Altered Art News

Is This Legal?

Mon, 31 Jul 2017 06:47:27 -0400

Is it legal to purchase inexpensive prints at retail stores, and then alter them with beads, glass and resin, and resell them (with the artist's name covered

New Threat to the Web: Net Neutrality

Thu, 30 Jan 2014 09:52:00 -0500

I've received an e-mail from Avaaz.org, bringing to my attention a new threat from major corporations to the worldwide web as we know it. If you value the neutrality of the internet, you may wish to read this and consider giving your support to their campaign...

Calling Canadian Artists - ATC Exchange

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 08:56:29 -0400

It seems as though you wait ages for an ATC event in Saskatchewan, and then two come along at once! We've heard from Jaynie in Weyburn that the Weyburn Artist Trading Card Group is hosting its first mail-in ATC exchange, to be held in conjunction with a travelling exhibition of artist trading cards entitled "No Story is Too Small to Trade", coming to Weyburn in December 2013. The theme is "The First... Step, Tooth, Car, Day of School, Job...", which you are completely free to interpret in your own way. The exchange is open to Canadian artists only. Please send three artist trading cards by 1st December 2013 to:

Weyburn ATC Exchange
c/o Jaynie Himsl
425 2 Street
Weyburn
Saskatchewan
S4H 0V4

Include a stamped self-addressed envelope for the return of three different cards, and please keep your cards two-dimensional for ease of sending through the mail.

Calling All Artists - Regina ATC 11th Anniversary 2014

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 07:06:14 -0400

In June 2014, the Regina Artist Trading Card (ATC) Collective will celebrate its 11th anniversary with an exhibition of artist trading cards, entitled "Celebrate the Senses - Art and the Body", to be held at the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, Saskatchewan. Artists worldwide are invited to submit a set of six original artist trading cards, inspired by the theme of "Celebrate the Senses - Art and the Body" or a theme of their own choice...

Twelve Tags of 2013

Mon, 4 Mar 2013 06:32:01 -0500

I'm sure that all of you Tim Holtz fans are way ahead of me here, but for those who don't know, Tim started his new series of themed tags for 2013 before the New Year had even started...

Twelve Tags of... 2012

Mon, 3 Dec 2012 09:19:28 -0500

I really can't believe that another twelve months have gone by already! Normally at this time I'd be announcing that Tim Holtz had started his annual Twelve Tags of Christmas series of holiday-themed tags, but this year is different. Those who've been following Tim's blog will know that back in February this year he decided to replace this series with a monthly one, entitled Twelve Tags of 2012, to take off the pressure at this very busy time of year. Of course, there's still one for December with the usual holiday theme, but here are all of the others that you may have missed: Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov

UK U-Turn on EU Cookie Law

Sat, 26 May 2012 06:35:35 -0400

With only 48 hours to go before the new European Union 'Cookie Law' was due to be implemented in the United Kingdom, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) changed its advice to website owners. Previously websites were not allowed to store any but 'essential' cookies without visitors' explicit and informed consent. The ICO's new advice is that consent may be assumed if visitors continue to use the website. This followed the news that 95% of companies and many government departments had not yet complied with the new legislation. However, we believe that we are already fully compliant, and we intend to continue in our current position. Our recommendation continues to be that you should accept our cookies to keep the website working as you would wish.

The new EU Cookie Law - how will it affect me?

Sat, 12 May 2012 07:19:34 -0400

The European Union 'Cookie Law' comes into effect in the United Kingdom on 26th May 2012. Under this new law websites and blogs whose owners are based in the European Union will have to obtain permission from their visitors before storing all but 'essential' cookies, or allowing cookies to be stored on their behalf by third parties. The definition of what's 'essential' appears to be pretty narrow: about the only cookies that seem to fall into this category are those used to remember your 'shopping basket' when you're buying something online. What will this mean for you, our visitor? When you come to our site you may see a banner at the top of the screen which says that the site works best if you accept cookies, and invites you to do so. You should certainly see a button near the top-right corner of the page that says "Cookies Allowed?". If you've not yet accepted our cookies it will show a red cross. On clicking the button you'll see a panel where you can give us permission to store and use cookies. There'll also be a link to our cookie policy, where we explain more fully how they are used on our site. Once you've given your permission the panel will close, and the red cross will change to a green tick. If you change your mind at any time, just click the button again, and you'll be able to withdraw your permission. Just about everything that you see on the internet these days, from your bank or building society's remembering which colour scheme you'd prefer when you visit their website to all those social networking buttons that seem to be everywhere, needs cookies to work properly, or perhaps at all. If you would still like it to be 'business as usual', we'd recommend that you accept our cookies.

