ATC/ACEO's and Shadowboxes

I've been busy getting ready for the holidays and creating artwork to sell on eBay instead of blogging. Shame on me!

Don't get me wrong, I love eBay, but hesitate to sell my artwork there. It can be quite discouraging. I've seen beautiful pieces with VERY low starting bids go unnoticed and very sloppy artwork go for upwards of $50.

My "Queen of Bee's" is an ATC/ACEO (2.5 x 3.5 inches) that sold for $17.89. This was a little surprising since I had only about $1.50 invested in materials. Let's face it, it's made with chipboard, a scrap piece of decorative paper, a rhinestone, rusty wire, a reproduction vintage photo, and a few beads. I can compete with Domino's Pizza, assembling one of these little ditties in 30 minutes or less.


I also sold a 3D shadowbox. The shadowbox was 5x5 inches and a Dollar Store find. It took me about an hour to make the piece. Actually, I profitted nothing from its sale, but I suppose I gained exposure on eBay as many people viewed it... and the following week when I listed other items all but one sold. Its puzzling how a piece of cardboard can sell for much more than a concrete piece of artwork.

In any event, I seem to be attracting more "lookers" and that can potentially lead to bidders. With the Christmas season upon us, I hope to unload a few more pieces before I begin creating artwork for Valentine's day.

Altered Altoids Tins

I had made four altered Altoid tins in November 2006 and left them shelved even though I made them specifically for the purpose of selling on eBay. Maybe it was the thought of parting with my first altered tins that made it so difficult to give them up. In any event, I was finally able to let them go.

The mermaid tin was my first altered tin, and also my favorite, so far. I used a vintage reproduction photo and real seashells to create it.

Other theme's include Paris Travel, a smudge or ruins box, and a Music themed tin.

Moulin Rouge, pictured, sold on eBay and I had a few requests for more with the same theme. I had consider making another Moulin Rouge themed tin but it takes forever to seal the tin and prepare it for paint. It has to cure for at least two weeks before I can begin to work on it, and I don't really have that kind of patience.

The profit margin for these tins is relatively low since they are so time consuming to create. I did see half of a tin decorated with a vintage reproduction image of a child sell for $75 on eBay, but I think this is the exception, not the rule.

I'm currently working on an Asian/Oriental and Travel/Journey themed tins, and may create a few with a Valentine's Day theme.

NeW sTuDiO!

My new studio is up and running! The walls are painted, the shelving is up and the curtains are hung. I'm so excited!! It took three weeks to transfer all my craft stuff from one space to the other, but I also did a much a needed reorganization during the move. I have tons of shelves now, 36 feet to be exact, and yes, they're full already. I thought I'd have room left over for "future growth" but nope, every square inch is being utilized.

The photo shows a neat and tidy workspace - just a façade. I straightened it up before snapping the photos. Normally, I only have about six square inches of work area that's free from clutter and that's where I create my new pieces. Yes, even with all the new storage and shelves my area is still a mess. I think for an artist, having a cluttered workspace is genetically coded into our systems. When my workspace is too neat and tidy my creative juices don't flow nearly as well. So, with that said, I'm off to create!

Summer Project – Create Art Class Syllabus

This summer I've been putting together an outline of an 6-12 week course in altered art & ATC's (artist trading cards) and will submit it to the Community Education Enrichment department of our school district this fall or winter. They're always looking for local talent to teach things like photography, cake decorating, and beginning sign language.

I noticed that Michael's Craft Store has a huge bulletin board asking for people to teach various arts and crafts classes. Nothing for ATC's or altered art was listed but I'm thinking about talking to the store manager to see if this might be something of interest. Since altered art/assemblage, collage, mixed media and ATC's are "hot" right now, I thought this would be a good time to put my creative skills to work.

If anyone has done this before, any suggestions would be appreciated!

