If you missed December's meeting we were tossing around doing an inchie challenge for January. Many of us didn't know what they were. Didn't know our Twinchie from Rinchie! So Carroll Lee Stolz offered to clear things up.
INCHIE, TWINCHIE, RINCHIE, ROLO, ATC, OR MOO?
Are you
familiar with any of these? How about ACEO or Artist Postcards? They
are new obsessions for quilters around the world. You may have heard
of an Artist Postcard. Maybe you’ve made some, or received some
from someone who thinks you are very special.
Have you been
surfing Pinterest, EBay or Etsy and wondered what the heck are
“Inchies” anyway? Or, you may know what an Inchie is and wonder,
“WHY”??? These are small artworks, and they’re not just for
painters, paper crafters or woodworkers. Many are being made by those
of us who love fabric and thread, too. That means us!
Let me
demystify:
INCHIE:
It’s a 1” x 1” piece of artwork. First popular with paper
crafters, it is becoming popular with fiber artists and quilters as
well. As long as it’s an inch squared, you can use any media you
like to make it, paper, fabric, wood, metal… the list goes on! A
favorite seems to be the collaged Inchie, with a combination of words
and images making up the artwork. For quilted Inchies, imagine
attaching them together with thread or yarn to display as a piece of
fiber art. Trading and collecting these is a fun hobby and doesn’t
take much time or materials. It lends favor to using those itty-bitty
pieces of “something good for something” we have in a box or
baggie somewhere in our sewing rooms—you know; tiny beautiful
fabric scraps, ribbon, yarn, lace, selvages, etc. (If you have
these, you know who you are!)
TWINCHIE:
These are 2" x 2" squares. Like an Inchie, but twice as
big! Twinchies are perfect if Inchies are a wee bit too small for
you! Other than the larger size, they are exactly like “Inchies”.
RINCHIE:
These are 1” circular artwork. The great thing about Rinchies is
that they fit into the underside of a bottle cap, so you can turn
them into any number of decorative things! If you have a bottle cap,
making a template is easy. Once affixed inside the bottle cap, it
becomes a tiny framed artwork. Rinchies are cute, collectible,
tradeable, sweet little pieces of textural delight.
ROLO:
This is artwork produced by altering a Rolodex® card. Typically, the
Rolodex card size is 3” x 5”. The cards may be made for the
rectangle box-style, or the round Rolodex. For those who have used,
or remember what a Rolodex IS, know the cards are sold in office
supply stores. One style had two little cut-out notches at the bottom
to accommodate a pair of grabbing bars in the base of a special
roll-able desktop box. Another style is rectangle, without the
cut-outs, and are designed for the rectangle card box. The
rectangle cards (without the cut-outs) are transformed into art,
what is called a “ROLO”. What a fun, artistic way to keep up your
mental artistic dexterity.
ATC:
Artist Trading Cards are strictly sized at 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”. That
is the size of playing cards (Canasta, anyone?), and baseball
trading cards. This precise size is necessary in order to trade them
(and that’s really the whole point) so they will fit into the
sleeve of a baseball card protector. These protectors always have
the same size pocket, but do come in various styles; pages for a
3-ring binder, or individual sleeves, and other choices for display.
ATC’s are
self-made works or small series, signed and dated on the reverse by
the artist, exchanged and collected by the people who participate in
a collaborative performance. Some collections, and individual cards
have been shown in art galleries around the world. But, don’t let
that scare you. Anybody can make, collect and trade ATC’s.
There are many
groups that trade ATC’s. For instance, there are on-line trading
groups, magazines, art groups, as well as art and quilt guilds.
Friendship groups are a great place for a quilter to start trading.
Usually a group’s coordinator will set the parameters of a specific
trade challenge. Other than the strict requisite 2.5”x 3.5” size,
and requiring a bit of information on the back, anything goes.
As an example,
Quilting Arts Magazine (June/July 2017 issue)
called for ATC’s, with a subject called “Cup-O-Comfort”. The
challenge rules were decided by the magazine editors, and they
allowed plenty of time for design, creation and entry. Look for a
gallery of results in the December, 2017 issue. (Post Script:
Since I originally wrote this article, my first ever ATC was
published in the December issue of Quilting Arts Magazine, page 58).
ARTIST
POSTCARDS: Did you know you can actually mail an artist
postcard? Did you know you can mail a coconut through the USPS if
the address and postage is applied to it. It’s true. I have mailed
many coconuts from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland!
The Artist Postcards
are hand-made works which are mail-able, but with special handling.
USPS price to mail a 4” x 6” postcard is currently 34₵.
However, Artist Postcards require special handling and will cost more
than the average postcard. When mailing them, it is necessary to
take them to the clerk at the Post Office desk rather than dropping
into a mail slot. Don’t you agree it would be fabulous to send an
Artist Postcard to someone special?
*(Postcards with
3-dimensional elements and embellishments need to be sealed in a
clear envelope. For purchasing information, see note below.)
MOO:
To be specific, “Moo” is the name of an online company (Moo.com)
which produces luxury business cards. Their product is a 1-1/8"
x 2-3/4" rectangle. Designed and printed to contain a photo of
artwork or other objects on one side and written info on the other,
these are now made and traded in the same way as ATC's and Inchies.
Many professional artists cut up Moos and collage them into a works
of art. Although these cards are no longer necessarily printed JUST
by Moo, any brand of these types of cards can be cut and collaged
yourself! Moo is a company AND a trading card.
Not much about the
Moo really applies to the quilter or fiber artist, except that you
might want a superior business card and collect and trade them, too.
After all, if you wish to sell your work, you might need fabulous
business cards. I asked the question, “Why did a business card
company choose the name ‘Moo’”?? The company says, it’s a
strong, hearty word, easy to say, easy to remember and it makes a
great URL. I agree.
ACEO: These, also, would appeal most to the
professional amongst us. You may run into this acronym in the art
world. It is, “Art Cards, Editions And Originals”. This style of
making small art is usually reserved for the professional in the art
business, and for artists who need their own, unique “business
cards” to promote the sale of their work. They are sometimes used
as small “gifts” to potential patrons, or as their business card.
But you don’t need to be a professional artist to collect these.
ACEO cards are sold, collected and traded like baseball and hockey
cards. I only mention them here because they might appeal to fiber
and quilt artists who sell their work.
Making small
art gives you the advantage of making something quick, using scraps
and left over items, plus allowing you to practice and explore
surface design, painting, inking, stamping, embroidery, hand and
machine stitching, collage and designing skills. These small pieces
take up very little space on your wall or in a collector’s box or
catalog. Creating smalls offer the opportunity to test the waters
outside your comfort level. It’s always enriching to try something
new and different. They are thrilling to receive from another artist,
and are wonderful conversation starters in any gathering of quilters
or quilt artists.
Wouldn’t it
be fun to be a part of a “small art trading” group? It could be a
great activity for quilt guilds, friendship groups, or individuals
who want to join an on-line trading group. Look for the calls in art
magazines or on-line groups. Think of what a wonderful exhibit an
assemblage of these would make in the DQG quilt show next year! Jump
in… the fun is waiting!
When
mailing your Artist Postcard in the Crystal Clear bag, the bag should
not be sealed until the postmaster has applied postage to the
postcard.
