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Do you like getting swag in the mail? So do we!
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We're doing it again! And this time it's holiday ornaments...
Our current swap runs from October to November, so that they'll get back to you in time for the holiday of your choice. Weave them, knit them, quilt them, sew them, hook them, felt them - make them however you like, so long as it's out of fibre. Send them to us, and you'll get the same number in return!
Here's the Scoop:
Each swapper will weave, knit, quilt, crochet, hook, stitch, sew or otherwise fabricate a little piece of fibre art, cleverly disguised as a holiday ornament. You have until mid-November to make your little darlinks, then mail them to us along with the swap submission form so that we get them by November 20, 2012. We'll get your swag in the mail and on its way back to you by the end of the month.
Note that you don't need to restrict yourself to Christmas ornaments! Other holidays happening over the winter include Hannukah (Dec 8-12), the winter soltice (Dec 21), Kwanzaa (Dec 26-Jan 1), New Year's Eve (Dec 31) and New Years (Jan 1), and lots more! We hope that folks will send in a variety of ornaments for different holidays but, without knowing what others will send, we can't promise that you'll get the same selection in return.
The Nitty Gritty:
Because ornaments are three dimensional, we need to be a little more strict about sizes. We're planning to ship in 6x6x6 inch boxes, so your ornaments need to fit in that with enough room to spare for packing and a couple slips of paper. We also need to watch the weight; the fees listed below assume that boxes won't weigh more than 1.5 lbs. (That's including the box!) Bear in mind that people may send in two or three and be getting two or three back; we'd prefer to ship them all together in one box if possible.
Label each item with your name, your city, its fibre content, and care instructions. Affix these labels with safety pins or sew or tie them on so they can't get separated in the mail - no straight pins or staples please, as they come off in the mail! Feel free to include any interesting info about how your pieces were made, how you came up with the design(s), or what pattern(s) you used, if any. No doubt whoever gets your things will want to know! These labels are included with the swap submission form:
Here's the Scoop:
Each swapper will weave, knit, quilt, crochet, hook, stitch, sew or otherwise fabricate a little piece of fibre art, cleverly disguised as a holiday ornament. You have until mid-November to make your little darlinks, then mail them to us along with the swap submission form so that we get them by November 20, 2012. We'll get your swag in the mail and on its way back to you by the end of the month.
Note that you don't need to restrict yourself to Christmas ornaments! Other holidays happening over the winter include Hannukah (Dec 8-12), the winter soltice (Dec 21), Kwanzaa (Dec 26-Jan 1), New Year's Eve (Dec 31) and New Years (Jan 1), and lots more! We hope that folks will send in a variety of ornaments for different holidays but, without knowing what others will send, we can't promise that you'll get the same selection in return.
The Nitty Gritty:
Because ornaments are three dimensional, we need to be a little more strict about sizes. We're planning to ship in 6x6x6 inch boxes, so your ornaments need to fit in that with enough room to spare for packing and a couple slips of paper. We also need to watch the weight; the fees listed below assume that boxes won't weigh more than 1.5 lbs. (That's including the box!) Bear in mind that people may send in two or three and be getting two or three back; we'd prefer to ship them all together in one box if possible.
Label each item with your name, your city, its fibre content, and care instructions. Affix these labels with safety pins or sew or tie them on so they can't get separated in the mail - no straight pins or staples please, as they come off in the mail! Feel free to include any interesting info about how your pieces were made, how you came up with the design(s), or what pattern(s) you used, if any. No doubt whoever gets your things will want to know! These labels are included with the swap submission form:
| Ornaments swap submission form |
Important: Be sure to put a note in your package if you are allergic to any particular fibre so we won't send you something you can't use! Please avoid adding scent to your items as well, as so many people are sensitive to scents these days.
The goal of this swap is to produce and receive little pieces of fibre art. Remember that others will be putting lots of time, thought, energy and perhaps even expense into the items they're making and are hoping to receive something of the same quality in return. There's no need to spend a lot of money but do try to use high quality materials, beautiful yarns or cloth, colour combinations, and designs. Most importantly, have a ton of fun!
Sending in your items...
Please mail your items to: Cape Breton Fibre Arts - Swap, c/o Janet Dawson, 45 Babcock Dr., Sydney, NS Canada, B1R 1N2. Include a printed copy of the fibre swap submission form with your items so that we have all the info we'll need to get your return swag back to you.
...and getting them back:
We've elected to have a moderated swap rather than a direct one (where participants send their items straight on to someone else) so that there's zero chance you'll send something in and not get anything in return. This way you can send as many or as few items as you like - you don't even need to let us know ahead of time how many you're making or how you're making them - and you're assured of getting the same number of items back.