Assemblage/Altered Artist = "Green Artist"

Today, I discovered by accident that I am a "green" artist. Actually, about 75% green. I recycle - give things away instead of adding to landfills, use energy efficient items, etc., but I never really thought of my art in terms of being "green." I really like the idea of not wasting natural resources, recycling, and finding more energy efficient ways of doing things. I even enjoyed watching "Living With Ed."

Have you gone "green" without realizing it? You might be "green" if you:

* Visit rummage/garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores, second-hand stores, etc. and scour for items you can use in your artwork. I have found my best pieces to alter at a thrift store. I find games (I use the pieces for projects and the board as a canvas or focal point for artwork), paints, text books, magazines, ribbon, tins, old jewelry, etc. all for bargain prices.

* Use empty food boxes to cut ATC backs or for chipboard canvas. Cereal boxes make excellent canvases for artwork and smaller boxes, like macaroni & cheese boxes, are great for making sturdy ATC backs that hold up well to heavier embellishments. I use sturdy gift boxes as shadow boxes - 1 box = 2 shadow boxes, the top and bottom.

* Join "ephemera" or "craft goodies" swaps where you trade bags or envelopes full of supplies. This is a great way to gather many different types of items without having to purchase them. Swap-bot (http://www.swap-bot.com) usually has several craft goodies swaps every month.

* Use what you find in nature. I have gathered rocks, seashells, beach glass, leaves, flowers and twigs to use in my artwork. Dry the flowers or press between sheets of waxed paper, and spray leaves and twigs with clear varnish and you're good to go.

Go green!

Art Studio Make-Over

In a few weeks I'll begin my studio room make-over. I found this inspiration photo. My studio walls will be turquiose, the ceiling soft pink, and the door, trim, and curtains lime green. And of course, my art studio won't be nearly as neat and clean *lol*. I can't seem to work in an area that's too tidy. I guess that's why the name cHaoTiC aRtwOrKs seemed to fit so well.

Junkie looking for a Fix!

This is a picture of my old studio - disorganized, small, cluttered (and surprisingly I work best in "clutter"). I'm giving my studio a major cleaning and clearing out. All of my art supplies have been pulled from their old nesting spots and are scattered about in boxes, waiting for their new and better home. And suddenly I have an overwhelming urge to create something - after months of "artists block."

Yes. Now that I can't get to most of my supplies my mind is overflowing with cool, creative ideas for future projects - and I'm ready to tear my hair out! I found some empty snow globes that hold photo's and want to use them to create altered art pieces. I want to try my hand at making felt food, and want to work on the chunky/fat book I started at the end of last year. And then there's the board book I just purchased from Skybluepink... I have a ton of ideas for that.

I can only hope my muse hold's out until after the renovation is completed.

Choosing Your Art and/or Craft

I love arts and crafts. My biggest hurdle has been in deciding what type of arts and crafts to pursue because I like so many. I suppose I could try all of the arts and crafts I'm interested in, but I'm not sure that would be wise. Some artforms are easier than others, some require a lot of work space, and some are more expensive than others - and that is certainly something to consider. I made a list of of arts and crafts I've tried or already do, and a list of those I'd like to try or do. This list should help you determine what arts and crafts would best suit you, your budget, and your storage and workspace constraints.

Once you've listed the arts and crafts you've tried, mark off those that you didn't enjoy doing, didn't do well at, or found couldn't do at all. For example: I learned to knit when I was eight years old. It was an easy art/craft to learn, but I didn't really enjoy it. A few years later, I learned to crochet. I enjoyed that much more than knitting, and found it was easier for me to do. Another example was when I learned to do embroidery. I enjoyed that and found it easy to do. Later I tried counted cross stitch with equal results. A similar craft I also tried was latch hook rug making. It was an easy craft but I found I didn't get much enjoyment from it and rugs just really didn't seem to be my thing. Neither was silkscreen - too messy, need too much equipment that you have to buy and store, and you need lots of space for need space for items to dry.

Now make a list of all the arts and crafts you'd like to try. Think about each craft and how it may be similar to something you've done before. Did you enjoy the craft you did that was similar? Was it something you did well?

