maub’s blog

Make A Child Smile

http://www.makeachildsmile.org/featur...

How can you help Make A Child Smile??? It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!1- Click on the children above2- Read their story3- Drop a card in the mail saying "Wish you well!!", "Praying for you!!", etc... Be creative, buy a cute card or make your own! You can also send a small gift along with your card if you wish!Each child's mailing address can be found on their story page, right next to their picture. For more info, please read our FAQ's page. See how easy it is to Make A Child Smile? If you have some extra kindness in your heart, consider sending a card or a little something to the children's young siblings too? Sometimes they feel "left out" with all the attention that the sick child gets, and some even get very depressed. Once, a sibling of a featured kid said "I wish I had Cancer too so I could get some mail!". Remember, it's not only the child who is ill that goes through all this nightmare, the whole family does. Thank you all! Important Note: Different kids will be featured here monthly. You're welcome to forward this website's LINK to your friends if you want to ask them to help. But please DO NOT send the child's address to your friends by e-mail or regular mail. Just let them know about MACS and tell them to come here! We do not want our beautiful goal to turn into something like the Craig Shergold Case. Back in 1989, Craig, a child with cancer, began receiving cards from all over the world because a chain-letter (by snail-mail) was going around asking people to send him cards. He was very satisfied after receiving 16 million cards in just one year! Currently, 17 years later and a total of 350 million cards, he is still receiving 36 mailbags full of cards every week because the chain letter is still going around. The Shergold family is begging for people to stop sending cards. In Craig's case, people forwarded the information about sending the cards to the boy. In our case, we want people to forward this website's link only. This way, we can inform people on our...

I wanted to tell you all about a wonderful project.

Make a child smile was founded in May of 1998, by Alexandra Bakker.  The Make A Child Smile Organization, also known as MACS, has been a source of support to children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses and their families. Emotional support is provided by creating the opportunity for people to visit the MACS website and learn about the children and their illnesses. 

Each month, new children are featured. A picture and biography describing the child and information about their family is published on the website. Hundreds of 'net surfers, schools, service organizations, girls/boys scouts and church groups use the MACS website as a philanthropic project where they can send cards, letters and small gifts to the featured children and their siblings through postal mail.

In December of 2000, MACS was granted tax-exempt status so that it could expand its mission to include fundraising efforts in order to provide financial assistance to qualifying families for help with medical, funeral expenses or other costs associated with the child's illness.

Their Mission
To provide emotional and financial support to families whose children suffer from chronic or life-threatening illnesses and also give those who visit the MACS website the opportunity to participate by sending mail to the children.

(from MACS website)

Each month 3 children are featured. You are always free to decide each month whethor or not you will participate, and whether or not you will send mail to 1, 2 or all 3 featured children. Last month I chose to send an ATC to each of the featured children (an ATC is an artist trading card - think the cards we used to get in bubble gum packaages; their size 2.5 x 3.5 inches and can be hand drawn or collage with stickers, etc.).

During the last few months of my mother's life, I remember fondly, how thrilled and happy she was to receive 'angels of hope' each day in the mail.  Even though she was in excessive amounts of pain, each package raised her spirits and brought joy to her soul.  I know first hand just how precious and delightful a gift how much light the simple gift of a card can bring to a family struggling through the darkness.

If you are able, I welcome you to join with me in supporting these children and their families through this project. Just follow the link below.

Make a Child Smile Project

I don't have this book, but as I was surfing I thought it might be of interest to someone wanting to improve their drawing style. I think it would be an excellent book for a beginner.

How to Draw What You See (Practical Art Books)

Rudy De Reyna

The art of Maureen Blakeley | Pet, Wildlife & Human Portraits

http://www.freewe...

Home of Maureen Blakeley, Pet and Wildlife Portrait Art.

Have a look at my home page where I have more samples of my artwork posted. Perhaps you are interested in commissioning a portrait of your pet? A pet portrait also makes a great gift for your friends and family who own or are owned by their pets. Message me if you are interested. Order early to guarantee you have a place in the queue, especially before the holidays (like Christmas).

I'd love to hear what you think of my art. Comments and Critiques welcome.

Enjoy!

Mau

Greetings Swappers!  I'd be happy to host a swap for this group if anyone is interested.

PM (message me) through Vox's message system letting me know if you are interested.

First, if you are interested message me with your name and address. Once the list is prepared I will message each of you back with the details for your 'swap partner'. Copyright for the ATC remains with the artist.

This swap has 2 parts - the original ATC to be sent to your swap partner and if you wish to a Prints part where we can swap prints of the originals.

