Swap-bot Time: March 28, 2024 3:35 pm
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EDITED: it's back, MEGA ATC swap! (US ONLY)

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EDITED:  it's  back, MEGA ATC swap! (US ONLY)
Swap Coordinator:firstborn (contact)
Swap categories: Artist Trading Card (ATC) 
Number of people in swap:100
Location:Regional - USA
Type:Type 3: Package or craft
Last day to signup/drop:August 31, 2010
Date items must be sent by:November 1, 2010
Number of swap partners:20
Description:

EDITED 8/31/10: it's come to my attention about how to deal w/ the backs of your atcs...as i mentioned below in the comments section, it is OK to put your name, sb alias, date & "mega atc swap". any other add'l info, like title, email, blog, flickr addresses, etc are completely optional.

also, i didn't think i needed to address this bec. so many of us in the group are seasoned swappers...but, apparently i do...so here goes>>>

now a word about extras... that is totally up to you what you would want to include with your atcs (e.g., a personal note, a small treat, atc supply of some sort, etc). your partner should not be rated poorly if you did not get any extras. as long as you receive a lovingly handmade, original atc from your partners, THAT is meeting the swap requirements. remember that this is an ATC swap, not a-fill-up-your-envelope type deal. bottomline, please rate accordingly & appropriately. thanks in advance! now back to our regularly scheduled swap... :)


are you MAD about ATCs & can't get enough of them?

& do you like a CHALLENGE???!

first of all, this swap is NOT for the faint of heart. so please think long & hard before you sign up because it WILL involve your time, effort & creative muscle :) FLAKERS will not be tolerated.

a few years back, 2007, to be exact, a fellow swap-botter hosted an "ATC MEGA" swap that involved sending 1 atc to 20 partners. yes, 20 partners!

i know, i know, it sounds daunting, but it really wasn't (& isn't)bad as it sounds. i so want to bring this swap idea back! i had a blast when i participated back then. i got atcs from all over the us & a lot of them were awesome. ok, i did get a couple of duds - i won't lie- that were just stickers on paper, but that was before swap-bot hosts really began specifying the quality of work to be sent... also, i remember sending batches of 5-6 atcs every week until all 20 were sent out...i think that made the swap more manageable for me, especially working full-time...but whatever works for you...just be punctual with your shipping. (remember no flakers!) anyway, here are some other reasons why you ought to consider this swap:

TOP 5 REASONS TO JOIN MEGA ATC SWAP

first, the swap is limited to us swappers. sorry international peeps, but this is a massive swap & i know that many here (yours truly included) would like to keep postal costs down. (feel free to start an international one though)... since we will be sending atcs en masse, postal costs have to be figured in...

second, we will all be given TWO months to create & send our atcs until the deadline mail date.

third, alls you have to do is buy a book a stamps (bec. there are 20 in a book) & please try to keep your embellishments, if you use them, to a minimum or keep them rather flat-ish...otherwise there will be something like 18 cents or more extra to pay for bulky envelopes.

fourth, your atcs will be UNTHEMED/ANY MEDIUM/sender's choice... while this is NOT profile-specific per se, it is out of common courtesy to please be mindful of your partners' likes/dislikes. i want this to be a fun, positive AND safe swap & want to avoid any potentially offensive and/or random unpleasantness... also, atcs can be all the same or different, up to you. just keep in mind that you will pay extra if you have bulky embellishments.

& fifth, you will be inundated with glorious ATCs from all over the us! it'll be just like christmas, everytime you open your mailbox. & who wouldn't want that?! right? plus, cool new art from 20 different peeps & an expanded ATC collection to boot! yay!!

so if this all sounds good & doable to you, then welcome aboard the MEGA ATC train!

OK, to recap what's expected in this swap:

--- only US swappers w/ good track record, 4.8 or greater (i will check), newbies ok, but no recent 1s or 3s (unless you want to explain them, pls. convo me).

---create 20 atcs so that each of your 20 partners will receive one atc (i.e., 1 atc per partner, with total of 20 partners).

