View Full Version : Birthday Swap - Openings for new Members
Phree
04-04-2009, 07:58 PM
The second group of Birthday card Swappers has openings for anyone who wishes to join in with a Birthday swap. The swap works like this:
We swap one birthday card with each member of the group by sending a hand made card to that person in time to arrive for their birthday during the year. In the case of the 2nd group our "year of birthdays" runs from 1st May till the 30th of April each year. The committment is therefore to remain a member for the full year after which time your obligation has ended.
The number of birthday cards you will need to make throughout the year will depend on the total number in the group. Last year we had 13 people but due to other commitments 3 are not rejoinng the group so we are starting this year with 10 members already signed up. 15 is the maximum as I think any more than that can make the group become too big and members with less free time may find that the obligation to make a card for each of the other members becomes a difficult one to keep up with.
If you would like to join please let me know. If you are a new card maker please feel welcome - our group is about helping to make each other's birthday a little more special and all card makers are welcome no matter what level of experience or what style of card you enjoy making.
anna_fran
04-04-2009, 08:27 PM
I'd love to join Phree.
Julie
04-04-2009, 08:31 PM
May I just say for anyone dithering whether to join in, there is nothing nicer than your postie staggering up the drive with an armful of hand made birthday cards just for you !!!
It will make your day !
LynneH
04-04-2009, 08:43 PM
May I just say for anyone dithering whether to join in, there is nothing nicer than the your postie staggering up the drive with an armful of hand made birthday cards just for you !!!
It will make your day !
I'll second that Julie. I've just rejoined after a year off. :)
kookietiger
04-04-2009, 09:25 PM
Can I join in too please :)
Hopefully making cards for the forum will give me the kick up the a**e I need to get my family cards made in advance instead of at 2am the day before theyr due :D
Rentochops
04-04-2009, 09:29 PM
Can I join in too please :)
Hopefully making cards for the forum will give me the kick up the a**e I need to get my family cards made in advance instead of at 2am the day before theyr due :D
I am so glad kookietiger, so nice to have a new member!
It really does make your birthday all those cards!
fabyon
04-04-2009, 09:37 PM
Oh well why not ! LOL Can I please ?
sugarplum
04-04-2009, 10:02 PM
Any space left? I am already in a birthday swap but I enjoy it a lot and it would be great to get even more cards on my birthday! (It makes my neighbours think I'm popular when they see all the cards on the window sill)
Having said that Phree if there are any newbies (or oldies) that are not already in a swap I would rather you gave any remaining free spaces to them
Just let me know either way
satincollie
04-04-2009, 10:37 PM
I would like to join in please if there is still a space.
Gill
tru-ella
04-04-2009, 10:44 PM
me too, would love to join if there is space
LoobyLou
05-04-2009, 09:47 AM
I should like to join in too if there is space. I know I am already in a swap but would love to be part of another one.
Looby
Phree
05-04-2009, 01:37 PM
Oh my goodness - I wasn't expecting so many people to wish to join. We do have spaces, but I didn't count exactly how many. We will give priortiy to people who are not already in one of the other Birthday swap groups so as to allow as many forum members as we can to be a part of at least one of the groups and have some lovely hand made delivieries to look forward to on their Birthday.
If there are enough spaces we will add on a first come first served basis those of you who have asked to join but are already part of one of the other groups. I wish we could add everyone but if a group gets too large that can take some of the fun out of things if members start to feel they just don't have enough time to make all the cards - then it becomes a chore rather than being fun.
If we do fill up before everyone can get a place, don't feel too let down, ArtySam has a group which runs from around September time and she may have spaces when it comes time for her group to restart for another year.
LorraineJ
05-04-2009, 02:38 PM
Phree if it will make it easier, I'll be quite happy to let someone else have my place as I am already in Anne's and Artysam's group and I'd feel badly if I was stopping someone else from taking part.
sugarplum
05-04-2009, 03:31 PM
Phree if it will make it easier, I'll be quite happy to let someone else have my place as I am already in Anne's and Artysam's group and I'd feel badly if I was stopping someone else from taking part.
3 swaps Lorraine now thats just greedy :D
Phree
05-04-2009, 06:39 PM
LOL I do all three birthday swaps too - guess I am greedy - infact I may was well be honest - I AM Greedy!
