new swap! September ATCs: haiku

Welcome to Creative Swaps Monthly ATC (Artist Trading Card) Swap
for September 2011 ~ the theme is “haiku”

• Create 3 ATCs out of paper or fabric, or use both. Your ATCs may be identical or different. You will receive 3 ATCs in return.
• The theme for the September 2011 ATC swap is haiku. You can choose a haiku written by someone else, OR write a haiku yourself for your ATCs. I will provide you with a 10 page pdf that has links and instruction on how to find, write and incorporate a haiku into your ATCs. 
• You may use the same haiku for all 3 ATCs, or choose different ones.
• All ATCs are due IN my Mailbox no later than October 8th. This is a firm deadline. Late swaps will be returned to the sender and all ATCs that are in my hands by October 8th is what I will swap. 
• TWO sets of 3 ATCs is the maximum amount you can submit.    
• You must register for each set - $6.00 per set payable via PayPal. Register twice or use quantity (2) on the registration page of creative swaps blog when creating 2 sets of 3 ATCs.  

To register: Use the ‘Add to Cart’ PayPal button on the registration page of the blog: http://creativeswaps.blogspot.com/p/registration.html
The $6.00 fee to register for this swap is your non-refundable payment for postage, handling, documentation on the blog and it includes a 10 page mini lesson pdf file that pertains to the swap. The lesson walks you through the use of transparencies, image transfers and creating a fabric ATC as well as lots of links to get started with haikus and more on ATCs in general. The $6.00 registration fee covers return mailing of one set of 3 ATCs both within the USA and internationally!

When your payment is complete you will receive an automatic email confirmation from 'e-junkie' for your swap registration with a link to the pdf file you need with the complete swap information. You will need to know how to download a pdf file. Make sure your PayPal email is correct and can be mailed to or you will not receive very important swap information vital to your participation! This is your responsibility. If you have sent in a PayPal registration and have not received confirmation within 24 hours please email me directly.

As the swap packages arrive, I will scan your ATCs and post them on the creative swaps blog. By registering for the swap you are granting me permission to post your artwork on the creative swaps blog, with credit to you of course. If you have a blog or website and publish your ATCs for the swap, send me the link and I will add this to your post on the creative swaps blog.

Register and make 3 ATCs that include a haiku. 
Send them to me before October 8th!

• All ATCs must be sized 2.5” x 3.5” (6.4 cm x 8.9 cm) 
• Your design can be either landscape or portrait orientation
• Your ATCs can be all fabric, all paper, or a combination
• Image transfers and transparencies are welcome
• Painting, collage, drawing, sewing, zentangles, rubber stamps, photography
• any and all mixed media techniques are acceptable for this ATC swap
• Your ATCs can be of ALL the SAME design, ALL different , or a mix 
• The haiku must be placed on either the front or the back of your ATC
• All ATCs should be handmade - NO photocopies!! 

Any questions please email me. I hope to see you in this swap!
Register here: http://creativeswaps.blogspot.com/p/registration.html
: ^ ) lenna

Valerie Tups: Postcard mail art!

Mail art and 4 postcards, very old book pages and a book cover, German scrap pieces, handmade paper and a grid notebook all arrived yesterday from Valerie Tups in Germany! Wow. Thank you, Valerie. 

Below are Valerie's postcards for our mail art swap. She took existing postcards and altered them, I love it!

Click for details. the backs all have interesting sayings about a summer's day.

A summer's day is when you have sun in your heart! 

Visit Valerie's blog here. This is Valerie's 2nd creative swap.

Donnalee Nichols: Postcard mail art swap!

My mailbox was graced with bright, beautiful, always summer - "Greetings from Florida" postcards, from Donnalee Nichols!

The back of the postcard says, A summer's day in FL,

bored of being an oyster, she chose to live as a pearl.  ; ^ ) 

Click for more details. 

Donnalee put extra postage on these so I could send them Internationally! 

You can visit Donnalee's blog here.

This is Donnalee's 2nd creative swap!

Winners for the 1000 post giveaway!

I spent the day with Steven, away from the computer (after 10am!) but it was great fun. We went to St. Petersburg and took in 2 museums, had a late lunch/early dinner at the Crab Trap (yum!!) and stopped in to see my parents. But Steven had been warned that after 8pm I would be going back to my computer!! Here's the deal . . . I used random.org to give me 5 numbers between 1 and 86, the total number of names I had written down.

The numbers I received were: 34, 64, 65, 69, 84

I had been keeping a list as the comments came in, writing down someone's name one time for a comment, two times if they added the blog button and three times if they wrote a post about the drawing. Each name was written next to a number. 

