I hope that the first part of your week was restful, fun, exciting, low key (insert whatever word you want here).   And now, we are halfway to next weekend!  WooooooHOOOOOOO!

I have successfully created 18 ATC (Artist Trading Cards) this week and have begun to swap with other creators.  :)  So far, I’m addicted but haven’t quite decided what medium I enjoy creating in.    I am so intimidated (yet fascinated) by all of the ATCs on YouTube and Pinterest it surprises me that I’m willing to continue at this point.  I just LOVE the idea of trading with others around the world so I can have a collection of OPATCs (my WAY cool acronym for Other People’s Artist Trading Cards).

One of my problems as a CADD (Craft Attention Deficit Disorder) is that I burn HOT and fast when I find something I love to do and find myself bored and ready to move on to something entirely different.  Pretty certain there isn’t a medication I can take to overcome this issue.  :/  Oh well.  Of course the problem with CADD is that I can never truly perfect anything I do.

Here are a few of the ATC cards I completed this week:

I’m pretty fond of them.  :)  I am working with polymer clay and yarn as an alternate medium for the ATCs right now.  I’ll let you know how that goes!

I hope the rest of your week is WONDERFUL!  Thanks for stopping by! ~ Dawnee

I have become hopelessly obsessed with ♥Artist Trading Cards♥ as of late.

I am 35% sure that 75% of you know exactly what they are, but for those who don’t:

Artist trading cards (or ATCs) are miniature works of art about the same size as modern trading cards baseball cards,^[1] or 2¹⁄₂ by 3¹⁄₂ inches (63 mm × 89 mm),^[2] small enough to fit inside standard card-collector pockets, sleeves or sheets.^[3] The ATC movement developed out of the mail art movement and has its origins in Switzerland.^[4] Cards are produced in various media, including dry media (pencils, pens, markers, etc.), wet media (watercolor, acrylic paints, etc.), paper media (in the form of collage, papercuts, found objects, etc.) or even metals or cloth. The cards are usually traded or exchanged. When sold, they are usually referred to as art card editions and originals (ACEOs). — WIKIPEDIA

A few years back I participated in creating and swapping Digital Artist Trading Cards and enjoyed it very much.  Now that I am spending more and more time with physical art and elements I thought it would be fun to get my online facebook group involved in creating and swapping.  So far, we have around 10 people interested in participating!  I’m very excited about that!  (By the way, if any of you are interesting in joining a lovely group of people who enjoy creating and sharing their creations online, our facebook page is:  Craft Swappers Unite!  You would be so welcome to join!

I’ve been spending most of my migrainey day pulling ATC’s over to a new board on Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/jstdawnee/atc/ .  I hope you’ll take the time to pop over and check out what I’ve found so far.  Links and pics are fighting with me today, but I did retain a slight sense of html writing even with a migraine!

First Crack at ATCs

Do you, or have you ever created ATCs?  If you have pictures, I’d really love to see them!

Dictionary.com gives this definition of nerd:

1.  a stupid, irritating, ineffectual, or unattractive person.

2.  an intelligent but single-minded person obsessed with a nonsocial hobby or pursuit:  a computer nerd.

I’m sure there have been people in my life who would put me in the number one category, but I am referring instead to category number two.

I have always found people who are SO devoted to something like, say….. Star Wars a bit goofy.  They camp out all night at a theater to see the newest release and come dressed as their favorite character.  They use phrases from the movies in their daily conversation; “may the force be with you!”  They collect memorabilia from the movies and gather together at conventions for a weekend of All Star Wars All The Time.  Pfft.  Nerds.

I learned that I was a nerd when I caved in and read the Harry Potter series and then watched all of the movies surrounded by my family and friends who also shared in a common love of all things Harry.  (Bless you JK Rowling!)  I will say that though I read newsclips about the actors and actresses in the movies and watched all of the interviews with cast and author, I never did actually join an online group of like minded people.  Nor have I ever gone to one of the movies dressed as a favorite character.  I DO however have a poster on my bedroom wall from The Sorcerer’s Stone.  It is looking rather aged these days, and I sure would love a replacement and a movie poster for each of the consecutive movies.  

One of my hand doodled cards

My TRUE nerdiness is arts and crafts.  I can’t stop looking up new ideas, be it crocheted or knitted hats, altered art, doodling, sculpting with clay, steampunk related anything at all, fairy gardens, Artist’s Trading Cards….  (see here for a complete view-able showcase of my nerdiness -Dawn’s Nerdiness)…. I’ve even created a Facebook group for other people who share my affliction!

So in the true spirit of nerdiness and creativity I am dedicating the next few months to sharing my creations and what I find here on This Beauty I See.  I hope you’ll stop back by and see what I’ve come up with!

Thanks for reading! ~ Dawnee

Bill Murray is 62 years old and looks older than my 83 year old Mother.

Do people take drugs so they can do shameful things like eat a man’s face off with the excuse of being high at the time?

I’m so sad that I am not in possession of a great zoom camera right now to obtain my OWN picture of Venus floating across the sun’s surface.

Why is it that when I make a really yummy dinner from scratch, I always give myself too much time and dinner has to sit for 1/2 an hour till my hubby gets home before we partake?

I wish I had a million dollars in reserve so that whenever my kids, family and friends needed anything, I could just take care of it for them.

I miss Baileigh at a year old.  Rocking her to sleep on my chest.

I’m a moderate/independent as far as politics go.  Why is it that my right wing friends are talking about buying guns and ammo and stalking up for marshal war?   People and politics drive me nuts!

What in the heckfire is gangnum style?

Why hasn’t a pill been created that acts like a “good night’s sleep” so we can stay up all night and day without feeling exhausted and yet our bodies will still repair themselves like they do when we sleep?

I am a jack of all trades and a master of none.  I wish I could find one or two things that I LOVE to do and stick with it.

I find it rude that my body is falling apart.  In my mind I’m still in my 20′s.  My body insists on a downward spiral toward 50 instead.  Darned thing.

Fibromyalgia is one of the most annoying things ever.  However, my boss has Lou Gherig’s disease and still comes to work and buzzes around like nobodies business.  I’m fairly sure I’d rather have the fibro and deal with pain flare ups.

I hate that my sister lives an hour away.

However, I am thankful that my other sister lives 5 minutes away.

Holy cow, the holidays are so close and I have so much to get done!

My garage needs to be cleaned out for our new money making venture.  I need a warehouse.

I adore this time of year!  I love the smell in the air, the change in the light in the atmosphere, the idea of cooking more soups and stews, nice hot drinks in the evening, fires in the fireplace and yes, in the outdoor fire pit….  Fall feels almost magical, doesn’t it?

I hope that everyone is having an awesome start of the season and that it continues throughout.

A little something I’ve drawn in honor of the season