Artist Trading Cards

Do you know about Artist Trading Cards (ATCs)? I didn't. But the September issue of Family Fun includes an article by Rani Arbo: "Artist Trading Cards" (81-86), and the rules are simple:

• 2.5" x 3.5" each (the size of a baseball card) and flat enough to slip into the pocket of a trading card page
• Traded (never sold) one-for-one

Arbo attended a workship and shares some additional guidelines via her teacher, Erika David-Pitre:

• Write your name, the year, and a title on the back of each card.
• Take your time and do your best.
• Use the whole card.
• There's no such thing as "wrong" in art.

I got so excited, right away!, thinking of the possibilities; Cade loves to draw, and I love to make collages. (Arbo also suggests making ATCs by using stained tissue paper; paint, dye, or stamps; needle and thread; print or poetry; landscapes, portraits, tessellations, loop-the-loops or Venn diagrams; and fingerprints or spin art.)

Thanks to the small size of the ATCs, Cade and I have found it possible to create at least one, apiece, in the small window of time between the babies' and Cade's bedtimes. At the end of the night, I feel satisfied having finished a project and carved out time with Cade, alone.

So far, Cade's made 5 ATCs, and I've made 4. Our very attainable goal, for now? 20 each by his birthday in late January.

Here are some of my favorite ATCs, so far:

I'd thought I might have an ATC birthday party for Cade, but only one of his friends' moms has expressed interest so far, so I don't know. I mean, I don't want to mess with his birthday.

So I'm wondering: do any of my friends have budding-artist children who'd like to swap ATCs with him, locally or via mail? If so, shoot me an e-mail: normalgirl (at) hotmail (dot) com. Thanks!