An invitation to swap: Button Floozies White Christmas Button Book Swap

***This post will appear at the top of the blog until October 31; please SCROLL DOWN to see newer posts!***

This is your invitation to get creative with buttons!

Announcing the Button Floozies White Christmas Button Book Swap

We will be making small books from paper or fabric that showcase lovely buttons in the theme of White Christmas.

Sign-up period: October 16-31, 2014

Notification of swap partners:  November 1, 2014

Mailing deadline:  no later than November 22, 2014

This is a one-to-one swap, where I will randomly pair you with one partner and you will create and mail your creations to each other.  The theme of the swap is White Christmas Buttons.  You will be swapping a minimum of 30 and maximum of 50 pretty buttons and sending them to your partner sewn onto or contained within a small book or journal.  The book can be made from fabric or paper – and must be hand made by you.  The idea of the books is to be something lovely to hold and look at with lots of button details.

The Book should fit the theme of White Christmas Buttons.  You are free to make your book from fabric or paper.  It should have a minimum of six pages (3 pages front and back) as well as a front and back cover that is decorated.  Each page of the book should be ~4x6”; they do not have to be exactly that size but please don’t go more than about an inch larger or smaller.

The Buttons you include as elements of your pages do not need to be white – but they can be.   Or, they can be winter or Christmas themed.  They can be vintage or new, or a combination of both.  The buttons should be special – something you know your partner would be delighted to receive.  You may include buttons on cards in your count.  Buttons can be sewn on or attached in some other way to your pages – such as inside pockets or envelopes that are a part of the page.

Please note: buttons need not be the only decorative element of the book’s cover and pages  -- but should be a main or special element of the decoration.  There should be a minimum of 30  and a maximum of 50 buttons included.  The book must be a special creation made by your hands.

Need ideas?  Here are some examples of pages, or page elements, that include buttons; the photos are from Pinterest or are examples of some that I have made myself.  These photos are for ideas and inspiration only; be sure to make yours fit our theme of White Christmas Buttons!

Scroll down past the photos for the details/steps for signing up for this swap!

paper

paper and fabric

paper

paper

fabric cover

fabric page

fabric pocket holding buttons

fabric pockets with button cards

fabric pocket with button decorations on page, holding button card

button detail on wrapping

paper

Did that get your creative juices flowing?  I hope so!

Timeframe:

Sign-up period: October 16-31, 2014

Notification of swap partners:  November 1, 2014

Mailing deadline: no later than November 22, 2014

A NOTE ABOUT INTERNATIONAL SWAPPING:   I'll be matching you up with partners on your own continent; that should cut down on postage costs for everyone and also shipping time.  If you would prefer to ship internationally, please tell me this when you sign up, if we have enough people who want to do it, I'll put a group together from different continents.

Instructions:

Step 1:  Sign up for the swap by emailing me the following information:

-- your name

-- your physical address

-- your blog address (or Facebook page -- wherever you hang out online)

-- any preference for paper only or fabric only book; depending upon the response I will try to match you up appropriately

Send the email to: buttonfloozies@gmail.com

Attention overachievers: if you would like to have more than one swap partner, let me know in your email and I can enter you multiple times and assign more than one partner.  Please note: if you have more than one partner,  the swap will work the same way – you will just complete the swap one-to-one with each of your partners.  Everyone will have one swap partner; having more than one is completely optional.

Step 2:  After you email me the above information, comment on this post that you have done so;  I will acknowledge every sign up with a reply email; if you do not hear from me within a few days, please comment on this post as it probably means I did NOT receive your email.

Step 3:  On November 1,  I will email you the name and address of your partner.  Partners are chosen at random.  Important: when you receive your partner’s information, please email them to communicate likes/preferences/styles.

Step 4:  Put together your button book, and take photos of it so that you can share it with us later.

Step 5:  Wrap up your button book prettily and mail it to your partner; be sure to have it in the mail by Saturday, November 22, 2014.  This is a hard and fast deadline; please don’t sign up if you don’t think you can meet it.

Step 5:  Sit back and wait to for your surprise!  If you have a blog, plan a blog post about the swap.  If you don’t have a blog, sign up for the Button Floozies Flickr page so you can plan to share the photos there.  Alternatively, you can email me the photos and I will share them for you on Button Floozies.

Step 6:  Once you have each received your swap, publish your blog post about it and send me a link to it; if you don’t have a blog, upload your photos to the Button Floozies Flickr page.  Button Floozies authors can cross post their blog posts about the swap on this blog, too!  Alternatively, you can email me the photos and I will share them for you on the blog.  You know that everyone will be eager to see all the creations!

Here's a button you can copy and put on your blog; please link it back to this post.  Invite your friends who love to play with buttons!  Remember, the deadline to sign up is October 31.