The ATC " How-To "

Artist Trading Cards are a quick and fun way to do small art pieces that are cheap and less time-consuming, thus can be traded or given away. They say you should never sell them or they just wouldn't be ATC's and I get that....so to be politically correct when taking them to eBay to sell the name gets changed to ACEO's. That stands for Art Card Editions and Originals. They are also 2.5 x 3.5 inches, but since they aren't trading cards, they can be sold...does that make since?? Gotta love how women solve problems, huh!?!
Below are some simple instructions on how to do what I call cut&paste cards like the ones in my pictures at the bottom of my blog page. They are great for using neat ephemera, old vintage photos and using distressing inks and embossing powders!

The ATC " How-To "
1. Cut a piece of thick cardstock, chipboard, or watercolor paper to 2.5" x 3.5". This is the standard size for trading cards, and the thicker material will give you a sturdier base.
2. Choose your theme. What you would like for a focal point. This could be a picture or phrase … whatever catches your fancy.
3. Decide what sort of background you'd like to create. Go through your folder of paper scraps for inspiration, or consider paints, crayons, fabric or inks!
4. Next... cut, tear or outline cut the items that go on top of the background. Choose an adhesive that you use the same throughout your project. Using the same glue on both sides of media, as in decoupage, will reduce the frequency of wrinkling. Allow thorough drying between layers. You'll thank me later.
5. You'll know when your ATC is finished, much the same way you know when to stop with a scrapbook layout. Sign it, Date it and Name it! When complete, your ATC can be traded, saved or even incorporated into a tag, card or layout. Or don't forget...call it an ACEO and sell it!