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Crazy for Cards

Sketch and completed ATC with a Christmas theme ( watercolour and ink)  - copyright Wilma Simmons 
The current craze of card collecting amongst the youngest members of the family  is the World Explorer cards from  a supermarket giant. I am not promoting this, but  there is little wonder that curious kids would want  to collect this series of cards. 
I was thinking about card collecting yesterday, when my doll making group, Gumnut Dollies Newcastle  made some Artist Trading Cards (ATC) for a Christmas swap with a group in Queensland.  If you haven't heard of an ATC before , here is a Wiki explanation:
Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) is a conceptual art project initiated by the Swiss artist M. Vänçi Stirnemann in 1997. He called it a Collaborative Cultural Performance. Artist Trading Cards are 2
 12 by 3 12 inches (64 mm × 89 mm) in size, the same format as modern trading cards (hockey cards or baseball cards). They are self-made unique works or small series, signed and dated on the reverse by the artist/producer, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artist_trading_cards)
ATCs created by members of Gumnut Dollies Newcastle - 12 November 2016 
ATCs are not sold but are a free exchange between artist participants . A commercial offshoot began in 2004 on eBay to allow for  the selling and buying of artist cards. To avoid conflict with the original ATC concept , these cards were called Art Cards, Editions and Originals ( ACEO). ATC collections are often shown in  special exhibitions ( most often followed by a free trading session)  ACEOs are sold on auction sites, for private collections or for publication tutorials - same thing, different purpose!

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