I’ve been invited to join the Women & Creativity ATC Play along again this year.
ATC’s or Artist Trading Cards are 3 1/2 by 2 1/1 inch pieces of art created by artists for many different reasons.Maybe to try a new techniques, as a learning opportunity or to make a statement.
My Great Grand Father was a lithographer in London.I made an acrylic 3 layered background on green card.I then made a simple print block and hand-tinted flowers.I then used a glitter fabric pen to highlight the edges.
Garden installation
Well that’s I made it the last month of being 50 !
I again helped to build the Seattle Arboretum Foundation’s award winning garden.I was asked to paint the piñata green to blend in with the design.I love working with Bob Lily and the team from the Arboretum Foundation.We have great fun and it is the best cure for my seasonal mood disorder (SAD) One of the nicest things is that Bob always gifts us plants and currently my deck pots have Blue Irises popping up at of slightly different blues from different builds.I’m also totally indulged by hubby and we always buy a plant or two to add to our garden collection. This year we have a white ribes and two beautiful specimen witch hazels.We have also gained some kinnickinick which I’m hoping will do well.
Leigh ,my wonderful gardener, and I have big plans for the garden this year.We’re trying some live stack planting with a very vigorous ribes which was causing a visual obstruction to the traffic on the street.We used the cuttings to screen the working area of the garden.We’ve taken advantage of renewing the fences in the fall to make formal plans.I value my privacy so am exploring different screening methods , these also help our small birds hide from the Cooper’s hawk that nest’s across the road.
I’ve wanted to build in more bird and bug friendly elements.I really happy to see the birds beginning to court on our deck.Most exciting of all is our Berwick wren seems to have a partner so I’m hoping to see the population increase.I’ll post the new structures and elements as they develop.
This week was my personal deadline for mailing Day of the Dead exchanges.I made mini banners and shrines for participants.Over the years I have researched Halloween ,Samrath and Dia de los muertos traditions.I highly recommend the Smithsonian website for information on this topic.I created these shrines and mailed a few yesterday.
So I have a swap partner called Nora her avatar is a unicorn.
We both love to make things for each other.Sounds strange we’re never met and only connect through the pieces were make.After a really long break from swapping her package arrived on Saturday.We both have a passion for steampunk a true extension of Sci Fi if there ever was one.
These are the cool pieces she sent.The balloon compact is so fun-have discovered I can alter it a bit more.Might have to get my corset out and have some dress up time.
So way back in the day like 2009 I joined an online community called Cut ,Out and Keep.For a couple of years I have reduced my involvement but recently swapping has started to be an activity that I’d like to become involved in again.
Nora and I swapped way back in the day and this week I have sent her some new Steampunk creations.This is one of the ATC’s which formed part of that swap and I’m hoping to make more of these wee pieces of art.In a couple of weeks I’m heading off to Alaska and planning to ATC bomb my way around Denali and the Kenai penisular. I’ll take some ATC’s from my stash and create a limited edition set for the trip.I’ll be preparing mini journals ahead of the trip might just share those to.
Among a beach day and family Sunday I put together a set of ATC’s this weekend for the women and creativity ATC exchange.They are still looking for artists to trade so if you up to it try and make a few ATC’s and join in.I did a green acrylic wash a little gold spray.For me this speaks to the evergreen state in which I live.The trees are hand carved in foam and printed on pages of my reused journal.I washed it with coffee and iridescent copper then printed with hybrid ink-from a vendor at Urban Craft Uprising.
Then I tried an owl landing on the tree but in the end settled for a watercolor metallic dragonfly. They were completed by a gold border.A little fantasy as we don’t see dragonflies and bare tree together but they are the memory of the summer to come.
I have know idea where these little pieces of art will end up but I hope the bring a smile to someone’s day somewhere.
In January I joined an online community called Crossposting.You get an address and you send the person a postcard.There are lots of specific requests but I really wanted to make fabric cards.This week I had a US address who would accept handmade cards.So after a little Pinterest research I had a method and worked out the supplies-which of course I had in my stash.Here is the result.
Today is also the birthday of two good friends one on the East Coast of US and the other in Japan so happy b’day to Sayaka and Marisol.
I’m skipping the 21 day challenge today.It’s Zentangles – been there done that and it’s just not my scene.Well in truth the small repetitive motions make my neck and arm ache.No Zen just pain.
Pompom Pumpkins
As promised here are my Halloween swap images of items sent to Mischievous Raven in England.International postage has risen around 300 % in the last 5 years.This makes sending difficult and unreliable internationally .Having said that my studio walls have ATC”s along one side and lots of ephemera from many nations. hang all around. I have been a member of Cut Out and Keep for around 5 years.The members have changed and other sites are more popular and active.I still host the odd swap.I also host the Vet V Newbie swap.Check out the site. http://Cutoutandkeep.net/board/swapping/swap_shop.
My fav swap is the Halloween.That orange and black thing. Inchies swaps-they are so small light weight but make great accents/focal points for books,mini banners and other pieces.
Halloween mini banner
Ravens and Pumpkin
So October brings a traditional swap.I love working with Orange and Black.I have small stash for this time of year.
This year my swap partner is in the UK so I’ve crafted swiftly and made it to the mail box today.Yes another wee teaser is required.
For a long while I’ve participated in Happygrams through a website called Cut Out and Keep. Happygrams are small packages of craftyness aimed at brightening someone’s day. I also currently host the Vet V Newbie Swap.We currently have a Postcard Swap which is open to all.
