New cards for Milwaukee

I can't believe I have actually got my cards ready for the Milwaukee Live trade and it isn't until Feb. 28th. I had been turning over ideas in my mind for several weeks and got stuck on newspaper since the theme is "Black, White and Red/Read all over" . I finally settled on a tenative design for the card series -because I really do not like making 18 plus cards all the same- and Saturday I started out to put them together. Below is a sampling of the cards. I did end up making a few of the versions in 2's and 3's as I liked them more than others.





Check out my flickr site to see all of the cards in the series-- GypsyArt. Along with those cards are some of my newer cards and a couple of small canvas collage that I recently completed in a series called "The Secret Life of Birds".
Gotta go--til next time
GO MAKE ART!!
Lynne

CABIN FEVER

Yes, it has been over said, but I do have cabin fever. I long to throw open the windows and have a nice warm breeze flow in. Some real sunshine--not the stuff generated by reflecting off 2 feet of snow and ice. Plus, my art space in now in the unfinished BASEMENT- and it is cold down here. Save for my tiny space heater that warms my toes.
Maybe that is why some of my cards are reminding me of spring, birds, ROBINs, leafy trees, etc.
Except for my foray 2 weeks ago to Artist and Display after the Milwaukee Live Swap, I have not bought any new supplies -but have downloaded some images off flickr groups and printed them, does that count? Several sessions of creating have started with making a number of backgrounds all at once, then adding the elements that are on hand. I really like doing that.
Here is what I have been up to for the last two weeks--

YES, I do have a thing for fish....

This last image comes from my good Friend Shelly--Shelly started a wonderful Flickr group, Past Portraits and is sharing her collection of vintage Cabinet cards and photographs for use in Art work.
POSTCROSSING
I joined up at this interesting site called Postcrossing. It is basically a postcard trading site, though you do not pick the person or card you trade. You input all of your info into an account, and then a random generator puts your name out and you can ask for names to send cards to and get a random name. There is a bit more to it but basically it is that. I have sent out about 7 of my postcards and 2 have been received. I am still waiting for a card to come to me. Will post them as they come in. So far I have sent cards to Japan, Finland, Germany, Russia, China, and Canada--Wonder where my first card will come from.
Gotta get---
Stay warm, Make ART
Peace
Lynne

Milwaukee Live ATC Trade-Sat. Jan 24, 2009

Yesterday my new Friend Nina-a very talented artist that I met on Yahoo- and I drove up to Milwaukee for the January Live trade. It was Very Interesting. The meet up spot was at Bay View Book Arts Gallery in the Historic Hide House. Traveling up to Milwaukee was fast, as there was no traffic. Nina was excited as she had never been to an ATC Live trade--I on the other hand have been to three--haha!
There was a packed house and it was a bit chaotic--Though Carolyn B. did her best to supervise the trading. We met a lot of new people and the owner of the Gallery-Karen( I think-so many names so little memory space left)-I fell in love with the space itself-high old beamed ceilings, brick walls, wood floors, huge windows.
Well--I did not get as many cards as I would have thought. Many participants didn't have enough cards to go around, so people in the last rounds of trades missed out. I did make 17 trades which I will post below--

The next group of pictures is of the trade and gallery--

CONFESSION--

After the trade, Nina and I drove over to the Artist and Display store and Shopped. I have stuck to my New Years resolution for 24 days!!!!!!! But like any junky I knew that just deciding to go was falling off the resolution wagon. I SPENT!!!! I got a jar of Golden's gel matte medium, a can of Krylon Matte finish for photos and transparencies, some pan pastels and some German Scrap.
I also got two great sheets of printed paper. One is architectural drawings and the other is a print of an antique map of Paris--Which we all know is my favorite item!

That's it for now. Stay warm and Make ART!!!
Lynne
xox

Creative Frenzy!!!

I have been on a roll the last few days, especially last night. The inauguration was so inspiring!! I was just so intent on seeing the oath of office. There were TV's on in the office and every chance I had I stole a glance. But of course, missed the oath--Did get to listen to most of the speech and I was really glad and hopeful and feeling so much pride and love for our country!! Something I have not felt for a long time.
Came home and was literally compelled to create something about that day. So--I made a card that will replace the original one I made for the Milwaukee ATC Live Trade on Saturday, Jan. 24. Here it is ---The definition of hope:

Below are some of the other cards I have been working on in the past week. I plan to take most of them to Milwaukee too. Hope you like them. Again I am trying to use only what I have at hand, and not print extra images -I have not yet gone to Dick Blicks and I haven't bought any art supplies or collage sheets, paper etc. I AM HAVING SERIOUS WITHDRAWAL!!

But I am using up my stash of supplies!!! That, as Martha says, is a Good Thing

STAY WARM AND MAKE ART--
Next time--Postcrossing and hopefully my new postcards!!
Lynne--XOX

SISTER TRADING CARDS

Toward the end of 2008 I decided to try the Sister Trading Card swap that I saw on The Artist Trading Card site-http://www.artist-trading-cards.ch/index.html. I thought it would be interesting to be part of a BIG ongoing swap between women artists, so I email Cat Schich via the link and asked if it was still going and she quickly emailed me back that, yes it was!! So...I pulled the 20 ATC's out of my stash and packed them up and sent them off to Cat in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Then promptly forgot about it, it being Christmas and all that goes with that.

A week or so ago I got this great envelope full of wonderful ATC's from all over the world, wrapped in a page form what looks like a vintage atlas-how appropo! Besides cards from the USA (Kansas, California, Arizona, Ohio, Utah, Washington,DC)--there were cards from Canada, Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Croatia.
Here is a picture of all the cards--mine is there--Little Witches-

This was so much fun and I was awe struck when I looked through the cards and there was one card-the Blue card in second row from top--from Michelle Jackson from one of the Yahoo ATC groups that I belong to . Michelle is a VERY Talented digital artist and I have another wonderful card that I traded her for.
Check it out--DO IT!!
Lynne

Some new Art for the New Year

I have had a couple of days away from work and have been diddling around with this and that and Finally sat down with my boxes and piles of leftover paper and scraps of text and photos and started making ATC's. Not thinking about it too much, just sorting through and picking up pieces that caught my eye, an intuitive, free form session tonight. Here is the result. Some I like better than others,and most have a beeswax top coat.

I tried to stick to my New Years resolution of using what I have on hand--and I did. I used some copies of some of my favorite photos and I like how they turned out.
BUT--
I want to go to Dick Blicks!!! to get some Large Canvas for some bigger collage that I have been thinking about. Am I bad??
Go make Art--
Lynne

Happy New Year!!

January 1, 2009. Every year I know I say this, --but it is hard to believe it is a new year-2009!!

We have some interesting times in store for us in our country this year. I only hope they are for the better, for my family and all the other families that are struggling to make ends meet, and to live the American dream by owning their own home. I pray for Peace in the world, an end to genocide and terrorism. I also pray that our new president will lead us toward these goals and that our congress will aid him and not hinder him in his plan for our county.
Today I have been thinking alot about resolutions and have been making some notes about my New Years resolutions for 2009--NO I won't list all of them, but will let you know what a couple of them are with regard to my art work.
In no particular order of importance--
#1--I am going to attempt to use up my existing supplies instead of buying more!!, ie. paint, pens, papers, collage sheets, embellishments. I have tons already. Stop hoarding.
#2--get my "stuff" organized
#3--manage my time better. No more sitting at the computer for hours reading endless forums,
and blogs--limit my online time.
#4--Try to make some art everyday-ATC, Postcard, Photograph....
JUST A FEW OF MY RESOLUTIONS.
Do you have any for this year??
Best always
Lynne