Below are the winners names that corresponded to the numbers picked:

34 = Sharon Borsavage from Pennsylvania!!! She wins one of the ATCs! 
64 = Bobbie Bryan from Oregon!! She also wins one of the ATCs!
65 = Ati Ham-Sas from Norway!! She wins one of the ATCs !!
69 = Joanna Urbani from Kent, UK!! She wins a big fat collage pack!! 
84 = Leigh Sanders from Gerona, Spain!! She wins FREE registration towards any creative swap of her choice by December 31, 2011. 

Congratulations to all the winners!!!!!!!!!!! How exciting! Thanks to everyone for entering. I have all your addresses already from previous swap registration, so we are all set. Leigh, you can simply email me the next time you would like to register for a swap and I will set you up for free!
Please know that I would not have made 1000 posts if not for all the wonderful art that you all send in to swap! So thanks to you for helping to create this fun event! ; ^ ) lenna 

lenna young andrews - August ATCs: I am

I am very happy to have completed my own 2 sets of ATCs so I can participate in the August ATC swap with a theme of "I am . . .". Ever since I came up with this idea I've been thinking about what I might do in the back of my mind. My friend Frieda Oxenham really inspired me with the two sets she sent back in July. So, I carved out some time and started working on my ideas the other day. Lynda Roddy Ozzauto sent in a wonderful set received yesterday (see the next post) which only pushed me to finish mine today! Here they are below, please click on any photo for details. I will add some how-to remarks and photos on my personal blog soon! The post is up now, go here.

There is space in this ATC swap if you are considering registering -- It is not due until September 3rd, which is still 3 weeks away. The swap details are here -click!
; ^ ) lenna

Lynda Roddy Ozzauto - August ATCs: I am

I got the most delightful envelope from Lynda in Illinois today . . . .

Filled with 3 ATCs for our August theme of "I am".

I have been watching Lynda learn about photoshop elements on her blog -

http://paperpencilpaste.blogspot.com/

She is really amazing me! 

Thanks so much Lynda, for joining this swap! 

My own "I am" ATCs are almost done and I can't wait to share them.

This swap is due September 3rd, which is just 3 weeks away. 

There is still space available if you would like to join us! 

Read about it here. 

: ^ ) lenna

Colour my World ATC swap complete/sent!

I am pleased to announce that the colour my world ATCs have been swapped, packaged, stamped and ALL sent -- whoo hoo! This swap included  27 participants producing over 100 ATCs mostly for the swap and some as an extra ATC for me! (thank you!) Below is what my pile of packages and envelopes looked like before I took them to the post office. It was not that huge of a swap so I tried to decorate with postage stamps, stickers or rubber stamps and also use up some of my mail art envelopes.

When I got to the post office I had them check my postage calculations.

Good thing I did this, because most of them needed more!!

I think I was using an older chart and basing the postage on large envelopes 

when I should have been thinking "packages" for some of them . . .

 if envelopes are too thick the post office considers them packages.

But they were really nice and helpful and Irene (on the left) said: oh no problem, I can add 

more postage stamps. I know you like that!! They got a kick out of my 

"The Mailbox is a Museum" rubber stamp ; ^ )

Now these Colorful ATCs are heading home to you. I hope you love them!

Please let me know and let your swap partner know (I swapped them as a trade) that you have received their lovely ATC. I know it takes a little bit of effort, but it is so appreciated. 

If you need an email because you cannot find it, please write to me!

There is another ATC swap with openings, you can still join - 

it is due September 3rd - Read about it here.

The postcard mail art swap also has openings - 

it is due September 17 - Details Here.

Thanks again for a great swap! ; ^ ) lenna

Email Reminder!

For my 1000 post Giveaway I am offering 5 prizes, but I cannot choose YOU as a winner if I do not have your email!!!! Right now I have 5 people who have commented, wishing to win: C.Pohl, Jane, Frau S, (thanks!!) Jane T, and Barbara ~ whom I don't have emails for so I cannot enter them. If you see this post yourself, or you know one of them, please have them email me with their email so they have a chance at winning! If I pick your name/number and I do not have your email at hand I will have to choose someone else. I just can't go searching around. So, this is my last attempt/reminder to make sure you get your email to me when entering if I don't already have it from a swap or other conversation. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lenna 

Sabine Busch: Postcard mail art swap!

