Three Ideas for Displaying Your ATC Collection

If you've been trading and collecting Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) for awhile, you might be putting them in a binder in clear plastic trading-card holders, or if you're like some of us--in a pile on the desk, or (sadly) hidden away in a drawer because you're not sure how else to display them. But now CAA member and ATC program coordinator Sheila Berman has some great ideas for using and showcasing your favorite ATCs.

If you're wondering what an ATC is, head over to CAA's ATC Call-for-art page to find out. And consider participating in this fun mail-art trading-card project. You can see some of the ATCs we've been creating and trading in Sheila's photos.

ATC cards in a journal

1. Use ATCs for journaling. Sheila received a handmade journal from a friend and she's been using ATCs as collage elements in its pages.

ATC in a mini-frame

2. Frame your ATCs. ATCs are only 2.5" x 3.5" so they fit perfectly into baseball-trading-card sleeves, but they also fit into mini-frames. Sheila framed her ATCs with some mini-frames from Michael's to display on her fireplace mantle.

ATC on a tiny easel

3. Display your ATCs on mini-canvas easels. A mini-canvas easel is the easiest way to display your favorite trading cards. And it's adorable. You can find tiny display easels online, but maybe we should all try to commit to shopping local for our art and craft needs. For the good of our local crafting community, let's keep our brick and mortar craft suppliers going.

The next deadline for CAA's current ATC trade is July 31st and the theme is "Fun in the Sun." Thank you to Sheila for keeping the ATC project going and for sending us these great ideas for appreciating the tiny-art results by CAA members.