MAIL SWAP NOVEMBER 2006: Under Lock & Key

[webchyck]

Boy, I was having a hard time coming up with a theme for this next month's ATC mail swap. I really wanted to eschew the traditional November-ish themes...hope you don't mind! So, I went browsing through some swap ideas at a traditional ATC site and found some things that were interesting. Bounced them off my new ATC sounding-board, Carolyn, and we came up with the idea of doing some ATCs with Locks and Keys! I know we all have some of those in our quirky stash! And this could really lend itself to all sorts of ideas...the keys to what? What's locked up? Who has YOUR key?

So, if you would like to participate in this snail mail ATC swap, please send an email to me (mailto:webchyck@comcast.net)with the subject: NOVEMBER SWAP. Please include your name, mailing address and email address. You have until midnight Eastern on November 7th to sign up. On the 8th everyone who has registered will receive a list of all the other artists with whom they will be trading. You will then have until November 30th to create, print, and mail your artist trading cards to the other participants. (Keep postal rates in mind before you sign up as you are responsible for mailing the cards yourself. If we have enough participants in a particular country, we can group them together, otherwise it will be an international endeavor.) Each swap group will have no more than 12 participants (including yourself). You may create one ATC based on the theme and replicate it for everyone or you may create nine unique ATCs to send out. You may also use any combination of paper and digital you like for this swap.

If anyone has any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. We do have a lot of information about Artist Trading Cards in an an ARTicle in our Resource (http://www.digitalartquirks.com/articles/article_atc_becky_march2006.htm) section that might answer any questions you have.

I think the KEY to this swap is to have fun! I know we're heading into a busy holiday season, so remember, this is not a duty, an obligation or a requirement. This is sheer fun, for the art of it!

[Nevermore]

Yeah, I am hooked (lock and key and hook).

What follows is a complete and total aside and has nothing to do with anything. Can be totally ignored.

Becky, to satisfy your outrageous demands, I went to the LSS today to get some stuff for your card. I had to beat the owner off. Every time I picked out something, he wanted to get me tons more. I kept saying, ever so nice, no thanks, I am a digital scrapper. Finally, I had to tell him NO THANKS, I DON'T DO THIS STUFF I AM BEING FORCED TO DO THIS BY A LADY (SO CALLED) AGAINST MY WILL. I ALREADY HAVE GLUE DOTS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. By the time I got back to the tournament, Max had already won second place. I showed my stash to the guys to explain why I missed it all. Don't worry honey, I told Joe, I am not going to paper scrap. I'll try to use some of this stuff in the next ATC swap. "That's paper, right?" he asked. "Well, sort of. Not really. It's digital but we do it on paper." Then he and Max both looked at each other with the one raised eyebrow.

[happyrobyn]

I'm in!

That's all I wanted to say but it just gave me an error that my message was too short so now I am being forced ... against my will ... to ramble on and on. Just LOCK me up in shackles and chains already! Oh the rules one must follow to sign up for this thing!

[webchyck]

My eyebrow is raised, too..."it's digital, but we do it on paper." ??? That's the best you could do? Words don't usually escape you, but it seems like the guilty pleasure of shopping in an LSS (did she even know what that meant two months ago?) got you all tongue-tied.

So, what did you pick up? I'm anxious to know what you procured in your little shopping spree.

[webchyck]

Oh, and BTW, congratulations to Max's team on second place...a REAL scrapbooking mom would've been at the game taking pictures, interviewing all the kids and parents, and encasing snips of grass in laminated pockets. She would've spent the rest of the weekend creating coordinating mini albums which she would distribute to all the families by Monday morning! LOL!

[Nevermore]

Firstly (proud mom) it was not a team thing. It is sparring. And now that he is getting older, I really don't like watching. It won't break my heart if he continues on but stops tournament sparring. But (good mom) I don't tell him that.

