ATC's vs. ACEO's The Real Story

Now I'm not as confident as to how the eBay seller Bone*diva discovered ATC's and figured that there was a market, outside of trading, for them. But she did. She coined the term ACEO, (Art Cards, Editions and Originals) and created a huge following for the miniature pieces of art.

That is how I came to know about them, and afterwards discovered their less, well, entrepreneurial past.

Bone*diva's idea was that ACEOs were a perfect and affordable way for everyday people to collect art from current artists. It was a way for non-artists to get into the game. Since then ATCs and ACEOs have taken off - there are books about how to make them, and even major art supply manufacturers have recognized the marketing appeal.

I am probably a hybrid of the two camps. I make cards both for trading and for selling. I also make cards (like the one above) to teach elementary school kids about the joy of making art. The small size of ATCs make them a perfect project for a kids art class. They can finish a couple in an hour and be really proud of the work. And they can participate in the trade and build bonds with their classmates.

I honestly believe that anyone can make art. The beauty of ATCs is that there are no rules other than the size. You can make your cards out of anything (even fabric or, I've heard, Marshmallows).

Lots of people use scrapbooking supplies, stamps and collage. Some use paint, some use glass. It's totally up to you. But I strongly encourage you to get a piece of paper that is 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches and think about how to fill that space. Then look through some of the links below and see if you can find a trading session near you.

I don't think you will regret it for a minute. So go ahead and jump into the pond with the other fish - I bet you will want to make more and more!