ATC for beginners

is there any theme for card as such or just what we feel like ?? I'v not done a atc b4 and have just started my 1st atc swap also but I done theme as kawaii style .

No theme for this swap. I want to give everyone the chance to participate and just create what they like :)

Bravo to new ATC artists, this is great opportunity for first time ATC's to be made & swapped. Want to warn you its alot of fun to make ATC's & swap them.
Tip: color photocopy your ATC's before you send them out to swaps, & write on backs of copies title, date, what materials, techiques used, what swap, & who ATC was sent to. Keep your copies, your ATC's in a notebook binder.

Thank you for your comment, @Whippet :)

I have only really learn what the term ATC stand for lol ( I know I'm bad not to know this) my mate corrected me so I know now ;)

heh. I'm not new to atcs, but I love collecting first atcs people make! definitely in!

What should we write on the back of the ATC we send our partner? Just our signature & date?

Also, I'm a little confused. Everyone says the only major rule of ATC's is that they must be 2.5" x 3.5"....but I was looking at flickr on ATC tags and ALOT of them have things hanging off the sides. Is this a no-no? I thought the whole point of the size rule was so they could fit into baseball-type card collector sleeves???

@CourtneyAnne As it states in the swap description: "Write your name, date, swap name (and name of your ATC) on the back of your card" And about your other question, everyone has other preferences when it comes to ATC's, the whole point of ATC's is to make a little piece of art. For this swap, it is sender's choice if you want to keep it within the 2.5x3.5 or let something overlap.

I probably shouldn't sign up for this, because I have a number of hobbies already, but I want to try at least one ATC, and I think this will be getting my feet wet.

I am downsizing my collections and have quite a few ATC's I would like to send to someone but will need postage to send either a few or one or whatever yu would like. They are not made by me but by other swappers since 2007.. Pm me.

@smadronia you should totally sign up ;) I feel the same way, btw. PS: Oh you already did - wohoow ;)

Just making sure--protective sleeves are not required? I have not been able to find any in this area.

No, they are not required. Since it's a beginner swap, I don't want to make everyone buy them, they might find out they don't like ATC making and..you know. Also, I left it sender's choice if you stay within the 2.5x3.5 or have something overlap .. :)

Aurelas - I would be happy to send you some of the protective sleeves. Just send me your address and I will put some in the mail for you. Shannon (Shazza 1532)

Thanks, that's so sweet! I may be able to check and see if Michaels has any tomorrow though--my little girl is going to have to go to the doctor (a LONG drive away...sigh) and there is one in that town.

Aurelas - try a comic book store or a baseball card/sports collectibles store. :)

@aurelas PM me with your address & I can send you some!

Yesterday I found tiny zipper bags 3x4 at Walmart - would those work as sleeves?

If you are going to keep them, those baseball card protective sheets for loose leafs are wonderful. You can keep either 9 or 12 on one page.

u get the sleeves at stores that sell those trading cards (fantasy, sports....) and they must be really cheap. sometimes i make my own protective envies, too. and i keep the atcs in a folder in those protective sheets for trading cards. this sounds like fun - but, be warned, atcs are addictive :)

well, the standard size is always 2.5 by 3... the size of a playing card. sure, sometimes things hang off the sides, or sometimes atcs can even have weird shapes (eggs for easter,....).... but thos are usually particular swaps. even tho a lil something on the edge is fine. a nice way to archive and show (and trade) is something like flickr, too. here s my flickr, so all the newbies can look at a bunch of various atcs... http://www.flickr.com/photos/69919207@N02/

The card is 2.5 x 3.5 and be careful with playing cards as some of those are not 2.5 x 3.5 in size. Here's LilCowgirl's link

Stickers can be incorporated into the ATC, but not just the only element to it, right?

Correct @marlove stickers should not be the central point on the ATC.

Hi, i am from indonesia. Swap is not something common here, but i want to join this. I am a newbie so i have not join anything here but i have join a swap in other site, atcforall.com. Can I still join?

But i just check the date, i might be too late, since it is closed on 30th of March :(

@redrina you can also send before the 30th :) That is just the last day at which you can still send and be on time.

Partners will be assigned probably on the 25th so if you make the ATC before then (or are quick in making them) you can post it on the 26th or 27th or 28th, for example.

Since I started an ATC I can join. I can get it finished by Friday. I found the right parts to put together.

@aurelas I get my individual sleeves at Walmart. Look where they sell the Pokemon cards, etc. It's usually only $2 for 100 sleeves. I recently found some of the binder sleeves that hold 9 cards at the Dollar Tree.

What is a ATC? Sorry I am a newbie ^^

@Rebecci have a look in the Glossary - it's linked to in the "Help" section at the bottom of nearly every swap-bot page :)

@pne Thank you :))

hurray i can do this now cause the requirements got changed makes me happy :D

I would love to do this one, but I feel like I won't have time to do it, I have two jobs and any other time I get off I sleep. Hopefully you decide to host another beginners atc cause I'm very interested!

ATC protective sleeves can be bought online on Amazon.com for $9. You get 1000 for that price. They can be found here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y4HI7A/ref=ohdetailso01s00i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Just so you know :)

Thanks everybody! I found a good deal for the sleeves on Etsy (someone clearing out their stash) and will probably get some of the pages next time I go to a store.

Made mine and now I can see why everyone says they're addictive! I'm just dying to make lots and lots more :D

The one I started went to the wayside. So I did two more, now which to send? Maybe I will send both.

Deadline is extended :)

Is this swap still active? I'd like to start playing around with ATC swapping if anyone is still doing this. thanks

Heidi W.