The Swap (EDITED 12/1/12)

Should I make this date closer than a year? I want to maximize the amount of people who are able to join. Please post your comments, suggestions, thoughts, right

Here

I think you should leave it a year, but be ready to check swappers activity close to the send date - some may join and then drop out. Can I knit something? I'm guessing it does not have to be personalized with only a few days between signup and send? Great idea!

PS - I'm honored to be the first swapper to sign up!

Oh! I think a year is okey. But as kgeslab already said, did you made the very few days between signup and send on purpose? (:

Think a year is good, some people will plan and others can put it something off the cuff. given the short time between getting partners and sending presumably we are not trying to create for partners but maybe people could post what they would love on the comments

1) Very short time between signing up & sending; normally it's 2 weeks. Some people don't have easy access to a post office; for example: I go once or twice a month. 2) Not all swap members do crafts, etc. so this really is not open to everyone...many members join to 'swap', not create.

It doesn't necessarily have to be soewthing elaborately crafty. It just has to have something that you put thought into. It IS open to everyone, because anyone is capable of sending something they put their time into and that they are proud of.

@kgeslab Yes, you can knit something! This is about making or composing something that you do best. It isn't required, but I think it would be more fun if you geared it toward your partner's profile.

Thank you for all your feedback! I haven't been on swapbot for a while and I forgot how little time a week is for those who start after the swap begins. Although I think a one week window would be a magnificent struggle, I GUESS I can extend it to two weeks. XD

What exactly are the minimum requirements to join this swap. Its saying that I don't meet them.

That's because the minimum rating requirement is currently set at 5.90 so really no one can meet the requirement. I'm guessing it's a typo. =)

What's the point of waiting a year to do this? Huh?

@tiggerkitn25 I'm so sorry, I did make a mistake on the rating requirement. I just changed it. I must've been REALLY tired when entering the numbers :P

@charophyta The point is to give people who join early a lot of time to think of something awesome to send, and also to allow a bunch of people to join. I always feel like things are more fun when there are a lot of people in a swap. You never know who you might get, and that mystery is appealing to me. A year is pretty obnoxious, but hey. So is this swap. If you don't want to wait a year, then you are welcome to make your own version under another name. (;

I'm second guessing my decision to allow emails to count for this swap, because it does not seem fair to those who are physically spending time to hand make things or to put something together, so I am retracting this statement from the description. If you have money issues, make sure to put aside some money or do not participate. Thanks all for understanding!

May 5, 2013 is a Sunday.

Thank you @flofirenzie it's been changed to the 4th.

since it is an international swap, I was wondering is it possible to make it to one month? I've encounter quite a few times where the mail stay in the customs for some days. Especially mailing it to a very huge country. I even lost my mail there quite a number of times.

I was thinking of making a lap afghan, but starting now I would not be able to personalize it for the person I'm making it for unless you make the partners now, and we don't have to send for a year. don't know how that would work out. I know I may be speedy, but no way can I finish one in 2 weeks or even a month.

This sounds fun, gonna watch it for a while since we just bought a house and I'm not sure how much time I'm going to spend there. I love the idea of making a surprise for someone!

Unasked question. Momskii,A lap afghan would be wonderful to receive,but what if your partner sent her best ATC(artist trading card) ever?Would you feel slighted?

@Veanne if you are afraid of losing mail then I suggest you get a tracking number. Otherwise, as long as it is postmarked by the send date, then it shouldn't matter how long it takes to ship. If you are still worried, then just make it a point to send out early, or don't join (you can always create your own version).

@Momskii this is a sender's choice swap, so whoever you would be sending the lap afghan out to would have this in mind. Be creative; it should be your best effort, which in this case would not include personalization. If you feel the need to make something personal, then choose something you can make within the time span.

@SweetBizar Great! Thanks for putting it on your watchlist.

@luv2craft I am hoping that if someone chooses to make ATC's that they make many, or make a large version of one, because making one obviously should not require a year to think about/make and I would consider rating that person low for a lack of effort.

luv 2kraft: if I can tell they put their best effort in, I wouldn't mind receiving 2 ATCs. I love making afghans, and that is MY best effort.

Everyone, just try to think outside of the regular. If you want to send ATC's, then make them above and beyond spectacular, as you should with anything else. Challenge yourself.

I would like to join this swap but I'm not as generous as other people -if I send something (e.g.-one of my hand made sculpted dolls that take approx.3 months to make) I'm afraid I would not be the least bit impressed with an atc or something of lesser value .How will we know that this is NOT going to happen?I do'nt mean to sound bitchy but I've been caught before like this.

I have been thinking about doing some painted glass for this swap. Do people think that would be special enough?

Painted glass sounds like a really cool idea, but as I've been saying, you need to make sure it is something that is going to make your partner impressed.

*******I think it would be a good idea if everyone told me what they planned on doing, so that I can work with each individual person and make sure everyone will be getting something they deserve. I mentioned I will be sending a message out a month before the swap, so in this message I will also be asking everyone about their projects and making suggestions if needed.

Your not giving enough time between sing up and send to make some thing that fits their profile. If I start knitting or crocheting it now it would be disappointing if what I made didn't fit into my partners profile.

I really like knitting or crocheting scarves and shawls I wouldn't want to make one in a color that some one wouldn't like. Would they fall in the special catagory?

This swap is ultimately Sender's Choice. If someone is picky, then they should know not to join this swap. Knitting and crocheting can definitely be special, but it depends on how you do it. It needs a flare of something unique to your artistic style.

It seems like lots of people are doing physically artsy things. Would a journal/collection of short stories be inappropriate for this swap?

It should be an artistic, time intensive swap. I would say it would be inappropriate, unless you had many elaborate illustrations to go with the stories. Words are a type of art,but this is a type 3 swap, and it doesn't fit very well in there.

I would love to join this swap, I am a fairly new swapper and have not done the required number of type 3 swaps, please may i join in, I am a compulsive crafter and have a stash of completed items to pick a swap from.

I am interested in joining this swap, but maybe I am NOT understanding the rules. You talk about having a year to prepare the items or item to be swapped... but the sign-up date is April 21st and the deadline to send the swap is May 4th 2013.

Are these dates correct???????

I created the swap a year ago. Not everyone will have a year to make something. So if you join now, you have to keep that in mind when you're making something.

I am sending out an email today to those who have joined just to make sure we're all on the same page. Anyone who plans to join may message me here on swap-bot if they need help or suggestions.