MK Newbie Swap - COMPLETED

[SusieStone]

Mine arrived today as well.

Great job everyone.

 

[piratesmate]

I'm so glad they're arriving so quickly!

I wanted to thank you all for participating. This was a great swap! You all made my job easy! Everyone worked really hard & did their best work I think. We're all going to have some beautiful layouts to share soon!

I also want to thank those who sent those little extras along with your swap elements. It wasn't necessary, but so nice to get! How thoughtful you are!

 

[piratesmate]

I'm copying MissesDisney's comment from the other thread so our discussion about the size of the elements can stay in one spot...although I'm wondering if we should have just started a whole new thread for this?

Don't know if there is another thread for this but I just received my swap package and everything is so beautiful (and boy did I make big photo mats and tags now that I can compare them!).

Thanks everyone for making this such a great first swap for a newbie (I am now addicted!)

Yes, some of the tags & photo mats ended up being a bit on the large size...a number of them, not just yours Maria. Before I say anything else, I'm going to say yet again how beautiful the items from this swap are! I'm serious!

I checked back & the Swap Glossary didn't include maximum sizes. I think the only max given was by me in the original sign-up thread & that was for squares, although I thought I'd read somewhere about Toppers needing to be kept to 8" max width so the 8.5x11 and 8x8 scrappers could still use them.

Personally I prefer my things a bit smaller, but it's all a matter of personal preference. My one concern would be for those who don't scrap 12x12 - I'd think we want to keep our elements usable by the largest number of people.

For me, those tags that are larger will probably be turned into journal boxes or maybe I'll crop or resize a photo to fit & use them as a mat. Believe me, I'll find a way to use them! I wouldn't want to miss out on using such great things!! It might be a bit more difficult with the extra large photo mats. I rarely use full-sized photos & never do a LO with a single shot on it. So this will force me to get creative on ways to use those elements.

 

[Faerie]

Went home to mooch dinner off mom and had my package waiting for me

 

[bobcat]

I got mine today also! The pictures don't do them justice!

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

Mine arrived today too.
Glad I caved and joined this one!!

 

[missesdisney]

Actually, now that you bring up the size of the elements...

......It made me wonder about mine. Is bigger better? Is that a new trend - making the elements bigger? Fewer things on a page? I don't like mine crowded, but I don't think I've even done a LO with only one photo one it either.

Any thoughts?

Well, since I had humongous tags (for thsoe of you not in my group - we're talking mat a small picture size tags) and also my mats were pretty darn large, it's mostly because it was my first swap and I was being overly literal about sizes. I had a 4x6 picture when sizing and it was fitted without any cropping at all so I ended up with the third layer being very big on those. The tags were a first for me and I did them totally by hand since I didn't have the cricut yet or the right size tag for the sizzix. So the smallest part of the tag is probably close to the requirement and then I went from there.

What's funny is, when I do my own books (12x12), I usually do a single mat with some corner cuts and a sticker or two and that's it. Every now and again I'll do a really 'scrapbooky' page with a single picture and a bunch of large mats behind it but nothing fancy.

I've done a few more swaps now since I finished this one (on this and another board) and my tags are getting much much smaller and so are my mats! And no worries, no offense taken as I see in the bag just how much bigger they are and it's funny - not much going on those pages huh??

I also never used tags and for some reason thought they were also used for journaling which was part of the size. I'm going to crop pics and use my own tags for that too!

This was so much fun and everyone's work is just so amazing. It gives so many new ideas now for different ways to look at things.

Looking forward to swapping some more with all of you (I think I already am!)

Maria

 

[missesdisney]

It was made with ZooBalloo, so you better believe I had fun saying, "ZooBalloo Abu."

ZooBalloo Abu rocks! Hoping to see the real deal at MVMCP this year so this is waiting on that!

Which cricut board are you looking at for layouts? I can't find layout boards just questions when I look (I'm not looking right I bet).

I must get that cartrige - my son will flip!

Maria

 

[happycampers]

Which cricut board are you looking at for layouts? I can't find layout boards just questions when I look (I'm not looking right I bet).

This is the section I have found layouts in. You do have to weed through some of the threads to find the layouts, though. I haven't found anything like two peas where you see several layouts on a page. http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tt.aspx?forumid=6

Sometimes in the cartridge specific areas you find a thread entitled, "no comments, just art" The idea there is that people will post their work from that cartridge, but not comments so that the thread will be full of pictures.

 

[happycampers]

My package arrived today!!!! I was very nervous at first because when I went to my mailbox, this swap and another package were CRAMMED in there with my regular mail. The elements were in surprisingly good condition, a few crinkled corners here and there, but nothing major that couldn't be flattened. It just bugged me that my mail carrier just shoved it in there. I have a porch where it could have been placed, and I was home at the time as well. (sound of me stepping off of soapbox)

Everything looks FABULOUS! As others have said, the pictures look good, but they look awesome when you get to see them for yourself. Everyone put so much into the things they created.

