ATC Holder Tutorial

I haven't done a tutorial in like forever, but someone asked me to show off my ATC holder that I send my swap cards in.  So, I made a pdf with pictures and step-by-step instructions to show how to make them.  If you would like a pdf version of this e-mail me at tlsexton1969@gmail.com and I will gladly send you one.

I use them over and over again and like how they fit right inside a legal size envelope.

             

TUTORIAL

Artist Trading Card (ATC) Holder

© Copyright Tammy L. Sexton 2012

What you will need:

·         Scoring Board with Scoring Tool

·         Ruler

·         8.5” x 11” Piece of Card Stock

·         Pencil

·         Stapler

·         Tape

·         ATC (2.5” x 3.5”)

Step 1: Lay the 8.5 x 11 sheet of card stock on the scoring board landscape and put the ATC to the farthest left side. Make a mark with the pencil at 2.75” for the first score line.

Step 2: Move the ATC to just right of the first score line and make a mark with the pencil at 5.5”. This is the second score line.

Step 3: Move the ATC to just right of the second score line, lay the ATC landscape, and make a mark with the pencil at 9.25”. This is the third score line.

Step 4: Take the scoring tool and score the card stock at each mark previously made.

Step 5: Fold the paper at each score line, so that there is a flap on both ends.

Step 6: Tape the outer side of each of the flaps.

Step 7: Place the ATC in the folded and taped side that is shorter than the other side and staple just to the right of the ATC.

Step 8: Place the ATC in the other folded and taped side that is shorter than the other side and staple just to the left of the ATC.

Final Step: Once all of the ATCs are in the holder, simply fold the holder in half and insert into any standard size legal envelope.

Tip: You can use this holder for ATC swaps or personal trades.  I put a label, SASE, and/or postage in the middle before I put it in the envelope to mail out.

Homemade Christmas Cards

I decided this year to make Christmas cards instead of buying a box from the store that I never seem to use all of them. So, with my daughter recovering from her surgery last week I stamped the images on watercolor paper and then we set out to color them using various types of watercolor.

This is the card my 7 yo made. After she watercolored the Santa, I used a scrapbooking door picture to make it look like Santa was behind the door.





I then adhered them to different cardstock, put them on different colored card paper, and used scrapbooking stickers to decorate. I also stamped the inside with my "Happy Holidays Season's Greetings" stamp.



I used craft glue on the Christmas trees and sprinkled with glitter to make it look like there are ornaments on them!

They turned out awesome and I thought I would just share them with the rest of you.

Leaves are Falling ATC 0008

I recently purchased a book from Jerry's Artarama on how to create artist trading cards (ATCs) and the different mediums and methods for doing so. The book is titled "artist Trading card workshop" by Bernie Berlin. This book is beautifully illustrated, has easy to understand directions with illustrations, and also provides a section on how to make ATC storage ideas.

This book has 128 pages with 250 full color illustrations. Bernie Berlin is a world renowned ATC artist and his ATCs are the rage among all types of creatives. Readers can peruse a spectrum of techniques such as collage, painting, metal working, stamping, and more for making these types of cards as well as albums for storing them. The book also has sections including Ultra-Cards, how-to for Collecting and swapping cards, as well as a gallery of ATCs done by Bernie Berlin and other ATC artists.

My "Leaves are Falling ATC 0008" was done using a technique from the book called "Painting on Paper Towel".


Materials Used:
Watercolor 90 lb Paper
Watercolors
Paper Towel
Scrapbook Paper
Modge Podge
Printed out saying

To keep up with my most recent ATCs you can visit me at Mixed Media Workshops or ATCs for All!

Hot Pink Flip Flops ATC 0007

I finally finished ATC #0007 tonight after working on it for 2 days. I am really happy with how it turned out and will be posting it for trading soon.

The following Method(s) & Media(s) were used:
90 lb. Watercolor paper
Watercolor Pencils
Permanent Markers
Soda Can Tin (Embossed over Rubber Stamp Image)
Acrylic Paint
Finish Spray

My October ATCs Video

I am not really sure why I love Animoto videos, but I do. Here are the Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) that I have created for trade so far in the Month of October.

ATC Swappers of MMW - October

This month in the ATC (Art Trading Cards) Swappers on Mixed Media Workshops we had the theme of Kamasutra! I know, I know, this sounds like something x-rated, but really it was quite interesting. The person that I got paired with is a truly talented artist whose submitted piece for the theme had only to do with the colors often often related to the idea of Kamasutra. The other cool thing is she uses "nail polish" and her work is amazing.

So, I decided to do a female in a sitting position and used glitter to semi cover the parts that I didn't want showing so it wouldn't be truly x-rated. It turned out really cool and I used Modge Podge to seal it so that the glitter wouldn't fall off.

This is the second ATC I am sending my swapping partner. It is titled "Saisons Changeantes" (French for Changing Seasons).

I am really excited to be a part of this group and I can't wait to do something for this next month's swap.

Aahh...Plagiarism!

This is great!!

Dippylulu has the right idea; too bad this can't be circulated worldwide. I love the other cards in the series as well. Stop by her shop and show your support in believing that plagiarizing is BAD!

When I was in school, I wrote on a discussion board about plagiarizing. There was someone in one of my classes that was copying my work word-for-word and calling it her own. She was kicked out of school as she was doing this to a number of people.

If you want to know about creative commons licensing and the "RULES", visit the Creative Commons FAQ page. My argument to all this is can you prove when the idea was born?