Try Something New-- GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT :D

This swap is in response to this thread over on the forums. It turns out lots of us are nervous at trying our hand at new craft projects we haven't practiced with before.

SO- this swap is going to be a little different. You will have one partner, and for that partner you will make one thing. The "thing" is YOUR CHOICE. It could be an ATC. A postcard. A matchbox. A dotee. An embroidered piece. WHATEVER!

-The first rule is: It must be something you're not already practiced and good at. (Myself, I just bought a set of soft pastels, which I've never used before, so I'm going to try to put together some sort of drawing with these mysterious sticks of charcoal.) So the key to this first rule is to put fear aside and GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT! Your "best shot" means that you spend time and effort in working with this craft, not that you lazily put a sticker on a piece of paper and think "Wow, look, I've made my first ATC".

-The second rule is that since this is sender's choice, be prepared to receive something very different in style or even value than what you sent. If you send someone a glazed pot you made in pottery class, and you receive a small ATC in return, that is fair game in this swap. The point is to congratulate and appreciate someone taking a step forward in their creative development, NOT to receive something of equal monetary value, or usefulness, etc.

• Rule 3: Along with your swap item, include a short note describing the experience. Was it frustrating? Did you give up at first? How do you feel about the process now? Also be sure to include whether or not you WANT constructive criticism/feedback from your partner. If you say no, then NO judgement should be made about the quality or aesthetics of the swap item. Simply put-- if they made something, and it got there on time, they get rated a 5. If they have asked for criticism, you could leave some in your rating or message them privately to give them some POLITE and helpful feedback.

We are all in the same boat here to some degree, with a craft we haven't played with much. But who knows, someone else in the swap may know ALL ABOUT how to unjam a glue gun, or sew doll arms together. So in the comments section of the swap, feel free to share frustrations or questions about the process you're working with. Maybe someone will have the answer!

RATING RULES REMINDERS: If you got a product and a note and they arrived on time, rate a 5. If your package was missing something or late, a 3 is appropriate. A 1 is appropriate only if you have not received anything by the time Swap-Bot notifies you you can use that rating. Do try to get in touch with the person first though to see if something happened-- this is supposed to be an all-around supportive swap.

Newbies are welcome to this swap as long as they have a COMPLETELY filled out profile and at least one snail-mail swap under their belt. Participants with recent no-sends will be asked to explain their circumstances so we can be sure nobody will be flaked on. Although this swap is more about the creating than the giving-and-the-getting, it still stinks to be flaked on.

Any questions, please leave a comment here or message me privately. Let's get to learnin'!