Black and White postcard swap - postmark by September 29th

Last month's monochromatic postcard swap was the most popular one yet.  To explore that theme a little further, I challenge you to create a postcard that is mostly black, mostly white, or a mix or black and white.  As always, any style and any medium are welcome.  We love the diversity of art and style we get in the group.  Keep them coming! 
Here are some of my own black and whites for your viewing pleasure:

 
SWAP DETAILS:

•  Create a black/white postcard, no larger than 4"x6"
• include your name and contact information on the back (address and/or email and/or blog) so that you partner can thank you or find out more about you.
• leave the address section blank
• Stick in in an envelope with:
• a stamp (don't adhere to the postcard in case I need to send yours to someone out of the country)
•  a mailing label with your name and address on it (I will stick it on the card I mail back to you.  This keeps me from having to decipher handwriting on the envelope you send me, and saves me time when swapping everything and mailing it back out) 
•  mail it to me no later than September 29th:

             Karen Isaacson
             PO Box 532
             Shrewsbury, MA 01545
             United States

• Feel free to make more than one ( you can send them to me in the same envelope).  You'll get back the number of postcards you create.  Make sure to include a mailing label and stamp for each post card you create.
• If you live outside the US, don't include stamps, but send me $1 for postage via paypal.  email: iamrushmore@gmail.com
• I will post your work to the blog when I receive it.  If you would like your image linked to your blog, or flickr account, or facebook page, or etsy shop (or whatever) just send me a note telling me how you want it linked.  (this is a great way to meet other artists and make lots of new friends)

Fall postcard swap - postmark by September 22

Though I'm reluctant to admit it, Autumn is right around the corner.
So create a gorgeous postcard related in anyway to fall and what it means to you.  Any style, and medium, any interpretation.

SWAP DETAILS:

•  Create a postcard, no larger than 4"x6"
• include your name and contact information on the back (address and/or email and/or blog) so that you partner can thank you or find out more about you.
• leave the address section blank
• Stick in in an envelope with:
• a stamp (don't adhere to the postcard in case I need to send yours to someone out of the country)
•  a mailing label with your name and address on it (I will stick it on the card I mail back to you.  This keeps me from having to decipher handwriting on the envelope you send me, and saves me time when swapping everything and mailing it back out) 
•  mail it to me no later than September 22nd:

             Karen Isaacson
             PO Box 532
             Shrewsbury, MA 01545
             United States

• Feel free to make more than one ( you can send them to me in the same envelope).  You'll get back the number of postcards you create.  Make sure to include a mailing label and stamp for each post card you create.
• If you live outside the US, don't include stamps, but send me $1 for postage via paypal.  email: iamrushmore@gmail.com
• I will post your work to the blog when I receive it.  If you would like your image linked to your blog, or flickr account, or facebook page, or etsy shop (or whatever) just send me a note telling me how you want it linked.  (this is a great way to meet other artists and make lots of new friends)

Getting to know you postcard swap - postmark by September 15th

Here's a fun one, suggested by the wonderful mail artist known as PostMuse.   Decorate the front of a postcard with any kind of images, words or graphics that illustrate something about yourself.  Write a little message on the back explaining what you chose to represent and why.  This is wide open to interpretation.   You could do a self portrait if you wanted.  Or a picture of your pet.  Or words to your favorite poem.  Or a collage of your favorite foods.  You get the idea.  Anything goes.  Have fun with it.



SWAP DETAILS:

•  Create a postcard, no larger than 4"x6" and decorate it with something that tells us who you are
• Write a message on the back introducing yourself and explaining what you chose to represent about yourself.
• include your name and contact information (address and/or email and/or blog) so that you partner can thank you or find out more about you.
• leave the address section blank
• Stick in in an envelope with:
• a stamp (don't adhere to the postcard in case I need to send yours to someone out of the country)
•  a mailing label with your name and address on it (I will stick it on the card I mail back to you.  This keeps me from having to decipher handwriting on the envelope you send me, and saves me time when swapping everything and mailing it back out) 
•  mail it to me no later than September 15th:

             Karen Isaacson
             PO Box 532
             Shrewsbury, MA 01545
             United States

• Feel free to make more than one ( you can send them to me in the same envelope).  You'll get back the number of postcards you create.  Make sure to include a mailing label and stamp for each post card you create.
• If you live outside the US, don't include stamps, but send me $1 for postage via paypal.  email: iamrushmore@gmail.com
• I will post your work to the blog when I receive it.  If you would like your image linked to your blog, or flickr account, or facebook page, or etsy shop (or whatever) just send me a note telling me how you want it linked.  (this is a great way to meet other artists and make lots of new friends)

School Memories post card - post mark by September 8th

It's back to school season in my part of the world, and to honor it I'm hosting a "school memories" post card swap.  On one side of your postcard create some images related to a memory about your school years.  It could be a good memory or a bad one, from when you were young, from high school or college - anything at all.  You can use words or collage or paint or drawing - whatever you like.

On the other side of your postcard, describe that memory in words.

