Flying ATCs

Here's how I interpreted the ATC theme of Things that Fly.

-- I started with watercolor paper cut to ATC size (2 1/2" x 3 1/2"). I use a 9" x 12" pad of paper, and i can get 9 cards to the page, with a little trimmed off.
-- I had some white tissue paper that had been painted with acrylics, then dried. I tore scraps and adhered it with a little glue.
-- I used a violet ink pad to stamp a dragonfly.
-- I colored the background with watercolor pencils, then dipped my finger in water to wet and smudge the pencil
-- when that was dry, the whole card was brushed with a matte gel medium so the scrap paper would stay on.
-- While it was still wet, I placed a few beads, adding a little more gel medium with a paintbrush to make sure they'd stick.
-- And finally, I signed the back.


When you're making a few cards (I made 18), you can do step one for a few of them, switch to step 2, and go back again while you're waiting for things to dry. My cards always end up slightly different -- I use different colors, different beads. But I still label them "1 of 18", etc., because they were made in a batch and are generally the same.