Sabine Busch from Germany, sister of Marion Bockelmann -whose art I just posted, has also sent 3 postcards for the swap and one extra for me. Thank you, Sabine! your postcard art has such a beautiful quality to it and I love what you wrote on the back of the cards. It is such a treat having your art added to this swap!

click to read

and for me! 

Sabine's blog is here: http://stempeltanz.blogspot.com/
This is Sabine's 4th creative swap!

There is still space in the summer's day postcard swap if you'd like to join us -- and it is not due until September 17, 2011. More details are here, just click!

Marion Bockelmann: Postcard mail art swap!

From one of my favorite mixed media artists that uses rubber stamps, Marion Bockelmann in Germany, we have 4 awesome postcards on a summer'sday theme -three for the swap and one for me! Thanks so very much Marion.

I adore this one, below.

This one is for me! 

Marion's blog is here: http://bockel24.blogspot.com/ -enjoy!
This is Marion's 4th creative swap! ; ^ )

Good news! (July ATC swap)

Good News!

Above: ALL the Colour my World ATCs -- swapped out! They are tucked inside envelopes to everyone who participated. The actual swapping worked out beautifully! If you received an ATC from me, I have ones of yours; it was even trading all around. I try to pair you up with something I think you will like or appreciate, I do not do random swapping. Now, all I have to do is seal the envelopes, address them (thanks for any labels sent), add postage to the envelopes and bring them to the post office! I should be able to do that tomorrow. The hard part is done! You'll have your swaps before long. 

Please leave a comment here or email me when you have received your ATCs. Please email the person(s) who created the ATC you receive in trade. Thanks so much!! ; ^ ) lenna

* 1000 posts giveaway! *

This is my 1000 post here on creative swaps and to celebrate I am having a little giveaway -whoo hoo!
Thanks everyone for entering!
I drew on August 14 and Sharon Borsavage, Bobbie Bryan, Ati Ham-Sas, Joanna Urbani and Leigh Sanders were the winners!

All you have to do to enter my 1000 post Giveaway is to leave a comment to this post, here is the link: http://creativeswaps.blogspot.com/2011/08/1000-posts-giveaway.html
To get more than one chance at winning, read "how to enter" below the prize photos. If I don't already have your email in my address book, it must be located somewhere in your blog profile or on your blog. If it isn't, you must leave your email within your comment. Disguise the email if you wish: lenna (at) creativelenna (dot) com or something like that. If I do not have your contact email I will have to pass you by and choose someone else.

Please make sure I have a way to contact you when entering to win - if you want to be able to win!

The prizes: 

1. One FREE Registration to the creative swap of your choice - to be used by December 31st, 2011. -won by Leigh Sanders of Ruby Barr!
2. One very large, inspiring collage goodie pack of items picked from my own collage stash, things I like to work with. I'm showing one side below, packed in a clear page protector. Won by Joanna Urbani of Fiddlesnips!

Here is the other side:

everything laid out:

 click for details 

3. one 'fly' ATC ~ original collage ATC -won by Ati Ham-Sas of Ati's Little World!

4. one 'smaller moments' ATC -rubber stamp + paint art won by Sharon Borsavage of Livewire jewelry. : )

5. one 'works in progress' ATC won by Bobbie Bryan of Every woman has her chair! I will show my step by step to on my own personal creativelenna blog. All ATCs by me especially for this special day! 

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY:

• Leave a comment on this post. If you are reading the post in a reader or via email, you are going to need to go to the creative swaps blog, find this post dated 8/8/11 and click where it says comment. 
• Your comment can be any greeting that you would like to give me. I would love to get feedback on why you participate in, or follow along at creative swaps. Remember comments are moderated and may take time to be published.
• To have TWO chances at winning the giveaway prizes, place the creative swaps button on your blog or website. Your visitors can then easily come visit me and enter the giveaway too. For THREE chances at winning, write a short blog post about the giveaway and creative swaps. Let me know in your comment that you have done any of these extra things. Please include your blog or site URL so I can go check it out! You will find the code for the button top right sidebar of the blog directly under the  button. Copy this code and then paste it where code is allowed. If you are using Blogger you can add an html Gadget to do this.
• You are most welcome to tell me which prizes you favor. I cannot guarantee what you may receive, but knowing what you wish for is always helpful to me.
• The four prizes that will be mailed out will also include mail art from me!

* I will choose 5 names sometime after 8pm EST, FL, USA on Sunday, August 14, 2011 * 

Good Luck! I hope you enjoy this giveaway. 

I certainly have enjoyed posting so many beautiful and creative pieces by all of you!!!!!