Let's Talk About Swappin'!

Image courtesy of swap-bot.com

A few years ago I somehow stumbled upon swap-bot.com while I was cruising around the blogosphere.  I'm pretty sure I was checking out a crafty blog and the blogger mentioned swapping.  I had never even heard of swapping before then, but I was intrigued.  The mystery blogger mentioned that if you were crafty, and you liked getting mail (actual, postal service delivered mail), then you should check out swap-bot.com .  Honestly, who doesn't love getting mail that isn't of the bill variety?  Every time I open the mailbox and see my name and address handwritten on an envelope, I get a little excited.  Is it a card? A wedding invitation? Pictures of my nieces or nephews or the adorable children of friends? So many possibilities!! But, I digress.  Back to swapping, and more specifically, swap-bot.

This a free, crafty community where, essentially, all you have to do is sign up for an account, find swaps that you are interested in, sign up for the swap, and then send off the item(s) to another person that has signed up for the swap.  As is the nature of the word "swap", you then receive an item from another swap participant.  This is the WAY over-simplified version, of course, but you get the point... right?  For those of you worried about privacy issues regarding giving out your info to strangers on the web, the creators of the site always encourage that you use a p.o. box for swapping and they do have measures in place to always try to ensure the safety and confidentiality of their members information.

There are SO MANY different types of things that people are swapping on this website.  I had never even heard of most of the things that these crafty ladies (there are some men, but I have mostly encountered ladies there) are making and sending to one another.  By nature, I am a researcher.  I like to know the in's & out's of a situation before I get involved.  I'm totally the person that reads a website's return policy before I buy anything and I ALWAYS read instructions for use, assembly, etc.  What can I say, I'm just not very impulsive, ok? That being said, the Glossary of Terms, FAQ's, and New User Info sections on this site are totally ACE.  Before I ever even signed up for an account, I felt pretty confident that I had a firm grasp on what was going on with "the swapping".  Kudos to the site creators (Rachel and Travis) for being thorough and informative with explaining the process, and also being available to handle any administrative issues that may pop up. 

Now back to what these ladies are swapping.  There is a little something for everyone, even if you aren't all that "crafty".  People swap postcards, handmade greeting cards, ATC's (basically awesome little miniature works of art), handmade envelopes (my personal fave), bookmarks, tea, altered things, recycled things, candy, thrift store finds, and the list goes on and on and on.  I have tried all sorts of new crafty projects since I signed up.  I have also received some exceptionally creative and super-cool items in my mailbox over the past few years.  Most of the time, they arrive in pretty packages with WAY more than just a handwritten address on the front of the envelope.  I'm talking mail art, people.  Love it.

Enough talking! Here are a few of the awesome things that I have received....

Here we have some handmade nesting boxes - made from recycled materials. The picture really does not do any justice to how beautifully detailed these are!

Made by swap-bot user @Bramblebelle

 Next up, a quirky little birdy - also made from recycled materials.  Crafty, I tell ya!

Made by @wolfeagle

This awesome zombie pin.  I have a love for all things zombie, but that could (and probably will be) a post all in itself.

I cannot find the name of the awesome gal that sent this to me.  If it's you, leave a comment and I'll give you cred!

And last, but certainly not least, a gorgeous set of handmade cards featuring images of barn owls from a wall calendar.  Can't wait to send some of these out!

Made by @madcrazy

These are only a few of the things that were within reach from my desk.  There is WAY more awesome where that came from!  So, if this sounds like something you may be interested in doing, I encourage you to check it out. It's fun, it gives me a reason to be crafty, and I also get to enjoy other people's craftiness!  Win, Win, and Win!