2008 ATC Calendar Swap- Sent and Received

Here are two of the four 2008 Calendar ATC 's that I made for my partner. I will be sticking them in the mail tomorrow. Winter 2008

Spring 2008

you can see the rest in this Flickr collection (m.gold of Spit and Image hooked me up with the Pro subscription on Flickr!!)

and finally here is the ATC set that I received for the swap. It's a great, usable design. You can find more at Liregudesign's etsy shop.

Rachel VonGarnier Fine Art

My good friend, Rachel, recently sent me over some of her latest paintings. They are incredible!I really get a sense of her appreciation for nature and can truly feel the dream-like spaces, invoking the feeling of being or having been there, in this one.

This is dream-like too in the sense that the bird seems to be dissipating into a storm. Unfortunately I don’t have the ability to write so eloquently about art to give these the justice they deserve.

Here are two more of my favorite paintings of hers. I love how diverse her portfolio is.

You can explore her gallery of paintings here. Enjoy!!

Weekend Getaway

Mig and I headed to the mountains over the weekend so we could take the Durango Silverton Train ride. This is something I have been wanting to do for at least two years now so I finally bit the bullet and bought the tix (not so cheap).
We left on Friday and it rained pretty much the whole drive up to Pagosa Springs, CO. When we got there all of the power was out, every single traffic light was out! Yet still, the local grocer managed to have their holiday music playing through the dimly lit aisles.
When we got to my mom's cabin the power was out there too. Have you any idea how hard it is to entertain yourself when there is no light to read, craft, or otherwise by and especially no music to fill our heads? Mig and I were blurting out one liners of horrible music, you know, the kind of crap that only gets recognition because it so easily sticks in your head... here's a sample, "Turn around, every now and then I fall apart, and I" .... anyway you get the idea and I have to say that was a low point, low enough that we just went to bed at 7:30. Can't say I would have minded the extra sleep but I some how convinced myself we were getting Carbon Monoxide poisening and therefore even had trouble breathing in my dreams.
The next morning we spent half an hour traveling the 20 feet it takes to get out of the driveway, rain and then snow equals LOTS of mud and a huge slick mess. We barely made it to the train on time. Anyhow, we made it and had quite the enjoyable time. Here are some pics from it.
And lastly, a picture of the Abiquiu area, which also got some snow. All in all the trip turned out to be visually gratifying only making my appreciation grow larger for the southwest.

Holiday Is Here...

I can't seem to pull myself away from making hoiday cards, even though I have other things I *should* really be working on. Anyhow, this holiday card is a bit different than some of the other ones I have made recently. Enjoy!

A Windfall of Ephemera and Collage Material...

Lately great collage material has been in abundance in my little crafing cabinet. This week I got a huge package from the Share Your Stash swap from susiqz on swap-bot. One of my favorite things I got from her was the little red Chinese envelopes, perfect size for ATC's
I was also given some awesome books, one of them being Nouveau Petit Larousse Illustre published in 1926 (French Illustrated encyclopedia). In it there are tons of pages of pictures, just like the picture above. It is an old book and may be valuable (I don't even want to know) but having worked in several book stores, one of them being my family's used bookshop, I happen to know that just because someone somewhere might pay $$$ for it, it doesn't really mean it is worth that. Without that experience I would have a much harder time cutting up this fine book.

My second score was from my Dad via my grandparents. These are from his youth and prior to my receiving the WHOLE SET!!!! from him I had sought out the little Golden Guides in thrift stores and such. There is a wealth of great pictures and information in them. There is nothing like learning a bit about nature and history while collaging.

At this point I have soooo many books and papers that I am putting together ephemera packs. I scanned one in but it scanned poorly, I will try again soon. I am putting some together for gifts but will also be interested in trading (anything!) for an ephemera pack. More info on that later.

Currently listening to: Dusty Springfield-"Son of A Preacher Man"

First Snow...

Although the snow is no longer on the ground I was happy to be able to catch and share pics from Northern New Mexico's first snow.


