NEW SWAP! Come one come all!!

You're Invited!

Absolutely you! 

VERY excited about this..and hope to get many people on board with me for this swap!

Spread the word if you care to on your facebook pages and blogs...please do give a link here for people to see the guidelines and rules for this swap and come on!!! Let's revisit ATC making.

ATC's were possibly my first exposure to what is know as Mixed- Media Art. My sister introduced ATC's to me back when she was doing a great deal of ATC creating and swapping and from 2006-2009 I going nuts with creating ATC's..I loved how personal they could be..how they offered me the ability to create and share, something a big smaller scale than huge works of art that my schedule did not allow for as an undergrad and eventually graduate student. 

A dear new friend and wonderful published artist KarenAnn Young, shared some ATC's with me recently and sent me one in the mail! Made my heart literally flutter and I thought to myself...man I really loved making them...they date back so long in hisotry that we can't let the tradition die right?!

So here it is. If you are new to ATC's have no idea what they are but would like to learn and possibly join the next paragraph is for you.

ATC is short for Artist Trading Cards. The history of ATC's as stated on some websites I've found is  originated in 1996 by a  Swiss artist.  See http://www.artist-trading-cards.ch/ for further information on this. However, having an education in art history one can determine that trading art cards dates back to as early as the 15th and 16th century and possibly even earlier than that. The idea is simple and blissful. Artists create playing card size works of art and swap them among other artist. They are not created for the purpose of selling and should not be sold, only traded. Some people do this in person and today with the internet many people have ATC swaps through snail mail. There is a wealth of information on the internet regarding these swaps and cards..if you Google search ATC's or Art Trading Cards...have a cup of coffee ready because these works of art are created, collected and loved by many. It is a good way to circulate your name and your work among the art community and network in a very fun way with like minded artist. The talent of the artist who swap varies. Some ATC crators and swappers range from famous, very incredibly talented artist, to beginners so do not fear not meeting a standard ANYONE IS WELCOME TO JOIN! New to the concept or been doing it for years its a blast!

Here are the rules and guidelines for the swap I am hosting. Please, abide by the rules so that the swap goes smoothly and is fair!

• First notify me either in a comment here, or on facebook making sure I have a valid means of contacting you via email to let me know you are interested in the swap. I will so happy to add your name to the list!
• Create 3 ATC's (Artist Trading Cards) in any medium. Paint, draw, stamp, add embellishments, fabric, stitching, colored pencils, wax...you name it. Whatever you desire and keep in mind you have to cover postage...we will get to that shortly. 
• The ATC's must be 2.5x3.5 in size. This can be a hair off just make sure they are very close to the size of playing cards. These can be cut out of any type of paper or stock but they work best when done on a thick card-stock, watercolor paper or illustration board (my personal favorite). Many art supply and craft stores including Micheal's, Joann's and Hobby Lobby sell these cards in different types of stock/ paper already pre-cut. This makes it much easier if you are pressed for time and can afford to buy them pre-cut. Even so they are relatively inexpressive. 
• International swappers are very welcome, just note that international postage can get costly so all members are expected to include postage stamps for what the cost of mailing three cards will be. If your cards are flat and standard without much weight added by fabric/ embellishments and things that weigh them down in the US this should only require 2-3 stamps. To be on the safe side have your envelopes weighted at the post office prior to sealing and be sure to include enough stamps for the ones you will get in return! I would love to pay for all of the postage but with all of the swaps and mail art I create, the post office is putting me in the poor house! :)
• I ask for this swap that all art is your own original work and not photocopies of your cards. I will be later on in the year hosting a digital ATC swap at which time prints will be welcomed but not for this one please. Any photo copies of ATC's I receive will be returned to you.

• PLEASE NOTE: Be sure to include the following on the back of your cards: Artist name, Title of Card, # within series if it is from a series, the date you created the card and a valid form of contact meaning valid email address, blog url or website url. This is very important. The person receiving your card may want to tell you how much they love and appreciate your work or may want to offer you the chance to trade in the future. Some people forget this step in the process but its very important in my opinion! 
• I considered doing a theme for this swap but decided against it. All I ask is if you are interested, try to do one of the three with a quote about art or creating. Just one of the three...if you like that theme run with it and do all three that way...its up to you. This is not a rule just a request. If everyone complies with it then everyone will get one of that same type back with their swap! Could be fun!
• DEADLINE FOR THIS SWAP! Five weeks from today which is October 22nd 2012. Please, I ask that if you commit to this swap that you meet the deadline. I know that life changes and emergencies happen. I only ask that you try very hard to stick to this deadline so that all cards can be received and swapped out.  This is the mailing deadline and I will not be extending it. If you are an international swapper outside of the US, please mail your cards to me no later than October 18th because they take a bit longer to get here!

If you have any questions, suggestions or concerns about the swap please feel free to contact me through my blog or on Facebook! I would be more than happy to help you out and answer any questions you may have! Hope to hear from you soon and happy creating!! :)