The Naked Journal Experiment

so for this swap we have to make 15 journals then????

@user8179 ..no, you're making one journal that will be passed around to all the participants. The number of partners will be changed on the last day of signups, just before I hit the assign partners button.

to be mailed without a package cover ?

@wingy ..correct. Address and postage should go directly on the journal.

My post office will never go for this. I will have to send in an envelope.

i am in i think lolol going to sign up and see what happens

@lynnerfb ..why wouldn't your post office go for it? I've done it with a Wreck This Journal book and it came home just fine. Also had someone send me a small notebook the same way. I've sent stranger things without a package...dolls, crazy CD/Sharpie thing I put together, one of those big plastic Easter eggs, etc. Have you tried to send anything, other than a postcard, without a package?

what size? thanks

@wingy ..probably something between 4x6 and 8.5x11. It MUST be $2 or less to ship First Class, though, so keep that in mind.

awesome...found one ....cant wait..sounds exciting

I not quite certain about how the journal can be made to mail naked?

@tracylee ..anything can be mailed naked. Just address it, stamp it, and maybe put a little tape on it to keep it closed and send away.

For anyone that is interested in joining, but has never sent anything other than postcards naked, I'd be happy to do a private swap with you to ensure you that it can be done. Just send me a message ASAP, so we can get something set up before signups close.

Found a good journal that will work , ready to go.

Well, I really tried not to do this but I just can't resist. I love journals and I love naked mail - so much fun. I'm in. My only issue is that I will be out of state for about a week for family issues - but will do my best to not miss a deadline. If you prefer I don't join because of this, please let me know. Thanks.

Just went to: http://postcalc.usps.com/ and the journal must weight less than 2 oz in order to mail $2 or less.That is not a lot of paper considering each person will have it a week to fill. The only thing I could find was a mini composition journal to fit. Trying to figure out what the rest of you are using in order to meet the requirements.

As long as you keep it under 1/4 inch thick, you should be able to mail it as a large letter and that will allow it to be around 5 ounces to keep it around $2.

are we supposed to do the first few pages of our own journals or just send it with only the addresses??

OK, got everyone's name and address... here goes! I'm wondering just what the post office is going to do when I come in with this. I know the 2 women who work in our little post office and I think I'll tell them they can look at it when it comes back in June! I'm sure they think I'm nuts NOW...lol

mailed it tiday $1.19 yepppp

I'm still trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do. Guess I'll just take a deep breath and do whatever I want.

I'm so glad you guys are taking a leap of faith on this one and are just going for it.

@grandmaroro ..I'll message you.

@wingy ..great job on keeping it inexpensive!

I'm so excited to see what everyone found to use for this and to see everyone's work.

@wokeupmissing --- have not received a message yet.

@Wingy I received your wonderful journal today. Will post again when I send it off.

Lady at the post office put some tape on mine to hold it closed and wasn't sure the spiral binding would hold up. She said it will be interesting to see what it looks like when I get it back! Should be fun to get involved in all these!!

Sent my journal today to @grandmaroro

Just sent my journal off to @wokeupmissing It is a 5" x 8 1/4" moleskin and cost only $1.61. YaY!!!

Oh --- and @ashleymcg I'll post when I receive yours. Next week will be a busy one for me - two journals to work in and a 3 yr. old granddaughter to babysit. I'll get them out as quickly as I can.

@grandmaroro ..mine is on its way to you, as well. Guessing we're each going to have multiples in our possession at some point. If you need more than a week to put the effort into each journal that you'd like, just keep us updated.

are we supposed to be rating each other?

@wingy ..yes, once you receive a journal, rate the person it came from...not the owner, but the actual person that passed it on to you.

@grandmaroro ..received your journal, today! So excited to get to it.

WOW! I am now up to three journals and I have a three-year- 24/7 this week and somewhere along the way, I have to do the laundry and pack for a trip to KY (I live in TX) to process the household of a brother-in-law, driving not flying!!!

The journals I have are from Yvonne Sotelo, Jamie J, and Ashley McGriffin. So I understand that I am to rate as I receive each journal? I haven't been. So sorry. If that is true, I will catch up.

Folks, I am 70 and I don't work so fast anymore. I figure a week for each journal will be lovely. If that upsets anyone - my apologies. Had I known I was going to be bombarded with journals to get back out in a week, I don't think I would have joined in the first place. Thank God there weren't 45 partners! Please bear with me, I'm guessing that I have two more coming. I will work on them in the order that I received them.

Thanks @wokeupmissing for letting me know. I forgot to put the date sent - sorry --- I will do that later.

