ATCs swapped & sent: By the Sea

6/28/23: The 'By the Sea' themed ATCs have all been swapped & sent out. Participants in this swap should be receiving them soon. Let me know what you think! 

I've created an Animoto slideshow of all the cards... see below! 

Link: https://animoto.com/play/seGs6L1IaPNtmp12iVbqFg

I've also added it to my YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jKXjRBZhWg

What a great swap, thank you! 

lenna

By the Sea ATC swap has closed! ;O)

News Alert! 

All of the ATCs for this swap that I was expecting to receive have arrived in my mailbox on time. I am so pleased everyone's ATCs got here! Now it's time for me to swap them out. I have cleared my plate for tomorrow and will get right to it. :0) 

I'll let you know when I've sent them off by announcing it here. 

Housekeeping Note: I had a couple of participants who had difficulty recently in making more than one comment in a row, so I changed the format of how comments are entered on the blog. This new format was tested & it works! Comments are always welcome. I have updated the instructions for commenting and you'll find them below. You can also view them anytime on the creative swaps blog: https://creativeswaps.blogspot.com 

Just look for the "How to leave a comment" page link, above the most recent post.

Instructions for commenting: To make a comment on a post you need to be on the blog itself, not a reader or blog email service. Scroll down to the bottom of the post and click on the words where it says in very small letters :: No Comments or 2 comments...etc. This is a link that opens the post to display comments. If there aren't many comments, you'll need to scroll up to see a white box that says: Enter Comment. 

After clicking the 'Enter Comment' box you will see the words "Comment as". If you are logged into Google, your Google profile name should appear. If not, click the down arrow to choose either 'Anonymous' - or your Name (and your website URL if applicable). Type your comment into the space provided and click publish! Your comment will be sent to me to approve. 

**You will not see your comment published immediately, as all comments are moderated. This helps to keep the blog spam-free.

Thanks! 

I look forward to swapping all the creative art that has come in over the past 2 months and sending your swaps off near and far to all of you! You'll be hearing from me again in the next few days with an update. ;0) lenna

Rena Matus: By the Sea ATC swap

From Rena Matus in Connecticut (my home state) we have 6 ATCs and an extra one, so appreciated. My husband was already eyeing which one I should keep! I know Rena & her sister Dottie (also in our swap) from in-person mixed media classes I taught in CT. So nice to be in contact with them again and have their participation in this swap! 

Rena made some very cool and different fabric ATCs. She told me they were made from fabric, but they were so flexible and yet protected. I asked her how she made them....

"All I used was matte Mod Podge. I brushed a layer on the fabric, added a napkin design, brushed on more, added frontage fragment elements and glitter, then another quick brushing of more mod podge. I did a little bit of stamping on the fabric and added a few white lines. The trick was trying to add my info on the back without it showing through on the front. White gel pen on tissue paper worked the best."

These are definitely a creative response to the by the sea call. Including this one, Rena has now been in 17 creative swaps! So glad to have you in this one, Rena. Thank you! 

Yvette Snowden: By the Sea ATC swap

Yvette Snowden sent in 3 ATCs plus an extra for me from Maryland. I was happy to see her respond to my ATC swap call. This is her 6th creative swap and the last time she participated was in 2011. In my early years hosting, Yvette was part of the Little Book swap, the Mail Art swap, Technique Tag swap, Garden Variety Postcards and the Tag Book swap. She told me she was delighted I emailed her about the new swap & was looking forward to more swap creativity! 

Here are her ATCs. I really liked the sentiment she added: 'Sunsets are proof that no matter what happens every day can end beautifully'. So lovely! 

When I opened her envelope, I had quite a surprise. Yvette enclosed a collage I had made & sent to her in 2011... maybe something to do with the Little Book swap? That was quite a large swap with around 50 participants! The collage I sent Yvette included a photo of me from 1979 and one of my grandmother when she was a little girl. I could not believe Yvette still had it 12 years later!! I had forgotten about it and I'm not even sure I have a photo of it. Anyway, I thought it was just so sweet to send it back to me. I'm glad to see it again!

Thank you, Yvette! 

Jessica Sierra: By the Sea ATC swap

From Jessica Sierra in Connecticut, 6 ATCs and an extra one for me! Jessica used the clever theme of "Message in a Bottle" for her ATCs. She told me she really enjoyed making them & seeing her idea come to life on such a small scale. Her creative use of fabric for the waves with the tiny message in a bottle is awesome. She even added sand! This is Jessica's first creative swap with me, welcome! 

Lenna Andrews: By the Sea ATC swap!

 Hello! I decided to make 3 more ATCs myself for our swap, so now I have a total of 6 ATCs to trade. This time I pulled out some of my ocean themed rubber stamps and enjoyed creating with them. Here's what I made! 

The backs

There are just a few more days to get your ATCs to me... by this Saturday, the 24th! If you know you won't be able to get them in on time, no worries. Things happen & I do understand. If you can let me know if you've sent them or you won't be able to, that would be wonderful. Thanks! It's exciting to be wrapping this swap up and it's been great. I hope you enjoyed making your ATCs and watching all the awesome ATCs come in. Each set has been unique and I've really enjoyed it!

