Swapping

I have a new addiction. I casually mentioned www.swap-bot.com in an earlier post but having just got my first ever swap parcels via Flibbertygibbets swap I am feeling both guilty and delighted.

Guilty because being a newbie I didn't really get the full delight of swapping and just sent my partners the required three strips of fabric each with a nice letter in an envelope. Delighted because from my 2 partners I got parcels wrapped in handstamped tissue paper and handmade paper containing nine strips of delightful fabric, two cards of buttons, a small packet of beads with a charm in for good measure, a small bar of Green and Blacks chocolate, a diary with beautiful pictures and a yummy chocolate fondant mouse. I am going to have to send a supplementary package with the by-no-means-obligatory-but-kind-of the best- bit-of the swap-goodies. In my defence I did buy Kaffee Fasset fabrics, especially and didn't send out my unwanted strips! But still, no mousey treats... what a bad girl I am.

Dennis doesn't really get it but I love both getting mail and knowing that (when I get the mouse treat thing right) I will have made a stranger's day happy. Swapbot has some really cheap swaps on - one I signed up for today just requires you to write a poem on a postcard so I'm looking forward to reading some new stuff soon. Ther are lots of ATC and craft related swaps. The first one I joined requires the swap of teabags/ coffee sachets etc and a magazine article. My partner who is sending to me emailed to say she'd read my profile and she was a quilter too and would send a fat quarter. I love the co-incidences, love the getting to know a bit about people all over the world. And I love that I have an excuse to go to that forbidden place called Thorntons chocolate shop and buy a mouse or two ( or three .. no one says you have to swap everything you buy).