My first attempts at ATCs.

I'm okay at scrapbooking and things like that when I'm in the mood. I wasn't in that mood tonight, but I REALLY wanted to try to make some ATCs.

I have a pack of blank ATCs. I covered 4 with scrapbook paper. I antiqued 3 using tea + low heat in my oven.



This is my favorite, mainly because I'm a Harry Potter lover like you wouldn't believe. The button is sewn onto the card.

This is...well, it's just "eh" with me. It's very basic and simple. 

I'm out of ideas, though. And kind of have only a few odds and ends at my disposal at the moment. But overall, I think I'll get better as I go.

I'm collecting!

Have you ever heard of an ATC in the craft world?

It's the abbreviation for "Artist Trading Card".

In short, it's like a crafter's baseball card. It acts as a way to meet other crafters, which we all know that having a crafter in your network is ALWAYS beneficial. You can also use your collected ATCs for decorations for your house. Before a trade, give a color or theme to the crafter you're swapping with. Throw a bunch of 'em in a frame and voilá! A 100% handcrafted and completely UNIQUE work of art.

ATCs can be as simple or as intricate as you wish, but try to keep them the size of a baseball (or any sports) card. You can buy premade blank ATC cards at craft stores, like Hobby Lobby, in the scrapbooking and stamps stuff. Look around the blank cards and gift tags.

I did an online search to give some examples here. These are ones that I like, and remember, you do them all the way YOU want to. It's like a small scrapbooking craft, kind of.

From http://www.redleadpaperworks.com.

From http://www.craftsunleashed.com.

See? They're simple enough. You can use just about anything you have to decorate them. There's pretty much NO way to do these wrong. I love it.

From http://www.artsqueeze.com.

From http://artisttradingcards.org.

I love the way that first one is organized for display. LOVE it.

So, the point of this blog is that I want to start an ATC collection. In order to do that, I need some crafters to trade ATCs with. So please, come at me with an email if you're interested!