---ATCs (2.5 in x 3.5 in) must be created by YOU & not someone else's work. do your best work (don't slap a sticker on computer paper & call it good...that is a NO NO) & make something that you would be proud of & like to receive yourself.

---you will have TWO months to make & send the atcs.

---you will need one book of us stamps (but pls. bear in mind that postage will be extra if your atcs include bulky 3-d embellishments) to keep postal costs down.

ALRIGHTY,

if you've got the time, $ for a book of stamps, want to expand your ATC collection & like a creative challenge, then what are you waiting for?! sign up please :)

Discussion

twobluecrows 08/16/2010 #

Aack! I was in that first Mega ATC Swap and it was intense! But fabulous! They were nearly my first ATCs, and the beginning of a true love/hobby!

I'm watching right now, because I'm all wrapped up in quilt block swaps, but if I can get untangles a little, I may be able to manage this one.

Keep in mind though that you don't have to make only mixed media (collage) ATCs--Drawing, painting, woodwork (pyrpgraphy, etc), polymer clay, fabric, printmaking, rubberstamp, metal--there are an unlimited list of mediums that can be made ATC-sized! Try out every one you always wanted to do and the time and work will go quickly and fun!

firstborn 08/16/2010 #

hey thanks twobluecrows for the reminder...ANY medium is acceptable as long as your work shows care & pride...okey dokey?!

yeh, wasn't that first one crazy?!!! i couldn't find another like it now so that's why i decided to host this one :) it is intense, but the payoff is awesome!

hope you can get untangled some so you can play! :)

luvdrewwww 08/16/2010 #

this is SO awesome. count me in!!

firstborn 08/16/2010 #

yay luvdrewww, glad you can play! :)

dreamerkins 08/17/2010 #

i love these! i just did one 2 months ago!! (watching for the moment though, because i joined 4 -5 partner senders choice atcs swaps because i wanted one of these...lol).

Iloenchen 08/17/2010 #

Aw, it's a shame this is US only because this sounds like so much fun. Are you planning on making an international version? I would love to join.

stampmaz2000 08/17/2010 #

lloenchen, Host an international version! he he I will join !

firstborn 08/17/2010 #

yes, yes, yes, pls. feel free to host an international version... currently postage overseas is anywhere between 70-98 cents, depending on the country & having 20 partners @ those prices apiece would make it a very expensive swap for us peeps in the states (nearly 20 usd!!)... a book of US stamps currently is 8.80 usd & that is considerably a lot cheaper doing a domestic version than international...so that's the main reason why i set this swap this way. hope you international swappers can appreciate where i am coming from. & pls. feel free to host an international version! that would be so cool! cheers :)

firstborn 08/17/2010 #

yay, we've got some takers, hehehe! everyone's looking good so far, rating/track record-wise (i've been checking!), so double yay!

just a FYI...

we need at least 20 peeps signed up by sign-ups deadline 8/31, so far 10 plus myself. that's half way there!

in the event that we don't reach 20, i will likely scrap the swap :(

however, i will consider still going thru with the swap w/ less than 20 peeps if there is a lot of interest. just let me know pls when the time comes, ok? thanks!

it is early yet & we still gots plenty of time for more peeps to sign up by 8/31. just had to put this little caveat here, just in case... but the more the merrier is what i say! :)

GrrrMeoww 08/17/2010 #

Yay! Nothing like getting 20 mystery art envelopes in your mailbox in the same week (or two)...sometimes my mailman hates me lol. :D Just pretty pretty please check my dis-likes before you send! =^.^=

firstborn 08/17/2010 #

yes, pls. be mindful of your partners' (all 20 of them!) likes AND dislikes when creating your atcs. thx grrmeoww & welcome!

weeatcrayons 08/17/2010 #

Oh I thought this was sender's choice and not profile specific....hmmm nvm then! good luck!

Iloenchen 08/18/2010 #

But, you see, chances that you'd have to post all 20 ATCs overseas are very, very low. Most of the time, there aren't that many international people in a swap, so you'd most likely have two or three from overseas and lots of people in the US. But I understand that the risk might be too high and that you're trying to save on postage (I would, too, if I could, but alas, I live in Germany and we're a bit under-represented here ;) )

I'm going to start an international version and am going to post a link here once it's up.

