May Day and ATC Swaps

I joined a May Day Swap and have been diligently working on it every day. I've created a masterpiece I am sure Valrie of poemsmyway will love. The theme is flowers and I've included her favorite as well as her favorite color. This was a first for me, an experiment so to speak and I love how it turned out. I'm mailing my swap item today. I'll show and tell after May 1st, I wouldn't want to spoil Valrie's surprise.

I also agreed to an ATC and ephemera swap with Lay Hoon of mescrap. My package has already arrived (from Malaysia, thank you Lay Hoon) and I haven't mailed hers yet. I feel bad about that. It is going into the mail today. I'll show all of the wonderful ephemera she sent me and the beautiful ATC's on another post. Must get ready for work....

Have a great day and remember to be creative in everything you do. Even if you just dot an eye with a heart or doodle on the side of a notepad. (It helps get me through my work day.)

Be Happy, Be Healthy, Be You,

Tess

January's Journal Day 12 -Blue

Misty Mawn's January Challenge is still going on. This weeks theme is color. Monday is blue ~~~

My idea of a blue day, flying kit's near a lake.....

I just had to make this ATC.......isn't this blue shoe divine? I didn't like that it's a bit crooked and then realized that is perfect. The shoe is dancing......

See Misty's blue page and the color choices she'll be working with each day. She is also doing a contest. 3 lucky winners will win an original piece of art by Misty all they need to do to enter is complete a journal page and post each day for 7 days. Some may think, "easy", but for others it's not so. I hope to accomplish this. Oh how I'd love an original painting by Misty. But even if I don't win, she's inspiring me to create and that makes it all worth the try. Tomorrow's color is orange. Hmmmm, orange, I can't wait to see what she does with orange.

What will I do?

Have a great evening and dance a bit, blue shoes or not.

Tess

January's Journal - Days 8, 9 and 10

Wow, Where does the time go? I really did intend to post daily. I have been somewhat creative each day though. On the 8th I created another ATC.

I really like this fiber paper scrap I found, which I found yesterday I have a whole pack of. I like the swirls on this scrapbook paper too. I need to work on lining things up better I think. And I want to get back to the junk mail ATC's as I had originally started out with. Oh and I found a small box of different stamps too and a dried up ink pad. I should have bought the art dresser a lot sooner as I'm finding all kinds of neat stuff, some I don't even remember buying. (That's not good, impulsive shopper!!) ~~~~

On the 9th I was writing ideas down and drew out a few ideas for more ATC's. Here is the start of the page:

I'll add to this page as I think of things. I imagine I really will have fun with these as they are like mini breaks or mini vacations for me. I have to keep my hands (and mind) busy, I know I should probably see a shrink about this but crafting is a wee bit cheaper. I have always been the creative type, doodling, sewing, crocheting, doing something. My husband says I don't relax enough. What he is finally understanding is that this is relaxing to me. I found a box of 52 ATC blanks in a paper bag in my back room. Neat huh! My intention was to make them a long time ago when I first started reading about ATC's in Somerset Studio, or was it Cloth Paper Scissors, I forget. Anyway I thought they were neat and wanted to make some so I bought these ATC card blanks and little plastic sleeves to put them in and a stamp for on the back of them. Then I forgot about or misplaced the supplies, a little of both I think. So now with the junk mail idea and my scrapbook paper sheets that I've been using up and the stamps and stickers and whatever else I manage to find or think of I should be able to make ATC's for a long time. (And hopefully get enough done to get up the courage to join an online ATC swap sometime.) ~~~~~

On another subject I loved Misty Mawn's collage self portrait. I admit to feeling intimidated by the idea of a self portrait. I can't draw worth a darn and definitely can't paint portraits. I thought about grabbing the camera but...., well I never did. Then I seen her collage portrait and thought, "WOW, i can do that". So I grabbed my journal and I did it as my creative outlet today and here it is. (It's by no means as good as Misty's or many of the other participants in Misty's January fun but I was pleased with my results.)

I didn't quite follow Misty's instructions but pretty close. I need to purchase or find a gardening book as I need more floral pictures in my magazine stash. And I need more inspirational words too. That will be another thing to do one day when I'm bored or not feeling well and need something to do with my hands. I can usually find free magazines with interesting pages to tear out at the local library. Most of the elements here I already had torn out of old magazines. I have a large manila envelope I keep them in. I once sat cutting eyes out of magazines for like a week every evening. Drove my husband nuts. I had a mission though, I was creating some artwork to go along with a poem I wrote, Beauty of a Woman. Maybe I'll cut it up and make it into ATC's?

So I hope you all have a fun and relaxing weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing what Misty and others have to show us with the theme for next week, color.

Tess

January's Journal - Day 7 (More ATC's)

I created two more ATC cards today and I wrote a short article about them on my Associated Contnet page. I invite you to view the pictures and the article.

Making ATC's From Scrap

I hope you had a creative day also.

Tess

Note: The link is fixed. Thanks for the comment Lori. I enjoy making collages.

January's Journal Challenge - Day 6

I missed posting yesterday but I did do something artistic on Jan. 5th. I made my first ATC card. I love ATC's and I have 3 from other artists. I first found them in the pages of Somerset Studio. I even went out and bought one of those stamps that you use on the back of the card with the lines for artist name, card name, number and such. Of course I can't find the stamp now. I'm sure I'll find it as I'm putting things away in my new art dresser. Recently a new friend on AC gave me some links to ATC related sites on the web and I even found a tutorial at gomakesomething.com. That was a neat site to find, thanks Barbara. ~~~~

This is a recycled ATC of sorts as I used recycled items mostly. The base is junk mail and I covered it with bits of upholstery samples for stability. Then a torn page from an old dictionary I found and a canceled stamp. I cut a heart out of a magazine page for one of the heart balloons and used a sticker for another. Then I drew one with a glitter pen and a few squiggles too. I stamped words and attached a word cut from a magazine also. It looked too clean so I inked the edges with the stamp pad. I wanted to cover it with tissue paper to better pull it all together but but that attempt failed (I didn't like the look) and I ended up pulling the tissue off. I painted on a coat of modpodge and used torn envelopes on the back to cover some of the junk mail words. I'll call it celebrate 1. I have already picked out some mini cardstock papers to make another and I think I have another canceled celebrate stamp. Of course I'll call the next one celebrate 2.
Celebrate family, traditions and generations this year people. It will be well worth it.~~~

Thank you to all that have commented, I appreciate the attention. You lift my spirits and make me smile with each comment.
Happy Day,
Tess