Jan 31st 2009 06:08:41 am

This month’s giveaway is for a Doodlebug True Love Essentials Kit. Doodlebug is one of my favorite scrapbooking brands. Their stuff is always exceptionally cute! The kit includes one True Love Sugar Coated Cardstock Sticker Sheet, one Loopy Love accent satin ribbon, one package of Ladybug colored jewels, one package of Cupcake colored brads, one 12” x 12” sheet of Valentine Argyle accent paper, one 12” x 12” sheet of Heart Strings accent paper, one 12” x 12” sheet of Ladybug Picnic accent paper, one 12” x 12” sheet of Very Cherry accent paper, and six 12” x 12” sheets of assorted cardstock.

To enter the drawing for this giveaway simply comment on this blog post with your answer to the following question:

What is your favorite handmade valentine memory, given or received? does paxil have antihistamine effect

Each person can only enter this giveaway once. You must have a Swap-bot account in good standing (not suspended) with a valid mailing address to enter. You must include your Swap-bot username somewhere in your comment. You must comment on or before Friday, February 20th, to be entered in the drawing. The winner will be randomly drawn on Saturday, February 21st. Obviously, this lovey-dovey kit won’t arrive to the winner in time to make Valentine’s, but it would work great for scrapbooking the holiday or making love notes. If you have trouble commenting on the blog, you can send me an email at rachel [at] swap-bot.com. Good luck!

95 Comments » Categories: Giveaways

Jan 30th 2009 12:07:33 pm

Hi, everyone! Can you believe that the first month of 2009 is just about done?! Time is accelerating!

Anyhoo… here are some fun links for your weekend enjoyment:

• Hello Craft reports that “DIY and the Rise of the Cottage Industry” is a major trend for 2009. Power to the crafters!!
• Have you tried Polyvore? “Polyvore is a free, easy-to-use web-based application for mixing and matching images from anywhere on the web. It is also a vibrant community of creative and stylish people. Polyvore lets you create sets composed of individual images using an easy to use, drag and drop editor.” You can use the site to create cute collages of outfits, or room decor, or really anything that you want.
• Have I already posted this in the past? Martha Stewart’s personal craft room. Drool.
• These crocheted scissors are so cute!
• If you like tea, you need to check out the tea wallet tutorial from Christy’s Creations. Very handy & cute.

No Comments » Categories: friday link love

Jan 29th 2009 05:58:31 pm

I just created an off-site Swap-bot wiki where Swap-bot users and I can work together to compile helpful info about Swap-bot. Right now the Swap-bot wiki is being hosted and run on PBwiki.com. We have plans to incorporate the wiki into the main Swap-bot site eventually, but I could not wait to get it started. I know that you all have so much helpful info to share!! I think many of you know more about Swap-bot than I do!

So, what is a wiki? A wiki is a page or collection of pages on the internet designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content. The Swap-bot wiki is a knowledge and info center which is intended to supplement the Frequently Asked Questions and About pages. It will be a place where new and old users alike can go for current site and crafty info. Right now the wiki contains the following info ares: Frequently Asked Questions, Rules and Policies, Craft and Swap Term Glossary, and Press Room. I have only added a very small amount of info so far and we may have to reorganize it as we go, but it is a start!

Do you want to get involved and add info to the Swap-bot wiki? Just comment here or send me an email at rachel [at] swap-bot.com and I will email you an invitation to become a writer on the Swap-bot wiki. Writers can edit and add content to the wiki, and/or you can get email updates when the wiki is updated by others. I will be checking in on the wiki as often as possible and editing content, so don’t worry about messing any thing up.

Ok, so let’s get started! Let me know if you want to become wiki writer!

No Comments » Categories: Announcements, New Features

Jan 29th 2009 11:02:20 am

We are all starting to get an idea of how crummy the economy is lately. Finding extra cash for crafting and swapping is getting more and more difficult. Well, Heather Mann (of Croq Zine fame) has come to our rescue! She created Dollar Store Crafts last September to bring together simple, fun, inexpensive craft ideas and tutorials. All of the crafts use materials purchased at dollar stores, at dollar sections in stores, or at discount stores for $1 or less. The projects featured on the site range from silly and wacky to high-concept projects that are inspired by high-end designers like Prada. New project ideas and tutorials are posted to Dollar Store Crafts each day, and they are curated from across the internet and from the site’s readers. All of the craft projects are intended to cost ten dollars or much less, but they do assume that you have some supplies on hand, like scissors and glue.

If you are ready for recession-proof crafting help, Dollar Store Crafts is the place to go. You will be amazed with the kinds of things you can make with just a few dollars!

