The ATC " How-To "

by Lori Hannon, Guest Diva

1. Cut down a piece of thick cardstock, chipboard, or watercolor paper to 2.5" x 3.5". This is the standard size for trading cards, and the thicker material will give you a sturdier base.

2. Choose what you would like for a focal point. This could be a picture or phrase … whatever catches your fancy.

4. Take out your adhesive and get to work. Whichever adhesive you go with for your main elements, I strongly suggest you use the same throughout your project. Especially when working with larger pieces (the background, for example). Using the same glue on both sides of media, as in decoupage, will reduce the frequency of wrinkling. Also, find the patience to allow thorough drying between layers. You'll thank me later.

5. Put on some tunes that rock your world and let your muse take over! While some people prefer to keep their ATCs relatively flat, probably for storage purposes (think plastic, baseball card sleeves), some of us just can't help but incorporate more dimension and "Lumpy Stuff" in everything we do!

6. You'll know when your ATC is finished, much the same way you know when to stop with a scrapbook layout. When complete, your ATC can be traded, saved or even incorporated into a tag, card or layout.