February Secret Pal Swap Closes Jan 31st 4pm CST
 

Description:
This is a monthly secret pal swap. There is a sign up every month, and you can choose whether or not to participate each month. You will get a different partner every month, and the person you send to will be different than the person you receive from.




1) YOU NEED TO SEND THE HOSTESS A PRIVATE MESSAGE WHEN YOU MAIL YOUR PACKAGE TO YOUR SECRETPAL.

2)ONCE YOU GET YOUR PACKAGE FROM YOUR SECRET PAL, YOU WILL NEED TO SEND A PRIVATE MESSAGE TO THE PERSON WHO SENT THE PACKAGE TO YOU TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU DID RECEIVE IT AND TO THANK THE SENDER.

3) AFTER YOU HAVE THANKED YOUR SECRET PAL, YOU WILL NEED TO SEND ME A PRIVATE MESSAGE TELLING ME THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR PACKAGE SO THAT I CAN KEEP ACCURATE RECORDS.

FAILURE TO SEND THESE PRIVATE MESSAGES IS REASON ENOUGH TO BE BANNED FROM THE NEXT MONTHS SWAP.


PACKAGES NEED TO BE SENT OUT BY Feruary 13th, this is a FIRM deadline (NOT A SUGGESTION). IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU CANNOT MAIL BY THAT DATE, PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP. You can send your package as early as you'd like!


If you are sending an international package it will need to be mailed by the 10th of February. Due to mail processing, our mail dates for international mailing has to be as early as possible! No later than the 10th of February. It can take many weeks to reach your SP so any delays in mailing can delay the start of the next month’s sign-up sheet being posted.

It is very important that you mark your parcel as a 'Gift'. Usually on the Customs Declaration there's a box you can check.

Also, the value should be $10 only (even if you send diamond necklace, lol). I know that each and every time the wonderful generous gifts are far in excess of this amount, but if the true value is listed (and it's over the allowed 'Gift' amount) The person receiving the package is liable for Import Duty, Tax and a Handling fee. This can cost the person receiving as much as $40 http://www.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/frown.png

As an aside, padded envelopes are much cheaper to send compared to small boxes. I'm not sure if that's true for every carrier or not.

Our International board members are welcome to join the swap.

You must have a phone # or email to sign up

Screen Name:
Real Name:
Address:
Address:
City, State, Zip:
Favorite Colors:
Favorite Candy:
Your favorite notion/fabric line, etc:
Your least favorite color(s)
Least favorite candy
Least favorite notion/fabric line
Brand of sewing machine:
Do you have an embroidery machine:
Is there anything you like to collect?
Besides quilting, what do you like to do?
Do you have Allergies (smoke, cats, dogs etc)
Do you have Allergens (you smoke, have cats, dogs etc)
Do you hand embroidery?
The ONE thing I want the most is_______
What holidays do you celebrate?:
Anything you would NOT like to receive:
How long have you been sewing/quilting?
What are you currently working on:
What types of books do you like to read?
Would you like to receive gently used items such as templates, patterns or appliqué books and even orphan blocks?
Do you have a pet? What kind?
The fabric color I am looking for is___
What is your favorite beverage? Additional info (the more info you provide, the better):

Can you mail international?
email address:
phone number:



There is a 10 dollar budget for this swap. Items from your stash or homemade items are not included in the $10 limit. Postage isn't included in the ten dollars. The most important thing to remember with the budget is to have fun, but please do NOT SPEND MORE THAN $10.



Sign ups will close the 31st of January, and names will be paired on the 1st of February and sent out no later than the 2nd of February. (I will try to have all names out on the 1st.)


2. If your pal does not receive her/his package within a reasonable time (7 days max from mailing deadline for within the same country. Then I will need tracking information, 15 days for between countries. There are exceptions, but I MUST be notified of any delays in sending on your end). Failure to comply may result in the following: Being banned for the next month


This is why it is imperative that you keep the hostess informed on ANY mailing issues. Along with negative feedback, you will not be allowed to participate in future secret pal swaps. It is also possible that other coordinators will not allow you to participate in their swaps.

It's all about fun, so please have fun with it.

I'm in! Woo hoo I'm the first to say this!

I'm in also. Thanks to Lori for continuing to herd cats .... err, I mean host this swap. :)

This will be my first swap but I am in! Where do we post our preferences as shown above?

I'm in again this month.

Welcome AlvaStitcher, you will enjoy this swap. I just copy the form into a word document, answer all the questions, and save the document. That way when you become addicted, and participate in this swap every month, you can just change some of your answers to fit that months swap. Then just cut and paste your answers into the PM you send Lori.

PM sent, I'm in again :)

Getting ready to sign up for Feb, I just love this swap!!!!

Anoka Quilter, Thanks for the info on how to let preferences be known. I will prepare the info and PM Lori

YIPEEE... I am in for FEBUARY....

Would love to be involved again if there are people willing to send international.

Love gathering up stuff for pkgs to send out -- I'm in again.

