Category Archives: ATC’s and Calling Cards

vellum pocket ATC

I attended a swap yesterday and the first project I have to share is an ATC card. I wanted to make a see-through pocket, so I created one out of vellum. Then I used the SU! Botanical Layers and Thoughtful Expressions sets to decorate the vellum pocket and Pale Papaya insert.

For the pocket, I started with a 5 1/4 x 3 3/4 piece of vellum and scored the long side @ 1 1/2 and 4. Then the bottom was scored @ 1/4″. After folding, trimming, and adhering it together with Scor-Tape, I used part of a 1 1/4″ circle punch on the top opening. Colors used: Calypso Coral, Pale Papaya, Grapefruit Grove, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Pool Party, and Lost Lagoon.

Have a great evening!

2023 Stamp & Swap projects

Last month we had our 8th annual NEPA (Northeast PA) Stamp & Swap and today I’m finally sharing the projects that I made for it. Be sure to read all the way to the end for a really cool project we did!

The first one I made was for our 6×6 Recipe Swap. I used Angie Blom’s Coolest Chicks Ever digital images, which are also available as physical stamps through Unity Stamp Co.

For the ATC swap, I wanted to create a shaped ATC. This retired MFT Milk Carton Die was the perfect size. I also used Lawn Fawn’s Cerealsly Awesome set & Dies, which was a cerealsly awesome gift from a friend! 🙂 How cute! I couldn’t decide what color to make the bowl, so I did several and let the participants choose.

Several weeks prior, I found the event theme in a sentiment set of scrabble tile letters at Hobby Lobby. They already had an adhesive backing, so I just formed them in the shape of a tree and added brads for the trunk & star. I embossed the background and added a frame and ribbon.

The Mini Slimline Swap was one of the most popular. I made mine a gatefold card using my favorite Christmas plaid paper from Hobby Lobby and SU! Snow Wonder Bundle. My base is 3 x 12, scored @ 3 and 9.

For my shoebox card, I used the retired Spellbinders Sharyn Sowell Winter Friends die set, Simon Says Stamp Pine Landscape embossing folder and die set, and SnSS Christmas Sentiments. The large bunny and sentiment circle are popped up with foam tape.

A new swap that I came up with for this year’s event was a Sketch & Card Front Swap. I used the SU! Penguin Place Bundle and coordinating papers on the card here. Below is my sketch that I started with. Participants swapped both of these together…the card front & it’s coordinating sketch.

The last project that I’m sharing is the favor that we made for everyone who attended the swap. We decided this year to make the tools to use on the MISTI or other stamping platforms, but to also PERSONALIZE them. Someone from our committee (I can’t remember who) named them our NEPA tool. 🙂

We purchased mini candles from the Dollar Tree and used the glass tops, making sure to pick out the ones with a large clear space in the center of the lid. My friend, Lou Ann, and I had several hours LOL trying to get our swap words in a circle with each name inside but when we were finished, it was so worth the effort (Don’t ask me how we did it lol)! They were then printed onto colored copy papers and punched out with a circle punch. Lou Ann’s husband cut wood circles for us to place on the bottom of the glass for stability, and then we covered the base with felt. So, there’s the glass candle lid (with a plastic covering on the bottom of it), then a wood circle which we painted white, and two layers of felt circles. Each attendee was asked their favorite colors without knowing what we were making.

We used several glues and adhesives with trial & error until we figured out the right combination! Lou Ann used her Xyron sticker maker with the punched circles, so they had adhesive on top. Then I carefully adhered them in place inside the lid using tweezers to get them inside. Our committee got together and working quickly, Mod Podge was applied inside the entire lid and chunky glitter was dumped inside. Next, a fine glitter was added to fill in the empty spaces. It’s hard to capture the glitter in the photos below! When dry, E6000 glue was used to adhere the wood circle to the candle lid. Again, they were left to sit as the glue dries. Aleene’s Felt and Foam Tacky Glue worked great to adhere two felt die cut circles to the base. We finished them off by adding some ribbons with Scor-Tape. Whew! It was a lot of work but so fun!

Thanks for reading all the way through! LOL. Have a great day!

dragonfly ATC

Another project for a swap this past weekend was this dragonfly ATC card. I used the Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps Dragonfly Dreams Bundle for the dragonfly and sentiment.

The ATC base is from the Paper Studio- Kraft Ornate Artist Trading Cards pack. The layer was die cut with Spellbinders Labels Fourteen dies and The Paper Studio- Kraft Boutique papers. Other products used are the SU! Wrapped in Texture embossing folder, C.C. Designs- Quad Collage Dies, and Sizzix Garden Greens dies.

