Swap-bot: Alter a Greeting Card PC Swap

I wasn't so sure about this swap at first.  The example photo was of a fish wearing a suit traveling in a kayak.  But I gave it a go, and it was really fun making the altered cards!


Here were the directions:

Take a greeting card or notecard and alter it, making it into a postcard. Use the front of the card, add embellishments, cut-out images, sharpies or markers, stickers, or what have you.

I keep every card that I get, and I mean every.single.card.  I always have.  Somewhere I have a shoebox full of birthday cards from when I was 3 or something.  So I picked out two that didn't have any sentimental value for me, that weren't especially pretty or overly large, and went to town.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

I used Mod Podge to decopage magazine images onto the cards, then sprayed them with two coats of Mod Podge Acrylic Sealer, and mailed them both overseas on July 8th,  2010. I hope they arrive intact!

Here's what I got in return:

You can't really tell in the scan, but the "altered" part is that she added glitter to several parts of the pic.  I received this on July 19, 2010 from FritosMom in Stafford, VA via Swap-bot. And I LOVE it! She also sent me a package full of the rest of the awesome M.E. greeting cards and their little envelopes! So sweet.

This one wasn't altered at all.  While it's cute, it didn't meet the requirements of the swap (and I was a lil disappointed after all the effort I put into my altered greeting cards).  I talked to the swap coordinator, and she said to just message the lady who sent it and clarify the "altered" part, and ask her to send another one before I rate her a "3."  This has me twisted and sick to my stomach because I have to talk to a stranger about how she didn't do the swap right...Anyways, I received this July 19, 2010 from Stephanie Marie via Swap-bot.

Here's the replacement I got from her July 26, 2010.

Yep, that's Monet's Water Lillies with fish stickers on it.

Mary Engelbreit Mondays

I'm participating in M.E. Mondays at Cherry Chick Jewelry!

I once had a cubicle in a dreary building answering telephones for MCI Customer Service.  The highlight of my day was when my cubicle-neighbor would give me her old calendar page of the day, featuring Mary Engelbreit!  Years later, this is all I have left of it, having used them for crafts and such.

**Hint to family members and people looking to give me things for my birthday which is in SEVEN SHORT DAYS. I'll be turning 26. Again.  

Swap-bot: Show Me What You Like

These names are full of innuendos! But the descriptions clear them up.

You will send one postcard to one partner, of something you like. It could be a building, monument, country, person, artist, animal, musician. Anything YOU like.  Then on the back write a sentence or two about why you like it and chose it for this swap.

So I sent one that portrays my closet Mary Engelbreit obsession:

Sigh. It's so adorable. Look at the "charms!" and the flowers! and the gingham! and the lace! OMG somebody stop me.

**EDIT** Apparently someone loves M.E. almost as much as I do. Over at Cherry Chick, they're having M.E. Mondays.  Are you kidding me?!? A whole day devoted to M.E. cuteness?!? Sign me up!

Here's what I got in return:

It's an Ansel Adams black & white photograph of Zion National Park in Utah.  The woman who sent it loves Ansel Adams, and so do I, but this print just doesn't speak to me. Oh well, I'm just glad to have the postcard!

P.S. Notice the USPS stamped it on the wrong side. I think they hate me. Here's more proof.