It's that time of year again - you've been looking forward to it, haven't you? Cotton candy, amusement rides, caramel apples, funnel cakes, trying your luck at the games with your special guy or gal (sometimes you win!) and all the wonderful displays - canned peaches, apple pies, quilts, scarecrows and tractors! The 4-H kids proudly showing their animals - pigs, lambs, goats, and moo-cows! The lights, the crowds, the rides, the prizes, the fun!

It's time for The Fair!

Whether it's the state, county or other locality, fairs are a time and place to celebrate who we are and what we do. Neighbors gather to show their best and to see their friends after a long summer of hard work.

The theme for September's ATC trade is The Fair and all it means to you. I am your humble host and look forward to trading with old friends and hopefully some new faces too!

Participating in an ATC trade is easy. Here's what you need to know:

1. Make sure you have the time to produce a card for each participant. Let's limit this trade to 20 participants. We all have busy lives, projects, lots to do, so think about your other obligations.
2. Sign up on this forum. Deadline for signing up is September 7th. After you sign up please send your address to me by PM. After the deadline, I will send a list of addresses to each participant.
3. Start making your cards. ATC cards are 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches (sorry, I don't know the metric size). Any medium is fine, pencil, colored pencil, ink, paint, pastel - whatever you feel comfortable with - or stretch out a little and try something new!
4. Mail your cards out as you complete them. Be sure to include on the back of your card your name, the title (if any), the medium, and the theme or month of the ATC. Protect your cards as they travel with cardboard or plastic to keep them from getting bent.
5. Don't forget to take a picture or scan of your card so you can post them. Post them as you complete or when they arrive at their new home - your choice!

Hope we all enjoy this trade - Let's Go To The Fair!

Trading this month:
Gretchen (Frithy)
Jangra
Sandra (ncgirl)
Teresa (Tea1672)
Andrea (alcarey)
Janet (pelican7)

I have my camera and will do a few pitures of this great country fair,sign me up pls.

Sign me up too please. My friend Teresa may sign up. She hasn't traded here before but I can vouch for her. She will finish.

Awesome start! Welcome Frithy and Jeanne! I've asked the admins to pin our ATC thread to the main menu and I'll post an invitation on FB tonight too. I have both your addresses from the last trade. Jeanne, hope your friend is able to join, love to have new traders!

Hi ncgirl,

Please sign me up too!

Thank you,
Teresa

Thank you for the "vouch" CA!

Welcome Teresa - glad to have you! Any questions, please post them and I'll try to answer. Send me your address when you get a chance by PM and I'll add you to our list. Look forward to trading with you!

Thank you! I look forward to being part of this trade :-) Glad Jeanne let me know about it.

I'm SO in! MN has one of THE biggest State Fairs in the US, and I am now 55hrs into working our 12-day scattering of crazy fried-food-on-a-stick. Also have Labor Day off to attend myself and hit up the big concert of the night.

Will be starting my cards come Tuesday!

Welcome Andi! What a great time you must be having! Glad you could join us!

One more day to sign up!

I'm in!

Sandra- Have you put a plug for our trade on the Artsy Friends page on Facebook? That could possible draw some interest?

Welcome Janet, glad to trade with you again! Hi Andi, I did put a message on the Artsy Friends page, I keep checking.

Ok, today is the deadline and we have a good group, so let's start trading! I will be sending a pm to each of you with everyone's address in just a few minutes.

Mine are finished. Here they are. I will mail them probably tomorrow. I decided to do the quilts that they have on display at fairs.

WOW Jeanne...you are really on a roll!! I love your "theme" of quilts and I'm REALLY LOVIN' the ATCs! I'm looking forward to receiving one of these beauties!

Speedy Gonzales crosses the finish line again!

Jeanne, they are gorgeous! Hmm.. since you've finished yours, guess it's time to start mine! Ha! Good, I need something to do this weekend. The guys are going to be outside playing with the chainsaw, so other than dialing 911, I really don't have much planned.

