ARTiST TRADiNG CARDS

"Every child is an artist. The problem is to remain an artist once he grows up."

~ Pablo Picasso

I spent the weekend at my Grandmother and Aunt's house playing the part of Nanny Mc Carrie.   We had a lovely time.  The girls and I made artist trading cards.  We totally geeked out on these for several hours and produced quite a stack.

What are artist trading cards you say?  Well they are tiny 2.5 x 3.5 pieces of art.  They are meant to be created and then traded with another artist with the intention of building a wonderful collection!


The Artist Trading Card movement was started back in 2007 by a Swiss artist named M. Vänçi Stirnemann, who hand-crafted 1200 of these miniature cards for his art exhibition.  On the last day of his show, he encouraged people to create cards of their own to trade with him.  

To make your own you will need a 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 card of watercolor, acrylic, or card stock.  You can also by them precut at most craft stores.

Then  create your work of art using any media.

When completed, write your name, address and/or email, title of your piece

Then trade!!  There are a bunch of sites totally devoted to ATC Swaps.  Some of them are geared towards children.  I have been searching the Internet for swaps that I can get the girls involved in.  I ran across a couple that we missed the deadline, but I am sure more will crop up.

For more information on Artist Trading Cards check out the Art Junction site.  It has lots of ideas and details. Art Trader Magazine has some cool stuff on trading cards as well.

   

SiGNS OF DECEMBER

"Every year at just this time,
In cold and dark December,
Families around the world
All gather to remember,
With presents and with parties,
With feasting and with fun,
Customs and traditions
for people old and young."

- Helen H. Moore

These are the first signs of December. I have not unpacked the decorations yet, but I had these tucked away and decided hang them up this morning.

I also watched The Holiday...again...and made an advent chain. I got the idea from my weekly email from Kid's Craft Weekly. She has great simple ideas and I look forward to her newsletter. I am excited. I think that it will ensure that I do one fun Christmas thing with Violet everyday. Christmas can be a very chaotic time around here. We always stay so busy trying to make and ship our sword orders. My goal this year is to remember the meaning and spirit of the holidays. I think it will be a lot of fun!

ADVENTURES OF LEAF GiRL

"I frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow to keep an appointment with a beech-tree, or a yellow birch, or an old acquaintance among the pines. "
~Henry David Thoreau

Well we have been home in Arkansas for a few days. I spent those days organizing and tiding up. Wahoo! Isn't a clean house grand!

Violet and I managed to squeeze some fun projects in as well.



I was inspired by Lois Ehlerts Leafman, an awesome and beautiful book. She collages fall leaves that have been scanned, and printed as soon as she finds them, in order to retain their color. Violet made her own versions - A leaf girl and and adorable rabbit by the name of "Piggy Pinkie." We also looked up some of the leaves and acorns that we had collected in our tree field guide. It was a fun project.



On another note, I have finally gotten my craft area organized. It is amazing how creative one can feel in and organized space.




I was able to finish several projects that I had been working on, including my flower broaches. I will post pictures later...I have to go finish packing, we are leaving for Louisiana in T-minus two hours...and counting...

HOCUS POCUS

" Oh fruit loved of boyhood!—the old days recalling,
When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts
were falling!When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin,
Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!"

- John Greenleaf Whittier

Violet and I are in Fort Worth visiting my family. We came down to set up the Hollow Earth Swordworks Shoppe at the Texas Renaissance Festival , which opened last weekend. It opened last weekend. Kalin dropped us off and zoomed back to Arkansas to make more stock.

It is always so lovely to be here in the presence of my family. Violet has really been making connections with them which I cherish.



In the midst of the visit, we did a little spooky pumpkin carving out on my sister's patio. It was great fun. Violet and I read the Plumply, Dumply, Pumpkin, so that she could get some good ideas. I gave her a black jumbo crayon and let her design the Jack-O'Lantern face.






I cut the top off and let her scoop out the insides. She insisted on using her Aunt Lizzie's kitchen spoon because the insides where "ooey, yucky, slimy." I told her "Hey that used to be my favorite part. It is half of the fun." but was not having any of it. Oh well, to each they're own. Right!




Her pumpkin face turned out really good. We were all impressed. Elizabeth carved an awesome scull face on hers



Mel broke out the drill, and made a polka dotted Jack O'Lantern. She definitely gets the award for being most prepared with all of the proper tools. My favorite was the pointy potato peeler thing which was great for shading.

We topped the evening off with Penelope, one of my all time favorite movies.


Great fun girls!!!!!