FaveCrafts.com is an awesome craft website that has thousands of free craft projects, home decor ideas, and DIY tips. I have subscribed to their email newsletter for quite a while and was super-pumped when they announced their FaceCrafts Valentine’s Card Swap.

For the swap, each participant creates three Valentine’s cards — one for each of their three partners. “Cards can be designed and made however you want, as long as they’re homemade. This means die-cutting, sewing, photo-shopping, glitter, etc. Make sure the design you choose is easy enough to make multiples of, because you’ll have to make 3.” The swap is a great way to get your creative juices flowing and get some lovely Valentine’s mail in return!

The FaceCrafts Valentine’s Card Swap is currently in the “Top Swap” position on Swap-bot, with over 90 participants already signed up! But, there is still time to participate! Sign up for the swap before this Friday, February 4th, and start spreading the Valentine’s Day love!

——

p.s. Friday is also the last day to sign up for the I Love Swap-bot Ultimate Swap and get your bonus pack of Swap-bot goodies!

Lots of Valentines and party stuff this week…

• Isn’t that necklace above adorable?! It is actually made out of gumballs! It would make fantastic Valentine’s Day gift and the instructions for making it is over on One Charming Party.
• I have parties on the brain since I have a birthday coming up… here are some fun online shops with great party supplies: Layer Cake Shop, Plum Party, Shop Sweet Lulu, TOPS Malibu.
• DIY Valentine decor round-up on Dollar Store Crafts.
• Valentine printables round-up on Kind Over Matter.
• Cupcakes with a heart inside!
• Add you Valentine craft link to Craft Critique’s Valentine Craft Carnival for a chance to win $25 from Claudia & Company.
• I just discovered this charming, new, online magazine: Matchbook Magazine.
• FunkyFinds.com has an extensive calendar of crafty events happening around the US and the world.
• Sign up for the P.S. I Made This newsletter before February 9th for a chance to win the big DIY craft closet giveaway.
• If you are in the NY area, you should come to Monday’s Etsy Labs Craft Night with Heidi Kenney. I’ll be there!

Have a great weekend!

Etsy.com is hosting a Success Symposium here in Brooklyn on Tuesday, February 8th. The event is a day-long conference at the Etsy headquarters for Etsy sellers that will help them take their small businesses to the next level. There will be workshops and talks led by industry experts, plus food, and a fun, in-person swap hosted by us, Swap-bot, at the end of the day! Learn more about the speakers and details here.

The sad news is that all of the tickets for the event are sold out. BUT WAIT! As one of the sponsors of the event, I have three scholarships available to give to three Swap-bot members who would like to attend the event. If you are in the New York CIty area (or will be on February 8th) and have an active Etsy store and Swap-bot account, you can apply to win one of the scholarships!

Apply today by sending me the information listed below to [email protected]:

**Your full name:

Your email address:

Your Swap-bot username:

Etsy Username:

Link to your Etsy store:

Description of your product line:

Your 2011 goals for your Etsy business:**

Please only apply if you are seriously interested in attending the all-day symposium. All applications must be emailed to me by Thursday, January 27th, at 6 pm EST. I will contact the scholarship winners on Friday. (The Success Symposium scholarships only provide the conference ticket — not any travel expenses.)

If you won’t be in NY for the Symposium, don’t fret. The event will also be broadcasted live on the Etsy site!

What could be better that a swap honoring the ‘bot? I say, nothing! If you are a fan of Swap-bot, you must check out kheidedios’s swap: I ♥ Swap-bot Ultimate Swap.

For the swap, you make an ATC, a handmade postcard, and a matchbox for your one partner. All of your creations must incorporate Ernie the Envie (seen below).

More info from the swap description: “Fill your matchbox with brads, buttons, ribbons, faux postages or other little embellishments. It may also be swap-bot themed or what you think your partner may use. Anything goes, but make sure you send something you would love to receive. For your postcards, you can do a collage, doodle or whatever. At the back, write why you love swap-bot and a tip on how you keep track of your swaps. Don’t forget to include your name, your swap-bot username, and your email address in your package.” Sign up before February 4th, and send before the 18th.

If you need some inspiration, check out my Flickr Gallery of Ernie Creations and the Ernie matchbox I made last year.

Bonus!! Everyone who sign up for this swap (and completes it) will get a pack of Ernie the Envie postcards in the mail straight from Swap-bot headquarters!!

The Winter Donation Drive to benefit The Partnership for the Homeless has now ended… and I couldn’t be more happy with the result!! More than one hundred Swap-bot members donated to the drive and we collected 325 hats, sets of gloves, and scarves! You all sent in everything from leather gloves to hand knit hats, and even a Coach brand scarf was in the mix! Fancy! There were baby mittens, cashmere scarves, crocheted wool hats, and everything in between. Look at all of this winter weather gear:

I dropped off that giant bag of donations at The Partnership for the Homeless offices on Friday. The offices were bustling with people and the donation was happily received. Thank you to everyone who participated in this drive! It really was an awesome experience to receive all your hats, gloves, and scarves, and to donate them to such a busy, local charity.

