These guidelines originated with Tish. They have been passed around the list, modified and added to for a couple of years. If you have a suggestion or request for the etiquette page, just e-me and I'll see what we can do :) These are not LAWS, but they are just general guidelines so everyone will be on the same wavelength.

YOU have all heard the saying, the job is not done till the paperwork is finished??? Well, IMHO, the SWAP is not done till you've let the sender know you've received the card. Sincerely, I do feel strongly about this, and just think it's common courtesy to let someone know you received their card. The message does not have to be lengthy, but a few words would be appreciated.

Just keep in mind some general swap rules:

1) Sign up for what you can accomplish. If you want to make LOTS of cards, by all means, sign up for more than one group. Let the hostess know how many groups you want to participate in! When signing up for a swap, you usually give out your name, address and email addy. Putting these all together (like addressing an envelope) in the text of your email make it a little easier for the hostess to copy and paste the info into the message that goes out to your group. Do this through private email ONLY...never post address information to the list!

2) Make the same card and envelope for everyone on the swap list. Card should be computer generated, unless swap hostess designates otherwise. Envelope can be hand addressed, computer generated, tissue, wallpaper, clear, anything. (It is up to the hostess to declare the actual swap rules!)

3) somewhere on the card include you email address, so your pals can privately email you a thank you. (They may also send a thank you to the list, which is entirely appropriate as long as a card is acknowledged.)

4) Include in the card or on the card itself, a note to tell how you did it, what program you used, where the graphics came from, what type of paper, what type of font and it's always nice to include your printer type. Also, if you use any embellishments such as embossing or glitter, just a brief description of what it is and where you might have purchased it from. If you fiskar the card, what fiskars did you use? You know, just a cool run down of what it is you made and how you made it...so we can all go out and copy it :)

5) Mail by the deadline, or post to your swap hostess and group that you are running late for whatever reason. Late is acceptable. Life happens. NO SHOWS without any excuse is NOT acceptable.

6) Acknowledge the cards by either private email or by posting to the list. If you post to the list, try to accumulate at least 3 or 4 cards and thank all of them on the same post, describing something favorite about the card, or what you learned. Swapping is how many of us learn, and sharing our swap cards on the list is how those that are too intimidated to join a swap learn. Tish accomplishes this by opening a file in her word processing program and adding a thank you to it each time she gets a card. When she has three or four, she copies and pastes it into an email (DO NOT POST ATTACHMENTS TO THE LIST). After she has sent the message she makes a line of **************** in the word file. This lets her know that everything above the ********** has been thanked. If her time is limited, then she will post a private email to be sure the pal knows she received their card and often she will do both. As an incentive to herself, whenever she goes online, she will not allow herself to read her email until her thankyous for the day are done. This is just an idea..do whatever works for you. The important thing is to let your pal know you have received her/his swap item that they slaved over. ;)

7) Another item ot remember to check on. If the card is going out of the US, to one of our foreign pals, please remember to check on the postage to that area :) We want our friends in France and Canada and Australia and the Netherlands to get the items we've made them :)

8) MOST IMPORTANT RULE: Have some Pal Fun! Trust me. Once you have been in a swap, you are addicted! All pals understand the butterflies from the first swap, and actually, each swap. As you get the cards, you say "Oh, I should have done that, or mine is not as good as this" or something like that, but believe me, each and every card is treasured and loved. Remember...if you have questions, JUST ASK! This is how we all learn :)

Hosting a swap!

1) Establish a theme.

2) Ask everyone to make the same card, bookmark, magnet etc. for all in the swap (or establish the rules you wish to use for your swap...if you want them AAAALLLLL different, specify that in the beginning!)

3) Don't just say "all general swap rules apply." There are many newness who may wish to play, but don't know the general rules.

4) Decide how many swappers you are willing to sign up - smaller groups seem to work better. If you have less to make, you can put more into it. Have an idea of how many groups you are willing to set up and how large (or small) you want to make them.

5) Set a deadline for mailing out the projects.

6) Post all this information to the list and prepare to be bombarded by mails and have the swap filled up in probably an hour...(VHG!!)

7) Ask those that wish to sign up to privately email you with their name, address, city, state, zip and email address. NEVER post an address to the list. Only do this through private mails.

8) Using copy and paste functions to prevent errors, start preparing your group and address lists. Send this information out to your groups in the details message. This message should list the "rules" of your swap. Things like deadline, what kind of project to make, and any techniques that may be required.

9) Sending out a deadline reminder or two can't hurt anything ;)

10) Have fun.

11) Have lots of fun.

12) Have MORE FUN. If you have a "happy" swapping experience, please let the list know. If you run into any problems, please let one of the Team Owners know about it. We will be happy to help you through it.

Hugs from all the team owners of PalsandMore.