See you in the mail soon.... 

Sabine Schneider: By the Sea ATC swap

Two sets of 3 ATCs, plus 1 extra one have arrived from Sabine Schneider in Germany! I'm so excited that all the International mail has arrived on time. There is one more week to go... All ATCs need to be in my hands by June 24th. Please let me know if you don't think you can make the deadline, I would appreciate it. I hope you can send them in now, but if not, just let me know. No worries! 

Sabine has made seven fabric ATCs that she sewed to a sturdy paper base. They are so lovely! Thank you, Sabine for all your wonderful fabric and collage art over the years. Can you believe this is Sabine's 17th creative swap! She started doing swaps with me in 2009... that's fabulous.

The time is near . . .Soon I will be swapping all of the ATCs.

You'll have some wonderful mail art & ATCs in your hands, before too long! I aim to swap them out promptly. 

❤Thanks to everyone!

. 

Marion Bockelmann: By the Sea ATCs

Whew! Can you believe it took 6 weeks for Marion's ATCs to arrive in my mailbox from Germany? Marion sent her ATCs out on May 2nd and I just received them today. Both of us were wondering if they would ever show up. I am so glad they did, and so is Marion! She made a set of 3 ATCs, an extra one for me & a beautiful card. See for yourself! 

This is Marion's 8th creative swap and she has sent in so many wonderful creations. Thank you for all your efforts Marion, including International mailing! 

Pamela Gonzalez: By the Sea ATC swap

On Saturday, I received an envelope full of Fabric ATCs from Pamela Gonzalez! It held two sets of ATCs, plus 1 extra for me, whee! I do appreciate the extras very much, but if you are short on time to finish them, remember there is no requirement to make an extra. 

All of the ATCs need to be in my hands on June 24th, which is now 11 days away. I would love to see all of your ATCs, so don't be shy!

The saying Pamela used on her cards, "I need vitamin sea" is so adorable! And the way she cut out the marine characters and placed them on the fabric backing with a little padding to make them dimensional is so appealing! This is Pamela's 5th swap! 

Thanks so much for participating and sending in these lovely ATCs, Pamela.

Barbara Johnson: By the Sea ATC Swap

From Barbara Johnson in Illinois, 2 sets of ATCs (plus an extra one) came in on Saturday. Yay! Thanks so much Barbara. These ATCs are very intricate with lots of teeny dots that look like they were done with acrylic paint pens. I found them mesmerizing! This is Barbara's 11th creative art swap and it is lovely to have her participating again. She has made some wonderful things for our swaps. Click on photos for more detail.

Your ATCs are most appreciated, Barbara. ❤

Paula Farrington: By the Sea ATC swap

I received 2 sets of ATCs (plus one extra and a postcard) from my friend Paula Farrington. She gave them to me in person on Friday! Paula lives in the Bahamas and Florida. She was in Florida and came up our way to visit with me & my husband for the weekend. Paula and I had a wonderful time doing some slow stitching in my studio and seeing a couple of great exhibits at the Ringling Museum. We watched the movie Napoleon Dynamite (and laughed!). We also really enjoyed my husband Steve's delicious cooking. We time spent outside sitting by the river in the shade and had fun with our sweet dog daisy! (and the cats).

Paula made 2 sets of 'by the sea' ATCs with lovely collage and painted backgrounds. The vintage images and circular sections of an ARTChix Seaside word image sheet completes them perfectly. I love Paula's style. She is a great friend and amazing artist! This is her 3rd creative art swap.

Thank YOU, Paula! 

Gunvor Storck: By the Sea ATC swap

From Sweden, Gunvor Storck's ATCs have arrived in my mailbox. Gunvor created 2 sets of 3 ATCs and included an extra one for me, so sweet! Her cards are colorful and fun, with a cute round fish looking out at us from under the sea. Lots of bubbles are included, both stamped and also a few small dimensional ones. She did a lot of cutting out for these ATCs, both the fish and seaweed. This makes these cards really stand out! This is Gunvor's 3rd creative swap, see her earlier entries here. 

Thanks, Gunvor. I appreciate your participation and look forward to sending your returns to you in Sweden! 

Siri Opdal: By the Sea ATC swap

ATCs from Siri Opdal in Norway have arrived! Siri enjoys stitching fabric and has participated in my creative swaps a dozen times now. You can view her beautifully stitched & collaged previous swap pieces here. Siri sent in 2 sets of 3 ATCs, plus 1 extra for me, made with fabric and attached to cardstock. They are wonderful! 

Thank you for your continued participation, Siri! I love receiving your swap pieces created with fabric & stitching. 

Cheryl Roeske: By the Sea ATC swap!

Cheryl heard about this swap from her friend, Laura Hummel - so glad to have you join us for your 1st creative swap! Cheryl is also from Maryland and she sent in 2 sets of 3 ATCs as well as an extra one. Thanks so much! What a wonderful variety she made. Just click on the images to view them larger.

