July's WTA winner...

Roselyn Pratt won July's WTA(Winner Take All). It is a challenge swap that members of Paper_Traders load up an ATC to be given to the lottery winner for the month. Roselyn won July 2013's. I sent her the one I had made especially for the challenge. This is the first time anyone has ever sent me a picture of them holding my ATC! I love it!! Had to share!!!

Since there has been a change in the Yahoo group format, this month's WTA has been extended a week longer. Who will be the lucky winner for August? I won May 2013's! It is so cool to get everyone's in the mail at separate times! It's like Christmas in my mailbox....

Sold at the Puerto Rican Festival 2013

The Magi(The Three Kings)...in Spanish:  Los Reyes Magos

14x17 Collage
Tissue paper, wall paper, and other fiber papers with a few embellishments

This framed work was purchased as a gift for their sibling that celebrates the holiday on January 6th. I did not expect to sell it. It was displayed as 'show and tell' in the cultural tent. Who knew?!?

Crazy Postcard for Terrie

Terrie doesn't know yet that she is getting a crazy postcard! It looks harmless enough, but how it got to be...was the crazy part! 
It all began with an recycled  insert from an art magazine..Innocent enough. A piece of wrapping tissue paper and some plain newsprint paper were sewn onto it...house paint was used to cover the back and then Duck tape over it...watercolor paper pieces for writing.
The front:  brown packing paper(recycled) for a heart, white copy paper hands.
The color applied is watercolor pastels, Sharpie lettering with silver paint pen outline and dots around the hands.All experimental but it worked out in the end!

The front

A Collaged Postcard with Joyce Meyer's quote

Postcard: Angel's Song
Quote by Joyce Meyer

The Dove was created from individually cut pieces. From the head, to the wings, to each feather in her tail. The dot in her eye was a sweet surprise as I did not plan for it.  I left it instead of giving her the eye I intended for her to have.

The backdrop were remnants from cut circle for my ASRC class. I could not discard them and knew I could use them as a background for something. I have a few more left so they will pop up from time to time. Or maybe I am addicted to this background until I run out! Love the textures it gives!

MMSA Orange Postcard Swap

I worked on two different postcards for 'Mail Me Some ART' group:

http://mailmesomeart.blogspot.com/2013/05/orange-post-card-swap-mail-by-july-1.html

Both are different but I worked with different texture on each. Had fun as one ended up feeling like plastic with the layers of gel...

Oranges is simple with an acrylic course texture mixed into orange acrylic paint. then sealed with gel medium. I am happy with the outcome.

Orange Butterflies are collaged on top of an orange tissue background. Under the bright orange tissue paper is a hidden image of a couple of oranges.

Art Journal Spread in Working Progress

Cuddling Hatchlings...
Art journaling is another art form that I love to work in. This 2 page spread is in a recycled College Course Brochure. It's pages are glossy which are sometimes difficult to work on. A couple coats of gesso and I was ready to begin with my soft pastels after I tried out a new spray called Smooch Spritz by Clear Snap. I also finally found a small honeycomb stencil that I found affordable at Michael's. The spread is work in progress=WIP.

Chirp ATC 2013 Swap

It seems that I am always doing something new lately! In the Paper_Trader Yahoo group, I joined in on a 6 for 6 swap. The challenge was to create ATC's featuring eggs, nests, and/or birds. This group welcomes the members on their homepage:

'Paper Traders is a friendly online community of artists from around the world. We nurture and value creativity, embrace new ideas, products, and techniques yet also value tried and true methods of artistic expression. Our projects consist primarily of paper arts, mixed media collage, artist trading cards, altered art, assemblages, collaborative journals, mail art, and more.'

Since I have been expressing much of my creative thoughts in the Mixed media technique, this group is a perfect home for me! As a member, you are encouraged to participate in the swaps and challenges they host. Personal trades need to be done privately as this is an ART technique sharing and swapping group.

I encourage all varied skills in Art to try joining in a group or two. You meet wonderful  artists from all parts of the world! Someone from Singapore recently joined us! How exciting is that?!?!?!