@grandmaroro that works for me, as that's what we would have had if we received one journal at a time. Yes, go head and rate whenever you receive a journal, or whenever you get the chance. Sounds like you're going to be crazy busy for the next few weeks, so good luck. If you could send them out as you finish them, that would be grand. Or if you'd rather pass and have it come back to you, that is an option as well.

EVERYONE ELSE: please be patient, a journal will be on it's way to you, eventually. If we do this again, I will assign partners myself.

@Wingy I just sent your journal off to ---- Oh Good Grief. Your journal is on its way back to you. Why? Because you are my next partner to send to. I did so without cross-checking the swap-bot name against the names on my address list. Guess that's what happens when you are just too tired. My sincere apologies. I will refund your postage for having to send it again. The other two journals that I have will wait until I return. If the others arrive while I'm gone, I promise to do my best to keep it straight. Thank you all for your patience.

Just back from Temple, where I went for my 6 week check-up on my Carotid Artery Surgery. I am FINE! ! !

Now, hahaha - I received two more journals today --- well, of course I did. That's all folks. I will take a sketchbook with me in case I have a good idea for a production line assembly. I think I could do that with collage and give it my best effort. If I scrap that idea, I may go with jotting down themes - at least that will give me a direction. Love y'all Take care. Be back in a week.

Heading to KY now - will be off the computer for the coming week. I will get the journals out as quickly as possible when I get back. I look forward to working on them and hope everyone will be pleased. Have a good one y'all.

got back MY own journal from grandmaroro on saturday..... but i have it ready to mail out tomorrow to Jamie.... monday

oopppsss forgot: grandmaroro did a fantastic job on the pages that she filled in for me ..WOW great job thanks..

@grandmaroro s journal is on its way to @wingy as if yesterday morning.

recvd grandmaroro journal today..... will post when i mail out

Received Yvonne's journal, today!

I don't understand why Granmaroro has so many journals? Did the computer make her 1st on everyone's list?

@midteacher that answer would be , "yes".

Hello again, I'm baaack and exhausted. Will write more when I get some sleep.

Mailed it out today

@wokeupmissing - Since your journal is small, I have completed it first. @midteacher requested that I send her a journal ASAP, as she wanted to take it on vacation to Florida. My question is: Do you mind if I send yours out of order?

I'm off to the post office before it closes. I will work in each journal in orderand mail them as I complete them from now on.

Received @grandmaroro journal today, sent to me from @Wingy !! Already started my entries in it!! Will get it off in about a week, and will be sending it too @KarenLaneWV :)

@wingy s journal going out to @ashleymcg tomorrow morning.

Good grief - I don't know why I did not mark this swap sent but I didn't. I HAVE NOW.

ALSO, I have not rated that I received a journal - I will go do that now. Sorry guys.

At least one journal will go out in tomorrow's mail. Just want to finish it tonight. I really am trying ladies.

@wokeupmissing today @ashleymcg s journal went in the mail headed your way. Hope to get the other two out next week. Have a good weekend.

Sending @grandmaroro journal to @KarenLaneWV

Received @wingy journal from @wokeupmissing and will be sending it off to @KarenLaneWV in about a week! :)

I also just want to say that if we rate the people that send us journals we will not be rating everyone. Because as you see I am sending two journals to @KarenLaneWV So she would be rating me twice in theory, and at least not be receiving from one person. Does that make sense??

@ashleymcg - I, too, have been wondering how the ratings would work. This was a lovely idea, but.......

Received @ashleymcg s journal. Will post when I send on.

@ashleymcg ..yeah, I see. Well, just rate as we go and when the journals return we can finish rating the people that we haven't rated.

I realize this swap isn't like most and isn't as by the book and has gotten pretty messed up, but it was an experiment (see WARNING). However, if everyone does their part, we should all receive something pretty fun in the end.

@wokeupmissing Either way its still fun, and I would even love to see another swap like it in the future. I am having fun seeing what others have done in the journals and decorating as I receive them. I was just curious is all.. :)

received journal from @ashleymcg today, - it came in my mailbox WET...mailman must have dropped it. As soon it dries out, I'll work on it and send it on it's way. Luckily, it's not really damaged but the water has stained the blank pages (unless that fades when it dries out)...this looks like it is going to be fun!

KarenLaneWV - I have been so excited to get my journal back, it is very distressing to hear that it arrived WET. :-(

wokeupmissing - I put a journal in the mail to you, KarenLaneWV's. I have one more that I hope to get in the mail early next week. I have truly enjoyed working in these, and would definitely be open to another swap.

Oh - the last journal that I have belongs to midteacher.

I havent had one in about 3 weeks i think.... Anxiously waiting ...

midteacher's journal will go in tomorrow's mail to wokeupmissing. Now, I am anxiously awaiting my own journal's arrival back home.

Sincerest thanks to all of you for participating and working in my journal. I hope you are pleased with the pages I did in yours.

