StencilGirl and Lost Coast Designs Blog Hop – Clay ATCs

It’s been quite a long few intense months at work here… hence my absence.  It’s calmed down now and I am determined to keep up my blog and do some art for ME an StencilGirl.. and today with Lost Coast Designs, too.

We have a great blog hop today and you’ll be able to visit with all my art friends in a minute. But before I let you go hopping and to an amazing giveaway, I’m gonna go creative on you or should I say “clayative”. Oh, good one, Judy.  Let’s see what we can do with rubber stamps and stencils.

Rubber stamps first.

Today, I are making ATCs+ (Artist Trading Cards)  The “+” means I’ll be putting them on stenciled coasters; so, my version of presenting ATCs a different way.   I’m making them with polymer clay using Lost Coast Designs rubber stamps.  Rubber stamps and clay have a great relationship. I’ve been pushing stamps and textures into clay for years and I never get tired of the result.

I love the look and color of natural/beige clay. It’s very wood-like to me, especially after I stain it. So, I have conditioned some Fimo Soft clay by softening it with my hands then running it through the clay dedicated pasta machine. I have to admit, I was NOT happy with this clay this time.  It just wouldn’t soften up like I wanted it to. But, I managed to get what I needed, and I had to make do with a result I didn’t like.  Friend and great artist, Carolyn Dube, calls them, OOPS – “Outsanding Opportunities Presenting Suddenly”. Indeed it was. Read on.

Let’s start with the rubber stamps the Lost Coast Designs sent me. I chose birds and a face.  I also chose unmounted, because the rubber stamps are more flexible and easily pushed right into the clay.

Spray the clay with a little water after is flattened. I used an acrylic roller. I gave it a sturdy push as I rolled.

(CLICK ANY IMAGE FOR CLOSE UP)

I created a template the size of an ATC (3.5 x 2.5″). Lay it over the bird image and cut around the center with a craft knife. Lay plastic wrap over the ATC and just rub around the edges to smooth it out.  Note: You can use a playing card as a template also.

I did the same with another bird and the face.  I decided to take my “difficult” clay and let it look uneven, like a shard of some sort. I did this with the face.  Not a true ATC, but hey, my world, right? I took some of my favorite buttons and impressed some texture into the clay around the images. Time to bake.  I used a ceramic tile and baked in a clay dedicated oven.  Follow the package directions for timing.  Let the clay cool and now it’s time to stain and paint.

Antique/stain:  I took brown acrylic paint and rubbed it into the now cooled clay and then wiped it off with damp cloth or paper towel.  Just look at the images come to life.  Lookie see.

I painted the first bird with cobalt teal acrylic paint, let dry and the same with the to other bird, but I used red acrylic paint. For the woman’s face I started  to paint her hat and lips. I manipulated the image a little with tools to bring out the eyes and lips a bit.  I mixed the paint with a little glazing medium for a bit of a shine.  Once the paint was dry on the birds, I put a wash of brown paint and water and rubbed it over the words in the bird’s body so they would appear more.

Once the paint was dry on the ATCs, I gave them a sealer coat of Diamond Glaze.  Let them dry.

I wanted to give the ATCs a little flair. I opened up my rhinestone tray and give them a little bling. Then I used glitter glue to go around the birds.  I also took a Krylon Paint Pen and went around the edges of the clay.

Now, onto the stencil part.  I used 3 StencilGirl stencils..  Scales by Jessica Sporn, Circle Rays by Michelle Ward and Mandala by Mary Beth Shaw.

I took 3 beer coasters and gave them a coat of heavy gesso. I painted them with acrylic paint to contrast with the image colors.  You’ll see I used green, but me no likey. I changed to purple later on.

I stenciled the coasters with each design, using a make up sponge with acrylic paint.  I then put a coat of Collage Pauge to seal it and give it a deeper look. Love this stuff.. no sticking after it dries.

  

I used  Posca Paint Marker Pen to add some doodling.  Then I glued the Clay onto the coaster.  Added a few “bellishments” that I made.

 

Final results. Click on images for close ups.

Wasn’t that fun?  Ready for the giveaway???

Two 9″ x 12″ stencils from StencilGirl and a $25 credit in the Lost Coast Designs store will go to ONE lucky winner!

All comments on the hop are eligible for the giveaway. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win. Giveaway will close on Sunday, March 30th @ 11:59PM Central.

Now, it’s time to hop on over to see what Bibiani created.

StencilGirl Talk
LeighSBDesigns
Mary Beth Shaw
Mary Nasser
Cherri Robb
Judy Shea (that’s me… next is Bibiana)
Bibiana Martinez-Ziegler
Linda Kittmer
Carolyn Dube
Leslie B. Turner
Janet Joehlin
Karen McAlpine
Leslie Tucker Jenison
DominoARTblog
Lindsay Weirich
Maria McGuire

I hope you enjoyed the ATCs and this blog hop.

As always, I love hearing from you and let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks for your patience and sticking by me as I continue my balance of life, work and art.

Judy ♥ ♥ ♥