Friendship Trading Cards.
18 March 2009
Author: Lynette Carroll
The World of an ATC: Individual art miniatures (Artist Trading Cards), as they are commonly known, are popping up all over the world.
Artists have been creating these miniatures to trade all around the world for many years. They are typically made of cardstock and can be decorated with metal, fabric, plastic, wood, watercolor paper as well as your scrapbooking supplies or just about anything else you have. For a card to truly be considered an ATC, it must measure 2.5” x 3.5”, the same as a baseball card. Other than that the sky is the limit when it comes to creating them.
This is a great new trend for teenagers to become involved in with their friends. ATC’s are only traded, never sold! As the artist, once you have created your ATC you should sign the back and include other details such as your email address, street mailing address, phone number and blog address if you have one. Artists generally make a limited number of ATC’s in a particular design, sometimes only one of a kind. If you make more than one in a particular design, number the back of the ATC as part of an edition (1/8, 2/8, 3/8 etc), that way your friends know it is part of a limited edition set.
There are a number of options to display an ATC. If they are flat enough, you can store them in traditional baseball sleeves in a binder, or you can design a special decorated box for your card collection. Picture frames filled with ATC’s are also a great way to have art on display.
Next time you have a sleepover or are looking for an activity to do with your friends, remember ATC’s and the fun you can have creating and then trading Artist Trading Cards with other friends.