Aug 6th 2009 09:18:25 am

I found a fun new blog to share with you called Indie Icing. It showcases the “sweetest finds in handmade” by featuring the authors’ (Jessica, Christen, and Robin) favorite picks from Etsy.com and other handmade marketplaces. I sometimes find it intimidating to dive right into Etsy to try to find the best stuff, so I appreciate sources like Indie Icing that help me discover the most talented handmade sellers. The blog is divided into different categories including the general Sweet Finds, Mini Monday collages, Business Basics, and Giveaways . All of the sellers and items featured on Indie Icing are independently chosen and are not influenced by advertising, which makes it feel more like a curated show rather than a promotional tool. The site is updated multiple times per week with new finds and beautiful images. I recommend it to anyone who likes to admire and buy quality handmade goods.

p.s. You can also follow Indie Icing on Twitter.

1 Comment » Categories: blog review

Aug 3rd 2009 06:52:36 am

This week we are featuring another Swap-bot-themed swap. This one is the Ernie the Envie themed craft swap hosted by MyAliceFair . Ernie is the Swap-bot logo/mascot and for the swap you must create crafts which include his likeness. Here is some more info from the swap description:

“For this swap you will have 1 partner. You will send this partner 2 Ernie the Envie themed handmade crafts of your choice. It could be an Ernie themed ATC, an Ernie Stuffie, An Ernie art collage, an Ernie phone charm, An Ernie handmade anything!”

The swap is open for sign up through the end of August and all participants must have participated in at least five prior mail swaps and have over a 4.9 overall rating. I have signed up and can’t wait to get started on my Ernie crafts!!

For ideas of what to make, check out some of the great Ernie projects that have already been featured here on the blog. I would love to share photos of any of the finished projects from the Ernie the Envie themed craft swap on the blog, as well. Send me your photos to rachel [at] Swap-bot.com. Happy swapping!

1 Comment » Categories: Weekly Featured Swap

Aug 2nd 2009 08:58:41 am

In order to make Swap-bot a safer place, we have been listening to user suggestions and have decided to tighten some of the swapping restrictions. The changes we have planned will be implemented in stages so that there is time to adjust and get used to the new system.

The first changes we are making are to the automatic partial suspension system:

Currently, a user is auto suspended (which prevents them from signing up for new swaps and leaving poor ratings) when they have received more than three 1 ratings within the past six months. There is also currently a loophole which prevents users with over a 4.9 rating from being suspended no matter how many 1s they have received. Our very first change will be to remove the 4.9 loophole from the auto suspensions system. That change will be released tonight. That means, that anyone with more than three 1 ratings within the past six months will be auto suspended. The 4.9 loophole was created to protect very prolific swappers, but now that many more people have participated in hundreds of swaps, the loophole seems to be more trouble than help. (Also being released with the changes tonight will be the option for group founders to Dismiss/Cancel pending group invites within their group members page. Finally.)

The second change that will be made to the auto suspension system is to reduce the number of 1 ratings it takes to become auto suspended. We are going to reduce the number of 1s needed for suspension to more than two. That means that once you receive your third 1 rating within six months, you will be automatically partially suspended. This change will happen in a few weeks and there will be more announcements before it happens.

Another change that we are planning for the near future will put more restrictions on who can host a swap. We plan to only allow users to host swaps once they have completed five swaps and received five 5 ratings. This change will be implemented in a few weeks and there will be more info/announcements about the change before it happens.

I hope this early notice will help make these changes go smoothly and not shock anyone too much! They shouldn’t make too much of a difference to established Swap-bot swappers, but if you do have some recent 1s on your account you might want to work on getting them rectified as soon as possible.

Let us know if you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns.

No Comments » Categories: Feature Discussion