I do swap, as a self proclaimed "intermediate beginner" I love to see others work, their techniques, color choices, etc. I am allergic to smoke, but when something comes to me from a smoker, I just give it time to air out then include it with whatever it was supposed to go with. I too have pets, or quilt testers if you will :) :) So far I have not been disappointed in any of the swaps I've joined. I'm not nearly as experienced or as good as a lot of you, but I do try and to me that counts. If a swap has too many particulars for me, then I don't join, but if I think I'll enjoy it I do. I've made some nice friends swapping also, we keep in touch, and enjoy the long distance friendship.