I have had some terrrible times with another group during a secret santa swap, I would like to try this one since a relative has done it before. This is my question, is it suppose to be 1 item equal to $10 or can it just be "stuff"? Also am I to understand that I am suppose to send the answer to the questions to Lori as soon as I sign up? This sounds like a nice way to meet some new friends.

ok I am in for February.

Welcome to the swap Teri! There's a link to last month's swap here where the photos of parcels start. If you scroll through the pages they will give you an idea of the kind of parcels people send.

Yes - you fill out the form and send the details to the hostess, Lori. Until you do that you're not signed up.

The rules state that you have to spend $10 (not including shipping). This can be one item or several smaller ones. Items that you make, or from your stash, or no longer have a use for, don't count toward the $10. The 'old hands' at this swap shop sales throughout the year with this swap in mind. Some people spend more than that, but you don't have to :)

Louise so good to see that you are signing up for Feb! TPr9258 (Terri) as Knitette said anything you have at home you think would fit the info from your secret pal you can send and it won't count towards the $10, anything you make doesn't count towards the $10. If your secret pals says she loves grape jelly and you make it doesn't count. If you used to have a Singer machine and now have a Janome and you still have needles for a Singer and your sp has a Singer....I think you can guess the rest! I is a wonderful place to meet new people and make friends. I have been hosting for a couple of years and we have a lot of the same people each month. The fun thing is all the hints and banter that is posted on the thread each month, you can follow it each day and see what is happening.

Just signed back up.
Welcome to the swap Terri,I think you will enjoy it,I have been doing it for several years and Lori is a great hostess.
Everyone here are really great people,so enjoy.

I am in again and I sent my info to Lori Hope you did receive it Lori, if not please let me know.
Love this swap and yes it is a great way to meet and greet each month. You will not be disappointed when you sign up
Pat

Just sent my PM to Lori. Looking forward to the fun.

Yes-welcome to the swap Teri. It is alot of fun-not only get the suprises but coming up with what you are going to send to your SP.

I'd like to join in too. :)

Just sent my PM to Lori.

I'm in again this month. I'll be in London, UK for my daughter's wedding from 2/11 - 2/25 but will be sure to mail my package before I leave.

Welcome to all the newbies! You will have great fun here especially with clues given out throughout the wait...WELCOME BACK LOUISE!!! Great to see you signed up!

Ok everyone did what I was suppose to do to sign up, will be stick in the house for a few days with the blizzard coming for a total of 35-40 inches, since already have 11 from yesterday and 5 more tonight then 2 foot by Tuesday afternoon. Will be doing a little surfing on the internet to see what I can find for my secret pal. If anyone has any ideas let me know since this is my fisrt

Teri (TPr9258) you will love this swap. So much different than Secret Santa.

It is really good seeing new people join in. I started working on a couple things this weekend so I am ready for the 13th deadline.

Great head start Anoka! TPr my brother lives in NYC and he's already with his workers for the clean-up afterwards. I lived in NYC myself and I understand how these blizzards can be so please be safe and keep warm! That goes to all of you expecting this storm.

I love this swap! It's the bestest. I can't wait to see who I have for Feb!

I am in for one this month.

Count me in for February!

Hope you have a great time! Take plenty of warm clothes - we're bracing ourselves for the severe weather y'all been having.

I don' understand how to do this. What do you swap?

Will need to sit out for a few months but will be watching to see the wonderful packages everyone receives.

WOHOO. I am new to this ( Jan Rutherford sister ). Looks like so much fun I want to join the fun this month....sending my info...GINGER.

First read all the rules and guidelines from Lori's post on the first page. Then copy the survey she posted and paste it into a private message to Lori and fill in the information and send it to Lori. You will get your secret pal's survey and you can use this to get some ideas for your package. The person that gets you as a secret pal will have your survey as their guide. When you put your package together be sure to put a note inside with your board name or put your board name as part of the return address so your pal knows who to thank here.

Welcome all the newbies. I sent my info to Lori yesterday. Glad to see you back Louise!

I am watching this thread. It seems like alot of fun! I am going to sit this month out and hope to join up for March.

I just realized what day it is. no pun towards the camel joke either. lol Dang I almost missed signing up. I will send my info off as soon as I post this to Lori. Just love this group!

I have been doing this swap for a couple years now. I try to purchase stuff all year long that I find on sale or clearance. I have a drawer that this all goes into. Also Harbor Freight has things that some of us sewers use. I get things from Staples, Office Max, Walmart, Joanns, just where ever I can find it on sale and if I think a quilter, sewer or embroidery person can use this. Just put it back into a drawer and when you get your persons info go thru your drawer and see if anything is on the list. Then I go shopping for what I really need from the list. I take the list and highlight everything that looks good. And don't forget the candy, that is important to a quilter, LOL!!!!!

I got my SP name, now to stalk her and find out more of her
likes and dislikes.

All names have been given out now, so if you did not get your secret pal name please send me a message.

I have got my secret pal. I think she may be quite cold this time of the year. Does that narrow it done a bit????????

Tonight that isnt much of a hint lol just heard on our weather channel that 23 states in the USA are involved in a Winter Storm alert of some kind, so if I am correct that is almost 50% of the United States! So we have a 50/50 chance you might have us, lol