Iloenchen 08/18/2010 #

Here it is: MEGA ATC swap - International version. Thanks for allowing me to start that one, I'm looking forward to it. :)

firstborn 08/18/2010 #

weeatcrayons, it is sender's choice/unthemed/any medium...just as a courtesy to your partners to not send something potentially offensive...that's what i'm talking about...just be respectful...that's all...

& that's great lloenchen!

dreamerkins 08/18/2010 #

no need to scrap any swap because there are less participants than partners... you just end up with everyone in the swap as a partner. the last one of thse i did said 20 partners. we only had 16 people, so we ended up with 15 partners instead. it was still an awesome swap!

firstborn 08/18/2010 #

thanks dreamerkins...i thought that too, but didn't want to presume or disappoint anybody...if there aren't any objections then, we'll proceed with the swap even if we end up with less than 20...agreed? :)

tigerlilly327 08/18/2010 #

I'm still new to making ATC's, but what the hell, I'll join. I just hope my 'art' / style doesn't fall short of any expectations.

firstborn 08/18/2010 #

hey tigerlilly, no worries. we all were newbies once...glad you're giving this a whirl :) have fun creating!

user6456 08/19/2010 #

I am so excited. My own monthly swap group is kind of dying out due to other commitments and I can't stand the idea of not getting fun mail. Our group had 8 artists and we did 3 themes a month..It was so fun ! Once i got into the groove of creating art regularly ( with help of a years worth of upcoming themes on my desk) the effort and artist block .. lessened tremendously. Doing 20 cards is really stressful when you put it off. Get going and the muse will take you places you never dreamed. You CAN do it!

firstborn 08/19/2010 #

wow user6456, that was a nice pep talk! i totally agree with you on procrastinating! been there done that, lol...it's better to do small batches at a time, at least that's been my experience...

helmetwearer 08/20/2010 #

This sounds so fun - I'm starting my ATCs tonight! firstborn, thanks so much for hosting this awesome swap!

firstborn 08/21/2010 #

Thx helmetwearer...happy creating!

djmom11 08/22/2010 #

OK, I'm in, can't resist!!! Looks like you have over 20 who have joined and lots watching.

firstborn 08/23/2010 #

Welcome new joiner uppers :) + wowza, this swap made it to the top swap list, thank you! Yay glad that many r up 4 the challenge!

SamiE 08/23/2010 #

Was part of the first swap and am looking forward to this new one.

firstborn 08/24/2010 #

welcome samie...so, yeh, you know how this works & how fab it is! :)

Sweetthing 08/25/2010 #

I'm a newbie and very excited about this swap! Can you please give me tips on how to package each ATC (whether flat or slightly bulky) so as to prevent damage during shippment?

firstborn 08/25/2010 #

welcome sweetthing... hmmm, lemme see...

1) wrap your atc around tissue paper 2) put it in an atc sleeve (a thin plastic case sold online like ebay) 3) you can make your own atc envelope (there are lots of tutorials i'm sure, somewhere online...) 4) cut a couple pieces of lightweight cardboard (like from a cereal box) the size of an atc & sandwich atc in between cardboard. OR 5) you can always place atc in a small bubble mailer (size #000), but you will likely pay more than 44 cents because that will be considered a small parcel & will be charged accordingly.

i hope that helps...anyone else have good tips to share?

i usually do the cardboard sandwich idea myself...but whatever works for you.

raesha 08/25/2010 #

YAHOO!!!! I am IN!!!! Oh my goodness this will be so much fun.....love you!!!!!!

T 08/25/2010 #

This sounds great!

The atc sleeves are also sports cards sleeves--you should be able to find them super cheap any place that sells sports cards.

Rocktopus 08/25/2010 #

ah my gosh...i have to join

firstborn 08/25/2010 #

welcome new friends to the swap! & hiya raesha, glad you r gonna play, luv ya right back!! thanks t for that tip...i forgot about the baseball card sleeves...i think i've seen them at target by the checkout lanes at the end...

