MDCC31 - Card Thursdays - Beautiful Things Come in Small Packages...

Last week we challenged our players to create the ultimate paper pierced card. Paper piercing is a favorite and very versatile technique - it can be used a little or a lot, as an accent or as a focal point. Everyone submitted fabulous examples and we so enjoyed everyone's creativity! We were especially awed by the beautiful card submitted by our winner, Irene:



Great job on the challenge, Irene! Please be sure to PM us with your address so we can send your prize out!

This week one of our designers, Cathy Wieder, came up with a very exciting little challenge to share with everyone (hint! hint!) This week we're going to do ATC's!! Here's what Cathy had to say about them:

Beautiful Things Come in Small Packages! Artist Trading Cards, or ATC's, are miniature works of art made in the same way that "regular" greeting cards and scrapbook pages are made. We love making ATC's because they need not have a purpose, a greeting, or sentiment; they are art for art's sake. They are also a great way to use up small scraps of paper that are just to pretty to throw out.



Three rules apply to ATC's: First, dimensions of an ATC are always 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches, which is the standard size for all trading cards, from baseball to YuGiOh. It doesn't matter whether the card is oriented in the portrait or landscape position, but the actual dimensions are not negotiable and you must adhere strictly to that size. Embellishments need to be relatively thin as these cards are often slid into plastic card sleeves to protect and store them.

Secondly, no matter what techniques or media are used to make them, ATC's are considered true works of art and are signed, dated and numbered by the artist just like any other valuable collectible.

Lastly, by definition, Artist Trading Cards are never sold. Unlike other trading cards, where the lines have blurred and they are commonly bought and sold by collectors, Artist Trading Cards may only be traded or given away. This makes them even more coveted because you simply can't buy one created by your favorite card artist. And since they are not mass-produced, acquiring one from an artist you admire is exciting.

ATC's have many uses as a collectible treasure. They can be stored or displayed in card albums or other decorative holders, mounted in a frame or shadow box and framed as an art display, or used to embellish cards and scrap book pages. They can be given as a gift of art to become a treasured place marker in a book, bible, or cookbook, or as miniature cards or gift tags for any holiday or occasion.

The small size of the Imaginisce and Daisy Bucket stamps are perfect for making ATC's, but even larger stamps can be used in creative ways to embellish an ATC. This week, we challenge you to make a Valentine card to share with your significant other, child, relative, or friend. As always, post a picture of it on your blog or in a gallery and then leave us a comment with a link to your creation.

To celebrate this special challenge we'll be choosing TWO winners this week! We will pick one humorous Valentine and one traditional Valentine from the submissions... the winners will each receive an ATC prize pack!

A special thanks to Cathy this week for coming up with the idea for our challenge and doing the ATC history and instructions - if you need any other tips or tricks be sure to check out Cathy's blog, The Seaside Rose Cottage.


Our design team had a lot of fun this week coming up with their own ATC's:

Leah Cornelius - Paper Blossoms

Melissa used paper from Melissa Frances and stamps from Basic Grey.

Giovana Smith - A Place to Praise and Craft

Giovana used paper from Daisy Bucket and a stamp from Stampavie, and Stickles from Ranger.

Melissa Earnest - MME Designs

Melissa used papers and an image stamp from Imaginisce, ribbon from May Arts, and a sentiment stamp from Serendipity.

Dawn Knight - Dawn's Rubber Room

Dawn used papers from Daisy Bucket.



span style="font-size:130%;">Dawn Schulte - Dawn's Special Creations

Dawn used paper, a sentiment stamp and rub-ons from Imaginisce, ribbon from May Arts, and bling from Zva Creative.

Cathy Wieder - The Seaside Rose Cottage

Cathy used paper from Imaginisce, stamps from Daisy Bucket, ribbon from May Arts, and bling from Kaiser Craft.










Linda Boucher - MDC Linda's Page
Linda used cardstock from Core'dinations, paper from sei, and a stamp from Daisy Bucket.




Tamara McKlveen - Tam's MDC Creations
Tamara usd paper from Prima, a stamp from Daisy Bucket, and flower and bling from Zva Creative.



It was such fun making these mini creations - we can't wait to see what you can come up with! And don't forget - we're giving away TWO prizes next week, so make sure to leave us a comment here with a link to your Valentine ATC - Happy Creating!!!