I adore getting all those lovely cards on my birthday - and I will be totally honest - on my last birthday my eyes were filing up tears as I opened each of the beautiful cards hat had been made for me was - it was just making me feel so special and very very touched that people I have never met in the real world had taken the time to make them for me.
Lorraine thank you for the offer, but I think we can probably manage to fit in most folks and if not maybe we can figure out a way to get a 4th group up and running - there was some idea of doing that several months ago but I don't think we had quite a big enough population of newer members at that time - we have with out doubt grown in the meantime so who knows, the time may be right for looking at the idea of launching a 4th Birthday swap group that would run with a year that slots in somewhere between the 3 groups we already have.
LorraineJ
05-04-2009, 06:52 PM
LOL I do all three birthday swaps too - guess I am greedy - infact I may was well be honest - I AM Greedy!
I adore getting all those lovely cards on my birthday - and I will be totally honest - on my last birthday my eyes were filing up tears as I opened each of the beautiful cards hat had been made for me was - it was just making me feel so special and very very touched that people I have never met in the real world had taken the time to make them for me.
Lorraine thank you for the offer, but I think we can probably manage to fit in most folks and if not maybe we can figure out a way to get a 4th group up and running - there was some idea of doing that several months ago but I don't think we had quite a big enough population of newer members at that time - we have with out doubt grown in the meantime so who knows, the time may be right for looking at the idea of launching a 4th Birthday swap group that would run with a year that slots in somewhere between the 3 groups we already have.
Provided you are sure Phree :)
Phree
05-04-2009, 09:46 PM
Thank you for replying eveyone. The Second Birthday Swap group is now full. For anyone who would still like to be part of a birthday group the next opening mayl come round about late August early in September when group three is due to start up again. Artysam run's that one so keep an eye open.
Alternatively start a thread to find out if there is enough interest if there is I don't see why someong couln't get a 4th group going - maybe starting their year round about the begnning of July. I will say it can be kinda hard to get a group up and running, but as there were so many fast responses to this thread it may be that there would be enough interest to make a 4th group viable.
lolathelamb
05-04-2009, 10:10 PM
Just to say I did not ignore this thread but knew I could not commit. I struggle to keep up with friends and family and would not want to short change a fellow crafter with a card that I had either rushed or not made as well as I'd like. So best I don't belong to a birthday swap.
I am really pleased Phree now has her list full! Happy Birthday-card-making to you all.
Can I also add if someone is pondering starting or joining a new group, one of the other great benefits of being in a swap group is that it is not just about the receiving. One of the things I enjoy most about being in a swap group (now I can only manage one, the idea of being in 3 is mind boggling me :D) is that I know that my card-making efforts will be truly appreciated. Now my family and friends do like the cards I make them but they have no idea of the effort involved - when I post my card off to someone in my swap group, I know that as well as enjoying the card, they will also fully apprciate the effort:)
Marie
06-04-2009, 11:53 AM
Just to say I did not ignore this thread but knew I could not commit. I struggle to keep up with friends and family and would not want to short change a fellow crafter with a card that I had either rushed or not made as well as I'd like. So best I don't belong to a birthday swap.
I am really pleased Phree now has her list full! Happy Birthday-card-making to you all.
I too am not committing Lola, it takes me ages to make a card and my study is full of half made cards that I can't work out how to finish! I love the idea of making them and sending them to people but I'd be afraid of letting people down by promising something that I can't fulfill.
Maybe in a year or so when I'm a bit faster at making cards and am more confident about my finished efforts, then I'll join a swap.
sugarplum
06-04-2009, 02:33 PM
I completely understand why not everyone can commit to a birthday swap as it is a year long commitment and it should be a fun thing not a stresser but there are always the one off swaps like the secret santa or the easter bunny swap. They are a great way to dip your toe in the water so to speak without having the commitment of severalc ards to make.
I can only echo Dips comments about knowing your card will be appreciated and I often spend much ,longer on my swap cards than I do on dh's family ones
Winspiration
06-04-2009, 05:50 PM
Sugarplum is quite right - the monthly swaps are also not a long term commitment - you can join in as many or as few as you wish :)