NOT UR USUAL Valentines, Due February 10, 2023

[Vicki Z]

Swap Due Date: February 10, 2023
Signup/Withdraw Date: February 10, 2023
Number of ATCs: 3 for 3 or 6 for 6
Number of Participants: Unlimited
Medium: Any and all media and techniques are welcome
NOT UR USUAL Valentines, Due February 10, 2023



RETURNS MAILED OUT



Not all Valentines are sweet, loving, and sentimental.
Sometimes they are creepy

Not all Valentines depict Love.
Sometimes there are Monsters

Not all Valentines are the best of the best.
Sometimes Valentines bring out the BEAST.

Not all Valentines are floral, lacy, heart-covered pieces of awesome-ness.
Sometimes they are skeletal

Did I mention making Wild Witches, Vampires, Zombie, or Terrible Terminators Valentines

This is a swap for strange, odd, off-beat, different, not normal, Valentines.
"Regular" Valentines not acceptable!

Don't Panic!! This is NOT difficult! Merely think outside the box.
Replace sentiments of love with statements of frustration. Replace hearts & flowers with rain/ clouds. Focus on angry winged dragons instead of a benign winged Cupid. Take a well-known poem and (negatively) change the lyrics. Start with a simple story but give it a different ending. Tell of wrongs inflicted, instead of lauding love.

Use non-traditional colors instead of the traditional red, pink, white. Go with blacks, greens, dark blues; or metallic gold, silver, copper.
You can give your cards a monster, witch, mummy, zombie, skulls and skeletons spin, or not, as you wish.

Do mixed media, hand drawn, hand painted or some combination. Go wild. Have fun. Be creative. Think "not normal"



* This is a 3 for 3 or 6 for 6 card trade. Make 3 or 6 cards and receive the same number back.

* ALL mediums and techniques are welcome. Please make sure you add some depth to your cards, whatever style you choose. Your mediums can include, but are not limited to: paper, tissue paper, crayon, acrylic, watercolor, gel pens, colored pencil, rubber stamping, ink, newspaper clippings, magazine clippings, etc. Please do not take an image, cut it out, glue it to a card, and call it done. Color the background. Add some texture. Add more than one image. Make the ATC YOUR CREATION! Please send in your best work. Something you would not be disappointed in receiving if it was sent to you.

* Please sign up by posting to this thread.
* ONLY ATCs allowed. No APCs accepted.
* All cards need to be sent each in their own plastic sleeve.
* All cards need to be standard ATC size: 2.5” x 3.5”
* All cards need to be sturdy enough to earn the name “card” (no floppy or flimsy paper). If it is created on a single sheet of paper, and "flimsy", please back your ATC with something stiffer, or more firm, such as a cereal box.
* Just as important, check for cards that are too thick. Each card must still be capable of fitting into the standard ATC sleeve. If your ATC will not fit into an ATC sleeve, it is too big or too bulky.
* Please put the Swap name and your Username on the back of all cards. And please write clearly on everything!
.....We can't give you itrades and/or You Rock! points if we don't know who you are.
* Please confirm there is enough postage on both the envelope you send to me, and the envelope I need to send back to you. The U.S. postal system announced it will be raising postage rates in January and in July, so either use "Forever" stamps, or double check current first class postage rates.
* If you are unsure about mailing ATCs, or just may want to pick up some good tips for shipping, here is a great link: http://atcsforall.com/forum/showthread.php?t=909

* If you are inside the U.S., please include a Self Addressed Stamped (Business Size) Envelope 4 by 9 1/2 inches, with one "Forever" stamp or current First Class Postage if trading 3 cards; or one "Forever" and one additional ounce postage stamp if trading 6 cards, OR if your cards are extra heavy or extra bulky (or 2 forever stamps if that is easier).

* International participants, if you have U.S. funds, or U.S. postage, it is greatly appreciated. However, since many of you do not have access to U.S. stamps/money, I will cover your postage. Please include a self addressed envelope 4 by 9 1/2 inches (10 x 28 cm), or if you do not have the correct size envelope, please include a large mailing label with your address and I will provide the envelope.