Have a great day!

Stamp & Swap 2022

Today I am sharing the projects that I made for our annual Stamp & Swap, an all-day stamping event. Our theme this year was Gnome for the Holidays.

I had a bunch of Christmas Gnomes patterned paper from Hobby Lobby to use on some of my projects. The first one is a 6×6 recipe card. The gnome with mixer is a digital image by Last Minute Manda that I colored to coordinate with the background paper. The faint snowflakes were stamped with Sweet ‘n Sassy’s Cheerful Snowmen set.

We try to keep our shoebox cards simple so everyone can either complete them or make a kit to complete at home. The left side of my shoebox card with the plaid paper is glued shut and only the right portion with the gnomes opens. The sentiment is from Sweet ‘n Sassy’s Christmas Gnomes.

I made a simple interactive card for my ATC trade using a Unity itty bitty stamp set called Change is a Good Thing. This mini card has a top portion that is glued shut and the bottom opens up. 🙂

Next, I made a mini slim card with a tent topper using Stampin’ Up Hand-Penned Petals, Pierced Blooms Dies, and Friendly Hello. The paper is Colorbok- Beach House.

My last project was for a gift swap. I found a Pioneer Woman Christmas frame (first photo) on clearance last year at Walmart. The second photo shows how I decorated it with ribbons, gnomes, felt snowflakes, and Aleene’s True Snow. The gnomes are from Simon Says Stamp dies- Gnome, Pocket Gnome, and Li’l Gnome. As you can see in the last photo… it lights up!

Have a great week!

love theme ATC

Last month I participated in an ATC swap with the theme of Love. I started with some Distress Watercolor cardstock and created a background with Distress Kitsch Flamingo and Spiced Marmalade. I smooshed the inks onto a piece of acetate, spritzed with water, and applied to the paper. Then I cut it up and added the images and words from Happy Day and Vintage Love. The butterfly was popped up and a gemstone heart sticker was added to finish them.

Enjoy your day!

faith-filled calling cards

Good morning! Today I have a little different type of project to share using some old & new Sweet ‘n Sassy stamps. Here I used Cheerful Hexies, Walk Humbly, Choose Faith, and the April Stamp of the Month, Happy Day.

I recently thought about some Calling (Visiting) Cards that my mother asked me to make for her quite a few years ago. They are the size of a business card, 2″ x 3 1/2″. This is slightly different from the popular ATC (Artist Trading Card) size. They also resemble a smaller version of today’s scripture or journaling cards which are sometimes used as tip-ins in bible journaling. I couldn’t find any in my files or on my blog that I previously made…so it was at least 12 but closer to 19 years ago. When visiting people in the hospital or homes, my mom would leave a Calling Card to let them know that she was there (if they were out of the room or not home) or to simply act as a reminder that “someone cares”.

The history of these cards is quite interesting. “A tray full of calling cards was like social media for the Victorian era, a way to advertise who was in one’s extended social circle.”  You can read more about the history of calling (visiting) cards HEREHERE and HERE.

These cute little cards could be left when you visit someone in the hospital or tucked in a card that you mail. Why not tuck one in the next bill you pay or drop it in the tube at the drive through when you do your banking? There are lots of ways to share God’s love… be creative! PLUS…they’re a great way to use up leftover pieces and scraps! 🙂 Have a great day!

stamps- Sweet ‘n Sassy Cheerful Hexies, Walk Humbly, Choose Faith and Happy Day; paper- white, black, red; ink- Memento Tuxedo Black, SU! Melon Mambo; accessories- Copics, small flower punch, brads, Simon Says Stamp Sketch Heart die.

a valentine ATC

Hello! Just popping in with another project that was left in my files. Here’s an ATC (artist trading card) from 2016 with a valentine theme. I needed to use a certain color scheme…here I used white, Night of Navy, Soft Sky, and Cherry Cobbler.

valentine atc diane zechman

The ticket is from the Sweet ‘n Sassy set, Ticket Sentiments, and the Cupid is Impression Obsession. The heart doily die is by Simon Says Stamp and the embossing folder is SU! Happy Heart.

Valentine’s Day is around the corner…I need to dig these supplies back out!

Have a great day!

throwback to 2015…

Happy *cold* Sunday! Brrr…it was -7 again this morning! I am staying warm and while I was typing on the computer, I found a bunch of photos that were never shared so I guess I will be catching up with some forgotten projects! Here’s a few and I’ll pop in with more later.