2 Comments » Categories: blog review

Jan 26th 2009 12:17:35 pm

Despite the poor economic climate, swapping can still be affordable and lots of fun! This week’s featured swap is the No-Spending Swap III hosted by Banshee. For this swap, each participant sends their one partner items that they already have on hand. From the swap description:

“For swappers who are low on cash or have a growing stash of nice but unused/not-needed swap items. The objective of this swap is to not spend any money to buy items for the swap, but to send items you already have. What to send? You will send at least 3 items, worth about US$5, to your swap partner. Examples of swap items can be, but not limited to, embroidery floss, fat quarters, assorted teas, stationery, postcards, stickers, etc.”

The sign up deadline for this international swap is February 5th and new users are welcome to participate if they have a full profile. The send deadline for the No-Spending Swap III is February 14th. This swap is a great reminder that we still have valuable things to share even during a recession!

No Comments » Categories: Weekly Featured Swap

Jan 26th 2009 11:14:10 am

The (randomly chosen) winner for the January Crop-a-Dial Giveaway is ArtsyAthina! She will be receiving the new, pink Crop-a-Dial scrapbooking tool. Congrats, ArsyAthina!

Here is ArtsyAthina’s answer to the question, What is one way you preserve special memories?

:

ArtsyAthina on 04 Jan 2009: “I too love to make shrines, and take tons of pictures!!!!!
I also like making mini scrapbooks, for small but significant events in my life.”

Thanks to everyone who entered the drawing. I loved reading all of the comments about how you preserve memories. I have ben inspired by many of the ideas! There will be another giveaway announced at the beginning of February, so check back.

xoxo

1 Comment » Categories: Giveaways

Jan 23rd 2009 12:53:34 pm

This is a really random group of crafty-ish links for you today, but enjoy!

• Craft: magazine is hosting a Valentine’s Day Project Contest. It is easy to enter (the deadline is February 9th) and the winners receive a free Craft: subscription!
• Need to laugh today? Well, the world of handmade is not always pretty and Craftastrophe “showcases those crafts that are funny, weird, strange and make us laugh.” (Catastrophe is also nominated for best art, craft, or design weblog in the 2009 Weblog Awards. Go vote!)
• Check out the Canon Creative Park for tons of great paper and photo craft project ideas.
• Speaking of paper crafts, Nanibird offer free downloadable paper birdie templates. Cute!
• One more fun link for you: If you love Polaroid photographs, you must try Poladroid, “the easiest and funniest Polaroid image maker.” You download the free software and then you can make cool digital polaroids out of any image!

No Comments » Categories: friday link love

Jan 22nd 2009 04:53:25 pm

If you enjoy any type of graphic or textile design you will love print & pattern, a prolific design blog that “celebrates the world of surface pattern design” and collects all types of printed design images. It is updated multiple times per day with up-close, color images of fun patterns and printed greeting card designs. You can always go to print & pattern to find new inspiration for all types of crafts and design ideas! I visit everyday just to keep up with the trends and to see what is out there in the commercial design world. Many of the posts are organized by a theme (like sausage dogs), but often new designers or brands are featured. There are so many images and so many posts — the blog was started in March 2006 — that you are sure to find a pattern or design that you love on print & pattern!

No Comments » Categories: blog review

Jan 21st 2009 02:26:22 pm

imgfave.com is a simple website that I think you may find useful. It is basically a bookmarking site, like delicious or digg, but just for images. You create an imgfave account and then you can easily add any images you find on the web to your imgfave library with a handy web browser button. imgfave links to your favorite images and displays them in a clean and clear way. From the site description:

imgfave is an image bookmarking service that allows you to save all your favorite images from around the web in one convenient place. You can also subscribe to users you like to keep up to date on what they’re adding.

I think of it as something like a scrapbook or inspiration organizer. It is totally easy to use and although I just started using it, I think it will help me remember and keep track of the many beautiful things I come across on the internet each day. Check out my imgfave profile to see a few of my favorite images!

No Comments » Categories: website review

Jan 19th 2009 12:13:16 pm

This week’s featured swap is the very unique and creative Your Day Word Search swap coordinated by beckra. For this swap you create an original word search puzzle for each of your two parners based on words from your everyday life. From the swap description:

“In this swap you’ll turn your day into a sweet game for your 2 partners. Choose a particular day and come up with a list of about 15 words which relate to your experiences, emotions, and/or activities on that day. Then create a (typed) word search in which you’ve embedded those words. Include a brief description/explanation for each word on your list so that your partners get a window-via-words into your daily life.”

The Your Day Word Search swap is an international postal mail swap. New users and established swappers with at least 4.95 rating are welcome to join.

Here are some online resources you can use to create your word search:

• Word Search Maker
• Create Your Own Word Search
• Instant Online Word Search Maker

Have fun!

No Comments » Categories: Weekly Featured Swap