Happy Wednesday! Let’s get the Summer 2012 Handmade Gift Exchange party started!! woot! This is my fave part of the gift exchange. I LOVE seeing the amazing gifts you creative crafters make! You are so thoughtful and so talented! I get goose bumps seeing the time and effort you put into your gifts. So thank you for taking a moment to share your pictures!
I know not everyone has made/received their gifts yet, but that’s ok! You still have 10 days left to make and send your gifts before the June 30 deadline!
Handmade Gift Exchange
Why I do the Handmade Gift Exchange
I get asked this a lot! Well you see, I have a fascination with pen pals. As a kid, I had several pen pals that I wrote back and forth to and receiving a letter from them was the highlight of my week! I guess I just never out grew this obsession and so I started the Handmade Gift Exchange only 3 months after starting Craftaholics Anonymous. I thought it would be so fun to have a “Crafty Pen Pal” of sorts. And i won’t lie, playing match maker and lining up people is pretty fun too! To this day, my favorite emails are the ones that gush over the new crafty friend they made through the Handmade Gift Exchange.
I sincerely enjoy this exchange and look forward to it although it takes a lot of my time. Davis thinks I’m crazy to organize such a large online gift exchange….but I just gently remind him I’m a craftaholic! But I am passionate about helping others meet crafters from the other side of the country, to the other side of the world.
Elfster
This is my 6th Handmade Gift Exchange and there were some major changes. This time around I used Elfster to help organize the exchange and pair up participants. With Elfster coming on last minute, we’ve had some minor hiccups along the way. But for me, Elfster is making it a lot easier! I am working with them on making changes and improvements that will make future exchanges run more smoothly. And after the exchange is over, I’ll be sending each participant a questionnaire to get their suggestions as well.
ok, now let’s see those gifts!!!
Rules
- This linky party is for Handmade Gift Exchange Summer 2012 Participants ONLY. {all other links will be deleted}
- Please show off the gift you made and/or the gift you received, if possible. {I know a few of you forgot to take pics before you shipped it. That’s ok!!}
- Link directly to your post NOT your homepage!
- The linky party ends August 31, 2012. {There’s plenty of time to link up if you haven’t received your gift yet!!}
- If you want a Handmade Gift Exchange button for your post, the code is at the bottom of my sidebar.
Handmade Gift Exchange Flickr Group
For those who do not have a blog, please upload your pictures to the Handmade Gift Exchange Flickr group. {feel free to join BOTH the Linky party and the Flickr party!!}
When is the next Handmade Gift Exchange?
The next Handmade Gift Exchange will start November 1, 2012. Click here if you would like a reminder email when the sign up starts for the November 2012 exchange!
*yes, i will be featuring the gifts YOU made in upcoming posts!
happy crafting,
Linda
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is it too late to participate? I’d love to make something for someone!
I’m sorry! This exchange is over. The next one starts Nov. 1. I hope you’ll join us for the next one!
linda
Linda ~
Thanks sew very much for this awesome handmade-exchange! It was a lot of fun.
Thanks, Melody! :)
Thank you for hosting the exchange. This was my first time to participate and I will be doing it again. I had so much fun!
Awesome! I love to hear that!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=615280306685&set=a.564579676155.2051372.51400182&type=3&theater
I don’t have a blog but I posted on my FB personal page.
Hi Linda, this was the first time I participated in your gift exchange. Thank you so much for putting all of the time and effort to do this. I had so much fun making my gifts. I had to stop myself at 2!!! I will definitely participate again.
I love it, Kim!! Thanks for the kind words!
happy crafting,
Linda
Thanks so much for taking your time to do this! It was so much fun!
I accidentally linked up like 6 times. It wasn’t working for me (but obviously was) and now I can’t figure out how to delete my other 5. Sorry!
No worries! I’ll fix it! Thanks for linking up!
happy crafting,
Linda
Thank you so much Linda for doing this! This was my first time participating and I can’t wait for the next one!
yay! thanks, Vicki!
Linda,
Thanks for hosting! I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and can’t wait for the next one. My linky picture didn’t turn out very well, but I will try on the flicker site.
This was fun…I’ve done other gift exchanges, but I really love this group/blog.
Is there a way to edit the link to my site? I hadn’t written anything yet, when I added the photo here. Or I can just add a second “linky.”
Hope my “pal” likes her gift. Shipping it tomorrow.
woohoo!
Quinn
Hi Quinn,
Shoot me an email with the number your link is in the party and then the link you want it to be linked to and I can fix it.
thanks,
Linda
Such a fun thing to participate in! This was my first but hopefully not my last gift exchange – I love the idea of giving & receiving our own handmade items, because everyone uses such different avenues of creativity! Thanks Linda, what an experience! :]
Thanks Dani! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :D
happy crafting,
Linda
Hey Linda! Please delete # 83, 84 and 85. My entry is #86. So sorry for the mix up!!
Thanks for doing this. :)
Hey Linda, just wanted to say THANKS again for hosting this! 3rd time around and it was GREAT! It’s so much fun creating something for someone you barely know!!!
Just wanted to let you know if you have any spoilers this time around, or need any volunteers to make gifts for those who didn’t receive one, just shoot me an email! I’d love to help any way I can.
xo
Thank you, Kristan!! That is awesome this was your 3rd time! yay!! Thanks for the kind words. Means a lot to me :)
happy crafting,
Linda
Thanks again, Linda for hosting the exchange! I can’t imagine how mush work it must be! The girl that I was partnered with last year is now, literally one of my BEST bloggy friends! So thankful that I got to meet her and I am looking so forward to getting to know (better) my partners this year! Can’t wait to look at all the projects!
That is so awesome, Sarah!! I love hearing stories like yours! love it!!
happy crafting,
Linda
Great gifts!
Sadly, I was in a rush to get mine in the mail on Saturday, that I neglected to take pictures of the gift I sent. I heard from Heather today that she has received it…
Hey Linda, any way to fix my pic, it totally cut it off, lol.. Thanks for the gift exchange, totally fun.
Never mind fixed it, but i have two posts, you are welcome to delete 108.
Sorry for my double link, I was having trouble w/ Mr. Linky. I kept getting an error message.
Dear Linda,
on this way I want to say: Thank you! It’s such a pleasure to be a part of this gift exchange :-) Yesterday I had the gift from last year in my hands (it was a very lovely mini patchwork) and the pleasure about it was like on the day I received it :-))
That is wonderful, Claudia! Thanks for the sweet note :)
linda
Hi, just received the most beautiful handmade flower pens, so gorgeous. Thanks so much to Carrie, love them! Happy July 4th Eve!
Thanks for hosting the Gift Exchange. I love to make things for people so I had such a blast. I can’t wait to participate again.
Thanks, Janie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! :)
happy crafting,
linda
Thank you so much for organizing this fun exchange. This was my first one and I had a blast! I can’t wait for the next one!
Thanks, Rachel! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
happy crafting,
linda
I received the most wonderful gift! I accidently added my link twice – I don’t know how I did it! I don’t think I can delete the second one…. SORRY!!
Hi Kimberlie,
No worries! I’ll delete it for you!
Thanks for everything Linda! Just added the pics for the gift I made… totally forgot to take pics of the awesome gift I received! Will link that up soon!