Goodies from July ATC swap

Bird Love ATC from LemanchiDesigns.etsy.com

I'm finally posting all the lovely little pieces I received in last month's Art Trading Card Swap. I'll also include links to the artists' Etsy shops. If you would like to see more of their creations, just click on the caption below each image.

Encaustic "Wild Rose" on handmade paper from LizAnnasOnTheLake.etsy.com

By the way, if you are wondering "What is an ATC?" click here for more info. Basically it is a playing card sized (2.5" x 3.5") piece of 2-d art. Art Trading Cards can be created using a variety of materials.

No.1 Beauty from Whyte.etsy.com

The artists who participated in this swap are also members of the Melange Team On Etsy, a mixed media Etsy Street Team. So for this swap, the only requirement was that the pieces be mixed media.

from MidwestieLady.etsy.com

If you haven't tried your hand at ATCs yet, I highly recommend it. But beware - both creating and collecting them can be very addicting!

from ElenaMary.etsy.com

Once you've made a few cards go find some other folks to trade with. You can find many people trading online - search around google or your favorite artsy forums. You may even find a swap-group in your own back yard. I just stumbled upon a local trading group this weekend while dropping off some drawings for a juried show.

Ornament from ElenaMary.etsy.com

Or if you are an organizer, start up your own swap. This little something extra was included in my package from the sweet Elena Mary Siff who started this fun trade. Thanks so much, Elena Mary! And thank you to everyone else - this was a blast!!

Musical Monday's Muse - Pay It Forward

If you've got the time, click the button & play along. It'll teleport you over to Good Mourning Glory for more Musical Monday goodness. If you're having a manic Monday, open this tune & enjoy a mellow minute or 3.

Over at Maternal Spark, their asking What inspires you this week?

I'm going with PIF's this week... Without going into details, someone gave me a hand today and asked me to pay it forward. Today, I've got this totally free ACEO, Reflection, in my etsy shop, ArtSnark. 1st come 1st serve:

Reflection ACEO

Check back for more freebies this week, I'll have something going on each day. And don't forget to enter Thursday's Giveaway. Just leave a comment on this blog before noon (EST) 8/13 to be entered in this Thursday's random drawing. Click HERE to see the week's prize, Alice With Tulips (a piece of original art). Drawing is open worldwide with free shipping.

The Impostor ACEO

The Impostor

Hey There! How have y'all been? Feels like I've been gone for ages. Work (day job not art) has taken over my life the last couple of days, but it feels like I've been gone for ages. I'll be perfectly content if I never have to hear an Emperor Penguin sneeze again! Don't ask. I'm not allowed to tell....

Totally work-fried last night, so I decided to detox with last week's Melange challenge, Whisper. I had this great ledger-style paper that had been partially stamped with what I think was supposed to be RECEIVED - only the top of the word was printed & I thought how it could also be DECEIVED. That got the synapses going, so I went snooping through deviantArt for a new rogue & found this great stock photo from NobleDeath-stock. Started the piece with the gent above. He was supposed to be looking through a window at something worth whispering about. But.... I liked him too much as a stand alone & he was sized right for an ACEO so here he is.

Now ACEOs are like Lays potato chips ... anyone who makes or collects them will agree. So a couple more followed.

Summer Beauty

This ACEO is based on an old family photo.The colors uploaded a little cooler than they really are. Bit more of a reddish-orange dominates the original.

Reflection

I'm not really happy with this but figured I'd show it anyway. I did manage to list these in my very neglected Etsy Shop, ArtSnark. The poor thing would be covered in cobwebs if it was a brick & mortar store. I actually had to renew most items, they've been sitting there so long.

For anyone unfamiliar with Etsy, you can keep items in your shop 4 months before renewing at a low 20 cents an item. Even when sales are down, rent is cheap! And the camaraderie is fabulous. If you are one of those people who is just sitting on your creations, I highly suggest you look into Etsy. It is easy to get lost in the crowd if you are unknown & not great at marketing. But on the other hand, those pieces are just gather dust, yes?

By the way, to view some cool responses to the Whisper challenge click HERE. You can find the artist's links in the comments. This week's Melange challenge is Harbor. Go HERE to add your own art or see what great pieces others come up with

Before I go scrounge up some dinner, let me remind you of the current Thursday Giveaway. Enter & you could be the lucky winner of a 16" x 20" canvas print of your favorite summer photo. Just leave a description of your pic in this blog's comments before noon (EST) 7/30 to enter the random drawing.For contest details CLICK HERE

Thursday Giveaways - 1 winner & 2 NEW Giveaways!

Random.org has chosen......of 63 Unique visitors, The winner of the one of a kind Charming Snark Key is......

#37 : Thoughtcrimes!!
Woo Hoo! Congrats!

Thoughtcrimes, please contact me here or through my email (on my profile page). Your contact button on your web page is not working

Thank you to everyone who entered & special thanks to Miss Violet for her generous donation!! To see what other goodies she has created, just click on the banner below to visit her etsy shop SlyViolet

Now On With The Show!

In a bit of a rush this week so here we go: The rules are mostly the same. Just leave a comment on this blog between now & noon (EST) next Thursday June 4th to be entered in the new random drawing.

Normally there is only 1 winner. But not this week! I just noticed I've picked up my 100th follower. I am just so tickled pink that I'm offering 2 prizes!

The 1st random winner will get a $20 gift certificate for use in my etsy shops.

You can mix & match items from the shops too if you wish. Plus Free Shipping to a single address. Links to shops are here:

www.ArtSnark.etsy.com

ArtSnark has a mix of original art, jewelry & decorative objects.
Prices range from $7-$300

www.SteamDreams.etsy.com
Originally created as a venue for my gadgets & gizmos.
Just now, it has unique items for assembling your own creations.
Prices range from $4-$15

The 2nd random winner gets 1 ACEO of their choice from my ArtSnark shop!

ACEO stands for Art Cards Editions & Originals. Also known as ATCs (art trading cards). These little guys are miniature pieces of artsy goodness. They can be in any medium. The only requirement is that they measure 2.5" x 3.5".

If it turns out that random winners 1 & 2 desire the same item, I'm going to give winner #1 first pick. However, please please please make sure your contact info is correct. Either leave it in the comment OR just make sure your contact info on your blogger profile is accurate & working. I have had 2 winners so far that I've been unable to reach & am still hoping to hear from.

Good Luck & Thanks For Playing!