You'll need to consider a few factors in deciding what arts and crafts to pursue are:

A. How much will this art/craft cost?
B. Do I have room in my house, garage, basement, etc., to pursue this craft?

I like doing ceramics. Ceramics, however, is not the best choice for me. Making things from ceramics is quite expensive. You have to buy the greenware and paint, and then pay to have the pieces fired, once or twice, unless you purchase your molds and kiln. Very, very expensive. You also need room to store your greenware and paints and a large enough workspace to hold your wares. I have pottery listed in things I want to try. Pottery is very similar to ceramics. You need clay, a potters wheel, and then have to get the pieces fired. So for me, pottery is not really a realistic option. To satisfy my urge, I could enroll in a pottery class and make a few pieces without having to invest much. I may do that someday, but it's not high on my priority list considering I probably would not make it a lifelong pursuit.

One of my favorite forms of artwork is paper crafts. I enjoy card making, scrapbooking, collage, and making ATC's (artist trading cards). Paper is not expensive, it's easy to store, and you can do a ton of different things with it. And then there's paper mache - a nice way to put your old newspaper to good use. So pursuing paper crafts, such as card making, scrapbooking, making ATC's and ACEO's are definite - origami is an option. I've never tried it but am not interested in folding paper.

Altered art is basically taking an object and giving it new life, making it into something else.... ART! Since most altered pieces begin with what most people term "junk", it's readily available, or can be had from a thrift store or garage sale at rock bottom prices. You can store as little or as much as you want and it doesn't require a large workspace. Some commercial grade glue, found objects, paint, paper, and a great imagination are all you really need to get started. I tried my hand at altered art because I didn't really need to buy anything. Ialready had so many things handy that I could use.

Woodworking and metal work would require space, materials and expensive tools. Oil paints, brushes and canvas can get expensive and require a fair amount of space. Cake decorating supplies can get expensive and you have to have a good amount of space to store the decorations and cakes - and I'm short on space. I'll have to put these arts/crafts at the bottom of my list.

I have dabbled with mosaic tiles but that was years ago. Its a craft I've thought about taking up but with the expense of tiles, I decided to try paper mosaic. I already have a ton of paper I can cut into tiny pieces and use the same way I would tiles. Tole painting is high on my list because I have acrylic paints and would only have to take a class, buy an instruction book or find a good website to learn the basics. Glass cutting and floral arrangements wouldn't require a huge investment and are also something I could teach myself to do.

Since I already own a digital camera and can print my own pictures photography is something I have considered. I have thought about taking a community enrichment class through my local school system. The class cost about $50 and lasts from 6-12 weeks, which puts photography high on the possibilities list. Candle and soap making are of interest, but again I would have to weigh out the costs of materials and space needed for this craft. Polymer clay art and jewelry making don't require a large work space, and can be done for a reasonable price, althought you can spend a lot if choose to.

Having thought this out, I now have a better idea of what arts and/or crafts would probably suit my budget, workspace and storage constraints, and skill level best.

cHaoTic aRtwOrKs - Art They Never Told You About

Spark your creative imagination!

I've been a self-representing artist for over 30 years. Creating art has always been a way of life. I come from a long line of painters, musicians and metal sculptors. As a small child I learned that my artwork would draw much attention, and not always positive, when I was creating masterpieces on my bedroom wall. Now that I'm grown, I use a different canvas for creating artwork.

I moved from pencil and charcoal drawings to writing during my teen years. After several attempts to write the perfect novel, and stalling after the second chapter, I finally put down my pen. I turned my attention back to the visual arts and began creating collage and mixed media artwork. A few years ago I discovered scrapbooking. It was during my search for scrapbook items and embellishments that I discovered ATC's, better known as artist trading cards. ATC's led me to art squared, assemblage, and altered art.

As any artist knows, supplies can be expensive. Being thrifty and resourseful, I've created, and stumbled upon, many ways to save money. The purpose of my blog is to share that information with you.