Jan 27th 2012 12:36:29 pm

Aren’t these stamps from Finland cool?! I received them on the Chocomania swap package from my partner, sanna. I have really been enjoying international swaps lately and I have been saving all of the stamps for my collection. Do you keep the stamps you get on packages?

This week, I have another wide variety of links for you. Enjoy:

• Have you seen the Random Tutorial Generator? It pops out a new, random craft project with each click.
• Need a fun, candy-less Valentine for the kiddos? Check out this free, downloadable Valentine Crown from Skip to my Lou.
• One of my new favorite craft blogs: A Girl Who Makes.
• Cool. How to make glowing jars.
• Also, how to make your own bouncy balls.
• This is just fun and cute: The Anatomy of a Cupcake Infographic.
• This recipe looks a little complicated, but man, do I ever want to make these Mini Chocolate Oreo Cakes from Bakers Royale!
• Love to knit? Make a scarf for a very good cause: 2012 Special Olympics USA Scarf Project.
• Another way to do good and feel good? Send a letter to the troops via Operation Write Home.
• And, if you love making ATCs or Zines, consider joining Kiwivandal’s swap and donating one to a kids art workshop.

As always, feel free to share your favorite links in the comments!

1 Comment » Categories: friday link love

Jan 26th 2012 11:52:05 am

Swap-bot user, kiwivandal, needs your help! She is teaching a Guerilla Art for Kids workshop at a Youth Town Meeting in her area in April. (The group that puts on Youth Town Meeting is called The Youth Advisory Council of Caledonia & Southern Essex, in Vermont.)

Kiwivandal wants to collect examples of Artist Trading Cards and mini-zines to give to each of her workshop participants:

“I would love it if anyone could send a mini-zine or ATC (or both) geared toward 6th to 8th graders. Meaning appropriate themes, public awareness, inspirational. Anything really.

The conference is the first week of April, so I have 3 months to collect anything I can.”

If you’d like to help, you can donate directly to Kiwivandal — her address and additional info is listed in this forum thread — or you can join the special swap she has set up for the donation drive. For the swap, you send your ATC or zine to Kiwivandal and then send a photo of what you donated to your swap partner. Your partner will give you a nice rating for donating and you will earn yourself some Swap-bot swag! I am sending a big bunch of Swap-bot buttons, stickers, and postcards to Kiwivandal to mail out to everyone who participates in the swap.

Donate an ATC or zine to kids = get Swap-bot swag!

The forum thread with more info.
The special ATC & zine swap.

No Comments » Categories: Announcements, Swappy Goodness

Jan 24th 2012 02:57:32 pm

Did you know that 2012 is a leap year?! Celebrate Leap Day on February 29th by sending a postcard for the Leap Day Postcard Swap. The international swap is being hosted by hereiam and is open to all swappers. The only requirement is that you mail your naked (not in an envelope), store bought postcard on Leap Day, February 29th, 2012. What an easy and fun way to mark this rare holiday!

No Comments » Categories: Weekly Featured Swap

Jan 20th 2012 02:24:52 pm

It is Day 2 of the Alt Summit, a design and blogging conference in Salt Lake City. It is a somewhat overwhelming experience, but I’m having fun, meeting new people, and learning a lot about online business.

There are so many cool blogs and websites out there! Here are a just few that I have discovered (or rediscovered) so far at Alt:

Very Awesome Blogs:

• Mighty Girl – the original.
• Making it lovely – one of my all-time faves!
• Design Crush
• Oh Happy Day! – party planning projects.
• I Still Love You
• Make Something Happy
• Draw Pilgrim!
• Freckle Wonder
• Note to Self
• Katie’s Pencil Box
• Crafterhours
• The Jealous Curator
• May, June & July
• The Cuisinerd
• Cake

Other cool sites:

• Tin Eye – a service that helps you track done your images online.
• Link with Love – a reminder to always link to the orginal source when you share something.
• Kinfolk magazine
• Epiphanie Bags – very cool, fashionable camera bags.

Too much to share! Conferences always cause information overload… but it is good to discover new things. (If you are curious about the Alt Summit conference, I also posted a quick update over on Ace.)

1 Comment » Categories: friday link love

Jan 16th 2012 01:56:15 pm

FaveCrafts.com (a giant site full of all types of craft tutorials) is hosting their second annual Valentines Day Card Swap on the ‘bot and you are invited! It is an easy, international swap. Just create one Valentine’s Day card for your one partner and mail it before February 11th. Sign up before the 1st and join us in sending and receiving heart day greetings!