Well they are all mailed. Everyone except Frithy should get them mabe Monday unless the weird weather has things off. Hope you enjoy them.

Hi All,

Wasn't sure how to post my pics and still stay on this topic so I'm adding them to this post! Hope I've got them uploaded where you can see them.

Posting my ATC's for the fair: Pumpkins and Indian Corn from the produce growing competition, two views of an old building in which cider was sold, and last one is a swag from the Christmas Trees Grown in NC display.

Will get them in the mail a little later this week.... I'm out of stamps at the moment!

Teresa

Jeanne...received my very pretty, very intricate and very colorful quilt zentangle in the mail today (Monday, just like you said!)...thank you!!

Pel7

TERESA!! OMG...those are absolutely fabulous!! Such beautiful pieces of art, great subjects too!! If they look that great on a tiny webshot, they must be a knockout in-person!

Pelican if you want to see more of Teresa's art, she has a blog. You can get to it thru my blog. Or here: Teresa's blog

Hi Pelican7,

Thank you! Hope you enjoy your ATC when it arrives. Enjoyed being part of this trade :-)

Teresa, your cards are beautiful! Are you working in colored pencil, watercolor? Stunning work!Looking forward to getting one!

I'm afraid I'm the slowpoke this time, I've finished one. I need to get on the stick for sure.

Jeanne, I received your quilt card yesterday. So cute, thank you!

And Teresa, your cards are fabulous! I can't wait to receive mine.

I have brainstormed and come up with the cards I'll do, but haven't started them yet. On a different but related subject, my grandmother and I were walking the lake by my place this morning and stopped to talk to a guy who was painting by the shore. We talked for awhile and NOW, I am meeting him for a two hour painting session tomorrow!
SOooo excited for that, I haven't been painting in far too long.

And THEN straightaway to my ATC's.

Good for you Andi - always fun to work with another artist and share ideas! Have a great time!

Hi Sandra,
Thanks! Yes, the cards are done in watercolor. They were lots of fun!

Teresa

Hi Andrea (Andi?),

Thank you! Will be mailing them out as soon as I can get my scatterbrain together enough to remember to buy stamps!

Received a wonderful colorful quilt card from Jeanne! Thanks, it's great!

Still poking along with my one card.

Hi All,

Mailed out cards today. Hope you enjoy them.

Enjoyed being part of this trade.. thanks!

Teresa

Can't wait to receive cards from you all! Time to finally start mine...

After 12+ (?) chilly hours over the last 3 days, I have a finished product from my time painting. I know it's not a "drawing" or an ATC, but I am sooooo happy with the outcome and have to share.

Background: I do have an "undeclared art minor" from college, meaning I took Drawing, Painting, 2 sem of Graphic Design, and Art History, but not the "foundation" courses hence the undeclared part. I have an easel at my parents house (of which I moved out of last August) and have done some painting since college, but only minimally and not in over a year. This is also a vey different composition than I have ever done. I know the areas I need to work on and such, but am VERY pleased with how it all turned out.

I am posting both the snapshot I took of the scene, and the artwork itself.

P.S.
Yes, Teresa (and all) I am Andi. Kinda been interesting... I've been Andrea most my life, but my late Great Grandma Lula (9/20/10) and Great Aunt Carolyn "Chris," have always called me Andi. Some guys at work later decided they were going to call me Andi awhile back, and then around New Years of the last year my good friend Chris started calling me the same and it's started to stick. It is, however, kinda tough with those who've always known me as Andrea. I don't mind either way, but thought I'd explain a bit, haha.

Received a wonderful card from Teresa today - pumpkins! They are truly one of my favorite subjects to draw, and Teresa has done a phenomenal job with them! Thanks neighbor!

Okay.... Andi it is! I think it's a really neat nickname.

I love your fountain atc... the colors are gorgeous... feels so sunny and joyful.