Currently listening to: Death in Vegas- Scorpio Rising

My First Swap...

I feel like I am going through some sort of rite of passage... I am finally hosting a swap of my very own! I've been scared to try 'til now but after participating in about 15 swaps I felt it was time to make the leap from participant to host.
Check it out: http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/9496

It is based on the ATC calendars in my last post.

Here are the details:

2008 Calendar ATC Swap- International

It’s time to start thinking about 2008! For this swap each person will make a 2008 calendar set with ATC’s.

Your ATC’s can be composed of any elements as long as it has the calendar worked in. The idea of this swap is to provide a nice quality, portable calendar set for your partner. Please put your best foot forward when it comes to quality and content. These are meant to be used for a whole year after all!

The actual number of ATC’s will vary depending on how you design your calendar. For example the calendar in the picture (a folded prototype, without the dates) is a quarterly calendar therefore I made 4 ATC’s with 3 months on each of them. You can see the version with the unfolded calendar on www.flickr.com/annalissas. Other possibilities would be 3 ATC’s with 4 months each, 6 ATC’s with 2 months each, or 12 ATC’s with 1 month each. Please do not make any less than 3 ATC’s for your partner.

Red Tape: No swappers with ratings under 4.8 and only 1 no send acceptable. New swappers are welcome with completed profile. I will check every participant’s profile to determine if they will be able to join in the swap. Please do not sign up if you cannot dedicate the time to make them… I know it is a busy time of year.

Recap:
What?: Minimum of 3 ATC’s containing the 2008 calendar year to 1 partner- Any Medium.
When?: Signup-Dec. 10. Send-Dec. 17
Where?: International swap
Who?: Newbies with completed profile and swappers with ratings over 4.8 and only 1 no send.

ATC Quarterly Calendars (Prototypes)

I have officially begun working on the calendars for 2008. I figure I have about a month to come up with some different designs and try to make about ten to share.

This is one ATC calendar (front and back) with the first two quarters of the year. I still need to add/fill-in the actual calendar dates. I am looking for the right collage element for that. They won't all be as frilly as this one.

with calendar folded in...

and with the calendar open.

Gravy Days

I've been a little overwhelmed by the Thanksgiving hulabloo, but now I am back and I have some great matieral to write about in the next couple of days. This swell Photo Album of my Ma's being my favorite.

Here are some photos from "back in the day". Funny to look at considering I've been a little existentially anxious lately. Nostalgia doesn't help much. Nonetheless they are entertaining and have some interesting details in them.

This is my mom (far left) and aunts. This photo cracks me up because on the back my grandma labeled it "Belly Button Brigate!". Not quite the uniforms they were used to wearing during their catholic school careers.

My Pops at NAU presumably. Interestingly, dorm rooms still look the same.


I have that mirror hanging above my vanity now, I love that mirror.

Postcard Swap...

This is the postcard I received from danakustika I was lucky enough that she found me on Flickr and wanted to do a trade.

The image is screenprinted and some of the ink got smudged off in the mail but it really adds to it. It inspires me to get serious about screenprinting. I have all the supplies but I don't really have the ability to make a screen yet.

I also really love her photography so check it out if you get a chance.

Warming up...

From a warm-up session to get ready for this collage swap

Assemblage...

This is the beginning of a quick, interchangable, and ever-morphing way to hang found objects alongside some of my ATC's and collages.

This is the wall right next to my desk and craft supplies to help get the ideas flowing. Just like the beautiful flow of spit curl on this man...



One of my favorites on the wall, this is a detail from one of hundreds of informative diagrams from What's What: A Visual Glossary of the Physical World

And Another...

As promised, here is another ornament I have made this weekend. Most of these are the first of each design and therefore are prototypes but I am fairly happy with how this one turned out and believe I will make several more based on this structure.

Wilco on Austin City Limits

We we're able catch one of my favorite groups, if not my all-time favorite, Wilco on PBS last night. It was an Austin City Limits recording. The show was awesome and lived up to all the Wilco is about and Nels Cline and Tweedy certainly got crafty on their guitars.