As for the rating removal incentive… only about 1/3 of those who donated opted to use the rating removal credit at this time. Permanent admin notes have been made on the accounts of all those who participated. The rating removal credits can be used for the removal of future ratings, but we ask that all ratings removed in exchange for this donation program be six months old at the time of removal and/or that all attempts have been made to rectify the situation with your partner.

Thanks, again! xoxo

Just a bit of self-promotion this week: I am hosting my annual February Love Matchbox Swap. It is a very easy craft swap — just make one decorated and filled matchbox in a Valentine or February theme to send to your one partner. The swap is international and open to excellent new users and anyone with over a 4.9 rating. Sign up before January 28th!

Oh gosh, it is cold in New York! I am having a hard time warming up. Hopefully, these fun links will warm your heart with internet goodness! (ha! too much cheese?)

• There is a great Valentine Round-up over on Party Perfect, including the cute kid Valentine’s seen above (originally from Martha Stewart Kids).
• Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all lovey-dovey… why not host a Valentine Crafternoon Party for you and your friends, like this one featured o Martha Stewart?
• Crafts for Health – “CRAFTING IS THE SECRET WEAPON. . .in helping people improve their health, feel better and make something they feel good about.”
  • Check out the awesome new website of your fellow Swap-bot user, TheCraftaholic.
  • This is an interesting 30-day blog or journal prompt: 30 Days of Truth.
  • An adorable new dessert blog I just found: Cookies and Cups. I am definitely making the Popcorn Cake!
  • If you live in the Chicago area, check out the Chicago Craft Social on January 22nd. (FYI: You need to register for tickets.)
  • No matter where you live, mark your calendar for the February CraftSocial.net Tweet-up on the 8th from 2-4pm EST. If you have participate in past Craft Social conversations, you might be interested in the <a href=http://craftsocial.net/?p=280”>I Heart Craft Social Swap</a> hosted right here, on Swap-bot!
  • Check out this awesome hand-carved Ernie the Envie stamp made by user, hollycm6 for thehappyhoneybee. Love it! (I also love this wonderful post about Swap-bot by thehappyhoneybee.</ul> Have a warm weekend!

You already know that I like Valentine’s Day. I blame my love of the holiday on the fact that my birthday is just four days earlier. I’ve always loved sending and receiving valentines, so this week I’ve picked a bunch of lovely paper cards (like the beautiful one above from Atellier22) that can be sent in February or anytime you want to send some love!

The deadline for donating to the Swap-bot Winter Donation Drive to benefit The Partnership for the Homeless has now passed… but let me tell you, I am so incredibly impressed with the response to this program! I am still going through some of the last packages to get the final count (and waiting on just a few more from those who’ve contacted me), but we received donations from approximately 100 Swap-bot members!! I haven’t made a final count of all the items donated, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we have over 300 hats, gloves, and scarves. Amazing!

Thank you to everyone who donated!

Here is the most recent photo of the donation packages I picked up at our mailbox:

I am taking all of our donations to The Partnership for the Homeless offices on Friday. I will take photos of the huge pile of winter gear before I go and post another update once everything has been dropped off. This donation drive has exceeded my expectations and I hope that we can make it an annual event. xoxo

It is that time of year… whether you hate Valentine’s Day or love it, it will be here soon! And this week I chose a unique valentine swap to feature: Very Visible Valentines hosted by Corazon. The aim of the swap is for each participant to send valentines through the mail that all viewers can enjoy. From the swap description:

_Don’t hide your Valentine’s Day emotions in a plain white envelope, let the love show! This is your chance to share Valentine’s Day with your mail carrier, post office, your partner’s mail carrier as well as your partner!</p>

Make a Valentine’s Day postcard or decorate an envelope in a Valentine’s Day theme. Here are some thoughts:

• heart shaped card
• sequins/jewels
• beads
• glitzy sewing trim
• fun color combos such as pink/purple or black/red/silver
• old Valentine pictures or quotes
• fun magazine pictures

You will be making 2 Valentines, sending 1 to each of 2 partners. You will have 3 weeks after the last sign up day to make your cards, so please make something you would be proud to receive. Have fun and make sure you leave a Valentine’s Day message for your partner so he/she knows who you are to rate you!</i>

Any swapper with over a 4.8 rating is welcome to join, but sign up fast! The sign up deadline is this Friday, the 14th. Whether you in love with the holiday or not, this is your chance to make and receive some unique Valentine’s greetings!