Sewn ATCs

Written and Created by PaperCraftCentral Susan

Sewn ATCs have an extra dimensional element all their own.

Sewn ATCs sure do look special. I was in a swap where the instructions were to make Artist Trading Cards using any theme, as long as there was sewing on each one.

I just happened to have watched a friend sewing on her scrapbooking layouts a few weeks before so I knew it could easily be done. I broke out my trusty paints, stamps and also my sewing machine this time, and got busy making my swaps.

How I Made Sewn ATCs

To make this project, first I started with a painted background, similar to what I did for the Paris ATCs only this time I used my Radiant Rain Daubers more. I love the shimmer effect of those daubers.

Of course, you can get a similar shimmery effect by mixing reinkers with Wink of Stella, especially if you have an older Wink of Stella that you don't mind getting ink on. Just be sure to squeeze the barrel of your Wink after painting with each colour and wipe it on an old rag or paper towel to rid the brush of ink colour.

Money Saving Tip: If you have any shimmer paints in your stash, you could also make your own shimmer spray with shimmer paints mixed with isopropyl alcohol in a spritzer bottle. Custom Colour your shimmer paint spray by adding drops of reinker to the mix.

Then when the paint and shimmer medium was dry, I took one of these beautiful foliage stamps and some rich purple Stazon ink, and placed images on each little card.

Next I threaded my sewing machine up and stitched a couple of rows of various coloured thread in random lines around the edges of my cards to make a frame for them.

You could use some other medium such as a blender pen to create a similar look, just adding dashes of ink instead of solid lines.

After that I finished the backs of my little cards with plum coloured cardstock, more stamped foliage images in deep purple Stazon and a signature stamp in white craft ink, before adhering the fronts and backs together. That way, my stamping looked more layered and the messy back of my stitching was hidden in between the layers of cardstock.

If you want the stitches to show front and back, do your sewing after you adhere the two layers of cardstock together. Just be sure you can hide any unwanted knots form view by perhaps adhering another image over the join(s).

TIP: I used the end of a ruler as a stamping block in the photo as the foliage stamp was a smaller one and it just meant I had more control of the stamp with a smaller stamping block surface. You can buy small stamp blocks which are easier to manage especially with arthritic fingers! Or you can use a stamp positioner to help you get the image in the right place.

Now I have small acrylic stamping blocks from Stampin' Up! and I alternate between using one of the tiniest blocks or my stamp positioner for this purpose instead of using my clear ruler, depending on my mood and what is within reach.

The finishing touches for my little cards were to add some little rhinestone crystals in opposite corners, but I forgot to take photos of my ATCs after I added the crystals! Sorry about that.

These ATCs were in the mail before I noticed I had not taken a photo of them with rhinestones.I had made them to swap with other crafters and I didn't want to miss the deadline for mailing. 

Sometimes I do my best thinking about a project after it is in the mail. Is that true for you too? Lol!

I hope I have encouraged you to break out your own sewing machine and try some stitching in your paper crafting.It's a great Mixed Media technique to add to your repertoire.

Sewing Needle TIp:  Just be sure to change your sewing needle after sewing on paper, and marking it in some way for that exclusive use. Sewing on fabric with a needle that has been used for sewing on cardstock is not a good idea as it will catch the fabric layers and quite possibly cause jams or pulls.

Scissors Tips: This is the same reason I use separate pairs of scissors to cut my paper and ribbon, so each pair of scissors does its job perfectly. I tie a piece of ribbon to my scissor handles so I always know which ones are for paper and which ones are for ribbon.

Some crafters also have a separate pair of scissors to cut things that have adhesive on them. Otherwise you are always cleaning adhesive off your scissors with something like Eucalyptus oil or an adhesive removing eraser or GLue GOne.

If you enjoyed reading about sewing on your Artist Trading Cards, you may also enjoy these other ideas:

• Artist Trading Cards
• Parisien themed ATCs
• Peeling Paint Technique on ATCs
• Zettiology themed ATCs

Enjoy your crafting!