Just a few fun links for you this week…

• Fun and trendy: Make fabric scrap bracelets.
• From DesignSponge, super-simple recycled party decorations made from items you already have on hand.
• This crocheted fox phone cozy tutorial is too cute!

• 26 Clever And Inexpensive Crafting Hacks.
• Check out this fun airmail-themed purse! (Nice find, Candyn29!)
• Your S’mores of the week: lots of creative and unique S’more recipe ideas from Cooking Classy.

Have a good weekend!

It is quite difficult to stay focused on computer work today. The unfolding situations in Boston and Texas are on my mind and my heart is heavy. I can’t seem to tear myself away from the news, but perhaps I should. A little light-hearted distraction might be helpful…

Here are some of the crafty links I came across this week:

• Check out these amazing and absolutely beautiful cakes.
• Pretty daffodil crafts.
• Need craft supplies? I just discovered this new online store: Save on Crafts.
• Doing some spring cleaning and need to GET RID of some craft supplies? The Craft Dept has some ideas for donating supplies.

• This is exciting! Swap-bot member TangleCraft’s Project Dissimulation is featured on CraftyPod!
• I like this smart DIY Rotating Goal List that uses Post-it notes.
• Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up May 6-10th. I love this cute S’more teacher gift idea.
• Mother’s Day is May 12th. Why not make this cute MOM frame for your sweet mama?
• Yum. Buttered popcorn chocolate chip cookies.

Please be safe. Take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Spread love. Spread peace.

Hello and happy Friday! There was a lot going on this week… including an internet outage here at Swap-bot HQ… but I still found a bunch of great links that I just had to share. Have fun!

• Garland is just about the hotest thing going in the craft world these days… but this adorable DIY donut garland from Icing Designs (seen above) is a fun and fresh take. I love it!
• These Wood and Neon Lanyard Necklaces from Martha Stewart look like a cool craft project.
• In time for Earth Day on the 22nd, Sixteen Recycling Crafts for Kids. (And grown ups, too!)
• Yes! Airmail washi tape!
• These mini balloon placecards on Oh Happy Day would be so cute at a birthday party.
• Yum! I want to make these Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles.
• Read this great piece on the Harvard Business Review blog about the importance of handwritten notes.
• Check out this fancy stationery subscription servie, Nicely Noted.
• I don’t know how I feel about this new service: Outbox. They receive all of your snail mail for you, scan it, and send you digital copies. Interesting.
• In the NYC area?? Plan to attend the Spring Handmade Cavalcade on May 4th. Swap-bot is a sponsor!
• I think this counts as your S’more of the week: Six-Layer Chocolate Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Filling.

Happy, happy weekend!

I started posting handmade marketplace picks three years ago with my first post showcasing some fun snail mail-themed Etsy picks. There is so much fun handmade stuff out there, I thought it was time to revisit the mail theme…

The buttons above feature bird postage stamps from all over the world. Swap-bot member TangleCrafts created them as part of the special Project Dissimulation she is working on:

“I designed Project Dissimulation as a distraction when my dad was recently diagnosed with bowel cancer, but I hope it will allow me to help in some small way, too. The entire cover price from the sale of these badges will be donated to Beating Bowel Cancer – a charity with a very positive approach to bowel cancer awareness.”

Check out her zines, too! Very cool and for a great cause!

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A few more cute snail mail picks to browse….

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What are your favorite Etsy stores?

Just a few links this week…

• A very cute idea from Dollar Store Crafts: DIY Faux Washi Tape Magnets.
• Decorating eggs this weekend? Here are six sweet and simple ideas.
• How to make an adorable Needle Felted Alien.
• The Etsy blog has a cool tutorial for a DIY Pressed Flower iPhone Case.
• Yummmmm. Cadbury Crème Egg Ice Cream.
• Woah. This Rainbow Sprinkle Cake is out of control!
• Wish you could get your hand on some cute Swap-bot postcards? Now you can! Buy Swap-bot swag here.

Have a lovely weekend!

There has been some interest expressed in purchasing Swap-bot swag, so I thought I’d put up a little temporary store to fulfill the demand.

Right now, I have two options for purchase:

Ernie Postcard 10-pack USA – $7

You will receive 10 Ernie postcards, plus 2 additional bonus postcards and a few surprise extras from me. Price includes shipping within the USA.

No longer available. Check back later.

Ernie Postcard 10-pack International – $12

Price includes international shipping.

No longer available. Check back later.

Ernie Postcard 10-pack and Swap-bot Button Combo USA – $10

You will receive 10 Ernie postcards, four different Swap-bot buttons as shown above, plus 2 additional bonus postcards and a few surprise extras from me.

No longer available. Check back later.

Ernie Postcard 10-pack and Swap-bot Button Combo International – $15

Price includes international shipping.

