ACEOs and why I love them

I've been making a LOT of ACEOs lately. I mean a lot. I've made 31 ACEOs in as many days, practically. I'm actually making 100 ACEOs, at least, all from a theme list just because I wanted to do the creative exercise and think "outside my box."

So, now that you know how obsessed I am with ACEOs, let me tell you what they are. I get asked a lot what "ACEO" is. ACEO stands for "Art Card Editions and Originals." What they are is 2.5 inch by 3.5 inch works of art. Those are the ONLY rules! They can be any medium, any thickness, any subject. I've seen ACEOs made of felt, yarn, polymer clay, paper, wood, metal, glass... the list could literally go on forever. They can be any thickness, so long as the front is 2.5 x 3.5. Most people though make them so they can fit inside a standard playing card sleeve- but they don't have to.

I know what you're about to ask me. You keep seeing the acronym "ATC" as well as "ACEO" and want to know what the difference is. ATC is Artist Trading Card, which is what ACEOs started as. Artists would make them and trade them with others. But, apparently people who aren't artistic wanted to start collecting them, so ACEOs were made- and ACEOs could be sold rather than being traded. This opened the little art craze up further and allowed non-artists to get into collecting.

There's a lot of other information available on ACEOs as well. You can check out Wikipedia, Art-Cards.org, and ACEO.org for more information, or simply enter "ACEO" or "ATC" into Google and browse through. They are very popular on both Etsy, Ebay, and even sites that specialize in JUST ACEO sales!



Alright, so now I've told you a little bit about what an ACEO is, now you're thinking "Okay, that's great, but why the obsession, Liz?"

I'm obsessed with both making AND collecting ACEOs right now. I'm obsessed with making them for many reasons. For one thing, they're really easy for me to store- much easier than storing sketchbooks or prints, that's for sure. Especially since I'm already a card game nerd, so I have boxes for "Magic: The Gathering" cards laying around anyway (which, by the way, are the perfect size, so if you have a local gaming or card shop, you can go there for all your display/storage needs, for the most part! Support your local gaming store!). I also love that they're portable without me having to carry a bag around. I usually only carry a wallet in my pocket, no purse. I take a messenger bag with me if I'm going off to a gaming session or something, but that's it.

So, with ACEOs, I can literally grab a few blanks, wrap my theme list around theme, grab a mechanical pencil, and shove all of that in my pocket and go. I took my hubby to get a haircut last weekend and this was exactly what I did too. While he was getting his haircut, I pulled out the cards and started drawing. So convenient to work on!

Not only that, but they take a little bit less time to do than my full-size pieces, and I've found excuses to experiment with a bunch of mediums that I normally don't use- like watercolor, acrylic paint, and collage. And it's been so much fun too!
I love collecting ACEOs because it gives me an affordable and easy way to collect art from artists I love. My collection is really small, but at the end of this week I'll have about a dozen ACEOs from seven different artists... all for under $25! (Granted, a lot of those have come from trades though other artist friends, but still! With the trades added in, I've gotten all that lovely art for under $50! And only TWO of those are prints instead of originals!) That's incredible for a collection of original art!

"Fine then, these things sound pretty cool... But what am I supposed to do with these things once I have them?"

I'm so glad you asked! I happen to have a few ideas! For one thing, they would look great in a binder with the card pages they sell at shops to hold baseball/trading card game/collectible cards. Or, you can find great display books specifically made for displaying ACEOs (Imagine having some beautiful original art pieces as your coffee table book!). Or, if you'd prefer to decorate your walls with your new small art collection, most super stores that have a section for picture frames will also have 2.5x3.5 frames (I've found them at Wal-Mart for about $2.50 each- very nice black ones too that look fabulous). Or, if you can't find ACEO frames, you can frame two ACEOs together in one 3.5x5 frame as well. If you're feeling really adventurous, get a ACEO mat in a size that you like (I've seen them up to 8x10 size). There are also Baseball card frames that hold a bunch of cards in one display, so you could group bunches of them together. (I found out about these while at my local Michael's- their's held about 20 though)

