2013 swap calendar - interest and comments thread.

[BernardandMissBianca]

Do you like the calendar? do you not like the calendar? Does it help with organizing or is it a little to OCD?

Suggestions on how to improve would be most welcome.
Or tell me if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Anyone have ideas for the upcoming year. Bring back old favorites? See some new technique you'd like to try? Categories we can dump because they aren't the it thing anymore?

And how do you feel about the mega swaps? I don't want to burn out our hostesses because these can become very overwhelming, very quickly. Should we scale back and have more smaller swaps?

lemme know!!! This is y'alls board, so I want to make this work for all of you.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

I think there are some that we haven't done in the past year or so that could be eliminated...


I am getting more picky with the swap selections so I'm leaning more toward completed pages/sketch swaps...

 

[mommy2mrb]

I am really liking the sketch pages, letter swaps, small embellishment swaps the most instead of the mini kits, think some house cleaning of some of the older swaps is a good idea.
one thing I think would be really helpful is to have past swap threads stickied together to make it easier to find, sometimes I've had problems searching for older ones.

I'm up for hosting the MAW album swap again down the road if there is interest!

 

[MazdaUK]

The problem I have with completed pages is the postage Muich as I love making and receiving completed pages I really can't justfy $40+ each way now I work locally. I love the letter swaps but my Xyron is so frustrating I'm not sure I can justify that any more either.

At the risk of being restrictive, what I find most useful is a small page kit (so it does for a single page as well as a double if necessary) - one photo mat, one journal box, one topper and possibly an extra embellishment (but not necessarily paper, maybe some ribbon, flowers or something to "go with" the colours/theme of the page kit). Non-Disney for next year, as I've nearly done my vacation album and we won't be going for a couple of years now.

I love colour swaps but honestly I've got two boxes full! Next year is going to be light on swapping for me, I fear.

 

[morgansmom2000]

I'm a little (and that's an understatement) OCD, so I don't care for swaps that only have one photo mat. I rarely (okay, never) have just one photo and I'm too anal to make another mat (or title or journal box) that will not match perfectly and therefore have stuff I'll never use. That being said, I do have a new scrapper who is not as anal in the house.

I love love love the completed page swaps because it's mentally easier for me to find photos that work than it is it make something that won't match perfectly. That being said, postage is so expensive (even domestic!). Perhaps we could do completed page/sketch swaps that don't include the background paper? Use a sketch to make the mats, embellishments, title, etc. The hostess would email a document that has the 'completed' page pictures when the swap is done (that way if people move things in PhotoBucket, you'll still have the pictures).

I would still love to hostess a 'digital' file swap, where we make a list of titles and each person makes an SVG and a SCAL file that can be cut at home. People who sign up would email the file and a picture of the cut title (you cut one for yourself, to test it out and photograph), and I would create a zip file of all the files and photos. Everyone would get every title.

Just a couple ideas.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

Lisa, I kept the links active for this year's swaps on the swap calendar... but I don't have time to go back and search for years past.. so if we can start from the 2012 swaps then I'd be okay with it...

Jennifer, what about cuts in craftroom?? Could we do that for those of us that don't own the other programs?? I don't know how that works.. and I know most don't have it... just wondering if that was an option..

 

[PrincessNancy96]

Jennifer, I do like the idea of a completed page with no background paper but a photo of completed layout... that is a very good idea...especially considering expense of postage.

Are you considering that option for the current swap you are hosting??? May be another option that would eliminate problems with shipping costs...

 

[mommy2mrb]

Lisa, I kept the links active for this year's swaps on the swap calendar... but I don't have time to go back and search for years past.. so if we can start from the 2012 swaps then I'd be okay with it...

Jennifer, what about cuts in craftroom?? Could we do that for those of us that don't own the other programs?? I don't know how that works.. and I know most don't have it... just wondering if that was an option..

that would be fine Nan, having the current year is a big help....would it be hard to put them all in one sticky and then add from there?

 

[PrincessNancy96]

What we could do is put the link to the previous year's swap calendar in the opening post of the current calendar swap... (I think it's been done in the past)... it'd open up another tab on your computer that you could then find your swap you needed..

I know exactly what you mean about trying to find previous searches... sometimes what you think it was named is not what it was named...

 

[mommy2mrb]

What we could do is put the link to the previous year's swap calendar in the opening post of the current calendar swap... (I think it's been done in the past)... it'd open up another tab on your computer that you could then find your swap you needed..

I know exactly what you mean about trying to find previous searches... sometimes what you think it was named is not what it was named...

sounds good, whatever is the easiest for you! let me know if you need some help with searches!

 

[morgansmom2000]

Jennifer, what about cuts in craftroom?? Could we do that for those of us that don't own the other programs?? I don't know how that works.. and I know most don't have it... just wondering if that was an option..

Craftroom is a free program, so anyone with an updated Cricut can use it (I think the baby bug even? Not sure, I only use my E2 with it). The problem we run into using Cricut Cartridges is using cartridges that everyone already owns, because you can only cut items from cartridges you own or are loaded to your Gypsy. It's not impossible, but it will be more of a chore. I'll get a spreadsheet made in Google Drive with a list of cartridges. If we work with only those cartridges we have, we should be fine.

Jennifer, I do like the idea of a completed page with no background paper but a photo of completed layout... that is a very good idea...especially considering expense of postage.

Are you considering that option for the current swap you are hosting??? May be another option that would eliminate problems with shipping costs...

I don't know how I feel about this for the MK swap...I've been thinking about my own groups and I may want to use the pre-printed Snow White paper (for instance) which will help finish the page. But, I'm not completely against it, especially if it helps with costs. We would need to get a list of paper used for our own info though.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

Craftroom is a free program, so anyone with an updated Cricut can use it (I think the baby bug even? Not sure, I only use my E2 with it). The problem we run into using Cricut Cartridges is using cartridges that everyone already owns, because you can only cut items from cartridges you own or are loaded to your Gypsy. It's not impossible, but it will be more of a chore. I'll get a spreadsheet made in Google Drive with a list of cartridges. If we work with only those cartridges we have, we should be fine.

Ugh, that would be a LOT of work Jennifer.. just keep it to svg/scal... No reason to worry about all the cartridge stuff too..

I don't know how I feel about this for the MK swap...I've been thinking about my own groups and I may want to use the pre-printed Snow White paper (for instance) which will help finish the page. But, I'm not completely against it, especially if it helps with costs. We would need to get a list of paper used for our own info though.

Ok, I was just checking... I was trying to think ahead for the MK swap.. and didn't want to have any confusion.. I'm fine with completed pages...

notes in red...

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Keep the ideas coming!

I wonder if we can do an every day or month/season 90% finished swap, design using the sketch but keep out the full sheets to keep the cost down for those overseas and domestic.

Love the SVG file swap, but I haven't figured out how to break images down for that yet. I guess I need to practice.

 

[MazdaUK]

Hope it won't all be cricut-based or I'm out of it completely. I've got my stupid Xyron (which i hate but can't quite bring myself to ditch) and a Big Shot with a few dies and embossing folders. No room for even a baby bug.

I'm obviously being thick as I can't see how the page swap would work without pages Get all the elements together and send them in for someone to stick down on their page according to the template?

 

[PrincessNancy96]

Hope it won't all be cricut-based or I'm out of it completely. I've got my stupid Xyron (which i hate but can't quite bring myself to ditch) and a Big Shot with a few dies and embossing folders. No room for even a baby bug.

I'm obviously being thick as I can't see how the page swap would work without pages Get all the elements together and send them in for someone to stick down on their page according to the template?

Mazda,

I don't think anything is all going to be cricut-based with the exception of SVG/SCAL digital swap... this would be a database that they girls can share their designs. I'm out on that one too because I don't have SCAL..

Also, the page swap would be exactly like you are thinking.. we would send all the elements together w/ a copy of the sketch and you can put the page together with all the supplies you were sent.. we just wouldn't seen the background paper to keep costs down for those overseas.

 

[VickiV]

I'm sure I'll upset some here when I post this, but my concern with the mega swaps is that some people may sign up for so many groups that they may lessen the quality of their work to complete everything. I'm not saying that everyone that signs up for 30 (just as an example, no one specifically in mind with it) groups will do lesser quality work compared to someone that only signs up for 3 (just an example, no one specifically in mind for this one either) groups. I'm just saying the possibility exists.

I'd be willing to hostess a recipe swap again. It's been quite awhile since we've had one. I don't know if anyone other than prettyintink and my sister are really interested or not.

I like the page swaps that are complete. Mini kits are ok, but I can't always find matching paper where I am. I hate to pay the shipping on online orders for just a bit of stuff. If I did a mini kit, I would want to have 2 photomats with it and an embellishment as well.

I like the links on the calendar to past swaps. The less time I have to spend searching, the more time I can actually spend having fun with the swap or reading other things on disboards.

Something I would like to see is to have the due date in the same line as the sign-up date. Two separate categories are fine, but for me, have both in the sign-up listing is helpful.

VickiV

 

[JohnsonsLoveDisney]

Craftroom is a free program, so anyone with an updated Cricut can use it (I think the baby bug even? Not sure, I only use my E2 with it). The problem we run into using Cricut Cartridges is using cartridges that everyone already owns, because you can only cut items from cartridges you own or are loaded to your Gypsy. It's not impossible, but it will be more of a chore. I'll get a spreadsheet made in Google Drive with a list of cartridges. If we work with only those cartridges we have, we should be fine.

I participated in a CDS swap years ago on the cricut board.

The rules were- Disney Carts and George that was it. and then it was broken down into Mickey and Friends, Princesses, Pooh. We then got an email of all of the files, I have actually used some over the years.

 

[MazdaUK]

I like "page swap without a page" - that could work for me

I always loved the recipe swaps but I've honestly got so many now, and I found a lot of the later ones were repeating, or else used things I can't easily get here (packet mickes and the like). But I do have them all in binders and have a little browse once in a while.....

 

[disney-akj]

I do like the completed pages, but I still find that the orientation of the layout do not work for my photos (vertical/horizontal). I guess not attaching stuff would help some with that. I do agree too that receiving one photo mat is pointless. I also personally do not use journal boxes but that is because I do not have the space by the time my pictures on the paper. I love the titles, borders, and other things though that we receive in embellishment swaps? Then we can make the pages our own in some way too? I am a little OCD myself. I also put tons of pictures on my pages (probably too many) so the embellishment swaps allows for this.

One swap we did seasonally on another board that I loved was the DCWV swap. Every season two stacks were chosen. To participate you had to purchase one of the stacks though (but you could usually always get them on sale or with a coupon for $10). Then you signed up (for one group or both if you purchased both of the stacks) and made items with papers from that stack. It was great, because then you had matching paper to go with everything. For winter- usually a snow stack and Christmas stack were chosen. For fall- usually a school stack and halloween/fall stack were chosen. Spring- was usually an Easter stack and another misc. stack with cute papers. Summer- depended on the stack selection usually. The only draw back of the swap were deciding on stacks from M's or J's, because not everyone had access to both stores sometimes and their stacks are different sometimes. Plus another draw back was you were spending money instead of using your own stash, but lots of us do that anyway Just a new swap idea? Then if you did get one photo mat, you could easily make more matching ones.

We also had sister swaps, when you were paired with someone and sent them something they would need monthly (like what you were working on). This was nice because it wasn't a lot of work or mass production, and it was great to get specific stuff. Similar to the surprise swap, but mailed a little more often so not as much work.

 

[JJ&JHsmom]

I like the idea of completed pages without the background paper, just not sure I can envision how it would work.

I too have alot of stash to use up so will be limiting the amount of swapping I do.

I like the idea of a "file" swap.