Happy Holidays

I am in a creative slump or rather standstill. The holidays have taken over and I am too preoccupied with work and shopping and planning , etc to sit down and make ART. I will be back after the New Year--ARTing away. Good or Bad--it is my ART. Thank everyone who has looked at my blog this year and everyone of my I-friends for your support and kindness.

Happy Holidays. MERRY CHRISTMAS--Happy New Year!!
xox
Lynne

BLOWING MY OWN HORN

I am so excited!! Walking on air all weekend.
I have been published in the Winter 2008 issue of ATC Quarterly!!

Some of my Work is on page 7 in one of the Triptich features. What an honor.
Not only that, but I had sent an ATC for consideration for the Centerfold section Theme "Puppy Dogs" and my Daisy Super Star was selected as well!!!! So --Double Whammy!! Double fun for me

NOW--GO MAKE ART

Lynne

Catch up and Give Thanks-Milwaukee Live ATC Trade Nov. 2008

Last Saturday I attended the Milwaukee ATC Live Trade, again. This month the theme was Books and Authors and I made an interpretation of one of my favorite books, "Cold Mountain". The Trade was starting at 3 so I left around noon, as I was going by myself this time and wanted extra time in case I got lost or something. It was a lovely day for a drive, and I made it up there in great time. There were a lot of people there, I think around 25 or so. I met a lot of really nice people, and finally got to meet and talk to Mel a flickr contact in person and trade with her. She is a wonderful artist. Here are a couple of pictures of the trading room--We met at the Greendale Library, in Greendale Wi this time. I was so excited that I only took these two pictures!!

Hereis a of pictures of the Trades I made--
This is my card-Cold Mountain

Last week I was received a wonderful gift in the mail. A beautiful piece of Art -A Box for Peace, by the artist Franck de La Mercedes. What a wonderful and heartwarming surprise.

HAPPY THANKGIVING EVERYONE
AND
PEACE BE WITH YOU

What an Honor!!!

My great friend Shelly has honored me with an I Love Your Blog award!!

Shelly has been an inspiration and support for me this past year and I am so fortunate to have met her and truly honored that she gave me this award!!

As a condition to accepting the award, there are a few rules

1. The winner can put the logo on her blog (see above);
2. Link to the person who nominated you for the award
3. The winner then nominates at least seven other blogs (see below);
4. Include the links of these blogs on your own blog (see below).

SHELLY ALSO TAGGED ME AND THERE ARE RULES FOR THAT TOO--

1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Write seven random things about yourself.
3. Tag seven people at the end of your post.
I have opted to Nominate and tag the same group, as time is short this weekend-

So, here goes
#1 the rules are above...
#2 Seven random things about me
1) I am the oldest of 3 children
2) I have two of the best dogs in the world, Daisy and Dylan-Jack Russell terriers
3) I LOVE my ART, music and reading
4) I have read "To Kill a Mockingbird" about 20 times and "Cold Mountain" 5 times
5) I collect little "things", really I am a pack rat
6) I have worked for the same company for 24.5 years(25 years in June 09)
7) I am married to an Irish poet

#4 Tag 7 people

Valerie
Femmy
Nancy
Marion
Carrie
Mam'zelle M
Karen

So--let the games begin
Thank you again Shelly!!!!!

Creative Slow down

It has been about 10 days since my last post and I have done only a bit of creating. I finished and mailed the Tag pages for ATC Connection's 2nd Anniversary book-fingers crossed that it got to the hostess in time. Will post a picture when I get the finished book back. I have been working on the cards for the Gypsy ATC book for Advanced Artist Trading Cards-UK. I only have to make 8 Cards but both sides need images and deco-I have a lot of time left as it is not due til January.
I did finally finish the cards for the Milwaukee ATC live Swap that is taking place on Nov. 22. The theme was Books /Authors and I decided to use one of my all time favorite books--Cold Mountain, by Charles Frasier.
I have only done one piece that was for me-

The Sunbathers

This is a 4X6 postcard size collage. I am not sure just why I was so taken with this photograph but I love the expression on both faces. I coated the card with beeswax and that gives it the hazy look in the background.

