From www.artisticartifacts.com/atcexchange.html: ATCs are exchanged one for one, i.e., if you bring 10 cards to exchange, you will receive 10 in return. You can create your ATC according to whatever concept or style you wish, using whatever medium you wish (specific themes may be announced for the following month).
There are only a few rules to ATCs (and approximately a kajillion web resources to learn more and be inspired by):
- Each card must be 2½” x 3½” (64 mm × 89 mm). Corners can be rounded or trimmed if desired, and your art can be portrait or landscape in orientation.
- Cards can be in any handmade medium, including collage, mixed-media, fiber, felt or cloth, painting, drawing, ink, Zentangles, etc.
- The cards you bring for exchange can be all the same (an edition or series) or all different… or any combination of the two.
There are many rubber stamps created expressly for the reverse sides of ATCs. You can also create a custom computer printed label, or write info in by hand — whatever you prefer. At a minimum, include your name on the reverse; the following information is suggested for inclusion:
- Contact information: email address, website, blog address
- Date of creation of the card, or of the exchange
- Edition number, within a limited edition or series (i.e., 1 of 20, 2 of 20, 3 of 20…). Cards that are unique can be described as ‘OOAK’’ (one of a kind) or numbered 1/1, if you’d like.
- Your signature
“M. Vänçi Stirnemann, the artist who came up with the original concept of Artist Trading Cards, felt that the trade was everything. Making contact, shaking hands, meeting another artist, and then looking through their work and choosing something that is special to you and then, trading. That is the whole purpose behind Trading Cards for Vänçi and lots of other people like him, making contact, making the trade…. There is something really special about trading something that you made with your own hands, with someone else who has done the same.” [Quoted from The How-to’s Of ATCs (Artist Trading Cards)]
ATC trading falls into the category of “the more, the merrier,” so please pass the word along to any of your friends or to other art groups you might belong to, and join in the fun!
So what are we going to do??
Swap basics:
* We will do a monthly swap!!
* Create 4-8 cards to theme if we pick one (July is Freedom and Liberty)
* All cards are 3.5” x 2.5”
* Open media, technique & style – the only rule is the size
* On the back of each card include: Name, City/State, Title, and Date
* Host cards are always welcome, but never expected! (This is – one extra for me to keep! Mark it as a host card)
* Send cards & a SASE (self addressed, stamped envelope) post marked by April 11th to me – email me for my address.
* If your cards are acrylic, have ANY polymer or sealer on it, PLEASE slip wax paper between cards to stop them from sticking together.
* You can slip your cards and SASE inside a blank card to offer a little extra protection to your cards.
* Please place two stamps on your SASE to insure there is enough return postage – I am optimistic that many people will make many cards!
* Please DO NOT put magnets on the back of your cards, they become quite heavy for mailing!
Questions? Ask away! We will try this informal method for April and if we need to, we can tighten up the rules or have people sign up or create a Facebook group ….. I just want us to be connected and share our art.