Artist Trading Cards - ATC's

ATC's were first conceived and exhibited by Zurick artist M. Vanci Stirnemann in 1996 as a way to help artists network and collect each other's artwork. There are only 2 rules, they must be 2.5"x3.5" in size and they must be traded, not sold. When I first introduce ATC's to my students, I have them create 3 painted backs on 8.5"x11" tagboard, then cut them to the right size. These backs can then be traded with other students. (Most students don't like to give away their original ATC's) I encourage them to add a "background" layer of collage, then their image and words. Embellishments can be added for the final layer. I keep b&w copies of ATC size images and words, color copies of images and words from magazines, a variety of hand decorated and scrapbook papers along with a variety of yarns, stickers, brads, ect to use as embellishments. Sometimes I will give them a theme to work with. Each students makes 10 ATC's then creates an acordian fold book to store them in.