4X 6 Postcards- deux fois

I am sure my French grammar, a la Babel Fish.com is incorrect, but times two!! deux fois.
I have been working on 4X6 postcard format cards lately. Not completely to the exclusion of my ATC's but almost. I do like doing the larger sizes for some images and ideas. I am still hanging onto the less is more challenge I placed upon myself, and I really like what is happening.
For the following Cards, I did some layered backgrounds and something I picked up reading Sally Jeans book as well as Claudine Hellmuth's book on Collage with beeswax. The cards in this
post I made during the past two weeks--

Milwaukee Live ATC Trade-October 2008

My husband Joe, a freelance writer, has been working on an article about ATC's. He has been corresponding with Chuck Stake (aka Don Mabie) in Canada. The artist responsible for bringing ATC's to North America, Chuck has been such a generous and encouraging person not only to Joe but to myself. He urged us both to find and go to a live trade. Because to Chuck--the trade is the THING!!!
I have been looking all over for live trades here in the Chicago area, but they are few and far between. I have been in contact with a tiny group that has been meeting up in Elgin, and there are several Stamp/Scrap shops that hold "trades" you drop off then pick up your cards all on a theme--but I wanted a LIVE swap.
Then I found what I was looking for...
Yesterday I went to the Milwaukee Live ATC Trade meeting. It was so much fun. I met so many truly nice and talented people/Artists yesterday. I felt true joy! It was amazing, I was in a room of strangers who "GOT" me. They made such an effort to make me and the other Newbies welcome. To talk to other people who knew what I was saying, whose eyes don't glaze over when you mention beeswax or vintage images, or gel medium. What a treat!!
Here are a few pictures of the Meet up

Below are the cards that I received in the trade.

I am definitely planning on making the drive up to the Milwaukee area in November for the next meeting. The theme is Authors and books and I already am filled with ideas!

Moos, Beeswax and Autumn

Been a while since I posted anything--not because nothing is happening. Quite the contrary, I have been BUSY. Work takes up so much of my time--all day!!!! So I only have a couple of hours at night and on the weekends to do "My Thang"--So I have been busy, creating--no time for writing.
First off I wanted to show off my Moo's--not the ones I have made-which are a tiny amount of tiny art cards--but the REAL Moos from Mooville---I ordered them off the website; they are somehow affliliated with Flickr. It was fun to choose and edit them and I just love 'em. The color and texture of the paper is beautiful.

Then there is the Beeswax-- I have been working with it a long--not exclusively but a lot.
and below are some of my most recent pieces ATC's and 4x6 postcards and 6X8 canvas

ATC'S

4X6" POSTCARDS

6X8" stretched canvas

Autumn--
Hmmmm. This summer went by so fast!! I know that is cliche but it is so true. I feel like June was last week and now it is OCTOBER!!! for crying out loud. The department stores--Target and Walmart, the only ones I go to --HAVE THE CHRISTMAS STUFF OUT!!!!!!!!!!!
When did it get ok to do that??
Why can't we just have Autumn?

New work space--EBAY, etc.

Well, I finally got most of my "Stuff" down in the basement. It is not the cozy little space I had up stairs but, but I have my stuff, my Computer, my printer and scanner all in close proximity-which I didn't have before. If and when I get the big bookcases from Ikea, It will look more like a real room. Paint would help, but our budget is tight right now. I am going to make an effort to manage my time better so that I can resume selling on EBAY, I need the money. I have once again allowed my focus get concentrated on ATC's, and art for the past months and let my EBAY selling slide, along with everything else in life practically--even my reading!! I haven't read an entire book since vacation in August--that is almost a sin.
That being said, last week I worked on a couple of cards, traded some around the world.
Below is the result

This is a 4X6 Postcard size card--I colored the image pencil and antiqued the background papers.

Below are a couple of ATC's that I finished. The one on your right is in the style of my previous card called Paris Philosophie--which is traded. I love that image so I had to make a replacement.
The card on the left is an experiment-I sanded the image alot to give it some texture and sealed it with Matte medium with gave it an even different look--I like how it turned out.

BIG MOVE!!

Well, I finally made the decision to move my space from the cozy loft room above the garage to the basement. My main reason, actually 2 reasons, were MORE SPACE AND I CAN'T STAND THE MESS!!! Well not the mess actually. It is my "creativity". I would feel duty bound to keep it tidy or put away all of my stuff, if someone was coming over or the kids were having guests. When we originally built this house, this room was "MINE" but the kids love being with me and so they gradually took over the space. Joe would watch sports in the Family room, so they would of course come upstairs to watch tv with me while I worked on Scrapbooks or computer or now ATC/collage. We put a TV down here in the basement along with an old sofa, but they didn't like being there--probably because no one ever cleaned up after them--I would make them do it!!
So----I just decided to move my stuff down here. It is unfinished but I am going to put some Ikea bookshelves across part of the space to create a wall and Joe's promised to paint the concrete wall a bright color and the staircase wall will get drywall and whitewashed paneling so I use it for display.
We'll see how it goes. I will put some pictures up as soon as we get started.
On a more artistic note. I did get a couple of pieces done recently. The pictures are not the greatest but here they are--

They are collage on foam core with beeswax technique. I don't feel like they are finished. They either need to be mounted on another layer of material or some sort of mat then framed. I can't decide. It will come to me.
On a lighter note, I did find time to do my CollagePlay with Crowabout Challenge for this week. It is not the best thing I've done for this challenge but I thought it was fun.
Have a great week--

