Friday, April 23, 2010

Alice in Wonderland


This is the last Artist Trading Card I'll be posting for a little while.  One swap group has come to the end of the planned swaps and I participate in a couple other groups on a semi-regular basis but probably won't join in while I finish up some new projects.  I do have a large series to make by the end of the year (and I hope sooner) with a quilt theme.  I am still in the planning stages for that group of cards.


The small group had a theme of "Alice in Wonderland" this month.  I recently downloaded a lot of images from the original illustrations of the book from Twisted Papers.  They are beautiful, crisp images that can be enlarged a great deal without becoming pixelated.  This LINK will take you directly to the page with many Alice in Wonderland images.

I brought the image into my StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0 software and started doing some digital magic.  I applied a color wash in tan to the image and then softened the edges.  I added some background paper for the base layer.  The phrase "go ask Alice" from "White Rabbit" by the Jefferson Airplane kept going through my head as I was working, so I added that and made it the same color as the background paper.  Then I used the filters to add a three dimensional edge and sphereize the image.


I adjusted the size of my image to ATC dimensions (3.5 x 2.5 inches) and then took the image into my printing program to fit eight on an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of matte photo paper.  I cut heavy brown cardstock as a backing for the photo paper - I like my ATCs to be on the thick rather than the thin side.


I got out my colored pencils and did just a bit of hand tinting.  I haven't wandered into the world of coloring with Copic markers...yet... The pencils were a good way to add a bit of spark.


For the backs of the cards, I cut the teapot from A Child's Year at 2 inches in a pretty pink patterned cardstock.


I hand wrote the details on the back with my white Signo gel pen.

Several of you have asked what people do with the ATCs.  I have all of the ones I have traded for in a binder or a basket and look through them from time to time.  It is fun to see all the different "takes" on a common theme and to see and try new techniques.  I need to get the groups of ATCs together and take some photos so I can have a quick reference back to these ideas.

I haven't seen the Tim Burton "Alice in Wonderland" yet - have any of you?  I have heard mixed reviews, but I am sure I would enjoy the visual treat with all of the bright colors I have seen in the previews.

Have a great weekend!

8 comments:

  1. Great work! I do not know if I can get into digital at this time, I am having too much fun touching and glueing paper, but your work is inpiring. As always, thanks for sharing your work with such detail instruction and information!

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  2. What great images. I will have to check out twisted papers as I love the vintage look!

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  3. Beautiful job Diane!!! I love the vintage Alice In Wonderland images, so precious!!! The teapot on the back really adds to your project.

    I like the softness of the pencil shading, gives it enough umph without overpowering the image, which I think if you were going to do copics, it would have to be such light colors?

    I hope you do continue to do some ATC swaps, because I love your ATCs. I would like to get into a swap, but I worry with my injury I wouldn't be able to keep up with the projects, and then feel "rushed" to get things out..at this point in my life I want to feel accomplishment more than anything!

    The day I can manage more than one card...I'm there!!! lol

    Crafty Hugs
    Lisa Sturgill

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  4. My granddaughter loves Alice in Wonderland. I've been looking at all the pics Twisted Papers has and trying to figure out if I want to try my hand at digital. You card is so cute and the saying is perfect.

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  5. Lady Di, these images are so cool. I love the illustrations. They have such a vintage look. Just my style. The paper you chose for the tea pot is perfect. Most beautiful.

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  6. I love it when a post reaches out and grabs me! I'm such an Alice in Wonderland FREAK... this one's a keeper!!!

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  7. Joan from florida here. The image I saw on Twisted Papers Alice in Wonderland didn't look like your ATC cards. Is there more than one?

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  8. Hi Joan,

    I started with the tea party image from Twisted Papers but then used my software to digitally alter it by applying filters.

    I wanted to have a three dimensional appearance on the edges and also give the effect of something reflected in a rounded mirror ("through the looking glass").

    There are two of these images available on the Twisted Papers site - one is black and white and one has been colored. I started with the black and white one but added the effects and hand colored it a bit.

    The possibilities are endless with digital manipulation!

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