Permaculture handmade trading cards?

Is anyone interested in a handmade, permaculture-themed, trading card swap?

I've seen this kicking about the art community for a while.  They are made on a card or thick paper and are 2.5" x 3.5" (like a baseball card).  These are completely handmade.  The only requirement is that they would fit in a trading card sleeve.  They are never sold, only traded or gifted.  Someone might make half a dozen, then trade them with others.  Or give them away.  

Here's an example of an artist trading card swap



Only we could do it with a permaculture theme.

Maybe we make the art supplies like the paper or paint or ink.  Maybe use upcycled materials?  

Or maybe the topic is permaculture-related?

I don't know.  

What would this look like?  Would anyone be interested in participating?

I like the idea and have been eyeing a block of heavy watercolor paper lately that I have had for years...thinking of cutting to smaller sizes to tempt me to workplay. This idea might be the motivation I need.

Soon with postage going up here again sending something in an envelope for one stamp sounds doable.

No limit on method/materials as long as it fits in the sleeve?

Just as a note: 3 1/2" by 2 1/2" is 1/2 inch wider in the width dimension than a business card.

Jay Angler wrote:Just as a note: 3 1/2" by 2 1/2" is 1/2 inch wider in the width dimension than a business card.

In theory,  it's the same size as a baseball or trading card.  Some people like to use trading card sleeves to store the cards.   Others keep them in a tin or make special books.

r ranson wrote:

Jay Angler wrote:Just as a note: 3 1/2" by 2 1/2" is 1/2 inch wider in the width dimension than a business card.

In theory,  it's the same size as a baseball or trading card.  Some people like to use trading card sleeves to store the cards.   Others keep them in a tin or make special books.

Yes, I realize that, but I was trying to give people a visual idea of the size.

The only reason I've seen trading cards is because of my sons. Whereas, one of my tasks periodically is using the paper cutter to cut up Hubby's business cards as he prints his own, so I've got a *good* mental/physical image of the size of a business card!

I think that is a lovely idea!

Yep, I'd be down for this.

Ooooh, this seems like a lot of fun! I haven't "arted" in a while, and a trading card is a nice, small, manageable size!

r ranson wrote:
Only we could do it with a permaculture theme.

Maybe we make the art supplies like the paper or paint or ink.  Maybe use upcycled materials?  

Or maybe the topic is permaculture-related?

I don't know.  

What would this look like?  Would anyone be interested in participating?

I think any &/or all of the above would work! In the video you posted, she mentioned putting defining info on the back, like name and date and sometimes techniques. Maybe on the back of ours, the artist could also describe what is permaculture about their card. Maybe it's their materials? Maybe it's the subject matter? Maybe it's both? Just say on the back!

Many years ago I was in a drawing and watercolour group and we traded ATCs. All of us were here in the Netherlands. So the cost for postage was not too high. I don't know if I would like trading ATCs internationally ...

I like the idea of permaculture ATCs. I could cut my cards from used wrapping material /cardboard. Maybe make my own watercolours with plants?

I like the idea of a standard set of words for the back.  Be good to make sure it's not too personal so we can share it,  but it could also include promotional stuff like website.


It looks like it currently costs me 3 dollars after tax to send international letter mail.  

My kids and I had a blast with this today. It's been so long since I've "arted" that I couldn't resist the lure of making a tiny art. I was also inspired by Raven's art nouveau thread and her fix crumbling watercolor paints thread (where I learned you just need to add gum arabic water to pigment to make paint!).

I had a bunch of natural earth pigments that I used to teach kids how to make milk paint, and some raw gum arabic that I'd just bought to make ink from alder cones and walnuts for my kids' school (do we have a thread for making ink? *does a search* We do!). So I thought, why not try using some of that gum arabic, soaking it in warm water until it dissolves and then add it to my pigments. It worked! I like thick paint a lot more than runny paint that tries to mingle with other paint on the paper. This worked great!

I first sketched out my design on the right-sized paper. Once it was how I wanted it, I used my light desk to trace it onto a fresh piece of watercolor paper. This worked out great for many reasons. I liked knowing I could keep trying out different color combos and would still have my "master" copy to make more off of. Most importantly, though, it allowed me to make copies for my kids. Both of them wanted to paint my design because my kids...so I just traced some more for them!

I love this idea!  

I am an artist that usually only "arts" when someone needs something.  This would be art for the fun of making art and there is a group to appreciate it.    It's also good for winter activities when those of us who aren't fond of freezing outside in the garden have more time inside.

I'm not sure how to keep up with this thread or how to help organize it, but I'd appreciate doing this!

Shannon

I tried my had at making some cards.  Not sure I'm happy with them, but three look like they might work.  



My chickens have the super power of finding trouble and bugs and one chicken even has the super power of finding lost items.  

Do we want to call these permaculture trading cards?  Or permaculture artist trading cards?  

Those are super cute little chickens!!! The two brown ones are my favorites! My daughter loves the pecking one the most. I asked my son, and he had this anguished expression and said, "I like them ALL!" Poor guy couldn't pick a favorite--they're all too cute!

Just yesterday I found out about the "Simple Daily Drawing" website. They provide prompts for each day of the month, encouraging you to fill up a sketch book with your images.

I hope to make some ATCs with these prompts. We'll see how it goes.

Simple Daily Drawing - Monthly Prompts

so how do these get exchanged?

Almond Thompson wrote:so how do these get exchanged?

That's a good question!
Maybe you can tell in this thread you have cards you want to trade, and then others can react that they have a card to trade with you?
And then one of you can send a Purple Mooseage to the other?

Back in the early '00's there was a site called Nervousness that was about art trading and mail exchanges. ATC's were a big thing there and I did a bunch of fun stuff with people. I miss it and so this thread was a bit of blast from the past!

My art space is still getting organized from the move but I might try and get a few done....

I'm up for it if anyone else is! Mooseage me! No sneak peeks on cards though, they'll be a surprise

This would be neat!

According to my old email trails, I did my first ATC swap in 2007. In 2010 I joined the atcsforall.com forum but it looks like my account is no longer valid (which I suppose is fair after a decade of absence). I'm pretty sure I was in another ATC group that collapsed, but I can't find e-record of it.

I did several straight trades as well as a few things where a pod of (4?) people would get together, each member would start four cards then pass them to the "left", do a little work on the cards you received and pass those on, etc. until each of the four members had embellished the card and then they were distributed to the participants so that we each got four cards, each started by one of the four participants. I have a notebook of them somewhere, but it's probably in a tub in the garage.

What would orient an ATC toward permaculture?

home made paper, paint, or other media

homesteading or permaculture subject matter

an ATC that is plantable because embedded with seeds

incorporation of found-elements from our homesteads

upcycled components

The very act of doing this is community-affirmative.

What else?