ATCoins ~ inspired by a Vera Lane Studio collage sheet

Hi everyone! When I have scraps left from backgrounds I have created or patterned paper I have used for other projects, I always check to see if they are big enough to cut an artist trading coin or artist trading card from. I keep a stack of pre-cut backgrounds for both of these so when I want to create something quick and fun, I'm half way there. Today I am sharing two coins featuring images from a Vera Lane Studio collage sheet called Fun Collage.

I fussy cut the three small images from the same sheet leaving my usual white border. These were then matted with black. Foam tape was attached to the bird and the girl to add dimension and shadow. To ground the images, a torn piece of washi tape was added to the pink coin and a die cut arrow was added to the green one.

Stencilled Xs or stamped dots were added to create more interest. Chit Chat Stickers matted with black and popped up on foam tape were added and a doodled border finished them off. So simple...so cute!

Thanks for stopping by! That was awesome of you! Check out the other collage sheets at the Vera Lane Studio Etsy shop. They are a fabulous time saver and there's a wonderful selection so the possibilities are endless! We would love to have you visit our Vera Lane Studio Facebook group, too, when you get a minute. It's filled with daily inspiration and wonderful people!

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie

Planner Girl Artist Trading Coins ~ Inspired by Vera Lane Studio collage sheets

Hi everyone! Last week, Vera Lane Studio released a wonderful set of collage sheets called Planner Girl. One sheet has fabulous planner accessories and embellies. The other sheet in the set is two slightly larger groups of wonderful images with no words attached to them. This second sheet is the one I pulled from to create a set of 4 artist trading coins. These could also be used in your planner if a paper clip was attached to the back or if they were adhered directly to your page. They are cute as can be!

These girls were fussy cut leaving my standard narrow white border, and matted with black. They were each popped up with foam tape to add some dimension to these little 2.5 inch circles. Little gems and enamel dots were added to the hats, clothing, and eyes to add my own artistic voice to these already gorgeous collage images. I think that's my favourite part of making these.

The backgrounds were punched from gel printed or spray inked scraps from previous projects. A chipboard backing was also punched and added to the atcoin to add strength to it.

The wording for each coin was added with a ChitChat Sticker. The edges of each coin were inked with Archival Inks and either stamping with Archival Ink or Ranger Texture Paste added through a stencil were added. A  black border was added to each coin with Pitt Pen using a different style for each.

Thanks for joining the Planner Girls and me today. To check out these beauties and the other amazing collage sheets and images available, be sure to drop by the Vera Lane Studio Etsy shop. Stop by the Vera Lane Studio Facebook group while you're at it to see other amazing projects using these Planner Girls. There's always something new and inspiring in our FB group!

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie

The Bird Family Artist Trading Coins ~ Inspired by a Vera Lane Studio collage sheet

Hi everyone! I am a huge fan of the Vera Lane Studio collage sheets because they give me an awesome head start when creating. The images are beautifully pre-coloured and come in a wonderful variety of sizes so there is great choice for all kinds of projects. The collage sheet I used today is called For The Birds and actually comes with two pages so that there are larger images for cards and art journal pages. All you have to do is fussy cut! I also added a hat to each one because the birds requested them. The party hat comes from the Boutique Hats set, the derby from Quirky Men, and the lampshade from the Housewives set.

I always have scraps left over from other projects and usually have a stack of potential backgrounds cut for both artist trading cards and coins. I also have chipboard backings cut from recycled packaging to adhere to the coin or card fronts to strengthen them. Combined with the collage sheets, it makes for a quick project.

I added a little stamping with Distress Oxide inks and a VLV grid stamp in colours close to the backgrounds. Then I added some tiny numbers with another VLV stamp and Jet Black Archival.

To finish the coins, the outside edges were edged with the same Distress Oxide Inks used for the stamping, and a border was added to each with a black pen. Black Big Brush Pen was used to darken the edges of the circles and Glossy Accents was added to the birds eyes to add shine and dimension.

Thanks for joining us today. We appreciate that. Be sure to check out the other amazing collage sheets as well as the huge selection of images to colour in the Vera Lane Studio shop. There is a wealth of inspiration there!

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie

ATCs and ATCoins ~ created with Vera Lane Studio Sweet Dreams Collage Sheet

Hi everyone! I love the collage sheets in the Vera Lane Studio shop. They are super versatile, have a wonderful variety of images, and make for some cute and quick creating. Usually when I work with a collage sheet, I like to add my own voice to them either through shading/highlighting or with extra pen work. They definitely don't need it but it's something I like to do.

From the Sweet Dreams collage sheet, I chose three of the larger images which are an ideal size for ATCs and paired them with pre-cut ATC backgrounds. I also chose three of the smaller images which suit the ATCoin size. When I have extra scraps from a larger background or mop-up cards from cleaning up extra paint, sprays, or inks, I cut them into artist trading card (2.5x3.5 inches) or artist trading coins (2.5 inch diameter) so that I have a stack ready for choosing when I'm ready to create.