Sweetthing 08/25/2010 #

Great packaging suggestions firstborn and T! Thanks!!

phtbtmgrl 08/26/2010 #

I bought sleeves from an online store. They are nice quality and pretty cheap.

jannieb 08/26/2010 #

I can help angel for this swap if needed.

tigeralayna 08/27/2010 #

You can also get sleeves at micheals for fairly cheap, and a good amount. I am new to the 20 at a time, but I'm so addicted. I just joined one around where I live. I hope I can keep up with all this....Happy Creating everyone!

AppleKicker 08/28/2010 #

I am considering joining this swap but suck at paper crafts. Since it is "any medium" would anyone really object to getting fabric/quilted ATCs from me?

Adding it to my watch list for now.

firstborn 08/28/2010 #

hey thx jannieb...will keep u in mind...but i trust we won't have to go there... i have checked out everyone's profiles (all 64!) to date & everyone seems to know the drill about good swapping/no flaking...everybody's looking good, even the newbies... oh yeah, i didn't mention this in the above swap specs, but for any newbies, pls. fill out your profiles...just so i (& your future partners) have something to go by other than a one line/one paragraph blurb. one of the reasons i swap is to connect with peeps from all over the place & it's kinda hard to relate to someone who shares little 411 about themselves... i'm not asking for an autobiography, just a little bit more so that we know you are a real person :)

firstborn 08/28/2010 #

thx phtbtmgrl and tigeralayna for your suggestions!

& applekicker...that would be AWESOME! i'm actually thinking about making some non-paper atcs (felt & fabric combo, actually)...so by all means!!!!

firstborn 08/28/2010 #

p.s. the sky's the limit to fabricating your any medium/sender's choice atcs. not too long ago, i participated in a non-paper atc swap right here on sb & peeps made atcs from thin sheet metal, fabric, wood, plastic...the possibilities are endless. you are only limited by your imagination...so go ahead & be the clever & creative selves that you all are! :)

Betsi 08/29/2010 #

Just wanted to say to AppleKicker that I'd be over the moon if I got a quilted ATC! I just adore unusual cards like that - to me a fabric ATC would be a special treat! Or, as firstborn mentions, any other medium - wood, clay, plastic... :) Of course, I am just as happy to get more common styles such and drawn, painted, or collage. But I wanted to put my 2¢ in and say that I think quilted ATCs are rad!

firstborn 08/29/2010 #

:) betsi

getting closer to sign-up deadline....wicked excited that so many have already signed up...that is totally awesome :)

should we get a wonky, uneven final count of peeps, i am prepared to be y'alls partner. i have a ton of base cards cut out & ready to be worked on :)

hopefully, more peeps will come out of hiding, hehehe, & join in! that would be super cool :)

occasiongb6557 08/29/2010 #

lovin the idea of freedom of choice on the themes. I finished five so far this weekend.

firstborn 08/30/2010 #

good for you occasiongb...i'm working on other atc swaps currently & making extras to use for this one...so that way, i'm making mine as a i go along & makes things more manageable, less overwhelming for me...

yay, one more day to sign-up & then i will start partnering y'all up! so if you've been lurking, hehehe, now's the time to delurk! :)

LASummer 08/30/2010 #

I'm excited to join this swap! It will be my first. I lurked and lurked and read and thought and thought and then made a dozen atcs just to make sure I could do it. Die before flaking!

I hope to find enough artists who will enjoy my cards. Mine are all mini paintings. I'm a fine artist. That's not to say that me or my art is unequivocally fine. That's just what they call people who put paint on canvas ; ) I plan to put a photo of my atcs on my profile page so you can see my style. I've checked out some of your profs, Etsies,and flckrs and am excited to get trading!

LASummer 08/30/2010 #

hmmmm... can we post photos to our profile?? Another question, do all the cards need to have a title? Some of them are resisting being named!

firstborn 08/30/2010 #

welcome LASummer!

...um, i believe u can post pix on your profile page...i just don't know how to do that? anyone in the group know??

