Easter ATC Swap & Moxie Fab World Challenge!

Hello Everyone! With Easter quickly approaching, we all have that feeling that Spring is in the air or hopefully arriving soon. (Sadly for some of you, I have been reading that you still have snow!) Well, today I would like to share with you my set of Artist Trading Cards I created for an Easter Swap sponsored by the Paper Crown in Oklahoma City. Not the average scrapbooking store, it is filled with luscious displays that make you drool with excitement every time you walk in the door. Seriously, it is ultra-fabulous and for me it is every bit worth the almost hour drive up there. Fortunately for those of you who live far away, they are currently in the works of an online store. In the meantime, you should check out their blog for lots of fun inspiration and over-the-top mixed media classes they offer. Check it out at http://papercrownokc.blogspot.com/

Okay, onto the cards. Since the theme was Easter and I love anything vintage, I started searching through my vintage card stash/inspiration and came across this super sweet card of a fluffy bird nestled in the basket of an egg-shaped, hot-air balloon. Being that the standard ATC is only 2.5" X 3.5", I copied/reduced the image down to fit the card. After printing on photo paper, I pierced all the ropes of the balloon and hand stitched a light brown embroidery floss on each one. To keep the stitching securely in place and to not reveal on the other side of the ATC, I then ran it through my Xyron machine and adhered it to the playing card. To accentuate the clouds, I drew/cut out clouds from some Making Memories Slice glitter dot paper. Isn't that sweet robin egg blue color so dreamy? I pop dotted several of the clouds to add more dimension. Then I rubbed some light blue chalk ink around the edges.  Lastly, I created the whimsical banner by printing "Happy Easter" directly onto kraft paper, cutting out my ribbon banner shape and topped it off with some silver Stickles around the edges. I curled the banner in the center and edges, and that's about it! I covered the entire back with the same glitter dots paper and put my personal/website information on it. This is my first time to create Artist Trading Cards and it was super fun. How cool is it to share a little slice of your art/creativity with someone else and receive some of theirs in return!

These ATC cards not only were to share with others, but they are playing double duty! :) Moxie Fab World is hosting a challenge/contest through tomorrow titled, "In My Beautiful Balloon Challenge in the Moxie Fab World." Have you heard of Moxie Fab World? If you haven't, what are you waiting for? They host tons of fun contests, challenges and inspiration...be sure to check out this challenge and many others at http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2011/03/next-moxie-fab-world-challenge-in-my.htmliefabworld.com/2011/03/next-moxie-fab-world-challenge-in-my.html. If you have any fun, hot-air balloon creations, make sure to hurry and enter as this challenge closes at midnight, EST Monday, April 18.

Here are the lovelies I received from the other ladies in the swap...aren't they so fun! I just love all the sweet colors of Spring incorporated in each one...all handmade with love. They are all so beautiful...check out the "Faberge" black/hot pink egg card that actually opens up to reveal a vintage photo inside...talk about an amazing amount of detail...and the one with the 3-dimensional robin blue egg...that has to be the most adorable thing ever!