Barbara Johnson - July ATCs: colour my world!

Barbara, from Illinois registered for 2 sets of ATCs, so I have 6 to share with you. Personally I love that Barbara made all six ATCs based on different colors. She also sent them to me in a very interesting way, see below!

Barbara made two little bands to hold her ATCs and attached them to a piece of cardstock. This kept 3 ATCs in one band and 3 in another -no shifting during mailing and fairly flat. How ingenious! 

Below are ALL of Barbara's ATCs:

Barbara would like to color her world --Maroon, yellow, white, blue, brown and red, plus she has great titles for her ATCs too! 

Below are the backs -click for details:

Thanks so much, Barbara. When I see your name I always think of the "striped pants make me dance" book you made for the little book swap we had. I smile even when I just hear the title!!!! 

Very happy to have you involved in another creative swap!

Susan Stewart: postcard mail art swap!

From Susan, right around the corner from me in Bradenton, Florida . . . I received 4 colorful postcards for our postcard mail art swap. Susan's postcards have the theme of a summer's day being a wonderful day for adventure and travel . . .

Below are all 4 of her designs -she so kindly made one for me!

On the back she composed a cute little poem . . . . click for details.

Wonderful job, Susan -I am glad you could join us even though you just moved and traveled overseas!! ; ^ )) Follow this link to go to Susan's blog!

Andrea Millington - July ATCs: colour my world!

I received a lovely envelope in the mail yesterday from Andrea Millington in Cornwall, UK. Do you think this could be one reason why I host art swaps, to get all this fabulous mail?? Well, it IS grand. Yes, some work involved -but worth it! Andrea has decided to colour her world: BLUE! She enclosed a note that said she was able to buy pre-cut ATCs and they came with matching envelopes, how marvelous. You can read more about how Andrea made them, including their texture, here on her blog -Indigo Blue! ; ^ ) 
I think I am seeing a blue pattern here!

Andrea also wrote, "My school has broken up for the Summer Holidays today so I am hoping that more colour can be added to my world over the next 6 weeks."  Well, your colorful swap returns will be coming back to you during that time, Andrea -so I think your hopes will be turning affirmative! 

This marks 987 posts since April 22, 2007. I think I should do something special for the 1000th post! I will put my thinking cap on and if you have any ideas you can email me or leave a comment -thanks!

Beth Bynum -Postcard mail art swap!

From Michigan, Beth Bynum has sent in her A Summer's Day postcards for the mail art swap that is due September 17th. Thank you, I love receiving swaps early! Yesterday in my mailbox, I had the lovely surprise of one single postcard addressed to me with Beth's take on the summer's day theme. Today in the mail, 3 of Beth's postcards for the swap came in one envelope-yay! How delightful. Here they all are.

Beth has done what I would call her "signature" background with stamping under the butterfies. Many of the stamps are hand by Beth made using styrofoam. Beth took my collage on canvas workshop fairly recently and has had her own exhibit at her local library, selling her collages, so wonderful! I adore her layered postcards. 

She says: A summer's day is as sweet as butterfly kisses. You can read all about how Beth made her postcards on her blog.

Thank you so much, Beth. Your postcards are awesome! 

I really enjoyed receiving a "preview" addressed just to me first! 

I look forward to seeing yours if you are registered for this swap!

It's not too late to join  : ^ ) Lenna 

Kat Hou - July ATCs: Colour my World

This is Kat Hou's first creative swap with me. I am happy to have her! Kat sent 2 sets of ATCs in a beautifully stamped and decorated box. She also enclosed a gift for me that I could use in my art journal. Thanks so much, Kat! This beautiful little box traveled here from California. Isn't it cool??

Kat sent these cute cupcake papers that can be used like you see attached to her note.

What a super idea!

Kat would like to colour her world, Plum -- yum!!

Thank you, Kat!!

Kat has written about making these on her blog and you'll find that here.

And by visiting her blog, I found out she did a post on the box too!

www.acuriouskat.com/2011/07/mail-art.html

p.s. This is my 4th post today! If you missed the earlier ones, find them here:

Val Cowan

Christa Bockelmann

Lisa Robinson

Val Cowan - July ATCs: Colour my World!!

Val has been swapping art with me for so long, since at least 2008! She has made some really beautiful pieces too- click here to view! This swap post will be at the top and all the rest of the cool things Val has done with me will follow after. If you are looking for your "link" to all the art you have done with creative swaps, scroll to the bottom of the blog. You will find the link list (VIEW CREATIVE SWAP ART :: BY PARTICIPANT) after the last post! Just click on your name and you will go to a page that has just your swap entries on it. You can even copy the web address in the box at the top, save it, send it to friends or return to it to view at anytime. I label your posts so your work/art will continue to be added to this page!

