Minnesota Monday

Well this week, especially today, has been about snow, ice, and WIND. But let's put all that out of our minds.

Last week I was working on ATC cards for a Very Vintage Card Swap with the Red Lead Swap Sisters on Yahoo groups. Swap groups are easy to join and fun to be involved in. Yahoo has many groups which share and trade art through the mail, which is a good way to support the post office in this electronic day and age.

Artist's Trading Cards have been around for awhile. The idea is to create a card sized piece of art to be traded with other artist's around the world. The ATC standard size is 2.5" x 3.5". That is the only real rule other than they are never to be sold but only traded. The medium, method and variety of cards are subject only to your imagination, though many groups will set up a theme in order to stimulate creativity and to focus the swap. The swap I am currently making cards for is a Red Lead Paperworks swap. The theme is Very Vintage and uses 2 Red Lead images and one Red Lead word stamp.

Artist Trading Cards allow for small scale creative exploration of techniques and mediums, are fast and easy, and are fun to collect. On these ATC's I took a printed bag I picked up some time ago shopping and used Tim Holz's Distress Ink "China Blue" to colorize the background. I used the color "Corduroy" to further age the background. Distress Inks are easy to use by rubbing the transparent ink onto paper or cardstock. You can combine the colors for many different looks. They can be further enhanced by misting them with water for a variety of effects. I brought out the photo by using a slide mount punch to cut out a frame from a very glittery blue paper. Some vintage lace ribbon, Red Lead vintage bottle image and there you have it - a Very Vintage ATC.

To learn more about Red Lead Paperworks swap sisters or to join the group visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/redlead/ and enjoy.

Make and Take

Starting the new year off right usually signifies a fresh start marked by the purchase of a new calendar, planner or date book.
So for our January Make and Take Night we made our own.

The choice was a desktop CD calendar or a clipboard calendar for your wall. The calendars were blank, allowing for dates to be filled in and the possiblity of redoing them for many years to follow by just replacing the calendar grid.
To the right on the side bar is a slideshow of the great work generated by those in attendance. Thanks to all who participated.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Haiti during this time of crisis for their country.

New Year

So I have started a blog. Who would have thought? and what do I have to say?
A lot if I meet you in person, I would lay my whole life out in front of you if you ask. Testimony. A testament to God.
So what do you say to a cyber community? Do you pretend they are not there? Or do you pacify yourself with the thought that no one will probably read this blog anyway? Pretend it's your online personal journal and buck up the courage to write what you think and damn the consequences?!
What do I want this blog to be about? Well - art for one. This new year I am resolved to really investigate and find my own personal muse.... to focus. I am resolved to get involved with the internet art community via Flikr, Etsy, Facebook and this blog. I will be sharing photos of projects made by myself or of people who visit my shop and take part in the creativity and experience of art.

God - for two. Because He IS the first priority of my life. I put art in the number one postion because I have always spent time with God. In scripture, in Bible Study, in church, in life. But art is the reason I have gone cyber with it and Him.

Politics - for three. Part of living in the world and being in this online community is a recognition that we are all a part of this great big world. And we are all different, all have our own opinions, our own reasons, rationalizations, justifications, etc. etc. etc. And we should not be afraid to express them no matter what. That is freedom of speech and the foundation of democracy. From time to time I just might want to state what and who I stand for in this space. And so I will. On that note , I say to the Florida football player who wears his faith on the field - right on and God bless you.

And so I begin...