Usually I try to pick crafty, handmade-type swaps for swap of the week, and you know, I think recipes fall into that category.

This week I have chosen the [ Usually I try to pick crafty, handmade-type swaps for swap of the week, and you know, I think recipes fall into that category.

This week I have chosen the](http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/7929)

• Fire Down Below release

Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper film coordinated by LOLA. Her description of the swap is very clear:

Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving recipe or recipes that were handed down from your Family? How about new Family recipes that you make every Thanksgiving? Maybe there are new recipes that you have tried and decided they are going to be featured at the Thanksgiving dinner table? This swap is for tried and true family recipes that were handed down to you, or ones that you hope to hand down to future generations.

To honor the individual whose recipes you are using please send your partners one usable kitchen item that represents the person and the recipe in some way. You could send a beautiful wooden spoon, a cool spatula, a lovely potholder, etc. Please include a note telling your partner about your inherited or found recipes and why you chose the item and how it relates to your recipes.

This swap is USA-only because it is in celebration of the US Thanksgiving holiday. It is open to “committed quality swappers only” with zero no sends. New users are not allowed. Each person has two partners to whom they send at least one recipe on a standard size recipe card and one quality usable new kitchen item. Signup closes October 20th.

The best thing about this fun recipe swap is that it is that the send date is early enough (November 1st) that you will get your new recipes in time to try them out on Thanksgiving! Yum!

In order to improve the safety, fairness, and overall efficiency of Swap-bot, we have implemented a few major policy changes.

Usernames Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms divx

The first thing that you will notice is that we are switching to unique, static usernames to replace the old display names. When you next log into Swap-bot you will be asked to choose a username. Please choose carefully as usernames are unchangeable and will stay with your account forever. After picking your username it will replace your old display name throughout the entire Swap-bot site and you will be able to use it to log into Swap-bot from then on. Usernames may only consist of letters and numbers. Other characters, offensive words, and any HTML or Markdown code are not allowed in usernames. Each person’s username must be unique. We suggest picking a username that is close to your old display name so that other members will be able to easily recognize you.

We know that this change will cause some confusion at first. We are sorry for any inconvenience, but this change is necessary as Swap-bot continues to grow. You might want to list your old display name in your profile somewhere if your username is significantly different. We expect all of our users to pick their new usernames fairly and to not misrepresent their identity in any manner. If you have any problems with the new username feature, please contact us at questions[at]swap-bot.com.

Unique Addresses

From this point on, each individual is only allowed one Swap-bot account. Every new account must have a unique address, as well as a unique username and email address. We have implemented new computerized strategies for assuring the uniqueness of each new user’s identity. We no longer allow (nor did we ever encourage) members to create multiple accounts.

Another major change is that you are no longer able to delete your account. If you wish to leave Swap-bot you can remove all of your address info and terminate Swap-bot communications, but your username and rating history will always be visible. This means that your current Swap-bot account is your only Swap-bot account! You will not be able to scrap it and start a new one if you get bad ratings.

These changes are unfortunately not retroactive. If you currently have multiple accounts you will not be punished. However, if you are observed behaving dishonestly or abusing the system, one, or all, of your accounts may be partially or fully suspended.

If you are a new user who would like to participate in Swap-bot but you have the same address as a current member, you must contact Swap-bot Admins to discuss exceptions to the unique address policy. You can email us at questions[at]swap-bot.com. Family members and roommates currently using Swap-bot with the same address should not be affected by the new policy. However, if you encounter any problems while trying to edit your address please contact us.

Editing Your Profile

You will notice that the links to edit your profile and manage your account have disappeared. You can now edit all of the information related to your account and your visible profile by clicking on the word (edit) next to the Profile link at the top of most Swap-bot pages. The profile editing system has now been divided into a few different categories to make editing a bit simpler. Let us know if you have any questions or encounter any problems.

We know these changes will make Swap-bot more efficient and fair. Thank you for your patience and understanding while they are being implemented.

Some cool stuff:

• Tips for how to be a greener swapper and crafter on Littlewanda Crafts. Also, check out the Greener Swapping forum thread.
• Free Halloween lollipop cover download from My Paper Crane.
• A great online scrapbooking (and other crafts) supply store – Two Peas in a Bucket.
• Want to format the text on your profile? Check out these Markdown Syntax Basics on Daring Fireball.
• Super Crafty, a great book by four Portland (Oregon) crafters who helped me with my masters thesis on internet usage by indie crafters.

If you have any links you would like featured on the blog, please email me at rachel [at] swap-bot.com. Cool. Have a great weekend

<a href=http://weewonderfuls.typepad.com/wee_wonderfuls/”></a>

Wee Wonderfuls is one of the original, and still one of the best, craft blogs. It is the personal and project blog of Hillary Lang. Hillary’s craft of choice is sewing and she creates the most adorable dolls, quilts, and “stitchettes”. She shares her creations on her blog and discusses life and crafting. She also shares some of the clever (and cute) clothing she creates for her kids. One of the best things about

Wee Wonderfuls for those of us always hunting for more great sources of inspiration is the amazing list of crafty blogs on the right side bar. Check it out!

