Sunday, November 15, 2015

November Freebie: From Grandma's Junk Drawer

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:

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

New Swap: As Time Goes By

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.


As Time Goes By
3-for-3 ATC Swap
Skill: 1 - Sprouting
Due in hand by: December 20th
Hosted by: Mel Dunkley

As the new year approaches, this is a 3-for-3 ATC Swap with a theme of "Time". You can interpret this any way you wish, but each ATC should feature a saying or quote about time e.g. "time flies"; "time is of the essence"; "the times they are a-changing"; "a stitch in time saves nine"; "time and tide wait for no man". There are hundreds of them!

Please send your 3 ATCs to me by 20th December 2015. UK players please send SAE. Overseas players can send $5, ephemera or an extra ATC to cover postage.

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.

Monday, November 2, 2015

Speed Swap: "Tin" Anniversary

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 #18!


This month's theme:
Paper Traders 10th Anniversary - Tin / Metal
2-for-2 ATC Swap
Sign-up by: November 15th
Mailing list announced: November 16th
Skill level: 1 - Sprouting

We thought we would let our speed swap this month correspond to our 10th anniversary for those of you who couldn't participate in our bigger anniversary project.

Hallmark says that the gift for the 10th anniversary should be tin or metal items so your two ATCs should include a piece of metal (background or ephemera), foil tape, etc. on it as well as the number 10 (ten).

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.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

By The Numbers Art Journaling Challenge "TEN"

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.


"TEN" - our tenth (and final) By The Numbers Art Journaling Challenge

Skill Level: 2 - Budding

The tenth (and final) challenge for our monthly art journaling project is to use an image transfer on your pages. This can be done in several ways and there are some helpful links here:
http://thegraphicsfairy.com/12-easy-image-transfer-methods-for-diy-projects/

Don't forget to do some journaling on your page by writing down your thoughts using an idiom for the number "ten". You can find a list of idioms here:
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/ten
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 "TEN" to get you going...

  • Genius is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration.
  • hang ten
  • He wears a ten-dollar hat on a five-cent head.
  • nine times out of ten
  • a ten
  • ten percenter
  • 10-4
  • ten-spot
  • wouldn’t touch someone/something with a ten-foot pole
  • count to ten
  • 110 proof
  • five will get you ten
  • give 110%
  • be ten/two a penny


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.