Numbers ATCs

We're having an ATC swap on ABC that is all about Numbers. I've been excited about this swap for quite awhile, but finally decided on a layout.

I began by making some more Solvent Ink and Alcohol backgrounds, only this time I used only Blazing Red (which looks PINK in my world) and Mustard. The back side of the card stock is lighter than the front, but just as pretty, as you can tell by the one back I showed.

Next, I removed some pages from one of my old statistics books from a chapter on radicals, integers, and matrices and added the same colors to those pages. Instead of adding more ink, I added more alcohol to the last of the pages, which gave them a much paler look. I wanted the contrast because I was beginning to worry that the two pages were too close in color for any contrast.

I cleaned the cups using a Viva paper towel. At that time, I sort of mixed the two colors together, getting a nice orange.

The next day, when the paper towels were dry, I cut them into 2" squares being "careful" to cut some edges at a slight angle. Yes, that was intentional. I also cut pieces of cheese cloth, a fabric every altered artist should own, backed the paper towels with stitch witchery, then ironed them to the cheese cloth. I carefully marked off the areas I wanted to use on the math pages while placing one of the completed cheese cloth/paper towel assemblies on top of the area. Then I cut the math pages to size.

Next I paired the cheese cloth/paper towel assemblies to the cut math pages. I added some UHU repositionable glue to the math page, added the assemblies, and sewed. Again, I was not going for perfection. I really wanted a bit of a wonky look.

Using a stencil, I cut the "4s" backward from the yellow pages of a Wichita phone book. The stencil had two registration holes at the bottom of the number, so I first located what I wanted to show on the front of the phone book page, then poked through the two registration holes using a dental tool. I flipped the phone book page over, lined up the holes, and drew the stenciled number backward onto the page.

I attached the ink and alcohol backgrounds to the math page/fabric assemblies using glue stick. I used a lot, so I sure hope they stick.

Those teeny tiny black buttons gave me fits. I have no grip in my hands, so they were a bear to attach somewhat straight without showing the E6000.

There are more than 12 in the photos because ultimately there were 14 players. The "extra" on the scanner is the one I showed the back only in the first scan. I sure hope the other swappers like them because each player will get one. I'm pretty pleased with the way they turned out, although there isn't a whole lot of contrast among layers.