ART - just do it!

My yellow and/or musical ATCs for the monthly 1for 1 swap! I made packing tape transfers for these ATCs. So totally fun and easy.

I created cardstock backers with strips of yellow cardstock just for a bit of a change and to include more colours. I colourwashed some old music sheets with yellow acrylic paint and used it as decorative paper behind my tranfers. Added some images to some - postage stamps! They are little mini pieces of art that are so well suited to ATCs. I downloaded the images I used for the transfers from the internet. Added some words and I was done. The font was also downloaded off the internet. Made them all a little different so that if the numbers are low this month it will be easier for the hostess to swap them out.



If you have never made packing tape transfers here are a few instructions. You need some images, letters or words that you can adjust to be the width of your tape in your favorite photo editing software - I use Corel Draw. Print the images on bond paper with your laser printer. Cut them out as you wish. Lay them on your surface with the image facing up. Apply a piece of packing tape over the top and really burnish it to make sure it is in good contact with the image. Now soak the whole thing in water. It will take a few minutes for the paper to absorb the water and soften. Remove from the water and slowly start rubbing the back to remove the paper. Be gentle - you want to remove only the paper not the b & w image that has become fused to the tape (unless you want to remove some of it for a distressed look). Now wipe off both sides and your transfer is ready to be applied to the surface of your project. You will see that the stickiness of the tape is still intact and will allow you to adhere it without any other adhesive. Lots of fun!! Try it!!

Enjoy!

Therese