HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014 & AN ATC SWAP!

Okay, so it's been a very long time since I've posted here in my artist play blog, but I promise I've still been playing!  And, now it's 2014 and all sorts of new art projects are starting both in "real" life and on the web.  I'm beginning a collage adult ed class later this month, a Julia Cameron "Vein of Gold" course next week and have committed to a Certified Zentangle® Teacher's ATC Swap.  Phew, I'm tired and stressed already.  All 3 things involve lots of homework!  There's also a wonderful artist journaling Facebook group beginning by the name of "My Documented Life", and Strathmore will soon be starting their free workshops for 2014 again.  They look great this year.  And, oh so many more tempting things.  I hope you've searched them out and found something that tickles your fancy!

I'm dedicating this post strictly to the Certified Zentangle® Teacher's ATC Swap.  The swap was created, and is being handled, by a very active and wonderful CZT, Sharon Lynn Payne, and can be followed on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CZTZentangleATCDeckSwap/
You can find some great pictures of members ATC cards to enjoy and learn more about the whole thing there.

The idea is to create and mail in 53 artist trading cards with zentangle® somewhere on the card, but other than that you can let your imagination run wild.  All rules (which are very liberal by the way) can be found on the FB page above.  The deadline for sending in your cards was pushed out until March 26th from February 1st as of today, so perhaps the original final date to join, December 31st will also be pushed out... if interested you can always go to the FB page above and ask Sharon about that.

ATC card measurements are always 2.5" X 3.5", but like many people I decided to do mine on a larger sheet and cut the cards to ATC size once they are finished.  I'm able to fit 16 cards on a piece of Arches hot pressed watercolor paper from a block I had on hand.    Pictured here below is the first set I finished over this weekend.  It looks a little crazy, because it hasn't been cut into the 16 cards yet and some are upside down and sideways. And, when they are cut I may add more to each of them, especially now that the due date has gratefully been extended.  As you can see I chose to combine stamping and collage with my zentangling.

Vintage Series 

These next two pictures are of the first layers on my next two groups of 16 before I've added tangling to them...

Garden Series

Artist Series

And below are the finished pieces before I cut them and then all the ATC cards, the entire deck, grouped together.

Floral Series

Garden Series

Artist Series

Vintage Series

Entire Finished Deck

Well, there you go.  The fodder of a creative mind.  :-)  Thanks for looking in.  I hope I've peaked your interest to join in one of the many start of the new year challenges if not this one.  And, we will see how these guys turn out...