Artist Trading Cards (ATCs): All Things Ancient Egypt
The pyramids, hieroglyphics, mummies, thousands of ancient gods and goddesses, and of course, Cleopatra… ancient Egypt has a lot of cool things going on. I’ve always loved the history and allure of the ancient culture. The Great Pyramid of Giza is known as one of the seven wonders of the…
Build a House Artist Trading Card (ATC) Swap – Wizard of Oz Theme
Artist trading cards (ATCs) come in all shapes and sizes, and can incorporate a variety of materials (mixed media). I tend to stick with the hand-drawn or hand-painted swaps, but sometimes, I step outside of my comfort zone and play with different collage techniques. With this art challenge, you create…
Artist Trading Cards (ATCs): Stephen King
My first introduction to Stephen King came around the age of 4 or 5. Yes, that young. I learned how to read when I was 2 ½ years old, and one of the ways I strengthened my skills was by going over the Sunday morning comics with my parents. I…
Artist Trading Cards (ATCs): Dolls of the World
Sometimes, artist trading cards (ATCs) do not take the shape of the usual 3 ½ x 2 ½ rectangular measurements… and you accept a challenge to follow a specific template. I’ve done egg shapes, doghouse shapes, and used a hole punch to create a stamp-like fringe on cards before. This…
Artist Trading Cards: Unlikely Friendships
When you think of unlikely friendships, what comes to your mind? Opposites attracting? Have you ever made friends with someone that you’d never expect to get along with? I’ve become friends with some of my high school rivals later in life, and have clicked with classmates in graduate school that…
Using Watercolor Pencils to Make Artist Trading Cards (ATCs)
Watercolor as an art medium is something I haven’t really explored deeply until this past year. I’m kind of surprised that I’ve grown to love using watercolor pencils, which allow me to draw and fill in the detail more precisely of the subjects I’d like to paint …and then add…
Artist Trading Card Swap (ATCs) – Six Word Stories
As a writer and artist, a card swap that incorporates storytelling and art is right up my alley. The main objective for this swap is to create ‘a story told in only six words.’ One of the prime examples used to illustrate this task is Hemingway’s famous six-word tale: “For…
What is #Zentangle Art + a Few Examples
I’m in love with an incredibly relaxing art technique that allows you to really go with the flow to create one-of-a-kind pieces called Zentangles. Yes, they are just as fun to make as they are to say. There are so many different styles of art that evolve from using this…
In the Dog House Artist Trading Card (ATC) Swap
As a dog lover, I enjoy participating in artist trading card swaps that incorporate a canine theme, so when the In the Dog House swap was announced – I knew I had to join. This time around, the objective was to create a mixed media trading card measuring 2 ½…
What are Kokeshi Dolls + an Artist Trading Card Swap (ATCs)
I’ve participated in a great deal of artist trading card swaps, and most recently, I had the chance to add Kokeshi doll art to my collection. While most swaps follow a 3-for-3 arrangement, we had the choice to make either 3 or 6 cards for this swap. I chose the…
