Pink Houses! - A House-Shaped ATC Swap - Due January 20, 2023

[JavaZarf]

love the pink lobster

[LindyLu]

WOW! all of them are wonderful! It must be difficult to decide how to exchange them, my hat is off to everyone who hosts a swap.

[jezebelle]

The houses have been swapped!

It seems like a job that would be fun and easy, but it is not easy. And 60 pieces was definitely more difficult than 36. I am having a hard time imagining how folks handle swaps with a huge number of participants. I’m grateful for the host “training period”.
But it is awesome to spend time up close and personal with all this fabulous and varied artwork. That may be the best part of hosting.

I will give everything a double check this evening after supper, and tomorrow I will pack them up.

[jezebelle]

The houses have been packaged and are ready to be relocated!
I should have time tomorrow to go to town and send them on their way.
I am sad to see them go…

[jezebelle]

Some things I learned… while packing return envies yesterday:


Some folks send SASEs that are slightly smaller than a standard business size envie. Awesome! They fit into the envie without folding.

Some folks send their individually sleeved ATCs in 3 pocket sleeves. Awesome! It’s really great protection for the art.

Some folks send both of these things, but the 3 pocket sleeves don’t fit into the somewhat smaller envies without modification of the sleeve or envie. Not Awesome. This is a hassle for the host and does not protect your artwork as well as a proportionally sized envie.

If the condition of your returns is important to you, you should give some thought to the SASE that you submit. Thin envies, and envies that don’t seal well put your artwork in danger! They also put the burden of mitigating that danger on the host.

Some folks add the host’s return addy when they prepare their SASE. That Rocks!

[jezebelle]

Something I learned just now…



!!!WHAT???

Who is in charge of this?

[jezebelle]

Your homes are mobile!

If we have traded before, you might notice that your returns are coming to you from a different PO.

I was hoping to score some Year of the Rabbit Stamps today. So instead of going to my local PO, this afternoon I “went down the road” a few towns to the “big” post office. That’s the vernacular here for driving south to another town (regardless of whether that town is 15 or 50 miles away) on what is technically a US HWY. The phrase is apt, as the highway really isn’t much of a highway.

The big post office really isn’t very big either, it’s a relative term. It was built in the 1930s, and is a fairly typical brick and stone building of it’s time. But it sits in a small “downtown” area and serves a larger community than mine, maybe 1,000+ folks. For perspective, I’ve already told a few stories about my tiny, local PO. And the PO for the community just south of here is even smaller. It looks like a garden shed but with a modern glass door. It sits on blocks, on the side of the road at a defunct railroad crossing. It can hold maybe 3 people at a time. I often wonder where they would put a really big package if they received one.

Anyhow, I showed up just in time to get my sheet of rabbit stamps. The woman in line behind me had driven about as far as I had, from the opposite direction, for the same stamps. She bought the 3 remaining sheets!

And there’s your totally unsolicited, long story longer, rambling slice of my life in rural America. Lol.

[jezebelle]

Thanks again to everyone who included some extra cash or postage with their submissions, and also to those who had the foresight to add some extra postage to their SASEs. We did have a few that went out at over one ounce.

[Bishopsmate]

Love the rural tale. Thank you for sharing this super scrummy slice of your life.
I live in a big City in middle England, think Tolkien (his old house is round the corner) and so I have nearly everything (no craft shops) to hand. No idea how other folks manage so this info is ace.
Thanks again and I'm super excited to receive my houses

[jezebelle]

Love the rural tale. Thank you for sharing this super scrummy slice of your life.
I live in a big City in middle England, think Tolkien (his old house is round the corner) and so I have nearly everything (no craft shops) to hand. No idea how other folks manage so this info is ace.
Thanks again and I'm super excited to receive my houses

One of the things I really enjoy about trading ATCs, is getting to know a bit about the folks that made them and where they live. I’m pleased to know you enjoy that as well.

I had no idea that Tolkien had lived in Birmingham. Is he celebrated there?
When I think of Birmingham, I think of the 80s art school scene and the types of bands that used to feature in Smash Hits.
I know those days are long past, but that is what always comes to mind.

[jezebelle]

I’m so excited now for everyone to receive their returns. I think you’re going to love them!

[jezebelle]

The first returns have arrived!
The housewarming party can officially begin!

As your returns arrive, please take a few minutes to send “you rocks” to the artists that created them, and let them know which houses you received.

Please remember to submit an iTrader for the host (me). If there were aspects of the swap that you loved or hated, I welcome feedback in either the iTrader “Reply” section or a PM. As a new host that is still learning, your feedback is so valuable to me. I experienced a lot of firsts over the course of this swap and just a few hiccups. I am grateful for each of them and what they taught me.

Notices of arrival, and thank you notes in the thread are also welcome, tho not required.

And most of all, Thank You! Your fabulous art, lively participation, and sense of humor made this swap a lot of fun.

[mrubyjean]

My lovely houses arrived ~ love the thank you note, too!
Terrific swap, jezebelle!

[Terri F]

Just got Three new Tiny Homes haha
I love them so much. What a fun swap jezebelle
Thanks soooo much for hosting. Off to leave yourocks.

[fundygirl]

I received some super cute houses! Love all of them!

[JavaZarf]

Lovely pink houses have arrived from Jezebelle, FundyGirl and MRubyJean.
Fun swap, great returns and fantastic hostess.

[jezebelle]

Thanks for checking in, I’m so pleased to see that our pink beauties are arriving safely and in a timely fashion.

[CiCiCreates]

Mine just arrived today! I will be leaving reps and iTrader tomorrow, thanks for a fun swap, full of interpretation variety!

[Bishopsmate]

I have received my swaps, super selection from An.M.Sudyka, Lindylu and RaineyDay.
Thank you and thanks Jez for hosting a super swap

[jezebelle]

You are very welcome, Bishopsmate.
It is such a pleasant surprise to hear that returns made it to the UK in only a week!