& your cards don't have to be titled per se...just be sure to have your name/sb alias & "mega atc swap" on the back...

woot...we're getting close!!!

wackywallflower 08/31/2010 #

oh my gosh, I've had this on my watchlist for a while now, and now I have to decide... haha....

well.... here goes :D

firstborn 08/31/2010 #

:) wackywallflower, glad you got off the fence. welcome!

firstborn 08/31/2010 #

ok peeps, some stuff was brought to my attention so please take a look at the edited info i posted in the above swap specs. thanks for your cooperation!

yay, almost time to partner peeps up!!

tigeralayna 08/31/2010 #

I have to say, this swap is REALLY REALLY COOL! I'm a first timer in something like this, and I can not WAIT to see what I get from where! I'm glad it is any medium becuase I do alot of different stuff.....anyone out there do Origami ATCS??

firstborn 08/31/2010 #

Tigeralayna that would be so fun to receive! I luv how y'all are thinking outside the box :)

Mamasch 08/31/2010 #

hey, i think i was #99 to sign up. how fun! just wanted to say i am super stoked about the possibility of seeing some extra-ordinary atc's. i LOVE ones that use materials other than paper. to wrap my head around making 20, i'm picking a theme/image to put on all of them, and then i plan to vary each in technique or slight variation. it'll be a wonderful little "study" for me. yikes, this was/is a little intimidating, but i think it'll be so worth the effort! thanks all!

firstborn 08/31/2010 #

hey mamasch, glad you can join in the fun :)

eek, we're getting down to the wire folks! last call & then swap bot will let me start the partnering process...

have fun everyone & thank you all for playing!!

holaperrita 09/ 2/2010 #

I like that exactly 100 ended up in the swap!

goddessfox 09/ 2/2010 #

I am so happy to be here with you all! Thanks for hosting this wonderful swap! Let the swap begin!

firstborn 09/ 3/2010 #

:) @holaperitta & @goddessfox :)

how are all you mega ATCers doing? i'm happy to see so many on the mega atc train, hehehe!

i've started working on mine...up to 18 so far. i know, i was on a roll. lol ...so i might be actually ready to send out pretty soon (!) omg... i've hosted a ton of collaborative-type swaps elsewhere over the years & i tend to work in large batches for groups of 10 or more, so setting up this swap on swap-bot was no different from what i usually do :)

anyway, so excited to have all 100 of us swapping our mega hearts out!

happy creating!! :) mary ann

occasiongb6557 09/ 3/2010 #

spent time working on some of these this morning. I am planning on posting them to my flickr site when done, will see how it goes.

LASummer 09/ 4/2010 #

Mary Ann, I just got my 20 sent! How fun was that?!! Now I get to sit back and wait for them to roll in : ) I can't wait to see what comes! Thank you for hosting this swap! I will be looking forward to your next swaps.

firstborn 09/ 4/2010 #

yay @occasiongb6557 it's always nice to see what peeps create :)

& @LASummer wowzers, good for you! :)

i'm done with mine, plus i made extras, just in case (hopefully i won't need to send them out) & will probably post them next week, after the holiday. i'll take pix of them soon & post them on flickr.

keep on creating & have a lovely & safe holiday weekend! :) mary ann

firstborn 09/ 7/2010 #

whew, even with family visiting us over the holiday weekend, i managed to get all my atcs completed & stuffed in envelopes :) i'm heading to the post office today to drop them off. to my dear partners, pls. let me know that you received them. thanks in advance!! :) happy creating, mary ann

Amberingz 09/ 8/2010 #

do we check sent once all have been sent or once we sent our first one??? O am so happy on how mine turned out! I hope u all who are on the rec. end are in pure OC bliss when u open ur envelope..First 5 went out today! Can we do this again soon :)

firstborn 09/ 8/2010 #

good question amberingz...i marked mine sent the day that i mailed them...all 20 of them. i think that others have too? i can't remember how i did it back in 2007...but then, i think it was kinda different back then too... i think it would be only fair if we marked "sent" when we have all 20 atcs sent out so as there will be no question that they weren't sent. does that make sense?

um, i'll think about doing another mega atc...maybe after the holidays in the new year?....hmmm...we'll see... :)