Now! Back to Val Cowan, who sends to us all the way from Scotland. She made ATCs that are a combination of paper and fabric . . . and even sewed paper -- all on a theme of: Colour my World Green, enjoy!

Thanks ever so much, Val.

I love all that you do!

Christa Bockelmann - July ATCs: Colour my world!

All the way from Germany, we have 3 different colour my world ATCs by Christa Bockelmann. I loved receiving Christa's envelope! Below is the back. I have this stamp -it just made me laugh!

Such pretty postage stamps on the front. Christa also enclosed goodies for me! 

An unmounted rubber stamp, some German text pages and music notes!
Thank you so much. 

Below are Christa's ATCs .  . . and I like them very much, Christa.
No worries about that! Click for details.

She chose blue, green and brown and gave them each a title -click to view.

Christa is the sister of Marion Bockelmann and Sabine Bush. 

So much fun to have all of you participating!! 

Lisa Robinson - July ATCs: colour my world

From Alabama, I have received Lisa Robinson's July ATCs! She wants to color her world green, and has decorated her ATCs front & back.

click on any photo for more details . . . 

Fabulous ATCs, Lisa. Thanks for participating! 

Donna Parker - Postcard mail art swap!

we have 3 beautiful postcards for our swap from Donna Parker in Mexico!

Donna created an extra one for me, so there are 4 . . . . 

The ones directly below - summer flowers have a lovely layer of fabric.

Donna has more photos, more instructions and even photos of the beautiful mail art envelope she sent these to me in, here on this post on Donna's blog. Go give her a visit! I'm a frequent visitor there myself! Thanks ever so much Donna ; ^ )
You can find out more about this swap here -due September 17!

Laurie Morris - Postcard mail art swap!

Laurie has been busy creating, this is the third swap I recently received from her! She asked me if it was okay to send multiple swaps she was participating in, all together in one envelope? I said yes - just make sure each swap is put in a separate envelope labeled with the name of the swap and your name too. Enclose separate mailing labels - 1 for the ATC swaps and 3 for the postcard mail art. Then bundle all those separate envelopes into one envelope addressed to me - that is fine. : ^ )
Here are Laurie's 3 "a summer's day" postcards.

I love this layered technique! It looks like a breezy summer's day.

Thanks again, Laurie. I appreciate you joining all 3 swaps and when sending them in, organizing each one into a separate envelope, labeled and with mailing labels too! Hope your summer continues to be creative ; ^ )

Laurie Morris - July ATCs: Color my World

Laurie also completed the July ATC swap with a theme of color. Laurie choose Blue and Red when thinking how she wanted to color her world! Enjoy her lovely and creative additions to our swap below.

Thanks so much, Laurie!

This swap is still open for registration, but only until July 31st. 

You can register here, for a special price of $5 which includes a great handout on ATCs!

All July ATCs - Colour my world are due August 6th.

: ^ ) lenna 

Laurie Morris - August ATCs: I am

Laurie Morris from Florida, has sent in 3 wonderfully bright and happy ATCs for our August theme of "I am". She has based her ATCs on the phrase, "I am free" and her ATCs depict colorful, happy dragonflies and also a butterfly. I welcome all interpretations of the August theme and this one really has me smiling. Thank you, Laurie!

There is space in this ATC swap if you are thinking of registering for it -- and it is not due until September 3rd, 2011. Full details are here -click!

Frieda Oxenham - August ATCs: I am

Frieda's August ATCs have also arrived from Scotland (her postcards came the other day) - yay! The August ATC theme is "I am" . . . . . and Frieda has understood this idea perfectly. I love what she did with it. She has written all about her process making them,  here on her blog. You will want to check it out! Frieda signed up for 2 sets of three ATCs and also sent an extra one for me, so I have 7 to share with you.

I chose the one you see directly above, bottom left. The funny part was when I went to Frieda's blog to get the link for her post about how she made them, I see that this is the one she said she was gong to keep herself! Did she make 2 pretty much the same and I chose the same one she did??? OOPps! There was another ATC waay at the top of her post, the one I kept is one of 2 she enlarged ; ^  )  Even though we live far apart, we have a lot of coincidences and similarities, it is even funny sometimes . . . . Frieda said it would be interesting to see which ATC I chose for myself. I picked that particular one because even though Frieda is a young girl in that photo,  it really looks like her to me. I think it also reminds me of myself at that age. I just love these ATCs! I love all the color in the background, how Frieda used her handwriting, stamping, and she made paper cards not fabric -a challenge for her I think! Anyways, she has got me thinking about mine . . . 

