October is here! Are you planning a party for Halloween? There are some awesome party ideas and products over on Etsy, like the adorable felt garland from Fuzz On Me seen above. Here are just a few that caught my eye…

Share your favorite Halloween Etsy picks in the comments!

I was having trouble finding a multitude of quality links for you last week, but this week I seem to have hit the motherlode! Enjoy!

• Love this tutorial for geometric paint and glitter pendants on Well It’s Okay. So easy and pretty! (The fantastic pendants are seen above.)
• Another simple and pretty tutorial: Mini tassel garland on La La Lovely.
• I want to make some of these painted polka dot bottles.
• Just some lovely paper and postal ephemera to covet.
• My Paper Crane is showcasing awesome Halloween projects all month, like these Jack-o-lantern pot pies and this bat chandelier.
• Speaking of Halloween, these free printables and this pom pom garland could come in handy!
• Want to see what an exploding ball of yarn looks like?
• I needed to know this: How to remove wax from glass candle containers.
• Google tricks!
• Just for fun: Is this the Apopalypse?
• Your S’more of the week: S’more rice krispie treats from Bakers Royale.

Have an awesome end of September!

The Holocaust Museum Butterfly Project #2 Swap is completed and the collected butterflies will be mailed off to the Houston Holocaust Museum asap.

The swap was organized by Leashah and TerryF and they compiled these Final Numbers:

• 4100 Butterflies (The ones seen above were made by bluehairedmary.)

• 224 Submissions
• 25 Countries
• 42 US States Represented
• A special mention must be made of JMM876 who made over 1,000 origami butterflies!

Wow! What impressive numbers! And, what a great swap and project! Thank you to everyone who participated and especially to the organizers, Leashah and TerryF.

You can view all of the submitted butterflies on Flickr here.

It is hard to believe, but I am still making my way through the hundreds of amazing postcards that Travis and I received for the “Thank You Swap-bot” swap that happened in June. There are just so many wonderful notes and handmade postcards that I am taking my time going through them and thanking each sender.

Above are postcards from MissiveMaven, FarStarr, LauraDiamong, KindledWhimsy, angellarae, and mskadie.

The kind notes about Swap-bot are very meaningful and appreciated. Running this website for more that seven years has been fun and rewarding, but it also entails dealing with 24-hour complaints and problems. It can be overwhelming… so knowing that there are many users who are enjoying the site keeps us motivated. Thank you so much for your support!

And now, some fun links to enjoy this week:

• Who will be attending the indie biz and craft conference Craftcation 2013?!
• Crafty Green Projects that Recycle Markers and Pens
• I love this wild, colorful fabric scrap quilt!
• Check out this cute new Tumblr blog from illustrator Lucy Knisley: SnackLove. It has simple recipes and cute illustrated food.
• Craft this cute, felt Crayon Booklet for a child in your life… or just for you!
• The Hand Written Letter Project
• Two S’mores this week: exquisite S’more Cupcakes from Bakers Royale and outrageous Giant S’more Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies from Smells Like Home.
• (And if you want to be a bit more healthy: 101 Saladas.)

Happy Monday and happy swapping!

A few weeks ago, a group of four Swap-botters — JenHuff, ConnieW, Lilspotteddog, and LauraAust — met up in Columbus, Ohio, for some scrapbooking, crafting, and fun! (ConnieW, Lilspotteddog, and LauraAust are seen above in their crafting diva crowns. Gorgeous!)

JenHuff sent the following report: “I can’t get over LauraAust driving 12 hours one way to meet up! We really did have a blast and ate wayyyyy toooooo much! It was all worth it! I’m already planning for next year.” (JenHuff and Lilspotteddog are seen below looking cute in a giant rocking chair.)

See more photos from the meet-up in JenHuff’s Flickr set.

Planning a meet-up with other Swap-bot users? I’d love to share your photos and report here on the blog. Send me details at rachel-at-swap-bot.com.

So sad. Summer is over. We might as well enjoy these lovely links and the remaining sunshine…

• 75 Chalkboard paint projects.
• How To: Recycled Paper Wreath for Fall on Crafting a Green World.
• Read Swap-botter Jaichan’s new food blog, Let’s Eat Sydney!
• Download this adorable September calendar from Creature Comforts.
• Easy DIY confetti table cloth.
• Kids in the Craft Room: Duct Tape Bracelets.
• The Next Best Thing to Robert Redford (a dessert recipe!)
• Your S’more of the week? S’more Dip!

What are you doing this weekend? Any craft projects?

The winner of the Art Unlimited Postcard Giveaway is BrooklynBridge!!

Thank you all for entering the drawing and sharing your postcard stories. Thank you to Art Unlimited for generously sponsoring the giveaway.

Why in the world does my to-do list always seem to get longer by Friday instead of shorter? Oh well, there is always time for a few good links…

• I love candy, so the colorful art installation (like the one seen above) by artists Pip & Pop make me very happy!
• Free, cute, printable, mini, quilt block cards from Wild Olive.
• Yum. “Rice krispie cereal mixed with Peanut Butter Captain Crunch and tossed with miniature Reese’s peanut butter cup” to make Reeses Rice Krispie Treats.
• This photo series is fascinating.
• Very Pretty! DIY Daisy Lollipops with real flowers!
• The Tiniest Disco Party is adorable.

• Ok. That would work… How to open a tin can without a can opener.</li>

  • 61 Things Learned At The National Hobo Convention
  • Your S’more of the week: How to create a lovely S’more gift.</ul>

  What are you doing this weekend?

A few random links for you to peruse…

• The lovely DIY seen above: Button Charm Bracelet.
• Cool. The Snail Mail My Email book is now available for pre-order.
• Join in on the third annual international Etsy Craft Party!
• Wow. Your new boyfriend is looking good!
• Worst craft idea ever?
• Help bring Star Trek: The Next Generation pinball to iPhones everywhere!
• S’mores of the week: Mini S’more Hand Pies and No-bake S’more Bars.

Share more links in the comments!

Are you a postcard lover?! Are you always looking for new and unique postcards to send in swaps? Well, you are in luck… Art Unlimited, a great online resource for art postcards, is sponsoring a big postcard giveaway!

Art Unlimited offers thousands of different postcards with a wide range of subject matter, from black and white photography to painting to holiday themes. For this giveaway, they sent a variety pack of 20 postcards, some of which are seen above.

To enter to win the Art Unlimited postcard giveaway, comment on this post with your answer to the following question: What is the best postcard you have ever received? Remember to include your Swap-bot username in your comment. The giveaway will be open for entry until Sunday, August 26th. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Monday, August 27th. Good luck!