No Comments » Categories: Weekly Featured Swap

Jan 13th 2012 12:27:26 pm

Friday the 13th. Spooky!! But so far I am having a pretty good day. How about you? Make it even better by checking out a few of these fun links…

I love Valentine’s Day themes, so you know I have some “heart day” links for you:

• DIY Chalkboard Valentine Hearts tutorial on papernstitch.
• Look at this adorable Valentine Snow Globe on Whipperberry.
• Check out these two free Valentine downloads: Pizzazzerie’s Valentine’s Day art prints and Skip To My Lou’s Valentine Party Circles.
• LOLz. A mitten for two: Valentine’s Day Heart Shaped Smitten.

Non-Valentine Links:

• Ten Ways to Make Garland.
• Literary website, The Rumpus, just announced a snail mail subscription service called Letters in the Mail. Subscribe for $5 a month and get a letter a week written by a popular author. Interesting!
• There is still time to join the Second Annual Craft Social Mug Rug Swap!
• Your S’more of the week: The Art & Science of S’mores infographic.

Happy weekend!!

3 Comments » Categories: friday link love

Jan 12th 2012 12:40:39 pm

I’ve just learned that this year’s Children’s Holiday Party put on by the Partnership for the Homeless was the biggest ever. The success of the event was in part thanks to the generosity of you, the Swap-bot community. Nearly 500 children attended the event at the Brooklyn Children’s museum and all received gifts — which included the gift cards and winter items that were donated by our site members as part of our Winter Gift Donation Drive.

Thank you to all who participated in the donation drive! Hopefully, we can do something similar next year…

No Comments » Categories: Announcements, Swappy Goodness

Jan 11th 2012 08:50:50 am

I know that not everyone loves Valentine’s Day — it can be too romantic, too gooey and sweet, too commercial — but I think it is a fun theme to craft around. Hearts are a universal motif that can mean many things. And so, this week I am featuring the Give a Piece of Your Heart Swap hosted by KarlaKC.

For the international swap, you simply: “Create something for your partner that is a heart or that has a heart in it.” The heart item can be made with any medium and in any style.

From the swap description:

“As a crocheter and knitter, I might make a heart stuffie, a bookmark, a necklace, a purse, a scarf…anything that is or has a heart. If you enjoy sewing, you might make any of the above or have other ideas. Beaders, or jewelry makers, what would you make? Papercrafters, there are notecards, ATCs, journals, matchboxes, etc. that you might consider. Woodcrafters, what would you make? Everyone, what can you make that is or has a heart?”

Last year, I made the yarn-wrapped heart seen above for a very similar swap. And look at the amazing embroidered fabric heart that I received from beckarahn! Wow! There are endless ways to interpret this swap!

The Give a Piece of Your Heart Swap is open to experienced swappers who have done ten Type 3 swaps and have a 4.9 rating, or higher. Sign up by January 23rd!

And if you do happen to be a Valentine lover, search for lots more Valentine swaps here.

1 Comment » Categories: Weekly Featured Swap

Jan 4th 2012 09:09:46 am

To kick off the new year I am being a bit selfish and promoting two of my own swaps…

I love February (my birthday month) and I am hosting two Valentine-themed swaps: Round 4 of my February Love Matchbox Swap and a Handmade Valentine Postcard Swap. Both swaps are international, have only one partner, and are open to swappers with a 4.9 rating. Come join me and make some crafty Valentines!

Speaking of Valentines, did you know that you can download free Swap-bot-themed Valentines to print and share? Get the Valentine PDF here!

3 Comments » Categories: Weekly Featured Swap

Dec 23rd 2011 05:12:22 pm

Doesn’t Crusher look thrilled to be posing for our photo? Despite his sour expression, the three of us are very happy and thankful to have had another great year with Swap-bot! Thank you for being a part of this fun, creative, generous community. Here’s to many more years of happy swapping!

And, what did I get you for your holiday present? Well, lots of links, of course! Enjoy!

• You might have already seen them, but how cool are these Star Wars snowflakes?!
• Need gift tags for the big day? Download one of the amazing free tags from Creature Comforts’ round up of printables.
• I love these simple, festive topped jars.
• A stylish 12 days of Christmas gift list.
• Need a fun craft project for tomorrow? How about these pretty yarn-wrapped wreath ornaments?
• Or, these fun ice cream cone ornaments?
• Yum! Who knew jello could be so festive! Check out these egg nog jelly shots and fruitcake jelly shots.
• Also yum: Chocolate Nutella & Sea Salt Fudge.
• And a little more yum: Chocolate peppermints.
• Need a healthier treat alternative for the kiddos? This banana and strawberry “candy cane” idea is brilliant.
• For LOLZ: a funny and adorable knitted meerkat nativity set.

Have an amazing holiday weekend!! xoxox

1 Comment » Categories: friday link love