Sunflower4Mowse 09/22/2010 #

Watch your mail boxes, I am sending mine out as I get them made up ! This is so much fun !

raesha 09/24/2010 #

I sent all mine!! I hope you all love them - I'm really happy with how they turned out:)

djmom11 09/30/2010 #

Mine are all out now. This was a fun swap.

firstborn 10/ 2/2010 #

hi all!

just about a month left to mail out your cards! hope everyone is having a good time here! :)

all mine were rec'd by all 20 of my partners (yay!) & i believe i am waiting on 7 or 8 more?! woot! thank you all again for being such a great bunch of awesome swappers!!!

have a super weekend!!!

:) mary ann

Amberingz 10/ 4/2010 #

how do you guys keep perfect track of what comes in. To know i have rec'd 7 and waiting on 8 more. Do tell, if i thunk really hard i could figure it out. Would really like to hear a easy answer from someone though! :) They are all up in a wired frame i made, mixed in with other swaps, as of now!

firstborn 10/ 4/2010 #

@amberingz good question. i printed out my list of partners & check off & write date rec'd by their names..that's how i keep track. i know that some even keep tally in a notebook dedicated to swap-bot swaps. but i'm not that organized, hahaha. you could try using a notebook though...

twobluecrows 10/ 6/2010 #

I had to copy all my partners' names and usernames into a separate list form my other swaps, and now, when I get a card in, I rate that partner, then change the color of his/her name on the list to grey so I know which I've done. So far, so good--I've received and rated and checked off 11 ATCs already! Mailed all mine out the other day.

firstborn 10/18/2010 #

hi mega atc'ers!

we're in the home stretch of this swap...remember, the mail-by date is NOV. 1st!

if you're feeling a bit blue that this swap is coming to end...be not sad...i'm hosting another MEGA ATC type swap...this one is valentine themed: "be my valentine MEGA atc swap"... here's the link: http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/75518

hope you can do this one! happy swapping! :) mary ann

twobluecrows 10/22/2010 #

I sent all mine out on Oct 3, and now I haven't received any more since Oct 6--11 in, 9 to go!

twobluecrows 11/ 5/2010 #

five in a rush, only four to go! Great swap!

twobluecrows 11/ 5/2010 #

Bummer! I just checked the list and three of the four I'm waiting for look like flakers! :(

djmom11 11/ 6/2010 #

3 not rated yet and 5 left to recieve. One did say she would be late.

raesha 11/ 6/2010 #

I'm really behind on rating a bunch of the ATCs that I have received - I was laid off of work a few weeks ago and I have been in a serious funk. I'm happy to report that I have found a new job - I start on the 15th. AND I have gone through tonight and left feedback for all the ATCs that I have received. Thank you all for being patient!

Sunflower4Mowse 11/ 8/2010 #

Howdy, and a huge thank you to the host and the people who sent the wonderful ATC's along. If I missed rating someone give me a shout, I tried to do it as they came in. received all but 6 and one person who emailed to say they would be late. Not too bad for a swap this size. The Host was wonderful !

firstborn 11/ 8/2010 #

@sunflower4mowse thank you for your kind words... they were very much appreciated!

ok by now, you should have gotten the group email i sent to your private email addys about the results of the swap...

there is someone in the group who kindly wants to organize a private swap for all those missing/waiting for cards or who want to help. this swapper will be in contact soon.

i can't say it enough, but a million hearts and thank yous to everyone who completed the swap! aside from a very low # of no-sends, this swap, for all intents and purposes, was a mega success in my book!

have a wonderful day and happy swapping to you all!

:) mary ann

Sunflower4Mowse 11/ 9/2010 #

Whoopieeee - three more drifted in today. Keeping the faith ! HUGS

djmom11 11/16/2010 #

I received a walpaper sample book from my mom and got crafty so have about a dozen made ATC's so if someone needs an angel send me a PM.

Sunflower4Mowse 12/ 3/2010 #

I ended up with only 1 flake out. This was an awesome swap ! Hope you do another one in the future.

blueackerson 12/ 6/2010 #

As of today I have four still not received and another one arrived last week.

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