Curious...how did you all start swapping here?

[mycutiepatooties]

As a newbie, I am just wondering how this swap area got started? How has it evolved over time? How long have you gals been doing this? I'm so impressed with everyone's work and how organized all the swaps are.

 

[123SA]

Hmmm...I signed up for my first swap in April 2007. I observed for a number of months before I took the plunge. I am not sure how long the swaps have been around...

Since I started, I think as a group we have become more organized, we host a wider range of swaps, and we have all improved. I think the hostesses have done a great job setting up swaps that we as swappers are interested in joining. ALso, the mangement of the swaps is superb. I think this is the main reason we have so few flakers.

Personally, swapping has forced me to think more creatively and to try lots of new techniques that I most likely would not otherwise have tried.

 

[NemoMom07]

Totally argee with Susan on her comments. I started my first swap for the second time on here on October 2007. About 2 years prior I was swapping here and another board for over a year doing nothing but swaps. I got burned out, so I took a 2yr hiatus, missed it, and have been back. I only swap here and do not do as many as I use to.

I do have to say that they are soooooo very few flakers here. I seriously can only think of one in the two years I have been going at it again. The hostess here are nothing but superb.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

I can't believe how long I've been doing this.
I started right before my first trip in 2006. I've never scrapped before let alone made swap items. I had no idea what most of the elements were. I thought double matted meant first layer plus two. Not realizing that the photo would be the first and then two layers. I made lots of extra items in the beginning to try my hand at the different elements. If I messed up one, I figured there would be at least something usable in all the stuff.

I still don't scrap much. My photos from my first trip are sitting in a cabinet with the photos from my second trip.

Don't ask me how much swap stuff I have. I have it hidden everywhere.

The hostesses have been fantastic here. There was a period when it seemed all the swaps were late; getting sent in and getting back out. Not sure what changed, but we have all been so much better about being on time. And asking for help when it is needed. I think that may be it. We all trust each other enough to as for the help. It is a great community of people who I'm proud to call my imaginary friends.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I joined the DIS in 2005 and swaps we already going on. It has evolved over the years, to the point where the Webmasters gave us our own separate forum. I think it goes smoother since we implemented the calendar last year. That really keeps us from getting burned out because we say no more, then a really cool swap pops up and the next thing you know all we do is swap. But now with the calendar we can say "I could skip Animal Kingdom so I can do the everyday swap."
This year we started doing full page swaps which we had never done before and those have been fun, a lot of work, but fun!
I can't remember if we've always had newbie swaps but I remember when I first started I was soooo nervous because I thought my stuff was truly horrible, but I think I did do a newbie swap and my stuff was indeed crap! LOL But I have learned a lot by seeing what the other girls do and seeing the pictures in the gallery, that has really made me step up my game. I still feel like I'm not up to par with the rest of the crew but I'm getting there.

 

[rlovew]

I have been swapping here since June 2006- I was looking for a creative outlet and my mom had just shown me how to make shaker boxes. I stgarterd swapping and then began scrapping because I needed to use the stuff.

I go through times when I do more or less swapping and I am doing a bit less right now- I just don't need much from the groups and I don't have any place to put it until I use some more up.

Rebecca

 

[DisneyIsTerrific]

My first swap was a surprise swap in March of 2007. When I got it back, I realized how my stuff didn't match up to everyone else's and I'd just peek at the board here and there for about a year. I finally joined another swap (Character) in early 2008 (February, I think) and haven't stopped since!!! I love it here. Everyone is so nice and helpful and supportive. I keep telling myself I'm going to slow down on swapping so that I can actually work on making pages for my books, but then another swap comes along and I get pulled right in! I this place and all the wonderful gals here!

 

[MazdaUK]

I started with a recipe swap in spring 2006 (I think!) - I only got into scrapping December 2005. Oy first non-recipe swap was a resort swap and I had NO idea - I only had CM stuff but I bravely bought some non-CM cardstock and mounted CM photomats on it with bits of cardstock cut with the wavy line cutter as a decoration, and my own photo of the resort/resort sign printed out tiny as the other embellishment I nearly never swapped again as it took months to come back - andthen I was mortified to see what everyone else had made compared with my doodoo Since then I've swapped like crazy, but now I have a drawer and folder stuffed full of Disney stuff and no Disney vacation lined up I try to stick to thinkgs I know I will use - everyday swap and colour swap are my favourites I've also had to stop recipe swaps as I have enough recipes for 3 folders plus 3 bulging folders full - none of which I have used

 

[ZeroToHero]

Jeez. I feel like a newbie... I started swapping... what, in May? Of this year?

And yeah, getting my stuff back from some of the things I did at first, I was like why did I do that? Why is this stuff so awful compared to everyone else's?

And yes, I do the same as AWM used to - I include extra stuff so that at least something is usable.

My crowning moment, which I still am cringing over, is the blue group from the Color Swap... my journal box totally is a different color from everything else I made, and doesn't match at all. *sigh*

I started swapping about 6 months after I started scrapping - I was over Tinkerbean's house, and she had her ABC books out - I was looking through them, and wanted them! So I joined up just in time to start with the ABC book... and haven't stopped. Although now I have to, because school is getting more intense. So as soon as I finish these last few swaps, I'm done for a while.

(Although I said that a few months ago too)

 

[morgansmom2000]

I started last year sometime. I had swapped for years and years on other boards and totally burnt out. I have joined a few swaps, always stress over whether my stuff will be good enough, and have had to back off a bit due to a water leak in my bathroom that caused some damage that my deductible won't cover. I'll be back in full swing again, soon (I hope!).