Jersey Made – ATC Club/Swap

33-35 White St.

Mill Race Village

 Mt. Holly NJ 08060

Wednesday, December 16, 2009  7-9 PM

Kelly Donovan will be bringing her expertise in making ATC cards to Jersey Made.

The ATC Club at Jersey Made will be held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month.

Cost is $15 plus a $5 supply fee and this includes everything you need to make 3 ATC’s featuring a Snowman theme.   You can swap them or take them home!!!  

Isn’t he just the cutest!!!!   Great to collect, swap or share. 

ATC’s make great Christmas gifts or package tags!

So much has been happening this week that I sort of lost track of my updates.   This blog post is more like everything that has happened since day #3…….

Thursday was a busy day.  On the way back from Columbus Market we found some awesome stuff.  This chair is pretty sturdy and just needs a little cleaning up.  There is great detail in the top of the chair back.    Abbie has a plan to hang this on the wall as a display.   I had only seen this before when the legs were chopped off so I can’t wait to see what she has in mind….

I love old drawers and when they have awesome hardware on them its even better.   One drawer was badly damaged so I switched the hardware around and ended up with 3 complete drawers.   I think the wood is mahogany – deep rich color!   These will be used for making displays at the store (except for the one I set aside for me to use).

Not sure which kid was more in awe of my studfinder – Sean or Neil…..    It did confirm that a stud was detected!!!    Sean has been busy helping with the store computer and the new website that will be www.jersey-made.com

I have been gathering maps – as I may have mentioned several times.   It would be so easy to just go into a store and buy them but it is way more fun to have a scavenger search for them.   These 3 maps came from my friend Bill.    Very cool!   The map in the middle shows all the bridges in New Jersey.   On the top of the map on the right he has written “old map”  and I thought that was great!

Then my sis Amy stopped by to see the store.   Of course I asked if she had any maps.  She came back from her car with this very clever map that is designed to fold easily and is laminated in plastic.   I hope she doesn’t get lost without her map.  LOL

Old shutters are being put onto the walls that will be displaying some of the awesome handmade art that will be available at Jersey Made.    Have I mentioned that I totally enjoy power tools.   This is my new cordless drill/screwdriver that is now travelling back and forth with me each day. 

Women & power tools – ahhhhhh!!!

Abbie was delegated to hanging the maps.  Mostly because she can reach and I can’t!   There is less wallpaper showing now and it is really starting to look like something.

This wall is going to be “Almost Aloe”.   Abbie had mentioned she wanted a color called “lettuce” something.   I read about a zillion names of paint chips and found one called “lemony lettuce” but that didn’t seem to match.   So I kept on going and now have quite a pile of paint chips that were not chosen.   Thank goodness I had taken the swatches of fabric for the logo colors so that I could try to match it up.   Finally I went for help.  The girl at the Lowe’s paint counter was so helpful.   Just for the record you cannot use a cotton fabric swatch to get a matching paint.  The fabric is too thin for that to work.   So she and I sorted through the paint chips I thought were closest until we both agreed on “Almost Aloe”.   I painted a small sample on the wall (after lightly sanding the area) to see if the paint would cover the wallpaper.   Hoping that it will!!!

This wall is going to be for class & club announcements.   Many ideas were discussed on how to best do this because some classes and clubs will be held monthly while others will have a specific date set.   You’ll have to wait for a future blog to see the final result.    Yes, we really do have a plan and it is going to be great just keeping that secret for now!

Mark your calendars for the ATC Club that will start on Wednesday, December 16, 2009.    Kelly Donovan will be showing new and exciting techniques for some winter ATC’s.   You can keep or swap!   A special swap night will be planned……

Remember to buy handmade for the holidays!   Jersey Made hopes to be open by the beginning of December and will be having some extended hours until Christmas.    Please plan to stop by…..

I joined a group on Facebook called “Artist Trading Cards”.   A friend had told me about a recycle swap that was to be made from at least 50% recycled items.   I am a recycled artist so this seemed right up my alley.   The inspiration was a little slow to come on how to do my ATC’s for the project – probably because there was a wide range of recycled items that could be used that deciding which one was a challenge for me.   Then in the mail arrived this magazine all about chocolate.   Inspiration struck for “Remnants of the Chocolate”.   This is a limited edition ATC card – only 6 were made.    5 will be sent for the swap and 1 will get 4 ATC’s back.   The last ATC will be sent to Kelly as a little thank you gift.

Here is the link for Artist Trading Cards on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=12573&post=82527&uid=2204569726#/group.php?gid=2204569726

Here is the magazine and the playing cards that I used for the card base.

I attached pages of the magazine onto the playing cards.

But then I had to add more!!    Remnants of many different types of chocolate were used.  

I kept adding wrappers and bags.   I made a ‘fringe’ that slipped thru the 2 slots across the top of the cards.  Did you know you could curl candy bags just like ribbon?   hehe

Then I added some words too!!!

Work It!    hehehe

Oh yay!!!  This card is #4 and Kelly will be receiving it shortly…..

On the back I printed out labels that stated my name, the swap and the # of cards that I am trading.

I have been working on this project for a few weeks now – a little at a time as the chocolate vanished from my world and the wrappers accumulated.   Plus I had some help from friends who contributed their wrappers so I could make these ATC’s quite colorful.

One of the classes that is planned for Jersey Made will be a once a month ATC Club.   We will learn different tricks and techiniques and swap a few too!!!

There are a few reasons why I like ATC’s:

1.   they are pieces of art – although they are small

2.  can put alot of time into them but still see them completed

3.  I can collect other artist’s work too!!!

4.   I can use recycled stuff and all the bits of paper that I cannot throw away until I do something with them…..   

5.  fun to do and try out a new technique

My ATC recycle swap are 100% recycled!!!

Now I just have to wait for the post office to bring me the ATC’s from the swap!!!   That is the part I do NOT like…..waiting!