Pinterested in our images?

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:08:05 -0400

This is a hard one... Whilst we're very flattered that our visitors like our images of Maria's work enough to 'pin' them at Pinterest, and we'd love others to follow the links to our site, we don't believe that it's in our best interests to allow this. We hope that you'll understand if we ask you not to do it. You're very welcome to post links to our site if you've enjoyed your visit, and you'd like to share with your friends. Most of our pages have a Link to this Page button that will help you to do this. You'll also find social media buttons at the foot of those pages if you'd like to share that way. What Pinterest is encouraging you to do is illegal unless you have our permission. Please see our Copyright Statement for our policy on the use of material from our site.

Keep Google Honest

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:24:05 -0500

We trust Google to bring us the best search results. But now Google is betraying our trust...

Twelve Tags of Christmas 2011

Thu, 1 Dec 2011 04:27:23 -0500

Wow! It really doesn't seem as though twelve months have gone by since the last time, but Tim Holtz has started his fifth annual 12 Tags of Christmas series of holiday-themed tags today, 1st December 2011. Every day for the next twelve days you'll find ideas and inspiration for creating your own altered shipping tag on a Christmas theme...

Stop the Craziness!

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:11:58 -0400

Do you have a website or blog? Do you like to visit websites and blogs? I know that it's a silly question, but something has happened that's going to affect most of us in one way or another. In May 2011 a law was passed which means that if you live in the European Union (regardless of where your visitors come from, or where your website or blog is hosted) practically everything that you do that involves storing cookies, either directly or indirectly, is illegal unless you explicitly ask your visitors for permission. You'll almost certainly be affected if you have third-party advertising on your website, or collect statistics about how many visitors come to your blog, or even if you have Facebook Like buttons. That's right: under this new law those Facebook Like buttons that you see everywhere are illegal if you live in the European Union. Those are just a few examples. Even if you live outside the European Union you may be affected. Do you like to visit websites or blogs run by webmasters from Europe? If they're trying not to break this law you'll be asked whether you'll allow them to store cookies. That could be annoying the first time, but what if you want to refuse? Under this crazy new law it's illegal to store this information, so you'll be asked again, and again, and again... Please click here for more information and a video guide in less than three minutes. So what can you do? If you live in the European Union it may not be too late to make sure that when this law is implemented in your country all the craziness has been removed. It's not due to be implemented in the United Kingdom until May 2012. Please consider contacting your elected representative about this badly-considered piece of legislation.

Calling Arizona Artists!

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 08:28:02 -0400

It was on 14th February 1912 that Arizona became the 48th of the United States of America, and in celebration of one hundred years of statehood next year the Artists' Coalition of Flagstaff is sponsoring the Arizona State Centennial Artist Trading Card Project. The project is open to residents of the state of Arizona, and original artwork submissions in the form of artist trading cards will be accepted until 15th December 2011. Your submission may be in any medium or combination of media, including paintings, photographs, collage, metal, fibres, ceramics and glass, and be on any subject related to the past or present of Arizona. As usual, the only restriction is that of size. There will be a touring exhibition during 2012, and submissions will be shown in art galleries in Flagstaff, Sedona, Jerome, Prescott, the Phoenix and Tucson areas, and Bisbee. If you're an Arizona artist, this is an excellent opportunity to have your work seen. Paricipants may submit up to ten artist trading cards, and will receive an equal number of randomly-selected cards after the exhibition. We are pleased that the Artists' Coalition of Flagstaff has recommended our website as the source of information on artist trading cards.

Like this Site?

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 07:14:52 -0400

You may have noticed Facebook Like buttons starting to appear at the bottom of some of our pages. You'll now find those buttons on most of the pages on our site, and also in the left margin if you like the site as a whole. If you've enjoyed your visit, or found a particular page useful, why not let your friends know by giving us a Like?

Small Art, Big Impact (updated)

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 03:20:48 -0400

We've just received an update from Stephanie Zing at Bohemian Art Cafe, who tells us that the closing date for entries has been extended to 15th July 2011. Get creating, folks!

