julie on 7/10/08
Vacation day #7
We stopped at Tarpon Springs for two reasons...#1- We were tired of driving all the way back down into Florida! #2- We had to get some grilled octopus from our favorite restaurant here, Hellas. A greek restaurant right down on the sponge docks, on the waterfront, in the midst of a greek community. It's all authentic Greek...the best food in the world!

Perry, Florida, made by Julie on 7/10/08
Vacation day #6
Stopped by Perry on the way home to say hi to my grandparents who are buried there. My Grandma loved it there and many of her family members lived and still do live there. My Grandma and Grandpa loved to fish, and farm. This was a perfect location to do both. It is all rural.

Interesting to note while on a trip!

Just to let you know: ATC's fit perfectly into the room key card covers at hotels! I had not thought of any way to store my ATC's on vacation, and just happened to discover this our first night out! It has kept them protected until I get home. You can fit two in one cover if you have to...in case anyone decides to make some while on a trip!
Julie

Columbus, Georgia- made by Julie on 7/9/08
Vacation day #5. We passed through West Point, Ga., and stopped to see Ft. Tyler, which was a earthen fort, and my husband commented that it was the best preserved of that type he had ever seen...which I thought was really saying something since he is a big Civil War person and has visited many forts around the south. Then we went further south to Columbus, Ga., where we basically looked at some old homes, from the early 1900's, and as you can see here, one belonged to the man who came up with the original Coca-Cola formula! He was a pharmacist. This was neat to see...especially due to the fact that I think I had heard that concoction actually contained cocaine!!! What a recipe! Hey...how do you like the coke bottle I had to draw myself?????

Fernbank, made by Julie on 7/8/08
Vacation Day # 4...visited this Museum of Natural History in Atlanta. The museum had a travelling exhibit about the polar region, and a 3D IMAX movie about Antartica, and penguins. Our favorite part though, was the natural history of Georgia exhibit ! It was really neat!

Atlanta Aquarium, made by Julie on 7/8/08
Vacation day #4. This one is self explanatory. Largest aquarium in the WORLD. Houses 4 Whale Sharks...the largest fish in the world! The little orange fish on this ATC is Deepo, the mascot for the aquarium! He was modeled after the Garibaldi fish.

Stone Mountain, made by Julie on July 7, 2008
3rd day of vacation. Had a great time, but tortured myself by deciding to climb down the mountain instead of taking the skylift back down! Only 1.3 miles down, but lots of rocks and steep points! Extra strength Tylenol here I came!

Sunflower Farm, made by Julie on July 6, 2008
Vacation Day # 2- stopped by this U-pick sunflower farm. It was an amazing sight to behold...acres of nothing but ready to pick flowers!!!

Vacation Day #1, made by Julie on July 5, 2008
We stayed in Tifton, Georgia and drove to a tiny town called Ray City where we got to eat at Ray's Millpond Restaurant which I had first eaten at 21 years ago and not returned until 2 years ago. It has been in business since 1963, and is out in a swampy area complete with cypress trees thick with spanish moss... you can walk out on a boardwalk directly over the water, which is covered with all kinds of waterlillies, and alligators, turtles, bugs, etc. It is truely a unique experience! The restaurant serves catfish, gator, chicken, with all of these sides: Plain or cheese grits, french fries, cole slaw, sweet and dill pickles, and hush puppies! It is all delicious...terribly fattening, and a diet you could not eat every day...but once every few years ain't bad! Our next stop will be somewhere north of here!!! Bye for now!

INTRODUCING KITTY, made by Julie on July 3, 2008

GARDENING FAIRY, made by Julie on July 2, 2008