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.