Another idea that I've heard around the Etsy forums for displaying art cards is to buy Deck Protectors (I recommend Ultra Pro- the trusted name in all geeky gaming circles for card protection) and attach a magnet strip to the back of the sleeve. Now, you can slip a card into the sleeve, and hang art on your fridge, metal door, white board, or any other magnetic surface you can think of! And, when you want to rearrange because you got more art to display, it's easy to move the sleeves (or the cards!) around. I know someone on Etsy who was going to do this to the inside of their apartment door since they couldn't paint the door. What a great idea- and definitely a great conversation piece for when company is over!

Well, I hope I've provided some insight into ATC/ACEOs, what they are, and why they're so darned addicting! In case you haven't realized it yet, all the images in this entry were done by me- all over the past month in my ACEO madness. Most of them are still available in My Etsy Shop, but they all are one-of-a-kind, so grab them up quick if you fall in love with one! ;)

Let's hear it for Taurus!!

We're coming up on Taurus in another week. Time to showcase the bright, shiny, brand new 3D Taurus magnets. So without further ado, heeeerrrrrreeeeeee's....Taurus!

Taurus is an earth sign and this magnet celebrates the 2nd sign of the zodiac! It would look great on your refrigerator, in your bedroom, in your office or even in your car. It makes a great gift for the Taurus in your life.

The lining is watercolor painting in rose pink, inside a round tin with a glass top. The glyph for Taurus is on the inside of the glass, so handling won’t smudge it. Also on the inside are a sterling silver Taurus word bead and four genuine peridot stones. Peridot is associated with Taurus as are the colors pink and green. The outside is wrapped with a barely there light green ribbon. A strong magnet is attached to the back.

The magnet is 2” (5.8 cm) across and 1” (2.5) deep.
Available for purchase at Luminosities.

The lining is watercolor painting in rose pink, inside a round tin with a glass top. The glyph for Taurus is on the inside of the glass, so handling won’t smudge it. Also on the inside are a genuine malachite stone, four genuine peridot stones and the word “May.” Malachite and peridot are both associated with Taurus and of course May is a Taurus birth month. The outside is wrapped with dark green ribbon. A strong magnet is attached to the back.
Available for purchase at Luminosities.


The lining is watercolor painting in rose pink, inside a round tin with a glass top. The word “Taurus” is on the inside of the glass, so handling won’t smudge it. Also on the inside are the glyph for Taurus in copper wire, copper being the metal associated with Taurus. A genuine rose quartz stone rests beneath the glyph. The outside is wrapped with barely there pale green ribbon. A strong magnet is attached to the back. Available for purchase at Luminosities.

Spring has Sprung! Finally...

While it seemed that Spring would never get here, the calendar has moved steadily on from Winter and officially become Spring. and not a minute too soon, either. I don't know a single person who hasn't felt just totally beaten down by the weather here so far this year.

So, to celebrate the fact that there are Spring flowers blooming somewhere, I've posted some of my pics from the annual New England Flower Show held in Boston. There's also a few of my other pics here that make me think of Spring.
Enjoy!

Mini pocket goddesses with crystals by Celtic Goddess Jewelry

Recently I have discovered needle felting. Its very meditative and basically just another form of sculpture. You take roving (which is wool yarn before its turned into yarn) its a fluffy poof. Then you stab it with felting needles oh, like a million times.

This is an example of what I have done recently with needle felting. You can purchase these pocket goddesses on etsy http://celticgoddessjewelry.etsy.com

Healing magnets at Luminosities!

Brand new healing magnets at Luminosities!

The lining of these magnets is a green abstract watercolor with clockwise (sun-wise) spirals drawn in blue gel pen. The outside is wrapped with a green ribbon, green being a healing color. Powerful magnets are attached to the back.

