Swap-O-Mania

Two days before I left for Art and Soul, TWO DAYS (I’d been registered for months), I decided I wanted to participate in swaps (aka trades) at Art and Soul. Swaps are where people make pieces of individual/original art, or put together baggies of collage goodies, and trade with each other. The idea to participate had been gurgling since I attended Art and Soul last year, but I was so busy the weeks leading up to Art and Soul for this year that I hadn’t put together a plan of action. Until two days before I left, which by the way, was while I was preparing for my final Visual Journaling class, finishing a piece for the Dreams show, packing for Art and Soul (and not even taking into account that I was leaving for Italy in a week). In spite of all of this, I decided I wanted to play.

But what to make? I pulled out a bin of metal meter gauges I had purchased at a fun shop in Washington a couple of months ago and started playing around with those. A couple of early ideas didn’t pan out, but I stuck with it and ended up with colorful bold magnets!

(And in case you’re wondering, the gauges were painted with Mendocino Red, Poppy Orange, and School Bus Yellow!)

I wrapped each magnet gauge individually in dress pattern tissue, packed them up, and off I went with a baggie full of swaps.



I made my first swap on Wednesday morning while picking up my Fat Book. It was a frenzy of hands passing collage packets, ATCs, and pins. Later I picked up more ATCs, charms, a key chain, even a tea towel and an etched glass votive candleholder. I was addicted! My magnets were a hit and I ran into people who had “heard about my trades.” I was so glad I played. My bounty of goodness:





Hey, one thing blogsters like is comments. And sometimes to garner interest and to encourage the posting of comments, little give aways are done. Here’s my give away opportunity: Please post a comment. I’ll write everyone’s name (who posts a comment) on a piece of paper and toss the names in a bowl. I will then pull a name out of the bowl and the chosen person will receive one of my nifty little swap magnets! And if there is enough interest, I just may draw three names . . . .

Please post comments by October 14th (my birthday) to be included in the drawing.