* I apologize for being so demanding about the envelope size, but the postal rates in the US charge extra for thickness. When cards are stacked, or overlapped, in (a smaller) envelope, it almost always costs more to mail. If you send me a small envy, the cards get stacked. When I use the 4 inch by 9 1/2 inch business size envelopes, I can spread the cards over the area, making a THIN package, and only pay for basic (minimum) postage.

* Cards are due IN MY HANDS by February 10, 2023. Please allow sufficient lead time for cards to get to me, particularly if you are an International participant. Returns will be mailed promptly. Please leave iTrader for your host ONLY (me) when you receive your returns, and please take the time to leave Reputation/You Rock points for your fellow players from whom you receive cards.

* A hostie card in this theme is appreciated but not at all expected!

* Thank you for considering this swap! If you have my address from previous swaps, it hasn't changed. If you are new, or have not been in one of my swaps for a while, please PM me for my address when you sign up or when you are ready to mail.

* Above all ~~ HAVE FUN!!!


Current Participants:
NOT UR USUAL Valentines, Due February 10, 2023

*/. StitchinWitch -- WITHDREW
*/. Juju -- WITHDREW
*1. Shadow_Guide -- Cards Received * CANADA
*2. huddlestonmollie -- Cards Received
rn3. An. M. Sudyka -- Cards Received
4. jessiblack -- Cards Received
*5. leydab -- Cards Received
*6. Boots -- Cards Received
*7. BlancoLobo -- Cards Received
*8. Vicki Z -- Cards Received


* INTERNATIONAL

[TrinaLD]

Love this idea but I'd better lurk to see if I can come up with some ideas. It's been a year.

[StitchinWitch]

Sign me up-- sounds like my usual Valentine's Day

[Vicki Z]

Love this idea but I'd better lurk to see if I can come up with some ideas. It's been a year.

I have faith in you, TrinaLD.
Have a good, strong, Talk with your Muse, and come on back!

[Vicki Z]

Welcome StitchinWitch.
I always love your ATCs.
I signed you up.

[Onaki]

Neat idea! Lurking for now.

[Vicki Z]

Lurkers always welcome., Onaki.
Hope you can come back and join us.

[OrigamiGrace]

Lurking for now, got one done, waiting on more inspo
Wednesday.jpg

[Vicki Z]

Lurkers welcome.
Hope your inspo returns.

[Juju]

Sign me up too please! Sounds like fun!

[Vicki Z]

Welcome Juju.
I signed you up.

[Shadow_guide]

Hello, I'm a newb from Canada, I just got my first itrader, I'm not sure how many of them I need to be able to participate in a swap. If I'm not breaking any rules, I'd love to sign up for this swap please!

[Vicki Z]

Hello, I'm a newb from Canada, I just got my first itrader, I'm not sure how many of them I need to be able to participate in a swap. If I'm not breaking any rules, I'd love to sign up for this swap please!

While there are some swaps that require participants to have a certain number of positive itrades to participate, most swaps welcome all interested people regardless of acquired itrades. Those swaps that do require itrades to participate clearly state that information in the first post of that swap.

This swap has no itrade requirement.
So, welcome to this site and to my swap.

I signed you up.
Rules and suggestions for participation are listed in the first post.
If you have any questions, please ask.
We were all new once, and are always happy to help.

[Shadow_guide]

This has been fun! My three cards for this swap:

[Vicki Z]

FANG-TAS-TIC cards!

[huddlestonmollie]

Hi Vicki! I'd like to sign up for this swap. Thanks so much.

[huddlestonmollie]

Love the mummy valentines!

[Vicki Z]

Welcome huddlestonmollie.
I signed you up.

[An. M. Sudyka]

Sign me up to swap. Will try to make some horrible Valentines.

[Vicki Z]

Welcome An. M. Sudyka.
I signed you up.