A Very Special ATC

This has to be one of the most wonderful gifts I have ever received. My friend Mayme Crouse from Jacksonville, FL made this Easter Card for me. It is an origial so it is what is refered to as an ACEO (Art Card Edition and Original). I am sure you will agree that her work is wonderful. I tell her all of the time that my favorite thing about her paintings is her attention to details. There is a lamp on the table next to Miss Bunny and it has a cord and is plugged into the wall. I would never have thought of that. Everything is fabulous...the topiary, windowboxes, chandalier and polka dot curtains. You can sit and study it and still see new things. It is the size of an ATC 3.5 X 2.5 ins but the most wonderful part is the fact that it opens-up.

Postcards

I have made some new friends trading cards and one them is Amanda. She is the only person I have ever met that loves Panda's as much as my Becky. Amanda and I were chatting and she told me about a Group on Yahoo called "When Art and Mail Collide" or "WAAMC" for short. They make postcards and send them through the mail worldwide. I could not wait to try one of these. It is the same concept as the ATC (anything goes) just bigger. They are 4X6 inches and so this gives an artist even more freedom. This is my first and I am sure it will not be the last.

Inchies

I decided it was time to try something a little different. No, I'm not going to stop making ATC's. I just wanted to try my hand at something new. These are called Inchies because they are 1 in. X 1 in. I added the dime to give you an idea of what they are like to work with. These have all been painted with "Twinkling H2O's". It is a type of watercolor that has mica added to the pigment. The results are fabulous. I want to try some more some time. Maybe with chalks or rubber stamps.

Postage Stamp Swap

This set of cards was created for a swap. The theme of the swap was that every card had to have at least on postage stamp on it. I grew up in a family of stamp collectors so I had no trouble finding some awesome stamps. The swap was a 7/6 which means that I had to make seven cards and the swap moderator will send 6 cards to me. They will all be made by different artists. I think that I have had the most fun with this swap. It has definitely been my favorite so far.

Let's JAM

I have been introduced to something new. It's all about sharing your creativity with your friends. This is the way it works. The first person creates 3 identical backgrounds. There is no theme just something interesting. That person sends the 3 cards to the second person. This person pick a focal point. It can be anything a picture, a found item or whatever. Again it is important to keep the cards identical. This person sends the cards to a 3rd person. They will add the details and/or embellishments. The 3rd person sends a card back to the 1st and the 2nd. You now have 3 friends that have shared very unique experience.
The scan with this post has six very special cards.

I got together with Trish and our friend Bernice Rittenhouse. We each made 2 sets of backgrounds. I gave one set to Bernie and the other set to Trish. After they added the focal point, they switched the sets Trish finished the set Bernice had been working on and Bernice the the set that Trish had. By the time the evening was over, we as a group had made 18 cards. Each of us has 6 cards to keep. The first 2 cards(column) Trish made the backgrounds, the next column were by Bernice and I made the last 2. Bernice added the picture of the woman to Trish's 1st background and I finished it with the a few metal brads and the words "never be ordinary". The second background I added the cat from a vintage postcard and Bernice finished it off. Trish added the ballerina's the Bernice orange color background and I finished it with a piece of ribbon, a clip and a some shimmering highlights. I added the flower stamps to Bernice's second and Trish finished it with the metal tag brad and added each of our initials. Trish added the picture of the little girl to my black, white and red background and Bernice finished it with the bling hearts and a metal corner brad. Bernice added the stamp of a beach scene to my pink and brown background and Trish finished it with the seahorse charm and the seashell.
This week I have been part of an International JAM. A woman named Kirrily for Australia sent me 3 backgrounds, I added a vintage picture of a young woman to each and I mailed the cards the a woman named Sandra who lives in Scotland. I can't wait to see the finished product. When I get it I will be sure to post it.