Did you know? Nearly 24,000 children will be sleeping in New York municipal shelters tonight.

It is that time of year again when we can help brighten the holiday season for some of NYC’s homeless youth. Help us by donating to our 5th Annual Holiday Gift Donation Drive to benefit the Partnership for the Homeless!

The Partnership for the Homeless is a NYC charity committed to building a just and equitable society and creating lasting community change through solution-oriented programs and policy initiatives that eliminate the root causes of homelessness. They provide all sorts of services, support, and advocacy for the homeless in NYC and they would greatly appreciate our donation of new, unwrapped gifts and gift cards to be handed out to children at their Children’s Holiday Party in Brooklyn on December 6th, 2014.

Message from The Partnership for the Homeless: _</p>

We thank you for your past support and look forward to your continued sponsorship as we put on our annual Holiday Party for these children and their families. The afternoon will be magical for these children with music, games, crafts, face painters, tasty food and a picture with Santa. We hope that this will result in an abundance of laughter. The need for funding remains — we need to defray the costs for items like food, entertainment and transportation for the children and their families.

We hope to send each child home with toys, games, clothes and books, but more importantly, a smile from ear to ear. These “gifts from Santa” are only possible through donations, toy drives and the generous spirit of contributors like you. As a non-profit, we need people like you to help us make this a special afternoon.

I hope we can count on your participation once again during these tough times. Thank you for your support and wishing you a happy holiday season filled with warmth, health and happiness.

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Let’s put together a huge donation of gifts for The Partnership!!

We can accept the following items for donation: Gift cards in $10 or $20 amounts to stores like Target, Barnes and Noble, H&M, Gap, Old Navy, Forever 21, Aeropostale, and Best Buy. Gift cards must be new and unused and must be to stores that are accessible in NYC. Gift cards are the most requested item by The Partnership for the Homeless because they are versatile and good for older kids, but we can also accept new, unwrapped toys, books, and winter gear (hats, gloves, scarves, etc) donations. Read more info about what can be donated here.

Send your donations by Monday, November 24th to:

**Rachel Johnson

Swap-bot.com

285 5th Ave PMB 415

Brooklyn, NY 11215**

And here is the extra-special holiday bonus reward for your donation: Each Swap-bot member who sends in a donation of a gift card or item will earn the removal of one low (1 or 3) rating from their account!! You must mail your donation to Swap-bot headquarters (address above) by Monday, November 24th. If you do not have a poor rating on your account, you will receive a credit for one future rating removal. Each person can only earn one rating removal credit during this donation drive –- although you are welcome to donate more than one item!

The Fine Print: All ratings removed in exchange for a donation must be at least six months old and/or the user must have exhausted all options for making up the swap. The rating removal credit is meant to remove unfair or unfixable ratings — it is not a “free pass” for flaking. Everyone who donates will receive an email from me with the details of the rating removal credit. You can reply to that message any time to “cash in” your credit. I also make a permanent admin note (only visible to admin) on each donor’s account stating that they have a rating removal credit.

International option: If you are unable to purchase appropriate gift cards in your area or ship other gifts, I am willing to accept cash donations via Paypal. I will then buy a gift card in your name to donate OR donate the money directly to the Partnership for the Homeless, depending on their greater need. Use the button below to donate OR send Paypal donations to rachel -at- swap-bot.com. (Replace the -at- and spaces with @.) All Paypal donations of $10 or more will count toward a rating removal.

Use this button to donate via Paypal:

The 2014 Donation Drive is now completed.

As always, let me know if you have any questions.

Check out our past four Donation Drives:

Another Friday, another group of crazy links! There is some fun Halloween stuff and also some general craft and food goodness for you… Have fun!

• This Halloween Bundt Cake is so colorful and wild! Great for a party!
• And whip up some fast party decor with this Halloween Paper Straw Garland.
• These are just too cute and easy: Mini Donut Spiders.
• Make a cool Glow-in-the-dark Terror-arium!
• Another wacky garland idea: Mustache Ghosts!
• OR, use this free Ghost and Accessories Printable to string up something spooky.
• Easy Halloween (finger)Nail Designs for Beginners.
• Not Halloween related, but this “Cup of Tea” Mug Cozy Crochet Pattern is quite cute.
• These are too adorable: Crocheted Gnome Cork Peg Doll Ornaments. (For all those holiday ornament swaps coming up!)
• This Funfetti Cake Batter Cookie Dough Brownie Layer Cake looks absolutely decadent and insane. What an impressive birthday cake it would make!
• Your S’more of the week: S’more Dessert Trifles.