You can craft along with Hillary by participating in her Make-A-Long story

, “an online book than is half story, half craft book.” Very fun and cute, not to mention inspirational if you are interested in crafting sweet dolls and their accessories. You can sample some of Hillary’s charming patterns for free by checking out her freebies [Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms download](http://blog.segd.org/?hellboy_animated_sword_of_storms) page, or you can purchase her original patterns and stationery at the Wee Wonderfuls store.

If you are looking for updated Swap-bot site info there are now a few places to find it! The Frequently Asked Questions page has been updated and lengthened, and we finally put together a more comprehensive Terms of Use policy. The Terms of Use is fairly generic – we won’t share your info, you are responsible for your actions, etc – but you might want to take a look at it anyway. We have also created a new ABOUT page which contains a list of DOs and DON’Ts. I want to continue to add to those lists and I need your help! Please list any suggestions you have for Swap-bot DOs and DON’Ts in the comments. I can’t promise to use all of them, but together we can make sure we cover all the important stuff. Thanks!

By now, most of us are totally familiar with Artist Trading Cards, but Inchie Art may be something new and unfamiliar. Inchies are a lot like ATCs, but much smaller – only one inch by one inch.

Beckra

is hosting the Recycled Inchie Art swap for anyone wanting to explore the art of collage on a small scale while using recycled materials. She describes the swap requirements this way:

Make 6 separate 1-inch art-squares for 2 partners (12 inchies total), using paper products which were destined for the recycling bin or trash. You could cut up thin cardboard boxes for backing, collage with junk mail, incorporate pieces of funky designs used for security envelopes–these are just examples; in general, you can follow your own inclinations and inspirations as lo

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ng as you send each partner 6 individual squares using materials that would otherwise have gone by the wayside!</blockquote>

The swap is open to all all swappers, including international, with a rating of at least a 4.8. Newbies are welcome as long as they have a completed profile. The last day to sign up is October 10th.

For inspiration and more information about inchie art, check out the following websites:

• INCHIES: One Inch Collage group pool on Flickr
• ArtJunkGirl’s 1000 Squares in 2007

• Art by Chrysti’s 1″ Collage Squares Tutorial <p style="display:none"> A Thin Line Between Love and Hate rip </p>

• Inching Artists Blog

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Don’t be bored. Check out these links:

• Adorable handmade felted goods from Jenny Wren. (via <a href=http://modish.typepad.com/modish/”>Modish</a>)
• Vegan candy corn recipe from <a href=http://theurbanhousewife.blogspot.com/2007/09/homemade-vegan-candy-corn-happy.html”>The Urban Housewife</a>. (via Craft Michael Clayton rip )
• Etsy Lab’s tips on how to make your own stickers and stamps.
• Cute stuff for you and your home at Cuteable.
• Sweet and simple fabric-covered thumbtack tutorial on <a href=http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2007/03/thumb-tack-tutorial.html”>How about orange</a>.
• How to make your own bubble mailers on 27 Things.

Have a nice weekend! xoxo

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Ali Edwards is a designer and self-proclaimed “life artist” who teaches scrapbooking classes all over the country and the world. Her artwork and designs are amazing (just check out her mini books or <a href=http://aliedwards.typepad.com/photos/recent_work/index.html”>scrapbook layouts</a>) and her blog is very inspiring. She writes nearly everyday about everything from her design work and home life to autism awareness. In the past she has raised thousand of dollars through her blog for autism research. Ali’s site will inspire your creativity and your spirit.

Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It’s fun to be a vampire.</p> That is the tagline from the 1987 teen horror movie, The Lost Boys. It is about a group of young boys who bring down a wild vampire gang and it used to be one of my favorite movies (next to The Monster Squad) to watch around Halloween time. The movie starred Corey Feldman, Corey Haim, and a young Kiefer Sutherland.

To commemorate this fun movie, Luckstar37 <a href="http://utero.pe/?legally_

blonde_2_red_white_blonde”>Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde on dvd</a></u> is hosting The Lost Boys ATC Swap. The swap is pretty simple: mail one Lost Boys inspired ATC to each of your two partners. The swap is open for sign up through October 3rd and newbies are welcome as long as they message the coordinator first.

Watching The Lost Boys while making corresponding ATCs… what a great way to get in the Halloween spirit!

_To learn more about ATCs visit this artist trading cards website, and for examples of trading cards made by other artists check out the ATC Flickr Pool.

_ [The Elephant Man ipod](http://www.turtlesurvival.org/?the_elephant_man)

This is another new weekly feature I hope to continue. I plan to gather links to fun, crafty, helpful, or interesting content throughout the week and then post them all for you here on Friday. If you have any suggestions for links I should feature, please email me at rachel [at] swap-bot [dot] com.

Links for you:

• Almost Naked Animals – Noah Z. Jones’ funny, cute, clever illustrations of animals in underpants. He posts a new one each week.
• A crazy-huge cable knit rug created by <a href=http://www.theseflocks.com/”>Flocks</a> and seen on the Craft:blog.
• An amazing way to display your pez collection on One Good Bumblebee.
• Made It – an Australian Etsy-type marketplace which sells work by independent artist, crafters, and makers.
• An easy, glittery fall decorating craft on MarthaStewart.com.