#atcswap

Archive: BJR Neon Graff ATCs (December)

YAY! We have finally made it to December! That means I am only about a month and half behind on documenting my projects here on the blog! I don't document EVERYTHING, but making sure the final and special ones get some shine- well, that's important to me! This batch of ATCs are some of my favorite I have EVER done in my whole life and I really want to make them prints at some point. See the original Instagram post HERE. I also decided when I made these, that maybe I should start making a batch a month and that's exactly what I have been doing. I made two batches in December and two this month. I want to base them on "themes" but usually I just go with the flow.

New Work: Post Halloween/ Election Day ATCS

Here it is Friday night, almost 9pm...I am watching the end of the first season of Castle Rock (great show!) and very happy to be in the house. It was quite beautiful today, and I hung out with my Mama and my nephews and ran errands. BUT I also worked- a lot. AND I'm still nowhere near finished with my projects! I have tons of trades, swaps, and mail to go out. I am working on a BJR Graffiti sign, and an ultimate BJR Mail Pack/ Paper Pack. It's been fun making merch and trying to gather enough inventory o keep my shop updated- considering ALL my supplies are in NY! I am doing one helluva job.

Anyways- I wanted to get these ATCs posted before I finish with the rest of those October posts that I never archived. It's important that I stay on top of these things because the "new year" will be here in no time! I also have a lot of books to read...another post, another day. LOL

I didn't have everything I needed to make thse ATCs at first, but I did some digging. I pulled out stickers, washi tape, old paper stacks, OLD mail art (that I haven't seen in at least two years), and even some really old die cuts and paint. I tried my best to stay positive and work with the limited supplies I did find, and in the end, well...I think it turned out for the very best! I actually really love this little batch. It's funny because I used the painted paper from my BJR rainbow road sidewalk scroll, and realized a lot of them were Halloween colors. I stayed off instagram and the internet in general last weekend, because I knew that Election Day would be a headache and a half. Sure enough, it's still giving some people migraines. It was nice to work without interruptions or distractions.

Here are some things I learned/ remembered while making these little cards:

1. Less is more. If I limit what I have to work with, the ideas will come to me quicker, but better yet...the work will be cohesive. All of these cards have a nice little spooky vibe and I'm totally into it because I totally missed Halloween shenanigans.

2. Being back in MD gives me strange opportunities, like using a sewing machine. Ben took it out and it's covered in dust and dirt but I took my happy ass down into that basement and I sewed away. Stitching paper isn't something I have done in a long time, but I'm so glad that I did.

3. USE WHAT YOU HAVE. This includes old tape, old paper stashes, old mail art from all your favorite pen pals. Did you know that I have mail and paper from almost 10 years ago? How is that even possible?

4. Don't rush things. I did the masterboard, not expecting much tbh- but then I woke up feeling motivated, and finished those ATCs within a few days. One step at a time. When I got frustrated, or stuck, I just stopped and took a break. It was good to know that I still wanted to finish them, even after all the cussing and throwing and stomping my feet. (Yes, I have tantrums when it comes to art- don't you?)