I add stamps. stencilling, and scrappy bits like the music paper above to create the design I want.

I also add words like the ones cut from the same collage sheet or maybe from rub-ons.

I might add die cut like the grass or punched elements like the hearts above or the star on the Sweet ATC.

I might add wings or a fussy cut border to change things up.

And I always add a doodled border and black Big Brush Pen to help frame them.

To see more of the fabulous collage sheets in the Vera Lane Studio Etsy shop, just click on the link. There are so many wonderful choices just waiting for your imagination. I find them irresistible!

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie

Sweet little Vera Lane Studio collage sheet ATCoins

Hi everyone. I have a super quick project to share today featuring images from the newly released Fun Collage Sheet(s) from Vera Lane Studio. There are 2 sheets in this set with a fabulous collection of images including borders and washi strips...everything you need to complete a quick card, art journal page, or in my case artist trading coin set. I have a cardboard template with a 2.5 inch diameter hole punched out so it's easy for me to see which images fit the small size.

When I have leftover smaller scraps from either mop up pieces of cardstock or from backgrounds for other projects, I see if either an ATC or an ATCoin can be cut from it. If it can, I do that when I'm putting away my materials during clean up. When I have a few punched or cut, I miss mount them to chipboard and keep them in a container ready for my next play session. It's a huge time saver to have them ready and makes use of scraps filled with goodness.

I add stencilling or stamping to them when I'm ready to use them so that I can pick up the colours from the image. Then it's a matter of fussy cutting and matting the images I want from the coloured collage sheet. Sometimes I add my own details to the image and other times I let them be.

I usually add some sort of wording, in this case either TH rub-ons or Chit Chat Stickers. I also add some doodling and mark making with a black and a white pen...and always a border to help frame it. I also add Black Big Brush Pen around the outside edge to serve as a frame. Then it's time to finish the backs and they are good to go. Easy peasy!

Thanks for popping by today. My "fun" friends and I appreciate that. To check out these and the many other collage sheets Janet has created, be sure to stop by the Vera lane Studio shop. If you are looking for inspiration on other ways to use these versatile images, pop by the Vera Lane Studio Facebook group where people share their awesome VLS creations.

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie

Wise Guys Artist Trading Coins ~ inspired by Vera Lane Studio images

Hi everyone! Just a quick post today to share these sweet artist trading coins I created featuring the four images from the Vera Lane Studio digi set called Vera's Owls.These coins are 2.5 inches in diameter and were punched from Gel printed scraps left over from other projects. ATCoins are quick and fun to create and a great use for those scraps too good to throw out.

The owls were coloured with Prismacolor and Polychromos pencils. Extra patterning and dots were done with black Pitt Pens and White Posca pens. The owls were fussy cut leaving a narrow white border, matted with black, and trimmed out again. Foam tape was attached to the back of each to pop them up.

The backgrounds had mostly colour from acrylic paints on them so stamping, stencilling, and white Texture Paste were added to each to create more interest.

A doodled border was added to each coin with a black pen. Garden Patina Archival ink and then black Big Brush Pen were added to the edges of the background. The coins were adhered to recyled circles of chipboard and then a black circle slightly bigger than the 2.5 inches was adhered to the back to serve as a frame and to hide the unattractive recycled packaging.

Thanks for popping by today. We OWL appreciate that (groan!) ...I just had to do that :) Be sure to stop by the Vera Lane Studio Etsy shop and Facebook group for more inspiration and a few must haves.

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie

In Your Easter Bonnet ~ ATCoins inspired by Vera Lane Studio Images

Hi everyone! I have a quick post today to show a set of artist trading coins I created with a Vera Lane Studio digi set called Ladies Who Lunch. The set comes with three lovely ladies and three separate hats so you can mix and match to get different looks or leave them hatless if you prefer. The hats also can be used on so many other VLS images, as well. With Easter coming up later this month, I thought it would be fun to feature them on ATCoins with backgrounds in Easter colours.

All three were sized so that only their faces and hats fit in the 2.5 inch circles. They were coloured with a mix of Prismacolor and Polychromos pencils, keeping their hats in the same colour palette as the backgrounds. They were fussy cut leaving a white border, matted with black, and fussy cut again leaving a black border. Neon gel pen was used to create the flower centers for the pink hat.

The backgrounds were punched from Lindy's Starburst sprayed or clean-up scraps from my stash. They were each stamped with Crafty Individuals script stamp and an Archival Ink chosen to coordinate with the background colour (Sunflower, Deep Purple, Magenta Hue). A stamp with various sized small circles was used to add some Jet Black Archival contrast before Ranger Texture paste was scraped through TCW Tiny Circles stencil.

All three were sponged around the edge with the Archival Ink and then edged again with Black Big Brush pen, both to frame them and to unite the layers which make them sturdy. Black pen was used to doodle a faux stitching border around the circumference of each before the ladies were adhered to the backgrounds.

Thanks for visiting with the ladies and me today. We'd stay and chat but we have a lunch reservation and wouldn't want to be late...LOL.

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie