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Updated April 14, 2021

RECENT NEWS

Got my vaccine on March 26. 💉

What to write

If you are stuck about what to write on the back of the postcard, or the note you're sending me, here are some questions that might inspire you:

• What are you looking forward to this year?
• What are the best 2 or 3 things about where you live?
• What are you currently watching/streaming? (Movies, TV)
• Do you have other hobbies?
• Do you collect anything?
• What's your favourite houseplant?
• "Next month I'm..."
• "It's been fun learning how to..."

PRIVATE SWAPS

Let me know if you want to do a private swap. I prefer to swap one item at a time. .

HMPC TAG

The Handmade Postcard Tag needs more swappers. :) If anyone tags me and wants me to turn it into a private swap (to keep track of the swap and in order to record a rating) I'd be happy to set up a private swap.

ZEEN TAG

Zeens

It's a tag--you send a zine to the person above you then someone tags you and sends you a zine.

If you'd like me to set it up as a private swap let me know.

CUT N PASTE SWAPS

I host Cut n Paste swaps now and then.

@NRGordon does CnP style swaps too. Check out his profile for "Found Item" swaps.

If you're on Postcrossing and like tags, Handmade Postcard Tag simple -easy - fun is a cut n paste style tag.

Coin Blanks

Need 2.5" circle punch blanks to make ATC coins? If I am assigned as your partner in an ATC swap, let me know, I'll add a few to the envelope. I punch these out of clean food packaging (example: Keurig cup boxes)

ABOUT ME

I'm nearing retirement.

In mid-life I started to lose my hearing and now I'm profoundly HOH. I lip-face read. I do not know sign language.

Personality style: ISFP - Adventurer

Married. Childless by choice.

My hope is to brighten someone's day with what I send.

I love the creative motivation that I get from Swap-Bot swaps.

And the meaningful comments are a big reward.

❣️🖌️❣️✂️ ❣️✒️🎨✒️❣️✒️✂️🖌️🎨✒️🎨✂️

Extras

The only extra I'd really like is a bit of correspondence. I'd love to know a little about what you have sent to me. No need for extra ephemera. If you love sending ephemera and the swap doesn't feel complete without adding extras, go ahead. I do enjoy looking at them, then I'll pass them along to anyone whose profile says they would like extras

🤗 Things I find interesting:

• Handmade because it's unique and personal. There's a greater feeling of camaraderie and community when sharing something we've made. It's a means of supporting and encouraging play, mindfulness, creativity, orginality and authenticity.
• Hygge concept - cosy, comforting, calm, zen
• Little Free Library visits while wandering and exploring
• Dogs (and generally all animals including spiders and insects)
• Coffee shops
• Whimsical things
• The beauty and peace of trees and forests
• Tartan and plaid
• Coronation Street viewer for over 30 years, but there have been many times where I've thought about quitting -- the writing can be more miss than hit most of the time
• Landscapes
• Farm/rural/pastoral scenes
• Wiener Werkstätte
• Folk art (e.g. Maud Lewis, Grandma Moses)
• Canadiana (or your country's stereotypical/cultural/characteristic things)
• Outsider art --learned the term from @Wanda
• Public art galleries
• Artist Co-op stores
• Keri Smith--in particular her Wander Society concept. Solvitur Ambulando!
• Documenting things a la the Wander Society

CREATIVITY IS GOOD FOR US

Study Says Making Art Reduces Stress, Even If You Kind Of Suck At It

"Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants’ Responses Following Art Making," found that 45 minutes of creative activity significantly lessens stress in the body, regardless of artistic experience or talent.

Crafting can reduce your chances of developing mild cognitive impairment by 30% to 50% according to a 2011 study published in The Journal of Neuropsychiatry.

Art, an autonomous expression of a person’s creative process. An extension of our personality.

MY ITEMS

I put a return address label on everything I send out.

If you haven't received a card within a month of my send date, please let me know.

I keep a photo-log of my outgoing swap items--front, back, and at the mailbox.

If the postal equipment damages my card, let me know. I'll send you a photo of the card as it looked before I mailed it.

I will resend if my swap doesn't arrive.

Sending and receiving mail, including global, during January 2021 have been approximately 15 days on average for me.

📩Re-sends sent to:

• montigneyrules -- August 2020 -- Ontario to Maryland, first postcard never made it. Second postcard made it and in normal time. 👍

• Coss - August 2020 -- Ontario to Tennesse, first postcard never made it. Haven't heard back about whether the second postcard arrived. Both postcards arrived in August! :) 👍 👍

Happy to report that no re-sends were needed in September, October, or November 2020.

• dawnakaulen - December 2020 -- Ontario to California. PM'd to ask if she got my hippo for PC FPRU: Print Your Own Postcard - Theme: Animal. Unfortunately she did not. Sent another PC on December 14. She ended up getting both and rated me January 4th. 👍 👍

• blubutterfly - December 2020 -- Ontario to Alberta. My cow postcard for PnS: Cut and Paste, never got to blubutterfly. Sent a second postcard on December 14. It arrived and blubutterfly rated me on Dec 30th. 👍

Happy to report that no re-sends were needed in January, February and March and none so far in April 2021.

Canada Post Service Alerts

We're in our 3rd lockdown but my post office is open. I'm limiting myself to 1-2 visits a week.

If you join one of my swaps here's what you should know about my hosting style:

Nudge

If you haven't received a postcard around the one month mark, let me know. I will send out a nudge message.

If I have had to send more than one nudge message to a member, I may "ban" from future swaps.

Blank comments

Please, no blank comments. When rating please comment on the card received. Let's make our partners feel like their projects matter. If you have a hard time thinking about what to write, this example might help you: Thank you for {describe the item}. It brightened my day...Thank you for the Van Gogh sunflower postcard. It brightened my day.

As a host, I read the comments each participant receives. I really appreciate reading a little description of the item you receive. I get to live vicariously through you, and by describing it we get confirmation that you received your partner's item.

Finished

I check to see that everyone is rated and will add a "Finished" stamp to the Discussion section when all postcards are sent, received, and rated.

Angel

Please give your partner 4-6 weeks after the sent date, then send them a message if you haven't received the swap. Give your partner some time to respond to your message (2-5 days) before posting the "1". You can change the "1" later when the item is received. PM me to let me know you posted the "1" and have not heard from your partner and I will angel the swap.

To all who join my swaps and rate promptly and with a nice note...

Great swapping advice, tips and checklists:

Thinking of hosting a swap? Things you should consider.

Joining a swap tips

Hosts: Rating Requirements Too Low?

Groups I help manage (founder/co-founder):

All about ATC

Snapshot Photo Craft Projects

Handmade Postcard TAG

Swap-Bot Terms of Use:

• Swap-bot's services are not available to children (persons under the age of 18)

• A WYSIWYG site for writing in Markdown

• Dingus wysiwyg Markdown site