Some of you may already know that I (racheljohnson, your loyal Swap-bot owner, admin, blogger, and all-around, behind-the-scenes gal) am training for the New York City Marathon with Team in Training. I trained for and ran a marathon with TNT exactly 10 years ago, so this is a special anniversary for me. I love TNT – it is such a supportive and fun organization – and and I am proud to be raising money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The goal of the LLS is to find a cure for all blood cancers and to support patients and their families while they are fighting the diseases.

While I was brainstorming ways I could fundraise, Swap-bot swag kept popping into my head. Many Swap-bot members have requested a way to buy Swap-bot postcards, stickers, and buttons in the past and the opportunity has not been available while we are still working to construct an official site store. BUT, now is your chance!!! You can “purchase” a special Swap-bot swag package by donating to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society via my TNT Fundraising page. Get cute Swap-bot stuff and support a good cause! Sweet!

I will mail the following pack of items to anyone who donates $5 or more via my TNT Fundraising page:

• 7 Ernie the Envie postcards
• 2 “Love Snail Mail” postcards
• 1 original Swap-bot postcard – these are in limited supply!
• 4 Swap-bot 1″ buttons – 2 of each style
• 3 two-inch square Swap-bot stickers

Donate Now!</a></p>

Please make sure to donate via my personal TNT Fundraising page. I am alerted each time a donation is made, and I will quickly assemble a Swap-bot Swag Pack just for you! (A few wonderful Swap-bot friends have already donated, and of course, they will also be receiving a pack.)

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for your support!!

I just love party decorations, especially garland (or bunting). It can make any space more festive!

So, this week I am featuring the Mini Garland Swap hosted by Wanda. The international swap is so cute and clever. Each participant creates a mini, two-foot long garland for their one partner. The garland can be of any theme or style – sender’s choice. It can have a message, like Wanda’s seen above, or it can be plain. Each garland must contain at least twelve pennants and they must be made of something sturdier than text weight paper.

The Mini Garland Swap is only open for sign up through the 19th, so head over and read the full description if you are interested! The swap is open to international swappers with over a 4.5 rating and you’ll have until August 2nd to send your garland.

If you need some more inspiration, check out the Etsy Bunting Picks that were featured on the blog last month.

Just a handful of links for you this week…

• Adorableness alert! Mochimochi Land has a free pattern for knitting those super-cute baby gators seen above.
• For those interested in graphic design, I just discovered the Good Look Cookbook, a blog that gives tips on how to create better designs. (via ISLY)
• There was recently a wacky Jello mold competition here in Brooklyn. Check out photos from the event on the Martha Stewart Crafts Dept. blog.
• Like many people, I am an avid user of Facebook… and I used the virtual “like” button to show my approval for these real life “like” and “dislike” rubber stamps.
• Planning any parties this summer? You’ll find tons of inspiration on these two party blogs: Hip Hip Hooray! and Oh Happy Day!
• Ok, I know I’ve told you about the awesome helpfulness that is Unanimous Craft – it is a directory of crafty resources – but have I begged you to write a review of Swap-bot on UC? Let’s make Swap-bot the most viewed resource of all time!
• I am planning to attend Monday’s Etsy Craft Night in Brooklyn – the craft is felt food! Anyone else planning to be there?

Have a really fabulous weekend!!

Check out this cute crafting Minion submitted by user, ivytoad, for the Despicable Me Minion Swap. I just had to share it since Ernie the Envie makes a guest appearance and the Minion has its very own Swap-bot button! Love it!

Despicable Me will be in theaters in just two days, on the 9th, and the Minion swappers on Swap-bot have been gearing up for the movie by taking photos of their Minions all around the world! Check out some of the awesome photos that have been submitted for the swap:

Swap-bot user, mouseybrat, took her Minion to America’s hometown, Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Artistic took her Minion to Huntington Beach in Virgina to soak up some rays.

Sunnyblueskies took her Minion to the Surf ‘n Slide water park in Moses Lake, Washington USA. Thank goodness her son is a lifeguard there – I don’t know if Minions can swim!! You can see many more of her very cute photos on her Minion blog.

The Minions love NYC! Luluvision took her Minion for a Nathan’s hot dog at Coney Island, and…

my Minion spent the 4th of July relaxing on Governor’s Island, just off the southern end of Manhattan in New York.

You can view more fun photos of the Despicable Me Minions all over the world on their Facebook page and on GRUGLE Earth.

If you participated in the Minion swap and have posted your photos somewhere on the web (like Flickr or a blog), please share the link to them in the comments section.

</a>For those of us who live in the USA, this is one of the biggest holiday weekends of the year. I am excited to take some time off and enjoy the summer weather here in NYC. What will you be doing this weekend?Here are a few links in honor of the Independence Day holiday in the US: * Make the adorable Liberty Pinwheel brooch seen above using . * Very sweet red, white, and blue free to download from Creature Comforts. * from Twig & Thistle. * There are tons of over on FaveCrafts.com. * * Vintage USA: Check out these cool . * And just because I love them, I think I may try to make some of these this weekend!<div style="opacity: 0; position: absolute; left:-2848px;">

</div></p></div> Happy 4th of July to my fellow Americans!! Have a fun and safe weekend.

I don’t often feature “Type 1: Electronic” swaps as the weekly swap, but there are some great ones out there in the Swap-bot universe! So, this week I am featuring , an email swap hosted by . For the swap, you will email two photos of your own creative space (your office, craft corner, art studio, etc) with a description to each of your five partners. (Above is a photo of my office space – on a clean day – where I do all of my working and crafting.)

More instructions from the swap description:

“Please include a brief summary of what we’ll see, features you’re proud of, why exactely you need your cat sleeping in that exact place, procrastination devices we might spy 😉 … and please tell us what you’re doing there – writing, crafting, woodwork, alienating significant others, developing world domination plans…”

It is an easy email swap, but I always find it fascinating to see where other people create! New users are welcome in the swap, but everyone must have a completed profile and zero no-sends. The sign up date is coming up quickly on Monday, July 5th, so if you want to share your creative space with your fellow swappers!

Are you hosting any parties or picnics this summer? Why not do some easy and festive decorating with one of these handmade buntings (garlands?) found on :

I just love fun party decorations and these reusable buntings seem like such a better idea than the disposable ones you can buy at party stores. What do you think?

Have you heard of _Ready, Set, Create</a>?</p>

</a>I haven’t featured a postcard swap in quite a while and this one sounds like a lot of fun: hosted by . For this international swap, you alter three store-bought postcards (one for each of your three partners) by putting a hat on at least one human or animal on the front of the card. The swap description describes the requirements best: _“For this swap you will have 3 partners and you will send 1 altered postcard to each partner. The cards you send must be store bought cards which you have altered by putting a hat on at least one person, animal, or object on the front of each card. You can of course add more than one hat and alter the cards in any other way you like. You may use any method you like to alter the cards such as drawing, collage, stickers, stamping, etc, but remember that the card needs to survive the post so make it strong.</p> Please send your altered cards “naked” through the post without an envelope and use a real stamp if possible (unless your partner prefers otherwise). Don’t forget to write a nice message to each of your partners on the backs of the cards.” </i> It is a fun and easy postcard swap with a twist! All swappers with over a 4.5 rating are welcome to join. The sign up deadline for the in June 30th. <div style="opacity: 0; position: absolute; left:-3071px;">

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