The theme is Anything Goes. Method or media can be whatever you wish - hand drawn, painted or collage, whatever you can think up.

Before mailing your ATC to your partner scan it so that if you are interested in participating in the prints part of the swap you have your scan to work from. (Only the creator of the ATC may make prints from the ATC.)

When you receive your ATC, scan it and upload it to the group. Once it is uploaded to the group you can swap for prints between yourselves.

Remember only the original creator of the ATC may make prints to swap.

Anyone interested in this swap? Let me know.

Hello Everyone! Here are a few of my July ATCs. Hope you enjoy them. The collage ones are 1 of 1s and are available to trade. The dragon is a print of my original coloured pencil drawing and is available for trade.

Here they are. I was up until the wee hours working on these. These are 1 of 1s and are available to trade/swap. They are not available for sale. Believe, Joy and Dream were embellished with glitter. Celebration has the work Laugh on the tag and a 3d party hat, glitter on the 3d hearts. Funny has a 3d star and garden fence (metallic 3d).

I've been busy working on some ATCs and embellishing some of the ones I had completed earlier. I respect those who are adept at the collage method. I'm beginning to think it just isn't my style. Some of my attempts just look cluttered and messy to me (check out the alphabet ATC in this post). The alphabet collage is made up of photos of craft and hobby books which I cut out of an ad I received. It was fun to do buy --- oh my!

Another 'oh my' this week comes from an email sent to a group I belong to. I'm not sure when or where the whole  controversy began but I'll make an attempt here to give my 'looney's' worth (that's $! Can).

Are AECO's simply ATC's disguised?

As I understand it the whole began on EBAY.

ATC's

ATC stands for Artist Trading Card. The idea for this comes from the sports trading cards many of us used to get for free in a pack of bubblegum. ATCs are created as an original work of art (hand drawn, painted, etc.), or collage, or by any other craft medium you can think of and/or also created as prints. The size for these is 2.5 x 3.5 inches. ATCs are not to be sold. They are intended only for trade or swapping from person to person.

AECOs

AECO stands for Art Cards, Editions and Originals. Again this appaarently originated on EBAY. The main difference between ATCs and AECOs is that AECOs are not given away but are created with the intention for them to be sold.

I am an artist. I currently am working mostly with drawing, coloured pencil and watercolor although I have worked in oils and acrylics, as wel as on silk.

I like to receive ATCs and I like to give away or trade the ones I make. I also create editions to be sold. As creator of the artwork I am free to decide the size of my editions and what will be done with them. 

My ATCs are clearly labelled as such as are my AECOs. No one is going to be confused when they receive their copy about which is which.

I see nothing confusing or 'wrong' as it were of selecting some of all my designs to be set aside to be traded, swapped or given away. As an artist that is my right.

In the same vein, there is nothing wrong or evil if I choose to make a gift of a select number of my original or print artwork (full size) to as many or as few people as I like. I've already agreed in fact to donate a few of my artpieces to charity fund raisers.

Again, I like to think that's what freedom is all about.  So what is this storm in a teacup? Would you like one of my art pieces in ATC/AECO size for your collection? You want one free? Email me. We can probably set up a trade for one of yours. If I no longer have any copies available for trade, I'll be upfront and tell you so and direct you to where you can purchase a copy if you wish. On the back of my ATCs/AECOs I number and sign each of them. I also state whether the edition is a limeted one (1 of 50) or an open edition (1 of oe). Some are 1 of 1. When that one is gone, it is gone. I may make prints and I may decide not to.  Usually the ones I don't make prints of are the ones created from sticker and 3d materials.

You, as an artist or craftsperson have all of the above rights and freedoms too. Isn't it a wonderful world we live in?

Cheers,

Mau

Scan0004

When I started the group ATCCanada, I did not realize there was already a group on Yahoo called ATC_Canada. I've renamed my group ATCOntario and fixed the link to the group in my previous blog. The topica group is still called ATCCanada.

The group was formed with the intention to allow Canadians who might be unable or unwilling to pay the high price of an irc (international reply coupon) but still wanted to trade ATCs. Membership however is open to anyone anywhere in the world who wants to join in on the fun.

So come on over and join me. Let's get the swapping started!!!

I am hosting a fantasy/sci-fi atc project on Wetcanvas.com. This project is ongoing if you would like to get in on it. Click on this link to view Fantasy ATC Project on WC. To join, you will need to be a member of Wetcanvas (free).

This is the first of my entries for the project:

Rainbow_wc