Odds and Ends, Left-Overs & Remnants make GREAT ATCs

A couple weeks ago, I was forced to clean-up the stacks and packets of paper around my private work area in the studio. I was forced because I had no more place to stash more paper or stuff in my immediate area, I couldn't find whatever I was looking for, and "it" was creeping out into the public space which was needed for an upcoming workshop.

As all collage artists know, you NEED to save most everything interesting that you come across: a label off a bottle of tea or wine, vellum left over from a stamping project, a note card or advertisement, scraps left-over from another collage piece or chine-colle on a print, etc. In the last couple years, I have been given several bags and boxes of art "stuff" from friends that are either down-sizing, moving, or have passed away. They confirmed that I wasn't the only collage artist that saved "stuff" for a some-day project. I took great joy in fondling all the odds and ends which they have collected over the years to use; bird nest material, wrapping paper, netting from avocado or citrus bags, bark, home-made papers, dried flowers, paper from Japan and Italy, receipts, photo negatives, match books, and etc.

Back to cleaning off my work area -- I had little clear envelopes of all the scraps and left-over pieces not used on the last couple years of SoulCollage® cards, Artist Trading Cards (ATCs), haiga (haiku painting), and other collage pieces. OH MY!!! All the larger pieces I put away in their appropriate containers to be used later, but I was left with bags of wonderful little, pieces of paper that I couldn't bear to part with (hence the small clear envelopes). By all rights, most of the small scraps should be put in the recycled bin. Alas - I started making ATCs from the little tiny pieces . . . Started to make only six cards, just enough to send off for our monthly ATC trading, yet I couldn't stop till I had to clean-up for a workshop -- twenty-two cards later. They were soooooooo fun and are now my favorite (I know I say that with almost every new series!!!)

I admit that I did cut out some more "remnants" of ancient civilizations to use in this series - though I did have many of the images already cut out ready to go somewhere. Watercolor paper was used between the backing paper and front collage; I like thick cards. "Shimmering Metallics" offered by Soul Expression was the backing paper. Once all the cards were pasted together, flattened between books, trimmed, and stamped on the back, I lightly sanded the edges and the front images. Pretty easy! Much fun!! I challenge you -- or invite you -- to create your own 3 1/2 inch by 2 1/2 inch collages from left-overs, odds and ends, & remnants.