😊 To the group: hope to see your ATCs come swimming to me soon! 

The Due Date is: In my hands June 24th. This will be a great swap, so try not to miss it!

Laura Hummel: By the Sea ATC swap

A set of Lovely Sailboats and enchanting island cottages arrived in my mailbox on Friday, from Laura Hummel in Maryland! I'm not sure, but I think Laura used Tea Bag paper for her ATCs. She also added a bit of fabric and stitched it to her paper ATC. Wow, I just love the style of these! Thanks so much for the extra ATC for me, Laura. 

This is Laura's 13th creative swap! She told me in a note that she has kept everything from all the swaps she was in and treasures all of them. 💓so nice to hear. :o)

We are sailing towards June 24th! Send your swaps as soon as you can . . . 

Thank you! 

Julie Welsh: By the Sea ATC swap

From Julie in Michigan, 3 ATCs (and 1 extra) that I would describe as retro: Imitative of a style, fashion, or design from the recent past. :O) Julie is very talented at creating retro art! I love the strong colors and images she used. Plus her backgrounds are so fab. She wrote cute "Tips" on the back of her ATCs ~ I especially love this one: Clean hands and scissors regularly while gluing. That's a good tip for me! 

This is Julie's 8th swap with me, so glad to have her art here. 

Thanks, Jewels! You can view all of her entries HERE.

❤ creatively yours, lenna

Dottie Mucha: By the Sea ATC swap

From Dottie in Connecticut, 2 sets of ATCs have arrived for a total of 6, plus an extra one for me. (Thank you!) How exciting to see more ATCs being added to our swap. Dottie has created lovely vintage looking ones, done in soft colors -just beautiful! You can see for yourself below... 

This marks Dottie's 12th creative swap!! 

View all of her entries HERE. 

Thanks so much, Dottie! 

Nancy Roberts: By the Sea ATC swap

From Nancy in Florida we have a set of 3 ATCs: "Seaside Reads". The almost monochromatic look was a surprise to me at first, but then I decided it was so appropriate for this Vintage woman by the sea. Nancy enclosed a note describing how she created her ATCs, which I will share with you below. 

Materials & Methods: (1.) Watercolor on Media paper for the backgrounds (2.) Security envelopes (3.) glitter & glue (4.) Hand sewn, beaded sequins! 

This is Nancy's 9th swap with me. Thanks for joining us, Nancy. I love your take on the theme! Note: You can always view the images larger by clicking on them. ;O )

Keep those ATCs coming! It's so great to see them. 

Remember, they are due in my hands by June 24th. That's 1 month!

yours creatively, lenna

Update from Lenna: Studio Clear Out

Just to let you know, I’m downsizing my studio in anticipation of a future move (down the road) to a smaller home. I'm offering my gently used/new art supplies at reasonable prices covering the postage & handling. A few examples are shown here...

My wish is to send these items off to new homes instead of having to toss/donate them. I hope you’ll find something you’d love to have in your own studio or art corner …you'll be helping me out at the same time. I have accumulated more than enough supplies to last over a lifetime & cannot take all of it with me. Too much to move and we won’t have the space when we move to a smaller home. Come take a look and see what you find! Contact me via my website to ask for availability of items & instructions on sending the postage/handling fee. https://www.creativelenna.com/studio-clearout

Thanks! creatively yours, lenna 

Christie Juhasz: By the Sea ATC swap

 From Christie in Florida, a set of 3 ATCs plus an extra one for me arrived yesterday. They are wonderful. Christie created painted Rice paper collage ATCs and then added found sayings to each one like: "beneath the open sky, glittering in the sun, the music of my heart." She also made her own ATC sleeves, very cool. This is Christie's 1st swap with me via creative swaps... glad to have her included in this swap! 

Thanks, Christie! 

Lisa Mallette: By the Sea ATC swap

-Today from Lisa in Florida I received 2 sets, for a total of 6 ATCs, plus an extra one for me! Thanks so much Lisa. I just checked my list of swaps by participants in the sidebar of the blog and found out that this is Lisa's 13th swap with me! She participated in 6 swaps during 2008, 4 in 2010, 1 in 2011, 1 in 2016, plus this one in 2023. That's impressive! I always enjoy seeing what Lisa creates.

To see all her wonderful art on the creative swaps blog, follow this link. 

Lisa's ATCs are on the theme of 'Sea Sounds'. Take a listen...

Thanks again for your participation, Lisa!

creatively yours, Lenna 

Catherine Mommsen: By the Sea ATC swap

-From Catherine in Virginia, 2 sets of by the Sea ATCs have arrived! So fun to see the swaps as they come in. I hope you are enjoying this too! Catherine made cyanotype ATCs (a slow-reacting, economical photographic printing process sensitive to light) for one of her sets, and beautifully stitched fabric ATCs for the other set. She also made an extra of each set for me. Thank you SO much Catherine! This is Catherine's 5th swap with me. ;O)

I am really impressed with the wonderful variety of all the ATCs so far! 

yours creatively, lenna