Put these charming magnets on your refrigerator, in your bedroom, in your office or even in your car.

The magnets are 2” (5.8 cm) across and 1” (2.5) deep.

This magnet uses symbolism and the power of stones to surround you with healing energy. Lapis lazuli is said to be a powerful stone with both physical and mental healing properties. The stone you see here is a gorgeous dark blue with flecks of gold.

The Egyptian ankh is a symbol of life and the silvertone ankh in this magnet fits in well with the healing theme.


This magnet uses symbolism and the power of stones to surround you with healing energy. Amethysts are believed to carry healing properties and the three genuine faceted amethysts you see are a deep purple color.

As a symbol of transformation and renewal, the pewter dragonfly charm adds to the theme of healing.



This magnet uses symbolism and the power of stones to surround you with healing energy. Bloodstone is believed to be a powerful healing stone. The stone you see here is a deep green and red.

Butterflies are symbols of transformation and the butterfly sticker in this magnet invites you to transform into a being of beauty and health.

See more images or purchase now at Luminosities.

In the rainy northwest, thinking of the dry southwestern desert...

Oregonians pride themselves on "loving the rain" here (definitely a "love it or leave it" mentality!) but, for those of us who haven't grown up in it, the winters here can be a little bit difficult sometimes.

Makes me long for the desert, like these earrings, which feature horn, moonstone, turquoise and sterling silver. It takes little more for my own personal visions to fill in with cacti, joshua trees and rattlers, and the color of the horn brings to mind the best shade of worn-in cowboy boot.

Ahhhh... when people tell you to "put it where the sun don't shine" I never expected that they meant to take it to Portland, Oregon. Pretty as this city is after months of rain, it sure is work to get there.

I guess it explains why there ARE at least three yarn shops in every quadrant of this city. We need to hold onto those warm soft things, I guess. And, since there is, apparently, room for even more, here's our newest addition, Yarnia - a unique concept, at least here in Portland, where you design your own yarns by mixing and plying - and then take it home by the pound.

I was planning on making this a Sunday afternoon field trip. I just looked outside tho, and it's hailing. I should probably be spending that money I don't have on a yoga class instead, but since I can't really afford either one right now, here's a handy Sun Salutation reference I "stumbled upon" this morning.

Love Spells for Valentine's Day!

Just in time for Valentine's Day, new loves spell magnets! These would make great Valentine's Day gifts!


A love spell in a magnet! This magnet uses the magick of stones, color and essential oil, plus the power of words. What a great Valentine’s Day gift!

With red, pink and white, this piece utilizes the colors of love. It contains genuine rose quartz which attracts love! A little heart charm adds to the love vibe. To further emphasize the point, there is a little word bead that says, “kiss.” Inside is a tiny drop of rose essential oil, also a love attractor.

Put it on your refrigerator, in your bedroom, in your office or even in your car.

The lining of this magnet is red fiber paper, inside a round tin with a glass top. The outside is wrapped with a white ribbon with little red hearts.

The magnet is 2” (5.8 cm) across and 1” (2.5) deep.

Available for purchase at Luminosities


A love spell in a magnet! This magnet uses the magick of stones, color, essential oil and images. What a great Valentine’s Day gift!

With red, pink and white, this piece utilizes the colors of love. It contains genuine rose quartz which attracts love!

With red, pink and white, this piece utilizes the colors of love. To further emphasize the point, there is heart charm with the word “loving” and a red cloth rose. Inside is a tiny drop of rose essential oil, also a love attractor

Put it on your refrigerator, in your bedroom, in your office or even in your car.

The lining of this magnet is red paper embossed with multiple hears, inside a round tin with a glass top. The outside is wrapped with a red ribbon with little white hearts.

The magnet is 2” (5.8 cm) across and 1” (2.5) deep.

Available for purchase at Luminosities