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artist trading cards, bookbinding class, crafts direct, linen thread, strathmore artist trading card blanks
Several years ago – 2007 to be exact – I discovered artist trading cards, which are handmade cards 2 1/2″ by 3 1/2″ that artists make and trade with each other. I made several at that time, carefully cutting out the correct size paper, then creating the designs and posting them at my old blog, Filter & Splice. Unfortunately, the images of those cards are no longer showing up on the blog. (Can’t figure out why. Humph, technology!)
I took another pic of the four I made so you don’ t have to deal with the frustration of missing photos:
Artist trading cards by Mary Warner, 2007. How do you like the red table cloth?
The reason I’m bringing up artist trading cards again is because I found a new product while buying linen thread for a bookbinding class I’ll be taking soon. Here’s the new product:
Artist trading card blanks by Strathmore, April 2011.
Strathmore is now making artist trading card blanks. Woohoo! No more cutting paper down to size!
I bought the vellum surface bristol cards, but there were several styles available at Crafts Direct, including smooth surface bristol and watercolor paper.
When a company starts making a product to meet a need, you know that an underground movement has hit the mainstream. I have no idea when artist trading cards first came into being, but I think it’s interesting that it’s taken four years from the time I discovered them to the time I found mass-produced blanks in a craft store. I’m a fairly regular cruiser of art supplies stores, particularly the paper section, so if they’d been available back in 2007 or 2008, I’m sure I would have seen them.
Have you noticed this kind of lag time between an informal or underground hobby and the sale of commercial products that cater to that hobby? What products in which fields?
I really like the design on your cards, Mary. What do you use them for?
Thanks, Clare. I’m supposed to trade them with artist trading cards made by other artists, but I don’t know anyone else making them. At this point, they just float around in my pencil box.
Would you like one?
Yes please!
Oh my gosh. I think I need to invest in a few of these. The art center should consider doing a show about artist trading cards. I’d trade with you!
Okay, Clare, send me an email at woowooteacup (at) gmail (dot) com and I’ll mail you one.
Yakshii – What a fabulous idea – an art show of artist trading cards! A show would give me an excuse to make more. Do you want to contact someone at GRAA or should I? I’d trade with you, too. (It’s only $2.49 + tax per package of blanks at Crafts Direct. My pack has 20 cards. There’s one pack with thicker cards that only has 4, and the watercolor paper comes in packs of 10.)
Maybe once I’ve made a few and traded, I could bring some samples of artist trading cards in and suggest the idea to GRAA. I’m sure they would like the idea. I just have to make a few of my more artistically inclined friends to make a few as well, just to have some variety.
Hi Mary-
I’m Judd Corizan from the blog Sunday Stealing (http://sundaystealing.blogspot.com). Every week we rip a meme off someone’s blog. Today we chose yours from September of 2008. We give you full credit and link back to your blog. The great thing is that a lot of previous “victims” such as yourself have become regular players! We usually publish the blog between 1 and 3 PM EST Saturday. We usually get between 40 to 60 people who play and comment on each others responses. And a lot of our players are previous victims of our theft like you! We hope you play along in the weeks to come! Thank you and have a great day…
Judd
Hi, Judd – Memes were made to be ripped off. So glad you chose to rip off one of mine. I was getting worried that blog memes were a thing of the past. Thanks for alleviating that worry.
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