Swap, Swap and More Swaps

I'm really behind showing all the gorgeous swaps I have received, I hope I didn't miss out anyone.

1 of the reasons why I like doing ATCs - besides learning new art and craft techniques when creating all ATCs and whatnot, I also learn new things as I research on techniques and themes. I found out about Found Poetry from this particular swap hosted by Kate Robinson (USA) in the artisttradingcards group.  

Found poetry is the literary version of a collage - take existing words of text from a book or article and reform the words and ideas in interesting ways.  The following are what I managed from specific pages of “The Empty Chair” by Jeffery Deaver, as specified by Kate.  I cut out words from the text and re-arranged everything to come up with these. 

Starting from top-left going clock-wise: (1) The Dance, (2) Her Garden, (3) I Can, (4) The Lover. I did 3 similar sets of 4 cards, all with painted water-colour background and die-cuts, except (3) was drawn with markers. I felt quite pleased with myself and almost think I could be a poet!  

See what others did. From left to right: (1) “She would never know” by Kathy Haynes (USA), "Three men shrugged" by Valerie Orner (USA), (3) "She was utterly exhausted" by Stephanie B Aliberti (USA).  Possibilities are just endless!  Try it!  You may discover the literacy side of yourself in the process! 

I also tried using the erasure method on 1 of the pages to compose a similar poem to "Her Garden" mentioned earlier.  The selected words and phrases when read in order, compose the poem.  However, I didn't "erase" the majority unused text, but circled the selected words.

For the Paper_Traders group, I participated in another 2 ATC swaps in the last 2 months.  For "Wings and Things", I folded flat origami roses for the Little Butterfly Fairy's Rose Affair, and added a pair of tatted ring butterflies at the back of the ATCs.  Ok, let us see what other participants did.  Going clock-wise from top-left:

(1) Pattie McClimans - "Nature", (2) Valerie Thrift, Greece - "Let the FAIRY in you fly!", (3) Nydia Dominguez - "Baby Fairy", (4) Bevlea Ross, Australia' - "We don't make mistakes, we have happy accidents", (5) Pam Prosser, Australia - Butterfly Fairy, (6) Carolyn Albro, USA - "Transform".

The other Paper_Traders’s swao was the Postage Stamp People ATC Swap. This is another new thing for me, using postage stamp with a face or head and combining with collage, drawing, etc. to create postage stamp people.  A challenge for me was finding the postage stamps.  Singapore hardly issues such stamps, perhaps there aren't enough famous people in Singapore!  I only managed to find a few miserable number of suitable stamps among the extras in my small stamp collection. 

My works aren't as creative as what I received.  Everyone else did extremely well!

(1) "The Older I Get, The Better I Was" by Bevlea Ross, Australia; (2) "She is not just an ordinary garden faerie" by Lilian Mederak, Canada; (3) "Ray Charles" by Eileen Kirban, USA; (4) "Have a purpose in life" by Beckie Holso; (5) "Embace Imperfection" by Lucy Leatham; (6) "Catch a Wave" by Amanda E.

Katja Joulak from Sweden contacted me for a private swap. As she was intending to use my ATCs for an article she would be writing and the deadline was tight, I didn't have time to make new pieces. I sent her a fabric ATC "K is for Koala", Ellen's Office Days (a self-portrait) and the "Bling Bling" Race - The Gemican (No.6).

Katja took time to make and sent me her fabulous works - (1) Stamped Wings, (2) Paper Doll - Queen of Art, (3)  Fabric ATC - "Blinged Green" 2/2.

And her article that was published (page 1 of 3).