Tracy Evans Boutique Desgins "Embrace Nature" film strip Artist Trading Card

This is my Artist Trading Card (ATC) for the day.  I have used a gel plate print for the background.  

Over the top I have used "Violet" Ranger Archival Ink through the Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Stripes ST12 Stencil" fading the colour out towards the right hand side of the ATC.

Stamping the film strip, the flowers and leaf garland in Versaifne Clair "Monarch" purple ink. These images are part of one of the new release stamp sets by Tracy Evans Boutique Designs.  This stamp set is called "Embrace Nature TE71".

I then stamped the butterfly, which is from the same stamp set using Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink.

I used a white gel pen to dtaw lines and dots on the ATC, finally adding a word sticker that says "have hope".

A Crafting Niche "52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2026" - Week 41

 

The Crafting Niche 52 Week Mini Art Card/Tag Challenge 2026:

This is a weekly challenge. I provide you with a prompt/theme each Sunday morning through out the year.  The challenge is very relaxed.  You can do as much or as little as you like.  You can create cards, tags, Artist Trading Cards (ATC's) or index cards, the choice is yours. You just go with what ever is in your head at the time.  You can stamp, get inky, use patterned papers, texture, embellish it is all down to you.

There is a dedicated private Facebook Group, with a lovely bunch of people who are already sharing their makes from previous challenges.  You can find the group by clicking this link.  I'd love you to join in. 

The prompt for Week 41 is "Journal".

For my tag, I decided to write about home and what it meant to me.  I started with a plain cream coloured tag and drew a border line approximately half an inch in from the edges.  I used low tack masking tape to cover the edges.

In the middle of the tag, I positioned a moon mask, then lay the Lavinis Stamps "Feather Leaf Stencil" over the top and applied "Tea Rose" Ranger Archival Ink through the stencil.

I removed the stencil and then drew round the moon mask, using a black fine liner pen. Once the moon mask was lifted, I stamped the house shape, a stamp from the Funky Fossil Designs "Home" stamp set, using the "Tea Rose" ink again. I then drew gold coloured dots between the circle border and the house using a gold gel pen, and coloured the heart in the middle of the house with a red Posca Pen.

I used Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink to stamp the large "home" word which is part of the Funky Fossil Designs "Home" stamp set. I lifted the masking tape and using the same ink, stamped the black hearts, the smaller "home" word and the sentiment of "Love Lives Here" which are all part of the Papertrey Ink "Love Lives Here" stamp Set.

I added a blush of the "Tea Rose" ink on the edges of the card and then wrote my journalling, which says "A place to be safe and comfortable - Family - Warmth - a homely and unpretentious place".

Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Embrace Nature TE71" Butterfly Circle Artist Trading Card

This is my Artist Trading Card (ATC) for the day.  I have used a gel plate print for the background stamping the circle and butterfly, both part of the Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Embrace Nature TE71" stamp set in Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink.

In the background, I have stamped the fine, which is also part of the same stamp set in Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" grey ink.  I gave the ATC a light splattering of white acrylinc paint and then added a word sticker saying "today is a new day".

Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Quiet Moments TE72" Happy Artist Trading Card

This is my Artist Trading Card (ATC) for the day.  I used a brayered ink background from my stash, no idea what type of ink/paint  I used.  

I used one of the new stamp sets from Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Quiet Moments TE72" with two shades of Versafine Clair inks (Shady Lane and Acorn) to stamp the leaf, I then added extra colour to it using Van Goch Pastel Pencils.

I used "Acorn" brown ink again to stamp the grid which is also part of the "Quiet Moments" stamp set.  I added gold dots within the grid, which I then circled with a black fine liner pen.  I used the gold pen again for highlights on the leaf.

Finally, I added a word sticker saying "happy" and then added the string,, knotted to secure,  which was wrapped round my order from Tracy Evans as an extra detail.

Funky Fossil Designs "Comic Book' 60th Birthday Eclipse Card

Our friend celebrates his 60th birthday this weekend.  I had been putting off making his card, I just had no ideas, but then I woke at 5am this morning with a blinding thought of inspiration, so got up and made this eclipse card using Funky Fossil Designs stamps and stencils.

I started with a five and a half inch square piece of white card and used the two Funky Fossil "Wow! 2 Layering Stencils" with two colours of Ranger Archival Ink.  I used Sun Dazed and Manganese Blue.

I then stamped the "OMG!" which is part of the Funky Fossil "Comic Book Words", stamped in Versafine Clair "Paradise" ink.  Using the same ink, I stamped the sentiment which is part of the Funky Fossil "Stripped Back Sentiments" stamp set.

I then used a white Posca Pen to add dots to the word "wow" !  

The next step is where my first make of this card went wrong.  I positioned the two number dies in the middle of the card, used a little bit of low tack tape to hold them in position and ran it through the Sizzix Big Shot.  However, even though I had de-stickied the tape, by running it through the machine it had welded itself to the card and pulled the surface of the card off, so I had to start all over again!

So, I repeated the process, but left out the sticky tape and prayed to the god of die cutting that the dies didn't shift.  I prayer was answered and I was able to continue with my card.

Over the back of the area where the dies had cut, I glued a square of red paper.  I then mounted the card on to a piece of dark blue/purple coloured card, then a piece of red card and finally on to a white card blank.

Finally, I used foam pads, which I had to cut down in size in places to adhere the two numbers into position.  I then used wet glue to stick the inner of the number six and the naught into position.

Penny Black "Windswept 40-790" cling stamp, breeze Artist Trading Card

 

This is.my Artist Trading Card (ATC) for the day. I used a piece of kraft card for the base, stamping the Penny Black "Windswept 40-790" branch and leaves using Versafine Clair "Shady Lane" green ink.

I coloured the leaves using Posca Pens and a fine liner black pen, finally adding a word sticker saying "breeze".

Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Feed Your Soul" birdhouse Artist Trading Card

 

This is my Artist Trading Card (ATC) for the day. I used Versafine Clair "Pinecone", a dark brown coloured ink to stamp the heart branches, which are part of the Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Framed Deliights TE58" stamp set.  I used the same ink to stamp the bird house and sentiment, which is part of the Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Feed Your Soul TE57" stamp set.

I then used Versafine Clair "Acorn" a mid brown coloured ink, to stamp the bird, which is part of the Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "A Promise Of Tomorrow TE63" stamp set.

I then added the leaves to the heart wreath, using two shades of green Versafine Clair inks:  Verdant and Avocado, applied with the end of a cotton bud.  I drew in the branch for the bird to stand on and then used Van Goch Pastel pencils to add extra colour.