ATCs and IOUs

Anyone out there make Artist Trading Cards?

I love Kate's Quilting blog and am completely fascinated by her ATCs, but I have never attempted them before. I had made some fabric postcards, though, and it's really the same idea on an even smaller scale.

So anyway, I signed up to be part of Kate's ATC Challenge. The deal was that Kate sent out 5 ATC bases and a little baggie of bits to "frost" them. The recipient would make up at least one and mail it back to Kate by September. Of 2008. (Oops!) Here's some of what was in my envelope:

Now, in my defense, I did make an ATC right away. I just had no clue what I was doing. In my mind, it was similar to a business card (since that's the size they are) and so I made one that was about ME. Once it was done, I went back and looked at Kate's examples. Not only did I have the wrong idea, but I also put a very dark fabric on the back of this.
I couldn't find any instructions about the back and, in the usual fashion, tabled it until I could figure out what to do. Why I didn't just stick a mailing label on the back and send it off, I don't know. It just didn't feel like it was "right."

Finally yesterday, in the spirit of the New Year, I decided I HAD TO finish at least one. I HAD TO get at least one in the mail to Kate. So I pulled out some fabric and some of the beads Kate had sent and I went to work. I made four simple but cute ATCs and put plain white muslin on the back so I could write my name and city and blog address.

Yes, it's all folded up with a conciliatory fat quarter and spool of variegated thread, ready to go in the mail until...I realized that I was supposed to use one of her bases to send back, not my own!
Now I'm trying to decide if I send the one with the J (which was one of Kate's backs) or one of the new ones or go back to the drawing board to see how I screw this up for the third time.

I hope your day is frustration free!