Small Art, Big Impact

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 10:02:45 -0400

We've heard about an exhibition of artist trading cards, to be entitled Small Art, Big Impact - Artist Trading Cards, and held from mid-August to early September 2011 at the Oxford Community Arts Center in Oxford, Ohio. This is a terrific way to have your artwork seen and admired by a very 'arty' community...

Making Contact

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 07:03:05 -0500

From time to time we're contacted by visitors wanting to get in touch with other like-minded people hoping to swap knowledge and experience, and perhaps artwork that they've created. This got me thinking. Would it be possible to set up some sort of scheme that would enable our visitors to contact each other? It would have to run itself, more or less, and there would have to be safeguards to protect our visitors' privacy. After much thought I came up with an idea that seemed to fit the bill, and would be technically feasible. We ran a poll to assess the level of interest, both if there were a small fee involved, and if the scheme were free to all members. There was a disappointing response. Perhaps that's not surprising in view of the large number of social networking sites, many with their own special interest groups. Of the small number of responses that we received, almost all were in favour, but only if there were no fee involved. However, two respondents were willing to pay up to $10. In view of the apparent lack of interest, we've decided not to pursue this idea.

Twelve Tags of Christmas 2010

Wed, 1 Dec 2010 08:57:32 -0500

It's that time of year again! It doesn't feel as though a whole year has gone by, but Tim Holtz has started his fourth annual 12 Tags of Christmas series of holiday-themed tags today, 1st December 2010. Every day for the next twelve days you'll find ideas and inspiration for creating your own altered shipping tag on a Christmas theme...

Vagabond - Tim Holtz's Die-Cutting Machine

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 05:27:05 -0400

We first reported on Tim Holtz's die-cutting machine from Sissix back in February 2010, shortly after he'd demonstrated the then unnamed prototype at the CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) show in Anaheim, California. We predicted that many of Tim's fans would want one for its looks alone. Here's our update...

The Day I Met... Altered Art Celebrities

Wed, 2 Jun 2010 11:39:55 -0400

Have you ever met anyone well-known in altered and mixed-media art? Did he or she inspire you to try something new, or were you so overwhelmed that you didn't take anything in? Tell us your story...

Any Comments?

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 05:58:49 -0500

If you've enjoyed your visit to our website, why not leave a comment? We'd love to hear what you think. Our Your Pages page now includes a comments feature. All comments will be moderated. We're sorry that we can't accept anonymous comments, but you can use a nickname if you prefer, and tell us where you live, if you like.

A Case for Investigation?

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 11:21:37 -0500

Have you heard about Tim Holtz's new die-cutting machine? The machine itself won't become available until July 2010, but he's already talking about it on his blog, and he demonstrated the prototype at the CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) show in Anaheim, California in January. Whilst it does seem to offer a few advantages over existing die-cutting machines, we think that many of Tim's fans will want one for its looks alone...

Vancouver 2010 ATCs

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:42:33 -0500

In March 2010 the Vancouver ATC Group will celebrate its tenth anniversary with Vancouver 2010 ATCs, an exhibition of artist trading cards open to participants from all over the world...

Art in Hand 2: The World of Artist Trading Cards

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:45:38 -0500

In April 2010 the historic Smithville Mansion Annex Art Gallery in Eastampton, New Jersey will again host an exhibition, this time entitled Art in Hand 2: The World of Artist Trading Cards, of artist trading cards from local, national and international artists...

Stampin' Up!

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 06:05:26 -0500

With regret, Maria has decided to resign her position as an independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator. Stampin' Up! have recently issued a revision to their Independent Demonstrator Agreement that would effectively prohibit her from mentioning by name on her personal blog at My Stamping Corner any other arts and crafts product, manufacturer or retailer. Whilst Maria will continue to use and recommend Stampin' Up! products where they are suitable for her purpose, she does not feel able to accept these revised terms and conditions.

Twelve Tags of Christmas

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 07:55:59 -0500

Just a reminder that Tim Holtz starts his third annual 12 Tags of Christmas series of holiday-themed tags today, 1st December 2009. Every day for the next twelve days you'll find ideas and inspiration for creating your own altered shipping tag on a Christmas theme...

Desperately Seeking Information?

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:43:00 -0400

We've now made it even easier for you to find the altered art information that you're looking for. We've improved our Site Search facility so that you can easily locate the pages on our site where you'll find what you're after. Just enter a few relevant keywords, and click the button! As part of our site refurbishment we've replaced the dedicated Site Search page with a small search box at the top of every page. There's still the larger search box on our Site Map and Altered Art Questions and Answers pages, and even if you've been unlucky enough to find yourself following a bad link to our site there's a search box that you can use to get yourself back on track.

