Monday, April 27, 2009

The 2nd Annual Brown Paper Bag Swap


Last year I hosted my first swap and I was amazed at how creative people were with a simple brown paper bag. So exactly one year to the date (I don't know how I figured that one out, coincidence!) I am hosting The 2nd Annual Brown Paper Bag Swap.

The Brown Paper Bag is such a simple item and how many of us started off as little kids crafting with brown paper bags? In school we decorated them for goodie bags, made puppets out of them, used them for our lunches, etc.... My mom made my little guy, Jace, a brown paper bag scrapbook when he was born. It was so cute and yet so simple. I love it!! Below are some pictures of things that people made last year for The Brown paper Bag Swap.


So what I am thinking is that we (hopefully others like this idea too and join the swap!) could use a brown paper bag and create something for our partner out of it. It doesn't matter how you use the bag as long as it is somehow used in your swap. It could be added to your art piece, made into a tag, it could be the main part of the item, whatever you can come up with.


My rules for the swap are:

1. You must use a brown paper bag in your handmade swap item. You can purchase things to add to or embelish though.


2. You MUST contact your swap partner by email. You need to say "Hi", introduce yourself and then tell them a little about yourself. I am making this a rule because I have participated in a couple of swaps and have never heard from the person I am exchanging with. I think this takes away from the whole point of the swap and kind of leaves everything up in the air. Make a new friend, it doesn't mean you have to email them constantly, but be friendly.

3. Please thank your partner for the package they send to you. I hate when I swap with someone and they don't just say "thank you". I may be late on most of my swaps, but I do put a lot of work into them and I do appreciate the work that my partner puts into theirs. Everyone likes to here "thank you!"


4. There is $15.00 (+ or - a little) price limit. All Homemade is fine!!! Please don't worry about going out and purchasing things. I'm sure between tags, cards, scrapbooks, etc..... everyone can come up with enough stuff to feel satisified. Please just be comfortable with yourself and what you send.



Okay, sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Please email me at sherryreneew@hotmail.com or leave me a comment on my blog if you would like to join the swap. I need your:

Name

Email address

Blog address if you have one


I will take sign ups until May 18, 2009. The mail out date for your brown paper bag item will be June 12, 2009 (that is anniversary day the patent was granted for the machine that makes the paper bags we use now days.)


Please spread the word if your interested and feel free to post info about the swap so others will join. I'm so excited to see what everyone comes up with!!!


I will open a Flickr Group up for the projects to be posted to if you want to join it. http://www.flickr.com/groups/746844@N23/



If your interested, here is a little history on the Brown Paper Bag as we know it now. There were other paper bags before this and other people involved in the invention of the bags. I just decided to post about the type of bags that are familiar to us now days.

Square-Bottom Paper Bag w/ pleated sides

On June 12, 1883 the U.S. Patent office issued #279,505 to Chas Stilwell a patent for a paper bag machine. After fighting for the Union in the Civil War, Charles Stilwell began to tinker with the idea of making a better paper bag. Paper bags already existed at this time, but they had many flaws. They had to be pasted together by hand; their V-shaped bottoms prevented them from standing on their own; and they were not easily collapsible or conveniently stackable. In the summer of 1883, Stilwell put into operation the first machine to produce paper bags. The bags had flat bottoms for standing up straight by themselves and pleated sides that made them easy to fold and stack. Dubbed the S.O.S., or Self-Opening Sack, it remains in widespread use today. With the birth of the American supermarket in the early 1930s, demand for Stilwell’s paper bags skyrocketed. Their versatility, strength, and low cost made them first a nationwide then a worldwide phenomenon.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I can't wait to see all the photos of people that participate. There is so much creativity that comes from these swaps ~ more than I have!

Yarni Gras! said...

count me in! I just sent you my info........I love a challenge!

Mama from Sirpriz.com said...

I send you a kiss from France :o)
If you want to swap with me you can see my profil and pictures on http://www.sirpriz.com/mama
Have a nice day!!
Mama From Sirpriz

Valerie said...

Yes, count me in!

Love your blog you always are doing something with swaps.

I will email you my info.

Valerie

My DIL made this up using the pictures of my 5 oldest boys. So funny!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

All 8 of my kids

All 8 of my kids

My 6 Grandkids

My 6 Grandkids

Me, Earl, My daughter-in-laws, son-in-law, kids & grandkids

Me, Earl, My daughter-in-laws, son-in-law, kids & grandkids

The Whole Family

Use This Calculator and the Math Problem to Find Your Birthday

Calculator Code





This free script provided by
JavaScript Kit

Birthday Calculator............................................................ You can try this trick on the calculator, but it will also work with a pen and paper......... (With this calculator, you have to hit the equal (=) sign after each operation.)................................... Enter the number of the month of the birthday.......... Multiply that number by 5............ Add 6............ Multiply by 4........... Add 9............ Multiply by 5......... Add the number of the day of the birthday.............. Subtract 165......... The result will show the first one or two numbers as the month and the last two numbers is the day of their birthday.

On what day of the week were you born?

Enter your birthday

(then hit the "Update" button):

Numeric Month (1-12):

Day of Month (1-31):

Year (eg. 1960):

Date of Birth:

Day of Week:

This free script provided by
JavaScript Kit

PARTY PUZZLE

Click to Mix and Solve

Well, here I am - this is me, Sherry

Well, here I am - this is me, Sherry

Valentines Swap- video made by Graham Neale from Kirkcaldy, Scotland

In Your Eyes-- Only Sadness by Abby Kaplan

Swaps for 2008

2008 swaps updated

2008 Swaps cont...., Things I Participated In and Awards

Photobucket

Let's Give Each Other a Make Over! Click on Me & I'll Take you There!

Blog Archive

Labels

My spirit is craving to take me here - a quiet tranquil place!

My spirit is craving to take me here - a quiet tranquil place!
I would love to get away and just find me. Find my artistic side and just be able to let my spirit go!

Personality Test

You Are 9: The Peacemaker
You are emotionally stable and willing to find common ground with others. Your friends and family often look to you to be the mediator when there is conflict. You are easy going and accepting. You take things as they come. Avoiding conflict at all costs, you're content when things are calm. At Your Best: You feel connected, trusting, and fulfilled. You feel at peace with your place in the world. At Your Worst: You compromise your values to make sure peace is maintained. You give in to bullies. Your Fixation: Harmony Your Primary Fear: Causing conflict Your Primary Desire: To preserve things as they are Other Number 9's: Marge Simpson, Ronald Reagan, Audrey Hepburn, Jerry Seinfeld, and Abraham Lincoln.