ATCs, or Artist Trading Cards, are small works of art that are made to be traded with other artists. ATCs are the same size as baseball cards, 2.5" x 3.5", and every single one is completely different.
Last month I participated in my first swap on Craftster, the Ongoing ATC Swap (here is a link to this month's swap). I have wanted to sign up for a swap for a very long time, but I know that I am not always good with deadlines. ATCs seemed like the perfect choice: small enough to create within a deadline. Now I am addicted :) I love making tiny little works of art and experimenting with new ideas and techniques.
During the April ATC swap, I created two cards. The first was titled "Lord Shiva." The person I made this card for listed two themes that I combined to make this card: gods and goddesses and collage. I started by covering some cardstock with a page from an old book. I then painted the page with acrylic paint. Then I collaged an image of Lord Shiva (from a National Geographic story about a water park in India) and a yellow flower (also from a National Geographic). Finally I added some gold around the edges and glued a jewel over Shiva's third eye.
I made a little tangled notecard to send the ATC in.
The second ATC that I made in April was for a science fiction theme. I checked out the swapper's Pinterest page and saw a board devoted to Doctor Who. One of her pins was a Tardis necklace. It was shaped like the Tardis and had neat circular designs cut out. I tried to recreate it with paper, markers, paint and pens.
I started this card with some water-soluble markers. Then I painted over them with some pearlescent paint with smudged the markers a little and gave the whole card a blue hue. I added details on top of the paint with gel pens, then varnished the whole thing to protect it. I also make a cute Doctor Who themed notecard for this ATC.
Because I sent two ATCs, I also received two ATCs. First I received an awesome drawing of a dolmen from Craftster member blupaisan.
I also received a sugar skull themed fabric ATC from audio. It has little beads sewn on it.
I've signed up for the May ATC Swap and have already sent out 3 different ATCs. Have you ever made ATCs? Have you ever participated in a craft swap?