@wokeupmissing the last journal went in the mail as promised. Enjoy

Just picked up @midteacher and @KarenLaneWV s journals last night on my way home from work. Am just about done with @ashleymcg s. Will have it in the post tomorrow afternoon. And then I can get to working on these other two.

recvd ashleys journal today

ok, sent out the journal that I received wet and I received another one (from ashley) (Yvonne's journal). Sorry it took so long with the first one but it took a while to get it dried out.

mailed ashelys journal out today to Karen

@wingy @midteacher s journal will be on its way to you this afternoon, after I pick up my car. Will have @KarenLaneWV s sent out when it dries.

Sent out KarenLaneWV's & picked up grandmaroro's, the wet one, again. Will add another page or two and fix my originals and send it to midteacher (I don't believe she has had it yet), then it should be on its way home!

Sending Ashley's journal to Diane tomorrow. One thing for sure, it costs more than $2 to mail them once we start stuffing them!! lol

Are we rating our buddies?

today i recvd the journal from wokeupmissing....it belongs to midteacher

Sincere thanks to all who have worked and re-worked on my journal.

Recvd the journal that belongs to Karen .... I have 2 now... They will both go out on friday my regular postoffice day...

Mailed 2 books to ashley today

Has anyone received from @midteacher She hasn't posted in weeks.

I received two journals from @wingy

I received @midteacher journal and will be sending it to @KarenLaneWV in approximately 1 week!

I also received @KarenLaneWV journal and sending it to @midteacher and should also have out in a week!

Both these journals will be sent to their last stop before heading home to the owners!! :)

Just picked my journal up. Not sure why it has made it back to me, seeing as it looks to have only visited 3 people, but it's fun to see the progress nonetheless. Will have it sent out to @Wingy in tomorrow's post.

This is the second journal I've received that hasn't traveled to everyone. I'm guessing it is because they were sent a little out of order. Before sending any journals home, please take a peak at the address list in the journal to make sure it seems like everyone has had a turn to contribute to it.

Because I'm last on the list journals are arriving daily. @gandmaroro s came wet and I can't get it dry. I have it sitting out open in the sun but the humidity is so high it is slow going. @wingy s will go out today as will ahleymag. These are the 3 I have right now.

midteacher - have you completed your work in my journal? If so, put a sheet of waxed paper between the wet pages and send it on. I have heat guns and I think I can dry it with those. If you would rather not, that's fine too. Just don't stress over it. Think of the anticipation on this end.

OMG - I am beside myself. LOL

Thanks again, everyone, for working in my journal.

Wondering why @grandmaroro s keeps arriving wet. Anyone else receive any wet journals?

I'm an idiot and failed to put enough postage on the journal I just sent out. It is now on its way with the appropriate amount of postage to make it to its next destination. If I could ask a HUGE favor...Please try not to cover up the Vintage Circus stamps...too much...only if possible, of course.

Recvd my own journal back in todays mail...from MidTeacher... It appears that everyone has worked in it....thank you ladies.... I love your work....

Grandmaroro- appreciate that you are anxious to get this back but when paper is wet, you cant' glue or tape in it so I had to wait until it got dry. The bottom corner is still damp but dry enough for the BEACONs 3 in 1 to work. This will go out in the mail tomorrow. Because of above, I only did 1 2-page spread.

I LOVE Journals and journal swaps, but this has to be my last.
Has my journal been wet since April 11???

Recvd a journal from WojeUpMissing.....

That should say Wokeupmissing ... Sorry

Oh... I already rated everyone ....

My journal arrived home today. Again, I thank you all for working in it. I rated everyone some time ago, but I have only been rated by @wokeupmissing and @Wingy Folks, it is not my fault how this all worked out. I do hope everyone gets an awesome journal back.

mailed wokeupmissing journal to Ashley on friday 6/6

Got @wokeupmissing journal! will be mailing it to her when done! :)

ok, I finally got onto swap-bot.NET after not being able to access swap-bot.COM other than once in the past 2 weeks. What a mess. I've had other troubles with the site and when they emailed me to try the .net, it seems to have solved my problems with the website. How weird is that. Anyhow, I've rated everyone (late) - midteacher and I are now working on each others journals and then we'll both be finished. This has been great fun, really. (and I have NO idea about the one journal that kept getting wet. I know it took over a week to dry here before I could work on it and it was dry when I sent it out... it must have followed every rainstorm along the way!)... and then I'll rate midteacher!

I have Karen's journal. Will work on it this weekend and get it out at the top of next week.

Journal is back, safe and sound. This was fun but next time, maybe we need "raincoats" for the journals as I think at some point, all of them got wet! Mine survived intact with no real damage, though. This was a lot of fun!