Art in Hand: The World of Artist Trading Cards - Awards

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:15:54 -0400

We've heard that the exhibition entitled Art in Hand: The World of Artist Trading Cards, of artist trading cards by local, national and international artists, held in April 2009 at the historic Smithville Mansion Annex Art Gallery in Eastampton, New Jersey, has been a great success...

Any Questions?

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:08:08 -0400

We've improved our Ask an altered art question feature, which offers you the opportunity to ask us any question about altered and mixed-media art that you can't find the answer to anywhere else. If we think that it will be of interest to other visitors, we may decide to feature your question on our Altered Art Questions and Answers page, which means that other visitors will be able to read our answer, and add their own comments and suggestions.

Art in Hand: The World of Artist Trading Cards

Sat, 8 Nov 2008 05:07:48 -0500

We've heard about an exhibition of artist trading cards that's due to take place in April 2009 at the historic Smithville Mansion Annex Art Gallery in Eastampton, New Jersey. It will be called Art in Hand: The World of Artist Trading Cards, and will feature work from local, national and international artists. Anyone may enter, from professional artists and designers to those just starting their artistic journey. Prizes will be awarded for the best artist trading cards submitted, and there will be a card swap at the end of the exhibition.

My Favourite Artist Trading Card

Mon, 2 Jun 2008 09:53:04 -0400

If you've been an artist trading card enthusiast for a while you've probably made and swapped dozens of these miniature works of art, but is there one that you're particularly proud of, and would like to show off? Have you tried a great new technique that you'd love to share with your fellow enthusiasts? Well, here's your chance... David chooses his favourite artist trading card from all the beautiful examples that Maria has made, and invites you to share your favourite from your own collection.

Linking Made Easy!

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 09:10:41 -0400

We've made it really easy for you to make a link from your blog or web page to the page on our site that you've just been viewing. We've added a new Link to this Page button to most of the pages on the site. Just click the button, and you'll find a working link, so you'll know what it will look like, together with the HTML code that you'll need to put it on your own page. You'll also find a few links to the Home Page: there's a text link, a button and also a larger banner, each with the appropriate HTML code. All you need to do is to choose the one you want by clicking on the radio button to the left, right-click on the highlighted text and select Copy from the menu, then simply paste the HTML that you have just copied into your own page code.

My Stamping Corner

Wed, 5 Mar 2008 12:41:18 -0500

As well as having a keen interest in altered and mixed-media art, Maria is an enthusiastic rubber stamper, and also enjoys other arts and crafts, such as cardmaking. She has recently launched herself into the world of blogging by setting up a new blog called My Stamping Corner, where you will find not only the kind of work that you are used to seeing on altered-art.net but also some more fun stuff.

Why not take a look?

Your Pages launched!

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:10:33 -0500

We are pleased to announce the launch of Your Pages at altered-art.net. Over the coming weeks and months you will find more and more opportunities to make your own contribution to our website. Have you made an artist trading card you're particularly proud of, and want to show off? Have you an altered art project you just can't wait to share? Perhaps you have a relevant story to tell? Well, here's your chance...

Tim Holtz - the Lone Ranger?

Mon, 8 Oct 2007 09:07:47 -0400

To many people the name of Tim Holtz is almost synonymous with that of altered art today, but Holtz himself believes that many are also surprised to find a man involved in an activity more often seen as the preserve of the female sex... You may well have used some of his many 'Tim Holtz' signature products from several different manufacturers, which include inks, embossing powders, embellishments and rubber stamps. We wanted to discover the man behind the brand, so we asked him a few questions...

Altered Board Book Ideas

Thu, 4 Oct 2007 12:17:21 -0400

Looking for ideas for making an altered board book? Remember board books from your childhood? Here's an account of how we altered a board book from a charity shop that might give you a few ideas...

Altered Art - New Art for Old?

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 08:01:56 -0400

When we first discovered altered art a few years ago I thought that we had found something really new and exciting, but in fact this form of creative expression is not new, and actually has a history stretching back over many centuries...

How to make Canvas Artist Trading Cards - what you need to know

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 07:35:12 -0400

Although most of the usual techniques for making ATCs can be used when you make canvas artist trading cards, some must be adapted because of the rougher texture of the canvas...

Artist Trading Cards - Masterpieces in Miniature