ATC stands for Artist Trading Cards. These measure 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 and they are miniature works of art which people swap with each other. The intent being that these should never be sold or exchanged for money, only swapped.

ATCs are normally made from card, but can be made from any material, including fabric, metal, plastic, wood, canvas and any other medium. They can be painted, sewn, drawn, stamped and embellished in any way you like. The possibilities are endless.

Generally, ATCs are made in a group of 3 to 8 cards with a similar theme. They are signed on the back by the artist. The card will also list the title of the edition or series, and the number of the card within the series. For example, these could be listed 1 of 6, or 1/6 how you number the card is up to you. The date of the card is also noted on the back.

Many magazines and craft forums now offer ATC swaps, check out the links tab for a great forum where I do all my swaps from. ATCs can be stored in plastic sleeves or baseball card type albums.

The only 2 rules that generally apply to ATCs are

1) They must measure 2 1/2 by 3 1/2

2) They must never be bought or sold

RAK's...These are Atc's given to someone and stands for (Random act of kindness,)  so are not part of a swap. You can send them to friends for any reason such as birthdays, Christmas, get well, thank you ect...or just send them for no particular reason. You should include the term RAK somewhere on the details on the back of the ATC

The purpose of this art form was to share pieces of artwork with others, while promoting the artist, kind of like a designer business card. The initial intent was that these would never be sold or exchanged for money, and ATC purists still agree with this philosophy today

If you have never made any ATCs before, I warn you, once you start they are very addictive. To get you started, check out my ATC gallery at the top, left and it will give you some quick and easy ideas of using Die-Cuts in ATCs, and remember, I am always happy to swap with you, any amount