How are you prepping for Halloween next week?

Hello, swappers! We haven’t hosted a giveaway here on the blog for quite a while… so let’s get one started!!

Travis, Crusher, and I have been doing some major cleaning and organizing to make room for the arrival of our new Swap-bot team member in January. While cleaning I’ve come across a TON of awesome craft supplies and goodies that I have either been saving for a giveaway or for some special project that never materialized. I want to send these new & unused craft items to one lucky Swap-bot participant!

I am still rounding up items for the giveaway box, so I can’t tell you exactly what will be included in the prize. However, this is not your usual batch of craft supply de-stash items! Everything will be in new, unused condition and will be in its original packaging where applicable.

Some of the types of items that will be included in the prize:

• Two full craft kits
• Craft project book
• Scrapbooking embellishments
• Ribbon
• Deco tape
• Art and craft supplies
• Decorative paper pad
• Stickers
• Notecards and envelopes
• Plenty of Swap-bot postcards and swag!

Don’t get me wrong… it will definitely be a very RANDOM assortment of crafty items. But I know that one of our creative swappers will make much better use of these fun and funky supplies than I will. So, please enter to win them!!

How to enter the giveaway:

Comment on this blog post with your Swap-bot username and the answer to this question:

What are your crafting and/or swapping plans for the remainder of 2014?

You must be a member of Swap-bot to enter. The giveaway will be open for entry until Friday, October 31st. After that, I will randomly select and announce the winner on Monday, November 3rd. Good luck!

You guys! I have SO MANY great links for you this week! Some are fun Halloween ideas, but there are lots of other crafty and delicious things to choose from… Have fun!!

Halloween Links:

• These are so cute it is scary: Monster Whoopie Pies.
• Share your Halloween treats in these sweet and easy DIY Paper Ghost Packs.
• Use glow-in-the-dark fabric paint to create this awesome Pixelated Skull T-shirt.
• These Pumpkin Patties would make a quick and tasty party treat.
• Another fun way to pass out candy? In these free, printable Monster Pillow Boxes.
• Just because they are so beautiful and inspirational… check out these amazing Day of the Dead style felt skulls.
• 15 Halloween Party Appetizers.
• 10 Stunning Pumpkin Decorating DIYs.

Non-Halloween Links:

• For the fall season: Check out all of these different Pie Cookie Recipes!
• Or, how about these Ginger Snap Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches?!
• Make your own jewelry! Like this DIY Clay Chain Necklace.
• Or, these bracelets: Leather Bracelet Tutorial and DIY Lego Bracelets.
• I love this cool Wood Gemstone Garland.
• And this DIY Doormat Project.
• Get ready for the holiday season with this Roundup of Free, Printable, Gift Tags.
• YOU KNOW you want to make this adorable Guinea Pig Felt Ornament for all those ornament swaps happening now!!
• Your S’more of the week: S’mores Stuffed Cookie.

Have an awesome weekend!! …and don’t forget to share more great links in the comments…

The Ambassador program is going strong and I am excited to introduce each of the participants individually over the next few months. They are all enthusiastic, fun, active, positive members who are asked to help promote Swap-bot in their local communities.

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Meet our next Ambassador, marymary914! Marymary914 lives in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, and she has been a member of Swap-bot since 2008. Wow! She is a mom to two boys and two dogs, and she loves reading, stamping, and making ATCs!

Ambassador Region: Michigan, USA

How marymary914 found Swap-bot: “I’ve been on several book and postcard swapping sites for years, and thought I’d look up other types of swapping and found Swap-Bot! My life hasn’t been the same since.”

Why she enjoys Swap-bot: “I am a creative person (thanks, Mom, for encouraging creativity when I was young) and was looking for an outlet and a place I could learn new techniques from. I’ve been here since 2008! The members I swap with here are phenomenal and I aspire to their level of creativity on a daily basis. I tell people all the time about Swap-Bot and show them my art whenever I get the chance. And then I send it off to it’s new home with an awesome member from around the world.”