There are so many wonderful things I'll be using in my scrapbooks. I love everything. Thanks to all who swapped and to piratesmate for graciously hostessing this really cool swap.

 

[fAnnF]

I got mine, thanks everyone, they look great.

 

[MazdaUK]

missesdisney, I know where you're coming from! I would never put as much effort into putting a page together as I do into making swap elements - if my pics are lucky they get cropped a bit with a single layer under, "that'll do you, pal!" and a sticker or two

Now I have a binder full of fancy elements for my pages! Only trouble is I have not time to use them as I'm too busy swapping

Hmmmmmm....need to get a balance here!

 

[piratesmate]

...I was very nervous at first because when I went to my mailbox, this swap and another package were CRAMMED in there with my regular mail. The elements were in surprisingly good condition, a few crinkled corners here and there, but nothing major that couldn't be flattened. It just bugged me that my mail carrier just shoved it in there. I have a porch where it could have been placed, and I was home at the time as well. (sound of me stepping off of soapbox)

...

I know exactly what you mean! My regular carrier used to do this all the time - not the sub, just the regular. When I took on hosting this swap I went out one day & talked to her. I told her that I'd be getting a LOT of Priority envelopes and asked if she would just lay then between 2 of the boxes instead of shoving them in. (I live on a farm & there are 3 mailboxes on our post.) I was really surprised when she not only did that if there was 1 package, but on days there were 2 or more she walked them up to the porch...a whole 15'. If she hadn't agreed to do it, I would have gotten a new, larger box but since we don't own the farm & the landlord has matching boxes out there I wasn't sure how he'd like that.

I also did some research on other methods of shipping that might work. I didn't realize until I shipped out this swap that they also have a Priority box shaped like a shoe box. The tiny office I used had them - never saw them other places. I checked online & they're send you a batch for free. The dimensions are 7.5 X 5.125 X 14.375 which would work I think. It would hold our 12" borders and one would hope that nothing would be larger than 7.75 x 7.75. I'm pretty sure that everything from this swap would have fit in that box.

The only drawback is weight. As near as I can tell, anything 1 lb 0 oz would go across the country for the standard $4.60 rate. But as soon as you add an ounce, getting from here in PA to TPCShauna in CA for example would cost $7.50!

It's just something to consider for the future. One of the reasons we've used those envelopes in the past is that it's easier to say how much return postage to send. I did a swap once where some people chose 1st class return & what a mess that was! Person A sent stuff that was heavier than Person B so when Person B had estimated return postage, she was short. Usually 2 or 3 first class stamps is enough, but not always. The postal clerks were laughing at me figuring out who got what back too!

 

[nicurn]

sorry, I did get mine, everything is so cute. maggie

 

[MazdaUK]

Bet I'll be last

 

[123SA]

I love the Haunted Mansion set! Can the rest of you check your tags? I got 2 Pearl E Gates and did not get I Emma Spook. As DD's name is Emma, I would love to have that tag. I would gladly send you my tag as well as postage to swap out the Emma tag. Thanks!

 

[SusieStone]

I didn't get 2 Emmas but I would be glad to send you the one that I have if you will PM me your address.

Susie

 

[piratesmate]

I love the Haunted Mansion set! Can the rest of you check your tags? I got 2 Pearl E Gates and did not get I Emma Spook. As DD's name is Emma, I would love to have that tag. I would gladly send you my tag as well as postage to swap out the Emma tag. Thanks!

Oh man! I can't believe it! I checked those 3 times before I packaged them up too. Then at the last minute I dropped some. I obviously didn't check well enough that last time. I'm so sorry!

I also forgot that group had 7 people in it so I don't have a set yet either. I was going to make some for DD & myself over the weekend, but I'll try to finish them up today and get them to the post office tomorrow. Since I have to do more anyway, it's no big deal. Just keep the extra Pearl E Gates.

The same goes for the person who got 2 I Emma Spook. Let me know who you are and I'll send you a Pearl E Gates & you keep the other I Emma Spook. OK?

It's my screw up - no one else should have to mail things around.

And SusieStone...thanks for the offer! It's good to know you have my back!

 

[MazdaUK]

Mine are here and they're brilliant! I was going to give them all to my friend (who has just come back and is a beginner scrapper) but they're too nice to part with Maybe I'll let her look at them though

 

[Michellepooh]

I got 2 of the Emma Spooks. I would be more than happy to send it along to you 123A. Just PM me your address.