Make It! Monday: Poppy ATC

Greetings! After a few weeks of being sick I'm back and ready to share more fun craftiness with you.  In honour of Remembrance Day (Veterans Day for my friends in the US), today's project is my poppy artist trading card, or ATC.  This is a great way to recycle your poppy and make a little piece of art at the same time.  And if you've lost someone who served, you can also use it to commemorate them.  Here's what you'll need:
- small piece of clear 7-count plastic canvas (this is the standard size of plastic canvas, and it's sold in most craft stores - you could also use red or white canvas for this project)
- ruler or tape measure
- scissors
- tapestry needle
- red yarn
- sewing needle and thread
- alphabet beads

1.  A typical ATC is 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" inches, so the first thing you need to do is measure and cut the same size piece of canvas.  Note: Your piece may not be exactly those dimensions (mine was slightly narrower than 2 1/2").  My piece is 23 holes long by 16 holes high; your measurements may vary depending on the brand of canvas.
2.  Now it's time to start stitching.  I use a basic continental stitch to fill in my ATCs and an overcast stitch to cover the edges.  They're both really easy stitches to do.  If you've never worked with plastic canvas before, check out this link http://plasticcanvascountry.com/index.php/stitch-guide for instructions on doing your stitching.
3.  Now it's time to add the poppy.  Figure out where you want it to be and use the sewing needle and thread to attach it.  Tip: Before attaching the poppy, you may want to put some hot glue or something on the end of the pin so you don't stab yourself.
4.  Finally, add the beads.  I went with LEST WE FORGET on my ATC, but you could also put the name of a family member who died.

And that's pretty much all there is to it! Here's a picture of my completed ATC:

Until next time,
J.