Neighbor is right... still can't believe we're right down the road from each other! So glad you like your card... I've always loved pumpkins.. 'course I love about anything to do with fall or winter.

It's a small world isn't it? We should meet face-to-face sometime! Fall and winter are my favorite seasons too - love summer, but this summer has been tough. Looking forward to some cool days.

Confession time - I still only have one card done. I will go sit in a corner and be at one with my shame.

I have recieved a very colourful card from jeanne. Thank you Jeanne. Also I recieved a card from the beach exchange from Sandra, Thank you, I just want to get my blanket and head for that beach, it's a great drawing.

I have all of the fall fair cards finished, and they wiill be in the mail in the morning, I did forget to scan them, sorry, but now it will be a suprise when you all get your cards.

I received Teresa's (TEA1672) ATC in the mail today....it was the Christmas Swag Display from the NC State Fair....and OMG!!! IT IS ABSOULTELY STUNNING!!!

Teresa, I was right when I commented that your ATCs would be more awesome in-person! Thank you for this wonderful little piece of artwork--I LOVE it!!

I'm currently finishing up my 4th ATC and will definately have them in the mail most certainly before the end of the month.

Thanks again, Teresa....your art rocks!

Andi,

What a great painting of the fountain...you took the original and painted it "happy"--it makes me smile.

LOL!... no hurry.... you'll get there!

Hi Pelican,

SO glad you like your card! I really liked the colors in the that one... winter colors....maybe snow this winter?... hope so! :-)

Thank you also for your kind comments :-)
Teresa

Thank you! The original IS actually more happy than it looks in the picture. A lot of fun though, think I'm going back over on Monday now that it's dry, to add/make improvements. Painting is such a great therapy (much like drawing can be) for anyone who is interested in trying it!

I did receieve Tea's Apple Cider card a couple days ago, so cute! I also happened to receive Deborah M's beach card from last month - didn't even realize there was still one outstanding, but it is great. Thanks to both of you!

Heading out for a cool, but sunny walk around my lake, but coming back to do some Fair cards (I still can't figure out where my unemployed time goes, geez. Ha.) Wish I had some of that cider to heat up when I get back!

Well, flying along with the cards - finished another one, hate it, going to re-do it. So... let's see... that's still one completed. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Really, I'm going to get them done this week and out!

By the way, do we want to do another trade for October? Who would like to host?

My mailbox was blessed today with the arrival of Frithy's (Gretchen) ATC!!! It's a very sassy and sensational scarecrow entitled "Dressist Scarecrow Contest" really, really cute--and to make it EXTRA special, it was enclosed in a card with Gretchen's FABULOUS zentangle butterfly on the front!! Oh so beautiful and delicate...both of these lovely pieces of art made my day--thank you so much!

Janet

Got a nice surprise from my mailbox.... a really cute lil 'ol sheep from the Country Fair in a gorgeous pen and ink card from Frithy. A double treat! Thank you so much, Gretchen!!! I love them both

I've finished my "At the Fair" ATCs...they'll be off in the mail tomorrow (Sep 28). What a fun trade...thank you all!! Here's my ATCs...what's a fair without rides??

Click to view attachment

Janet those are wonderful! Full of action! Rides are the best part of the fair - especially the fast ones!

Janet, great cards! Can't wait to get mine. I also recieved mine from Gretchen, so cool! Thanks!
Speaking of mine, I have 3 done and no plans tonite except maybe... finishing my ATC.

I would love to do the October trade, I really want to keep these trades "alive."
If any one wants to volunteer to host, please speak up! All it takes to "host" is to come up with a theme for the trade, and then you are the one to collect and send out the address list. We used to have an ongoing host sign-up list, I'd be happy to set that up too, if anyone thinks it would be helpful/worthwhile.


My cards will be out soon, and I hope to hear more about October soon!
Hope you are all well - beautiful day here in MN, 75+ and sunny, got out painting again.