New Swap: Twelve Days of Christmas ATC Books

This project is for Paper Traders members only but we would love to have you join us. Please click on the purple Yahoo button in the sidebar for more information on how to join.

Twelve Days of Christmas ATC Books

Sign up by: October 31st

Cards due IN HAND by December 10th

Skill Level: 2 - Budding

ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS, my true love gave to me... We all know and love this traditional song, so lets make an ATC book about it! The "12 Days of Christmas" begin on December 26th and last until January 6th, so this swap will give you that after-the-holiday lift into the new year. Consider this a holiday art treasure with a vintage feel. This swap will have 12 artists each make 12 ATCs of one of the days. Sign up will be on a first-come, first-choice of day basis. Since we need to have 12 artists sign up for this swap, it will NOT be made official until we have all 12 days filled! I will make the covers and bind the ATCs into books.

All type of art accepted (except cute little stickers) - even digital (high resolution printouts; NO pixels!). The ATCs need to have texture, lace or fibers, and embellishments; dangles and overlaps are encouraged, but no thicker than about 1/4-inch and none on the left side of the ATC so I can bind. The backs of the ATCs need to have nice festive papers and not to be left blank since this will be a book.

All ATCs are due in my hands on December 10th. PLEASE include an address label and $6 return postage. International postage will be around $12.

For your creative muse, please feel free to use any of the images in my Pinterest "12 Days of Christmas" board.

2) BUDDING: Participants will be open to trying new ideas and materials, without necessarily being competent yet with their applications. Swap Hosts are encouraged to add the requirement of a technique or process such as creating texture, using crackle paint, doing photo transfers, painting with watercolor, etc.

New Swap: Trick-or-Treat Halloween ATCs

This project is for Paper Traders members only but we would love to have you join us. Please click on the purple Yahoo button in the sidebar for more information on how to join.

Trick-or-Treat Halloween ATC swap

3 for 3 ATCs

Skills Level: 2 - Budding

Due by IN HAND by October 16th

Hosted By: Nikki Smith

I'm super excited to announce this new spooky swap: "Trick-or-Treat Halloween" ATCs! For this swap you will need to make 3 ATCs. Each card should be Halloween themed... spooky, witches, vintage Halloween, pumpkins, and goblins are just a few ideas. For an added element, please add a word to your card like Boo, Scary, Bat, Cat, or any Halloween-related word.

A link to Pinterest for ideas can be found here.

Details:

• 3-for-3 ATC
• Please include an address label and $2 for return postage; international postage $3.
• Please have them to me by October 16th. Cards should be IN HAND by then so can they be enjoyed before Halloween.

2) BUDDING - Participants will be open to trying new ideas and materials, without necessarily being competent yet with their applications. Swap Hosts are encouraged to add the requirement of a technique or process such as creating texture, using crackle paint, doing photo transfers, painting with watercolor and etc.

September Freebie: Seasonal Images

It's time for another freebie courtesy of your Paper Traders Moderators. A great big THANK YOU to Connie Holso for preparing this terrific offering for your personal use. Please use the link BELOW the photo to download the high resolution file. Enjoy!

Download HERE:

PT Blog Freebie Sept 2015

By The Numbers Art Journaling Challenge "EIGHT"

This project is for Paper Traders members only but we would love to have you join us. Please click on the purple Yahoo button in the sidebar for more information on how to join.

"EIGHT" - our eighth By The Numbers Art Journaling Challenge

Skill Level: 2 - Budding

The eighth challenge for our monthly art journaling project is to try an monoprinting technique on your pages. This can be done in several ways - using gelli plates, plastic bag printing, reverse stencil printing, and more. There are several helpful links on my Pinterest board here:
https://www.pinterest.com/artbeckons/art-journaling/

Don't forget to do some journaling on your page by writing down your thoughts using an idiom for the number "eight". You can find a list of idioms here:
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/eight
Just pick one that inspires your thought process and journal about it. I think the number theme of this project can add a fun element to your pages... you might want to use the respective number prominently in decorating your pages. Don't stop with a simple saying - that's just a prompt to get you started. Let the creativity continue to flow as you journal and decorate your pages.

You have the entire month to complete your pages for this challenge. Please post images of your journal pages in the “2015 By the Numbers Art Journaling Challenge" album on the Gallery site.

We won’t be swapping or mailing pages – you will keep the journal you create for your own. Please sign up in the database if you plan to participate so that I can keep track of who is playing.

Here are some idioms for "EIGHT" to get you going...

• behind the eight ball
• the eighty-eight
• 800-pound gorilla
• eighty-six it

Don't forget... As a little incentive for this project, the moderators are offering the opportunity to win a prize for participating.

For each challenge in which you participate (there will be a total of 10), you will earn one entry into the random drawing to be held when the project is complete. The more entries you earn, the bigger the potential prize:

1-3 entries = prize value of $5
4-6 entries = prize value of $10
7-9 entries = prize value of $15
10 entries = prize value of $20

One lucky person will win a gift card to their favorite local craft store up to the value for which they qualified.  More participation >> More chances to win >> Bigger potential prize!  Plus... it will be lots of fun, too.

Skill Level: 2) BUDDING - Participants will be open to trying new ideas and materials, without necessarily being competent yet with their applications. Swap Hosts are encouraged to add the requirement of a technique or process such as creating texture, using crackle paint, doing photo transfers, painting with watercolor, etc.

Speed Swap: Over/Under

This project is for Paper Traders members only but we would love to have you join us. Please click on the purple Yahoo button in the sidebar for more information on how to join.

Time for ATC Speed Swap #16!

This month's theme: Over/Under

Sign-up dates Sept 1st - Sept 15th.

Partner Mailing list announced Sept. 16th.

Skill level – All

Our Over/Under theme will require you to create a colorful first layer on your ATC with paint, markers, gelli plate print, etc. Then you will cover that first layer with a solid color (black, white or any color you choose), leaving an area open that creates, or leaves behind, a shape, figure or word.

Each month on the 1st, we will announce a theme or technique for your ATCs. Anyone interested will have until the 15th to sign up. The list will be randomized, announced on the 16th, and you will mail one ATC directly to each of the next two people on the list. A total of two ATCs each month for the speed swaps. You don't have to sign up every month, just when you feel like it or like the theme or have the time.

We'll have brand new creative excitement each month and this will keep postage for each of us to a minimum as long as you don't make bulky ATCs. But of course that will be your choice. It's approximately $1.20 to mail internationally for one ATC in a note card envelope. You must be able to mail internationally to participate in this swap.

Skill Level: 1) SPROUTING - Geared toward the artist who has recently begun their journey into mixed media, these swaps are open to all group members, regardless of experience. Participation is the key - caring and sharing in the spirit of friendship and fun. Every artist needs to understand that contributors to these projects can be of any level of artistic experience.