Her favorite type of swap: “By far my favorite swap to do is a Type 3, usually ATCs. I’ve done mini books and bookmarks, but I always come back to my favorite ATC groups and 2-5 swaps per month of all ATCs. ”

Check out one of marymary914’s beautiful ATCs:

See many more of her awesome swap creations in her Flickr photos.

Interesting facts about marymary914:

• I’m a respiratory therapist, wife and mom.
• I have over 500 books on my shelves (better get reading).
• I’ll be married 14 years tomorrow (May 6th) to the guy I went to Senior Prom with!
• I enjoy gardening with my oldest son. He knows as much about the plants as I do!
• We have 2 rescue dogs (one from the Michigan Humane Society and one from the Dominican Republic).
• We live about 5 miles from the Detroit city limits and no, that’s not scary like most people think. LOL
• I’m the oldest of 4 sisters and we are all pretty crafty. My one sister and I bake and decorate cakes for each others kids and each year they get fancier. Here’s one I made for my niece.

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I hope you are enjoying getting to know your fellow swappers with these Ambassador Introductions. If you are interested in awesome ATC swaps or you have some cute owl goodies to share, marymary914 is definitely the member to contact.

The Ambassador program is going strong and I am excited to introduce each of the participants individually over the next few months. They are all enthusiastic, fun, active, positive members who are asked to help promote Swap-bot in their local communities.

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Meet our next Ambassador, seraphina! Seraphina lives in Kaousiung, Taiwan, where there are 300 days of sunshine per year! She has been a member of Swap-bot since 2012. She loves tea, stationery, strawberries, and paper crafting.

Ambassador Region: Taiwan

How seraphina found Swap-bot: “I found swap-bot is because one of my friend introduce me about swap-bot, she’s also the member.”

Why she enjoys Swap-bot: “Besides learning English, I like to exchange stuff with other countries, to learn their culture, foods, life style, stamps, writing, special wrapping, etc.”

Her favorite type of swap: “I love food swaps, used stamps swaps, stationery swaps, and seasonal swaps.”

Check out one of seraphina’s food swap packages:

Interesting fact about seraphina: “I always forgot my key still IN my motorcycle’s keyhold and go away, or leave it IN motorcycle’s seat after I locked the seat… I should say I’m lucky no one steals it until I back, and my brother always takes an extra key with him just in case. (Yes, he helps me out of most trouble! hahaha.)”

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I hope you are enjoying getting to know your fellow swappers with these Ambassador introductions. If you are interested in swapping paper crafts, stamps, stationery, or for Taiwanese ephemera or food, seraphina is definitely the member to contact.

Happy Friday and happy October!! Just a handful of craft and food links for you this week… Enjoy!

• I love this upcycled cardboard garland for fall decorating… or any time!
• Make your own beaded clay necklace.
• Two necklace tutorials in one week? Wow. Make a marbled bead necklace using nail polish.
• These pancake and bacon cupcakes look ridiculous… ridiculously delicious!
• Your S’mores of the week: Pumpkin S’more Whoopie Pies and S’mores Poke Cake.
• Don’t forget: October 9th is World Post Day! Join this postcard swap to celebrate!

Have a lovely fall weekend!

Did you know?? World Post Day in on October 9th, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874. It was declared World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan, in 1969.

Want to celebrate this international snail mail holiday?? Join this super-easy World Post Day Postcard Swap! The international swap is being hosted by mb58ca and is open to all swappers. For the swap, simply send ONE postcard to your ONE partner on Thursday, October 9th.

From the swap description:

The postcard is sender’s choice but a pc of a mailbox would be cool. On the back, write a note describing how letters/postcards can touch lives (in general or how they touch your life).

The goal is to have the postcards all mailed and cancelled ON October 9th in celebration of the holiday. Sign up by October 4th! Let’s make this a huge, international swap!

FYI: Postcrossing has more info about how postal services around the world will be celebrating World Post Day.

The Ambassador program is going strong and I am excited to introduce each of the participants individually over the next few months. They are all enthusiastic, fun, active, positive members who are asked to help promote Swap-bot in their local communities.

