Wonderful World of ATCs

All this time and I have never made an ATC but now that has changed. Before I joined my Yahoo group "Artist Trading Cards" I decided to make a few for practise (4). In another of my groups "NorthEast Scrapbook Friends" I signed up for a swap to make decorated chipboard. Well, if that isn't a perfect time to alter the size of the chipboard and make a few ATCs for myself as practise. The swap I was in called for "Red, White, and Blue" and since it was July 4th a Patriotic Theme was definitely in order. Now how perfect is that! So my ATCs were called "Salute to a Soldier".

Now what I learned is don't use a spray finish. I thought a spray would be better since  I didn't have to worry about brush strokes since I wasn't using a brush. Well, even though it was a matte finish when I sprayed it, no matter how careful I was trying to be, I still got that fine spray and then that dreaded drop. You know, that one heavy spot on the finished work which you can see if you look at it in the light. Yeah....won't do that again.
I also learned glue matters even on chipboard. If you use one too wet it curls the chipboard. The chipboard looked like I had it wrapped around a ball. Maybe it was the way I put it on or something but I found the Modge Podge too wet. I ended up using the "Glue and Sealer" which is also a paste but it didn't seam as lumpy or wet as the Modge Podge. I ran out of it half way through and ended up using my "2 way glue pen" which also was ok but I did make use of the old phone books I had by putting them on top while they dried just so it wouldn't be able to curl.
Another thing, even though your cutter can handle multi sheets and you think they are all the same and perfectly lined up.....cut them one at a time. I wasted so much time redoing work because I cut it "off" and it was too short or long because once the cutter slide through it cut but it moved the work so when cutting it back again it wasn't straight or the correct size.
That is all I can remember but then again it is my first time. I am sure I will find more as I do more.
If you would like to try your hand at making your own I am sharing the soldier SVG (left sidebar with the other SVGs). If you use it I would love to see what you make with it.