We’re going back 3 years to 2015 here…lol.  First, a card made with the SU! Lotus Blossom set. The sentiment was from a little SU! incentive stamp.

lotus blossom 2 2015 diane zechman

A thank you card which was a shoebox project for a stamping event that year. I love shaped cards! This one uses flowers from SU! Too Kind and a sentiment with the SU! Greetings Thinlits dies.

too kind thanks diane zechman

An ATC which was for a swap (probably at the same event). This is Art Impressions’ Sitting Lovelle and Heavenly Bodies.

heavenly bodies ATC 2015 diane zechman

A card I made with supplies at my friends’ craft store for their display. I can’t recall who makes the flower. Hero Arts??

craft shack 1 diane zechman

A little paper purse, dress, and shoe gift set…I don’t remember what I put in the purse but I’m guessing there was chocolate in the dress!

Ilion gift swap diane zechman

And the last one for today is a card with the SU! Animal Talk set. It was inspired by a card I received for my birthday one year.

animal talk dog diane zechman

and the inside…

animal talk dog inside diane zechman

Oh, but that’s not all I found. 😉  Stay tuned…

dashing ATC

Good morning!

Today I am sharing this ATC (artist trading card) on the Sweet ‘n Sassy blog using my Holiday Hugs stamp set.  I made this for a recent trade with some of my stamping friends.

penguin ATC 1 diane zechman

Are you familiar with ATCs?  They are little pieces of artwork the size of a baseball card (2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″) which are traded and collected.  They can also be layered onto a card front as a focal point or main image.  Be aware, though…they can be addicting!

Here I popped up one piece of cardstock over another piece the same size.  A channel was cut in the top layer and the penguin has another bit of foam tape under him that slides in the channel.  A penny is on the backside of the foam to give some weight.  He then can slide in the channel, as if he’s sledding.

penguin ATC 2 diane zechman

penguin ATC 3 diane zechman

Don’t forget that SNSS is having specials all month long.  Here’s a sale that ends tomorrow so be sure to check it out!

nov sale

Thanks for popping in and… happy stamping!

stamps- Sweet ‘n Sassy Holiday Hugs; paper- white; ink- Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Black, SU! Soft Sky; accessories- Copics, Stickles, Lawn Fawn Slide on Over dies, a penny, foam tape.

summer, autumn, and winter ATCs

Over the summer and fall I have made a few ATCs and as usual…I am behind on sharing pics!  They were all made for swaps with local friends.  To save time, I am just going to share them all at once!

The first two ATCs were for a summer swap with specific assigned colors.  These went together in a frame like the one I posted HERE.

This one uses the pretty SU! Butterfly Basics set…

summer 2 ATC diane zechman

summer 2 ATC close diane zechman

The second summer one uses the Taylored Expressions Adventure Land set…

summer ATC diane zechman

summer ATC close diane zechman

The Autumn ATC was also made to a specific color scheme and went into a frame.  This uses the Sweet ‘n Sassy Autumn Leaves and Falling Leaves sets.  Some leaves were stamped on the cardstock and a few were stamped on an acetate overlay.

autumn ATC diane zechman

autumn ATC 2 diane zechman

And last is my winter ATC.  This is very CAS but I LOVE the concept.  Here I used stamps from my Sweet ‘n Sassy Snowman Soup (brrr) and Snowy Hello (snowflake) sets.

snowman atc diane zechman

I may have to try this for a few Christmas cards!

Thanks for popping in…have a great day!

Summer 1: stamps- SU! Butterfly Basics; paper- white, Pacific Point; ink- Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Old Olive; accessories- gemstones, SU! Butterfly Thinlits dies, Stickles.

Summer 2: stamps- Taylored Expressions Adventure Land; paper- white, Pacific Point; ink- Pacific Point, Memento Tuxedo Black; accessories- Copics, gemstones.

Autumn: stamps- Sweet ‘n Sassy Autumn Leaves and Falling Leaves; paper- vanilla, acetate, Cherry Cobbler; ink- Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, Artichoke, Elegant Eggplant, Stazon Black; accessories- flat top eyelets, Crop-a-Dile.

Winter: stamps- Sweet ‘n Sassy Snowman Soup (brrr) and Snowy Hello (snowflake); paper- white; ink- Versafine Black, Wisteria Wonder; accessories- Sizzix Snowmen #2, buttons, Stickles.