There is space in this ATC swap if you are thinking of registering for it -- and it is not due until September 3rd, 2011.Full details are here -click! Thanks so much, Frieda!!

Donnalee Nichols - July ATCs: color my world

I received Donnalee's wonderful Orange Crush ATCs today, wow! What a color. Thank you for making an extra one for me . . . I chose the "Florida" one because it seemed so appropriate for me ;   ^ ) Here are all 4 ATCs. See if you can recognize where some of the words Donnalee used are from.

Donnalee has a blog and posted about them here! (If you have not figured it out you can find out there). Thanks again!

Frieda Oxenham - Postcard mail Art swap!

My dear friend Frieda, who lives in Scotland, is the very first to send in her postcards for our 'a summer's day' mail art swap. She did something really fun too! First, Frieda made an extra postcard just for me and then she sent it through the mail separately - only the one she made for me! I received that postcard first and it was such fun! A few days later I got her package of three postcards for the swap in the mail. : ^  ) Frieda's postcards are a mix of fabric and paper and she describes how she made them in this post on her blog . . . here: A summer's day fabric postcards.

Frieda created the fabric background herself -read how on her blog!

She also created the strip of fabric with a flower design that says, A summer's Day.

Then she took this flower design, lightly printed it on paper and used it for the back.

My postcard is the one directly above.  ; ^ )  thank you, Frieda!!! I love it.

Frieda chose Train stamps for my husband and I, as we recently went on a train!

So cool.

A close-up of Frieda's stitching . . . . click on the card for a better look

There is still room in 'a summer's day' mail art swap should you wish to join us!

All postcards due in my hands September 17th.

Also -- Colour my world: our July ATC swap is also still open 

with all ATCs due 2 weeks from Saturday, on August 6th, 2011. 

The newly announced ATC swap for August - "I am" is due September 3rd! 

~ Lots to keep you busy and creative and I still have more up my sleeve ; ^ )  lenna 

Sarah Boblit - July ATCs: Colour my World

From Sarah in Iowa we have 4 ATCs, as Sarah asked me to choose one for myself -thank you! Sarah said it was hard for her to do monochromatic ATCs so she decided to do shades of copper, which is still monochromatic. I think her ATCs are beautiful, especially with the beading she did -wow!!! See for yourself.

The beading she did reminds me of the books she made for our wee book swap. View them here. Sarah, your ATCs are gorgeous!!!!!

This is the last of 3 entries for today! 

You'll find Laura Hunmmel's ATCs here . . . 

and Jo Johnson's ATCs here! Thanks, and enjoy!  

Laura Hummel - July ATCs: Colour my world

From Laura Hummel in Maryland  . . . . a cool envelope, and . . .

 Cherry and Olive Green ATCs! 

click for more details!
Thanks so much for making an extra ATC for me.

:^ ) love your art, Laura! 

Jo Johnson - July ATCs: colour my world

Three envelopes of ATCs sailed in today for the July Colour my World ATC swap. There is still room in this swap if you like to work quickly - due in my hands August 6. The first envelope I opened was from Jo Johnson in Indiana. her envelope was really cool too. Look at these postage stamps!

Jo created one sunshine yellow ATC and three sea foam green ATCs.

Thank you for creating an extra ATC for me! 

The backs -

great job, Jo! So glad to have you in this swap.

Sue Emmerson - July ATCs: color my world

I was very happy to receive Sue's envelope all the way from Australia yesterday . . . . .
but as I turned it over to open it I was puzzled to see that it was not sealed. In fact, the envelope flap had been tucked inside the envelope; and was not sticky anymore. I was alarmed and looked inside. I found a piece of flat bubble wrap covering 2 ATCs in little envelopes, but not 3. One must have fallen out when the envelope opened. Today when I went to scan the beautiful art on Sue's envelope, I saw the rubber stamp from the Bradenton, FL post office: Received Unsealed. ARGH! This is the second time this has happened to me when receiving for swaps and I believe it is because the envelopes were not taped across the back flap with a large piece of packing tape  : ^ (

Sue's mail art is so pretty & matches her ATCs.

I love, love love the postage stamps she uses!

Sue made special sleeves for her ATCs,

announcing how she wants to "colour her world".

2 lovely fabric ATCs of the same design, I am just sorry all 3 did not arrive . . . 

but we will make due with what we have!

(click on her ATCs for more detail)

Sue is moving house imminently and mail from Australia to the US takes time,

so I told her we would swap what we had, so sorry!

we will make the best of it.

PLEASE TAPE your envelopes closed securely!!

: ^ ) lenna