ACEO ~ ATC ~ Art Card

You may have noticed already but I'm back on an ACEO kick!  Over the past couple of days I have shared the new ACEO's that I have created and been asked about 5 different times "Whats an ACEO?"  So I decided before I go any further with the new ones today I would take a moment to answer that question once and for all in case there is still anyone left out there wondering "what the heck is an ACEO?" lol  To make this easy I just copied and pasted the web definition from Google as they tell it perfectly!

Artist trading cards (or ATCs) are miniature works of art about the same size as modern trading cards baseball cards, or 2 1⁄2 by 3 1⁄2 inches (64 mm × 89 mm), small enough to fit inside standard card-collector pockets, sleeves or sheets. The ATC movement developed out of the mail art movement and has its origins in Switzerland. 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 fiber. The cards are usually traded or exchanged. When sold, they are usually referred to as art card editions and originals (ACEOs).

I have 3 to share with you today! First off is the WIP that I shared with you yesterday is now finished, it is #4 of my ACEO Dreams Series, mixed media on mixed media art paper.  I have written a poem about this one which I will share here with you in a minute.  I just also wanted to let you know that I did write poems about the last 2 that I created as well and not only are the poems written on the backs of the ACEO's but I also went back and added them into the blog posts and the Etsy listings so if you want to read them here are the links Dreams 2 and Dreams 3.

Dreams 4

Mixed Media ACEO

2.5" x 3.5" on mixed media art paper

Available on Etsy HERE

Some dreams are big 

other ones are small 

they can be short 

or mighty tall 

some times your dreams 

you sleep right thru 

other times your dreams 

they do come true

~ Lizzy Love

I actually have 2 WIP to share with you today!  The first one here is going to be an owl when it is finished and I am not sure if you can make out the sketch of the owl on top of the paint or not, I haven't started to paint the owl in quite yet.

So far I started with a piece of mixed media art paper cut to size.  I collaged a bunch of small pieces of sheet music that would of otherwise been scrap as they were so small to the card first. I then added acrylic paint, I guess I over did it a bit with the paint as you cant see much of the sheet music at all now! lol I sketched the owl out on white tissue paper and applied it with gel medium to the surface and that is as far as I've gotten with this one so far.

This next one is going to be #5 of my Dreams Series and it is going to be another big eyed girl.  So far with it I used a piece of mixed media art paper cut to size.  I did something a little different with this one, something I never did before as I just had the idea last night.  Im sure a lot of other artists out there already know and do the little technique using Tim Holtz distressed inks by applying the ink in a couple of colors to the Ranger craft mat and then adding water and placing your paper or in this case my ACEO in the water ink mixture then lifting it up to see what you got.  Well in this case I did that with spun sugar and broken china distressed inks only instead of spritzing water on it I spritz Perfect Pearls mist in the perfect pearl color which is just translucent shimmering white.  I am in love with the result!!!!!  Well, you can see for yourself...

Ok, the pic above does not do it justice at all!!!!!!  This card shimmers so beautifully and when you tilt in the light you get all these shimmering blues, grays and pinks through out the whole card, it is really something!  So after I did that with the inks, I added the clouds and raindrops and a postal stamp but wish I hadn't done the postal stamp, its ok though because I will be painting the girl in and hopefully she is going to cover up most of it anyhow.  

I should have these 2 WIP done by tomorrow to share with you!  Thanks for looking and if you have any questions please feel free to leave them below and I will try to answer them the best I can!

Ciao for now! ♥