Color Burst Winter Birds ATCs

ATCs or Artist Trading Cards are a fun way to make little pieces of art! These pint-size beauties are just 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 so they don't require a lot of time or materials for great results. I created a set of four winter bird themed ATCs using just two types of Color Burst and a few other simple elements.

These cards incorporate several of my favorite elements for collage including watercolor paper, magazine images, pretty patterned papers, tea bags, a white Uni-Ball Signo pen, a Stabilo pencil, and Color Burst watercolors. The elements you gather will be unique to you, but I would love to share some of the details in my ATCs.
I started by cutting 3 pieces of watercolor paper to 2 1/2 by 3 1/2, the standard size for ATCs. ATC #3 was cut from Ken Oliver's Hometown Cottage - Garden Cottage 12 x 12 patterned paper. Each card includes cut out images and text from one of my favorite magazines, Birds & Blooms. Finishing details include white dots made with the Uni-Ball pen, and shadows and edging made with a Sepia Stabilo pencil and a water brush.
ATC #1 background features handmade papers and a scrap of vintage piano roll that were colored with a sprinkle of Sepia Color Burst and a spritz of water.
ATC #2 has a piece of paper torn from Ken Oliver's Hometown Cottage - Garden Cottage 12 x 12 patterned paper and watercolored with Merlot Color Burst. The bird image is layered on a torn piece of a tea bag that was stained with Sepia Color Burst mixed with water in a bowl.
ATC #3 was cut from Ken Oliver's Hometown Cottage - Garden Cottage 12 x 12 patterned paper   and layered with a snippet of handmade paper.
ATC #4 is a piece of watercolor paper that was painted with a mixture of Titanium Buff paint tinted with a sprinkle of Sepia Color Burst. A piece of handmade paper completes the card.

Making these little cards is so enjoyable and relaxing! I hope you will have fun making some Artist Trading Cards of your own!