First of Many...

This is the first finished and photographed of the ornaments that I have begun to create for the holidays.

Thrift Store Love

I have had an urge to seek out and acquire boxes and containers as of late. These pics are my latest finds at Open Hands Thrift Store in Santa Fe. I believe the urge stems from the influx of articles, books, and products related to storage systems and being organized in the design and fashion world. Do they help me?

This one is perfect for keeping my herbs fresh...

Trays have also been on my "look for" list lately... The tray above is a sweet oblong shaped rectangle made out of stainless steel and it is perfect for holding ATC's as if they were calling cards.

Lastly, this box's purpose is to house my more compact crafting supplies, but for now it is a great sunglass display piece.

Brown and Pink Matchbox

I was inspired to make these matchboxes from a matchbox swap on Swap-bot. I did not end up participating in that swap but I do plan on swapping some more matchboxes soon based on a different theme. In a way these seem like they don't serve much purpose so I have tried to make them more functional by adding magnets so they can either stick to each other or a metal surface.

Happy Halloween- 80's Style

Hot Cakes threw a wicked 80's party just in time for Halloween and her annual pumpkin carving party. Although many people showed up only these ones dressed up. All I gotta say to that is the rest of you are weak!!!
You gotta give it up to the handmade Devo hat and the awesome Trapper Keeper that rustled up all sorts of nostalgic memories about gradeschool and growing up in the 80's.

This Rubik's Cube costume was handmade by Mike (the lovely model) and I. It took a little planning and time but it was completely worth it.

At least those who didn't dress up did carve pumpkins. They all turned out really well. Check 'em out.

Hoiday Cards

I know that it is a bit early to start thinking about the holidays but they always creep up on me. I decided to get an early start this year, which will probably lead me to justify my bad habit of procrastination later. I am not quite sure yet what I will be doing with these cards, maybe I will make sets of some of the designs and put them in my etsy shop (which is in need of some major updating) or possibly I will just mail them out to friends and family."Happy"

This one folds into three opening up to the top and the third part folding down. Inside the card, "Happy" is found in script.

"Christmas in TV"
This one is another three fold card opeing up and the third panel folding down. When you flip up the top a black ornamental design is found above "Christmas".



"Peace" Ornaments, 1 of 3


"merry" Ornament 2 of 3

"Enjoy" Ornament 3 of 3

When I finally tire of making holiday cards my next project is to make a calendar(s)... maybe in time to gift for Christmas?

Cruise New Mexico

One of my favorite things to do ever is Cruise New Mexico so when I recently read this article in the Santa Fe New Mexican about visiting Utah in the "off season" I couldn't resist planning a trip. It made me look forward to the winter, though I am still not quite ready for it. There is something I love about deserted barren lands, especially when covered in snow.


These places experience extreme parcipitation so rarely I can't help but want to be there to witness it. Since I drove through Southern Utah in December of 2003 I have been wanting to go back. I have tenatively scheduled a trip to span the outskirts of the four corners in order to catch some time exploring Southern Utah when it is deserted by most. Here is the proposed route we will travel come the second weekend of December.

Flickr

I really love Flickr, I have found and been found by some really awesome artists through it. This week I received lots of correspondence as a result of my posts of the holiday cards I have been making. I was contacted by danakustika, whose photos I absolutely love, to swap a postcard. This is what I made for her. I am excited to see what I receive in the mail from her.

luscious

Through yet another post-season baseball game on Thursday m.gold and I had another gratifying crafting session.

This one is for the grannies out there...
and luscious

and more holiday cards to come soon!

ATC Goodness

These are ATC's I've received in trades from the Artist Trading Card site and Flickr .
A half year and about 35 trades later these four are my favorite I have received.
Check 'em out...

Mama Bird, Baby Bird by ccerutti on Flickr


Lotsa Teeth by leahfelicity on Artist Trading Cards

Stuff with mustashes- light bulb by dezineliz

Tiger 1 by kysunflower