SWAP DETAILS:

•  Create a postcard, no larger than 4"x6" depicting a memory from your school years
• Write a message on the back explaining what that memory is and what it means to you.
• include your name and contact information (address and/or email and/or blog) so that you partner can thank you or find out more about you.
• leave the address section blank
• Stick in in an envelope with:
• a stamp (don't adhere to the postcard in case I need to send yours to someone out of the country)
•  a mailing label with your name and address on it (I will stick it on the card I mail back to you.  This keeps me from having to decipher handwriting on the envelope you send me, and saves me time when swapping everything and mailing it back out) 
•  mail it to me no later than September 8th:

             Karen Isaacson
             PO Box 532
             Shrewsbury, MA 01545
             United States

• Feel free to make more than one ( you can send them to me in the same envelope).  You'll get back the number of postcards you create.  Make sure to include a mailing label and stamp for each post card you create.
• If you live outside the US, don't include stamps, but send me $1 for postage via paypal.  email: iamrushmore@gmail.com
• I will post your work to the blog when I receive it.  If you would like your image linked to your blog, or flickr account, or facebook page, or etsy shop (or whatever) just send me a note telling me how you want it linked.  (this is a great way to meet other artists and make lots of new friends)

Kitchen postcards - part 2

Hooray for Corrine's 11th hour contribution to the kitchen swap.

I now have enough to go around so that nobody gets two from the same person.

And aren't they gorgeous?

She said she was really challenged by this. 

You wouldn't know it to look at them.

She used a turkey baster for both the painting and stamping.

and here are a few that I made:

You can see more of mine, as well as details on the process of making them, over on my blog.

Kitchen postcards - part 1

Here are the fabulous cards I've received as part of the Kitchen postcard swap

 Marsie's cards include a recipe and she says that all background color was done with food coloring and she used a kitchen scrubber and paper towel tube to make marks, and she wrote the word recipe with a piece of spaghetti.  How cool is that?

Gina's cards are an eye-spy game.  She says she used 6 or 7 kitchen items per card and challenges her recipient to guess what they are.

Now please forgive the lousy photos of Katie's amazing postcards.

They are sooo cool, but very hard to scan.

See the swirly pattern?  know what it's made of?

colored and crushed elbow noodles.

and since it's rather lumpy and fragile, Katie put each card inside a clear cellophane envelope, taped her message to the outside of the envelope, and included secret goodies inside.  She made seven of these postcards!  Here are two examples:

Lynn's postcards made use of such items as a plastic fork, netting, bottle caps, a crumpled wrapper, a chopstick, a birthday candle and broccoli.  Yes, broccoli.

(she made five cards but I can only find the scan of these four and I'm too tired to re-scan)

Carol's card features stamps made with zucchini.

She titled the card "pickles" because she loves to can, and you can see her garden bounty (as well as her art and other creative endeavors) on her blog.

So forgive my delay in getting these out to you guys.  Re-entry after vacation is always a bit bumpy.  Lots to catch up on. 

Plus, you wonderfully prolific artists made more cards than the number of participants and I don't want to mail anyone their own cards back, so I'm going to jump into the swap and send you all one of mine and keep one of yours in return.  But I haven't finished my cards.  I'll get the swap done in the next few days and post my pictures here.

Thanks for your patience!

Method to my madness

I love hosting these swaps.

I get wonderful mail almost every day.

I get to see and handle amazing art (without worrying about where I'm going to put it all)

and I get to keep lots and lots of spreadsheets.

I love spreadsheets.

I'm a spreadsheet geek.

but when it comes time to figure out who gets what, I ditch the computer and take over the living room floor.

First I line your cards up on top of your envelopes:

(Jake supervises)

 Then I write everybody's names on post-it notes.  If you mailed five cards, you get five post-it notes.

And here is where the fun begins.  I start putting your post-it note on the card you are going to receive.

There's lots of rearranging at this point as I make sure you get a variety of postcards, and you don't get one of your own in return.  And I even try to go back to my old swap lists and try to send you something from someone you haven't "met" before.

 Jake is especially helpful during this part.

 (He seems partial to Gina's postcards.)

Once all the post cards have been tagged, I rearrange them so that all the cards I am mailing you are in a single pile. 

 Then I dig through your envelopes and pull out the mailing labels and stamps you included, and make sure every postcard is properly addressed and stamped.

I then go back to my spread sheet and record two columns for each swap; "this person got a postcard from this person"

and I check and double check the addresses and postage and glue down anything that may have come loose in transit.

Finally, I'm off to see Hector and Ike at the post office so I can send these cards on their way to you!

I'm loving all the suggestions you've added to the Swap Ideas list (keep them coming!)

I'll be deciding on our next swap in the next few days to make sure I never have an empty mailbox.

In the meantime, check out the "other cool swaps" tab - I just added two new links.

(and send me a message if you know of other great swaps out there)

Thanks to everyone for participating.

this is so much fun!

Monochromatic postcards - part 4

The remaining post cards are here!

Take a look at these beauties.

I'll swap them all tonight and drop them in tomorrow's mail to you all.

Here are 4 from Terrie at Creative Explorer

 

The next two are from Chris at Parabolic Muse

and the last two are from Dori

(who we should really convince to start a blog)

look really closely at this purple one, there are beautiful ghostly faces in the background.

Monochromatic postcards - part 3

These monochromatic postcards are so awesome.  I've already received a record 35 cards and I know there are a few more on their way across the country to me.

These two lovely blue cards are from Cittie:

Katie made eight cards.  EIGHT!  and that's not counting the extras she threw in the envelope for me to keep.  That's a creative energy after my own heart.

The last three are from Marsie

I'm in love with those pink circles.

Everyone really seems to like this swap.  We're going to have to do this again sometime.