This means, though, that you'll need to send us a registration fee to help cover postage, packaging and other costs. We discovered the first time around that we underestimated the cost of mailing things around Canada and ornaments are larger than pot holders, so these costs are higher than in our first swap.
You don't need to pay in advance, just include the following amounts along with your items when you send them in and know exactly how many you have. Note that these amounts are based on the weight of the items you're sending.
NS and PE: Include $12 for each 1.5 lbs worth of items.
NB, QE, ON, NL: Include $14 for each 1.5 lbs worth of items.
AB, MB, SK and BC: Include $17 for each 1.5 lbs worth of items.
US swappers: Include $12 for each 1.5 lbs worth of items.
Believe it or not, it's actually cheaper to mail to the US than it is to ship across town.
Overseas swappers: Ye gods. No idea! Contact us ahead of time and we'll figure it out!
Send your postage via cheque or money order made out to Janet Dawson.
Pictures and list of Swappers:
We will be taking pictures of your beautiful little pieces of art and posting them to the Cape Breton Fibre Arts website so everyone can see the amazing things people are making and swapping. We'll absolutely give you credit for you own work with the photographs; please, if you've followed a pattern or used someone else's design, include that with the info you send so we can give them credit as well.
Future exchanges:
Our plan is to have an exchange like this three times a year! We've done pot holders, then pin cushions and now ornaments; if you have other ideas or suggestions, please let us know! Just keep in mind that they need to work with all kinds of different fibre pursuits.
FAQ:
Q: Oh no! I'm running late! What if you get my items after the deadline?
A: We'll do one of three things: 1. Swap your items with any others that arrive late, or 2. hang onto them for the next exchange they fit, or 3. return them to you. You just need to let us know on your submission form which one you'd prefer.
Q: Does basketry count as a fibre art?
A: Sure! Why the heck not?
Q: Does paper count as a fibre art?
A: Yes indeedy!
The goal of this swap is to produce and receive little pieces of fibre art. Remember that others will be putting lots of time, thought, energy and perhaps even expense into the items they're making and are hoping to receive something of the same quality in return. There's no need to spend a lot of money but do try to use high quality materials, beautiful yarns or cloth, colour combinations, and designs. Most importantly, have a ton of fun!
Sending in your items...
Please mail your items to: Cape Breton Fibre Arts - Swap, c/o Janet Dawson, 45 Babcock Dr., Sydney, NS Canada, B1R 1N2. Include a printed copy of the fibre swap submission form with your items so that we have all the info we'll need to get your return swag back to you.
...and getting them back:
We've elected to have a moderated swap rather than a direct one (where participants send their items straight on to someone else) so that there's zero chance you'll send something in and not get anything in return. This way you can send as many or as few items as you like - you don't even need to let us know ahead of time how many you're making or how you're making them - and you're assured of getting the same number of items back.
This means, though, that you'll need to send us a registration fee to help cover postage, packaging and other costs. We discovered the first time around that we underestimated the cost of mailing things around Canada and ornaments are larger than pot holders, so these costs are higher than in our first swap.
You don't need to pay in advance, just include the following amounts along with your items when you send them in and know exactly how many you have. Note that these amounts are based on the weight of the items you're sending.
NS and PE: Include $12 for each 1.5 lbs worth of items.
NB, QE, ON, NL: Include $14 for each 1.5 lbs worth of items.
AB, MB, SK and BC: Include $17 for each 1.5 lbs worth of items.
US swappers: Include $12 for each 1.5 lbs worth of items.
Believe it or not, it's actually cheaper to mail to the US than it is to ship across town.
Overseas swappers: Ye gods. No idea! Contact us ahead of time and we'll figure it out!
Send your postage via cheque or money order made out to Janet Dawson.
Pictures and list of Swappers:
We will be taking pictures of your beautiful little pieces of art and posting them to the Cape Breton Fibre Arts website so everyone can see the amazing things people are making and swapping. We'll absolutely give you credit for you own work with the photographs; please, if you've followed a pattern or used someone else's design, include that with the info you send so we can give them credit as well.
Future exchanges:
Our plan is to have an exchange like this three times a year! We've done pot holders, then pin cushions and now ornaments; if you have other ideas or suggestions, please let us know! Just keep in mind that they need to work with all kinds of different fibre pursuits.
FAQ:
Q: Oh no! I'm running late! What if you get my items after the deadline?
A: We'll do one of three things: 1. Swap your items with any others that arrive late, or 2. hang onto them for the next exchange they fit, or 3. return them to you. You just need to let us know on your submission form which one you'd prefer.
Q: Does basketry count as a fibre art?
A: Sure! Why the heck not?
Q: Does paper count as a fibre art?
A: Yes indeedy!