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Meet our next Ambassador, Toupti! Toupti lives in Montreal, Québec, Canada, and has been a member of Swap-bot since 2009. Wow! She speaks French and English, and she volunteers as a Chemo Angel.

Ambassador Region: Québec, Canada

How Toupti found Swap-bot: “So easy to remember since I found it at work. I am a customs officer inspecting incoming parcels in Canada looking for prohibited merchandise. At some point, I remember inspecting a parcel filled with nice handmade goodies and there was a note inside mentioning ‘…for our private swap on swap-bot.’ I got curious and wanted to receive such nice packages so when I got back home after work, I googled ‘swap-bot’ and found it!”

Why she enjoys Swap-bot: “For many reasons, but the main one is that it gave me an opportunity to discover crochet and also develop my crafting skills. I also got to meet amazing people and make new friends.”

Her favorite type of swap: “Private profile related swaps and one-on-one swaps.”

Check out a private swap Toupti sent to her partner, kittylover:

You can see more of the swap’s she has sent in her Flickr album.

Interesting facts about Toupti:

• 1. Nickname # 1: Miss Danger
• 1. Nickname # 2: Ti-pit Kodak
• 1. Nickname # 3: Miss Gadget
• 1. Nickname # 4: Madame Bleu
• 1. I have one tattoo
• 1. My favorite restaurant ever : Taco Bell
• 1. I’m a big baby, I love any movies with animals (real or cartoon), my favorites are “The Chipmunks” and “Cats & Dogs”
• 1. My first job (other than babysitting) was le Bingo au Paladium de Brossard
• 1. I’m a girl of Sun, Warm weather and Beach
• 1. I’m french speaking but secretly I’ve always wished I was born anglophone
• 1. I bark loud but I rarely bite
• 1. I’m addicted to Diet Pepsi
• 1. I’m a dark chocolate type of person
• 1. My favourite tree is a Palm Tree
• 1. I get addicted with something really quick, but get bored of it as quickly……except for my husband
• 1. One of my favorite sentences: “J’ai oublié… I forgot!!!”
• 1. Can’t have a dog or a cat because hubby’s allergic
• 1. I lost 74 pounds but can’t seem to loose the last 10
• 1. I’m love reading, mostly books by Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, Jeffery Deaver and Jefferson Bass
• 1. I love anything that glitters, shines… bling!
• 1. I have 3 iPods and 2 iPads (one shuffle, one Nano and one Classic 80gb AND 2 iPads)
• 1. While I can’t craft when my “Kindgom/Craft Room” is a mess, well this room is in constant clutter
• 1. I can’t write straight in a book or on a sheet of paper unless it’s ruled
• 1. I love drinking tea at work but not so much at home
• 1. Even if I’m a compulsive list-maker, my life is so boring, it took me months to write this list

Check out Toupti’s links:

• Flickr
• Etsy store

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I hope you are enjoying getting to know your fellow swappers with these Ambassador introductions. If you are interested in one-on-one swapping with a French-speaking Canadian, Toupti is definitely the member to contact!

Hello Friday friends!! I have been saving up these awesome links for the last few weeks… I hope you find a few to be fun and interesting.

• Oooo! This DIY Abstract Watercolor Cake is pretty.
• I love these simple DIY Embossed Cards.
• Make this DIY Giant Kraft Paper Flower to use as pretty fall decor.
• Just in case you need a break from the PSL craziness: 9 Non-Pumkin-Spice Fall Treats. (Including the Apple Walnut Tart seen above.)
• Fifteen Fall Decor Ideas.
• Go get these adorable free halloween printables!
• It’s never too early to get started… Twenty-five DIY Halloween Costume Ideas.
• And… Thirteen DIY Halloween Decorations.
• Yum. Apple Cider Donuts Three Ways.
• So many S’mores, so little time: Monster S’mores // Peanut Butter S’mores Blondies // S’Mores Oreo Brownies // Nutella and S’more Brownie Pizza // Vegan Frozen Salted S’more Sandwiches.
• Uh oh. This is not good. Brooklyn mailman arrested for not delivering 40,000 pieces of mail.

Any other links to share? Leave them in the comments!

Have a wonderful weekend!