Way back during the Great Covid Lockdown, I did an online session on making Artist Trading Cards for members of the Bodgery, a maker space here in Madison.

Supplies

From the Dollar Tree

Crafter’s Square:

• Stencils
• Stickers
• Rub-on stickers
• Tempera Watercolor
• Rubber stamps

Other supplies

• Sheet of sturdy paper such as card stock, drawing paper, watercolor paper, or Bristol board sized 8-1/2 by 11 inches.
• Ruler, craft knife, and cutting mat, or paper trimmer
• Ink pads
• Paint brush – about ½ inch (across or in diameter) depending on whether you have a flat or round brush.
• Scissors
• Magazine or book pages
• Glue or glue stick
• Pencil
• Fine-tipped black pen
• Something to use as a palette.
• Two containers for water
  • One for rinsing brushes
  • One for clean water to dilute paint.
• Rag or paper towels for wiping brushes.

Optional:

• Craft heat gun or hair dryer for drying paper.
• Cosmetic sponge or dauber for distressing edges.
• Distress ink or tan ink pad for distressing edgesd
• 12 x 12 single-sided cardstock cut to 7 by 10-1/2 inches.

On the back of the sheet of paper, mark boxes 3-1/2 inches tall by 2-1/2 inch wide. The number of cards will depend on the orientation of your paper. 8-1/2 by 11 will make 9 cards;11 by 8-1/2 will make 8.

Once you mark off the card shapes, turn the paper over. Squeeze a small blob of the three primary colors onto the palette. Dip your brush into the clean water container and then into your first color.

Make random streaks and lines in each color across the paper. Clean brushes after each color to keep them clean. Overlap marks to create additional colors. Let paints dry.

Stamp images randomly across paper to create additional background interest. Cut cards apart and distress edges if desired. Use book pages to select words and phrases to decorate front of cards. Select embellishments from sticker sheet for front of card.

Before gluing items down, test arrangements. Once you are satisfied, glue everything down. To ensure lasting adhesion, apply glue to each sticker and phrase before laying them down. Glue stick adhesive tends to dry out and lift after a while.

The items are fairly nice to use and affordable so any one with a couple of dollars can make a small piece of art to share. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on art supplies.

Since the time I did this class, Dollar Tree has added more craft supplies including fabric and vinyl that can be used with die-cutting machines such as Cricut. If there’s a store near you, check them out.