No longer available. Check back later.

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Please make sure to purchase the correct item based on your shipping location. International shipping prices have really increased, so I must reflect that in the prices. I will ship your items out within three business days of your order. I will mail to the address listed on your Paypal account.

Thank you so much for supporting Swap-bot!

You guys! I am so sorry to leave you link-less for so long! We were doing a little blog maintenance, but now we’re back… And, man oh man, I’ve collected a major list of fun links just for you… Enjoy!

Easter-y & Spring-y Stuff:

• Isn’t that bunny with a little baby cute?! It was made by Going Home To Roost from a Kata Golda pattern. The tutorial is here.
• I think these Photo Portrait Easter Eggs are genius.
• And, wouldn’t a tasty macaron make a great Easter egg surprise?!
• Need more egg ideas? Try one of these 10 Trendy Easter Egg Ideas.
• Or, make some of these colorful paper egg ornaments.
• Lots of projects in this round-up: Easter Crafts for Kids.
• It sounds ambitious, but how delicious would Homemade Cadbury Creme Eggs be?!

General Crafty Fun Stuff:

• Fashion forward and crafty: DIY Embroidery Thread Wrapped Earrings.
• Seven ways to make a ruffle.
• Yum! I WILL make these chocolate + marshmallow + peanut butter Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars.
• Got extra buttons? Make this Blossoming Button Ring!
• This mini accordion book with pockets and tags is so adorable! Find the full tutorial here.
• Ucreate has some pretty smart craft & cleanup tips.
• Did anyone attend QuiltCon? It looks like it was a great event!
• Speaking of quilts, this monster quilt is ridiculously great!
• So… we may not be losing Saturday USPS delivery after all?

What fun websites have you been visiting during March? Leave your links in the comments!

I am excited to share the news that Swap-bot is featured in the current issue of PaperCrafter Magazine! (It hits UK newsstands on March 28th.) Swap-bot is mentioned on pages 26 & 27 in Elaine Bennett’s article, Going Postal. The article explains how Swap-bot works and displays my photo of February matchboxes. And, Swap-bot user Aankee is interviewed about her postal hobbies on the article sidebar. So cool! I hope the mention attracts a few new European swappers!

A few of the other postal mail projects and sites also mentioned in the article:

Postcrossing – for sending Postcards all over the world!

Post Pals – a charity dedicated to sending mail to sick children.

Anchor & Sing – Aankee’s personal blog.

A Month of Letters – daily letter writing challenge.

The Postcard Happiness Project – a postal kindness initiative.

Mail Me Art – a mail art project and book.

Coleman’s Craft Warehouse – for supplies.

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PaperCrafter Magazine is mostly sold in the UK, but you can follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can get an international subscription or sign up for their email newsletter.

Thank you, PaperCrafter, for including us in your postal round-up!

Today is Crusher’s 5th birthday! He is such a good dog and a great assistant here at Swap-bot HQ.

Crusher doesn’t really like party hats, but he definitely loves birthday treats and he’ll be getting plenty of those today!

Our hope is that Swap-bot can help facilitate creativity and friendships all around the world, so we LOVE hearing about real life Member meet-ups!

Gooseberry sent in this report of a recent meet-up in Georgia:

_A repeat meet-up was enjoyed by swappers TerryF and gooseberry. On March 1, 2013, TerryF flew into the Jacksonville, FL airport and was brought back to Georgia by gooseberry. The friends met up last year in January and had planned for a bit warmer weather this year. This was not to be so, as it was unseasonably cold in Coastal Georgia. TerryF, being Canadian, managed quite well. The same cannot be said for gooseberry. No matter the chill in the air, the friends’ hearts were warmed by being able to visit with each other in person once again.</p>

The next day, on March 2nd, they departed on a 3-hour drive to Middle Georgia to meet up with Paige1900 and DiagonAlley at Lane’s Packing Plant and peach orchard. Despite a bit of a “scenic tour”, TerryF and gooseberry arrived and were greeted with warm hugs on a very cold day. The friends enjoyed lunch at the orchard and Paige1900 treated TerryF and gooseberry to the best peach ice cream in the world. DiagonAlley is more of a chocolate ice cream girl. It’s never too cold to enjoy ice cream, whatever the flavor!

TerryF and gooseberry found Paige1900 to be beautiful and just as wonderful in person as she is on Swap-bot. Her daughter, DiagonAlley looks like a carbon copy of her lovely mother and her company was much enjoyed as well.

Plans are already being discussed for more meet-ups between the friends.</i>

In the photo, from left to right: TerryF, gooseberry, Paige1900 and DiagonAlley.

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Any time you meet up with other Swap-bot members, please take photos and send me your report. I love sharing them on the blog.