Week 7 Crowabout Entry--Thoughts on Swaps

I finally finished my week 7 entry for the CollagePlay with Crowabout group on flickr. It was a challenge-ha. I couldn't get anything from the elements. Nothing really Popped--except that I liked the little Girl element. So I struggled with whether this would be a week when I would NOT do the collage.
At the same time a thread on one of the Yahoo ATC groups that I belong to, developed into a drama. Anyone who has belonged to a discussion group knows how this happens and spirals out of control until there are a lot of hurt feelings and flaming being done. Righteous comments and thoughtless remarks--posted often without real thought to the consequences.
AH---THERE YOU GO--Finally I had my "theme" for this weeks Collage

Simple but True.

I have also made a huge decision. I am putting a moratorium on Swapping. I will continue to do 1/1 trades, but the swaps were getting out of control, stressful --and I want to have fun and enjoy what I am doing. NO STRESS--soo00000- I am taking that stress away.

Hurricane in Illinois? Lots of new stuff

OBSERVATION?
It has been raining for nearly 3 days. I cannot imagine it any wetter, but from what I see on the tele, we are so lucky compared to the people in Southern USA. I have been holed up in the loft surrounded by my "STUFF" experimenting with beeswax again as well as packaging up card that I have traded.
Just a side note. I was skipping around Flickr a while ago, you know how that goes. First you click one persons photostream and look around and they have a link to someone else, who has a link to another person, and before you know it you've lost 2 hours of time. Black hole of flickr ----
Well, I was looking at a contact-Moline who lives in Germany and has the most beautiful taste and that lead me to another person , and so on. What I am getting at, IS---all the pictures of their homes and work spaces are so CLEAN AND TIDY!!!!!!! They all look like they are decorated for a magazine--which by the way some have been featured in decorating mags. How do they do that???? I am looking around as I type and my immediate work space looks like the aftermath of hurricane IKE-without the water!!
Do you think I should make the move to a bigger space in the Basement?? I just can't decide. Maybe I do need more space to be neater?? OH WELL--
WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS WEEK

I finished my week 6 CollagePlay with Crowabout
Next I experimented with Beeswax all week--

This is an 8X10 canvas board and I just loved the baby pic I found on Flickr--The name came from a vintage children's reader--I used the original text, but unfortunately the picture on the reverse side bled through when I added the beeswax so I had to print out text on plain paper and add.
Below are two of a series of Witchy Children (no Beeswax!)I am working on for a swap on one of my Yahoo Groups-

This is an ATC I altered with Chalk and used the Beeswax technique on. I got some natural beeswax at Hobby lobby and I love the color and patina it gives the finished pieces

LAST BUT NOT LEAST--I HOPE...
This is the same image as above but on a 5"X7" canvas--no chalking this time just the collage behind along with some acrylic paint and then BEESWAX AGAIN--
I Love this image and have used her before. I call her Fiona-and may have to keep this one.
Might have to make one to sell in my ETSY shop

All the previous talk about a tidy space has made me acutely aware of what a mess I have made since Friday night so~~Will try to put my space in order and maybe still have time to work again later this evening. Ciao, Lynne

Beeswax and Swaps!!

Oh my, I have been sooo busy this week. Worked in the "world" Monday and Tuesday. Still, I managed to get out the Beeswax/potpourri pot and fire it up to try my hand once again at Beeswax technique. My friend Shellyrs68 make THE most beautiful cards using beeswax to coat and adhere elements. below are some of the ones I made. Stayed up WAY To late but had fun. I only have bleached beeswax and need to get some of the natural as it gives a much nicer patina to the piece
The Maries are ATC size and the squares are about 6"X6".

Today was my "day off" but I feel like I hardly stopped all day. I tried to get a handle on the swaps I have signed up for on the different groups I belong to. Got several envies ready to mail and made a list of the swaps and projects that need completing and the deadlines. Got started on a 6/6 swap that needs to go out soon.
Before I knew it the kids were home from school and we had to get ready for Confirmation classes-which I help teach. Sooo, there you have it. My life in a nutshell.
If anyone out there ever reads this--Please leave me a comment. I would like to know if all the hits on my counter are "real People" and not just me !
Caio, Lynne

ATC International Swap

Below are the three ATC's I made for a Children and Babies themed swap for ATC International Yahoo group. There ended up being only 2 other swapers besides me, so I have a bunch of half done BABY cards, which Brianna thinks are soooo cute, mom! Got them in Envelopes ready to mail out a bit ago. Got to get SERIOUS and do some ART ---after the grocery shopping.
Ciao~~