What did I buy? You will see shortly. I am afraid that I went a little overboard with the card (novice mistake). It has die cuts (just learned what that meant 2 minutes ago, thanks Alison), and a vellum envelope and a vellum tag and handmade paper and a vintage photo and crayolas and mod podge and glitter glue and some stencilling and gel pens. It is all of 5 x 5 so you can imagine (cough). Oh and some corner punching, too. My office is a complete and total melt down. Still not quite finished and what a flipping mess! Gotta go and clean up the mod podge before it dries according to label.

[Diginellie]

Yup I will definitely be in this again, it's a lot of fun. Not sure about the paper thing though, it's freaking me out a bit. I have always wondered what a die cut is and I don't think I want to know :confused:

Anyhow the theme sounds interesting:)

[ScrapAlice]

May I join in, too? This has been so much fun to receive the ATCs in October that I would LOVE to do it again. My cards are done, envelopes done, still have to get postage complete on them as I want to have pretty stamps rather than computer postage. I will email you, Becky! Love the theme!

[Nevermore]

Yup I will definitely be in this again, it's a lot of fun. Not sure about the paper thing though, it's freaking me out a bit. I have always wondered what a die cut is and I don't think I want to know :confused:

Anyhow the theme sounds interesting:)

Oops, didn't mean to confuse anyone. You can pretty much ignore me, people usually do. I was talking about a completely different topic altogether. Be not freaked!

[mishou]

Well after my two month absence from this swap I'm really looking forward to getting pretty surprises in the mailbox again! I really missed it!

So count me in ;)

[Rikki]

I'm in, too.

[digime]

Hi Becky, count me in again! I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into this time as I recklessly signed up for 2 other DAQ exchanges this month...I'll have to rummage around the forum and try to remember just which ones they were!! I need to start making lists and checking things off in a notebook but I'd probably just lock it up and lose the key somewhere.;)

[webchyck]

Okey dokey folks! You're in!

[PamPie]

Hi Becky--I can't help it--I want to play again :cool:
I've sent you my address and email for the past 5 months--do you have the info from there, or shall I send it one more time? :p

I used to get frustrated when the LSS didn't have sharp blades on their die cut machines, and I'd have to freehand the rest of the cutting.... :eek:

[webchyck]

No problem, Pam! You're in!

[graybonnie]

I keep coming back to this thread... it is the lock and key thing... so please add me to the list.

[webchyck]

Sure thing, Bonnie! Just email me (mailto:webchyck@comcast.net) with your full name, mailing address and email address, okay. We distribute that to all participants on November 8th.

[webchyck]

Just a reminder that the deadline for signing up for the snail mail ATC swap is Tuesday, November 7th at 11:59 p.m. Eastern! There's always room for more!

[Chinook]

Please count me in!!
Cheers
Karen

[Mish]

You've got mail Becky!

[webchyck]

The lists went out today, so check those alternate email addys you all have! LOL! I messed up on the first email I sent out. Forgot to change mishou's mailing address on my master list. So, make sure you use the second email I sent to address your envies.

[Karen B]

i've got the psd almost done. just thinking through the printing and how to handle the back...

[happyrobyn]

I'm sure you'll have a rockin' backside!!!

[webchyck]

Yeah, Karen...shake it like a Polaroid picture!!! LOL!

[Karen B]

lol, oh, i've always had a rockin' backside!!! :)

[Pixeldigger]

I hope I will be able to do the next swap, I am coping a bit better and now have a Wacom tablet to boot!

[webchyck]

Well...that's cool...new toy to play with, huh? I sure hope you're doing okay, Judy. Tough times for sure. Just know we're holding you in our thoughts and prayers.

[digime]

I'm so glad that things have settled down a bit for you Judy. When someone in the family is not well, it's such a stressful time. I have a waycom tablet too, but haven't spent a lot of time figuring out just what I can do with it! I'll be interested in hearing about your waycom adventures!

[Mish]

Oh my word girls...you keep me so busy with all the card duties and emails that I forget to come here too! I'm having a blast!

[Pixeldigger]

Here you are, folks. I didn't join in the swap, but here is my ATC

Locked door (http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2246&cat=501&limit=recent)