Beginner's - ArtTrader Magazine

Art TRADER
m a g a z i n e
My rubber stamps take up much less room in my new studio than
before—I removed all mounted stamps from their wood blocks,
and all of them are organized and stored in empty CD cases in a
single drawer now. They’re easier to find, and I find I use them a
lot more often now that I don’t have to dig through several storage
bins to find the image I want.
In addition to what hides away in drawers and the cupboard, a
lot of my art supplies are on display in the main living area of our
home. I’ve worked slowly since the move to replace many of my
plastic storage bins with vintage jars and tins that have more visual
appeal. Many of these pieces seem to have their own stories, which
I cherish. My favorite piece is a painted lard bucket that holds my
alcohol inks. I also collect old coffee and tea tins—these have been
collected from thrift shops and charity shops, mostly, but I have
found inexpensive containers at antique malls, too.
I regularly make the rounds at local thrift shops, usually browsing
the aisles at my favorite stores once a week. I have found everything
from an unused packet of transparencies to old Scrabble games
to antique cabinet cards and vintage German glass beads. I am
always looking to add to my art supplies and components of future
mixed-media works, and I am paranoid that the week I don’t go to
the Salvation Army shop will be the week that they have something
amazing that I cannot live without owning. It takes a little time, but
I am rewarded over and over again.
Part Two: Creating a Card in My Workspace
To walk through making an ATC in this space, I thought I’d make a
set of cards.
I begin all my cards the same way; I cut recycled chipboard to size,
then cover it with a random layer of scrapbook paper. This is just
a base paper—and sometimes very little of it shows through in the
finished card. I use a Darice glue runner to adhere the paper in
almost all my projects, because the refills are inexpensive, and I
can buy them easily at any craft store.
On top of the first full layer of scrapbook paper, I add one or two
torn strips of a different printed paper, again with the glue runner.
I don’t really worry about matching the papers—everything always
works out, and it’s usually the mismatched papers that make my
best cards. These torn layers add some visual interest and texture
to the card; I like to have something going on behind the card’s
focal image—torn papers are an easy way to achieve that.
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