Faerie Book Swap and free fairy images

 

(click pictures to open in a larger window, save to your computer to print)

Do you LOVE fairies?  We do around here. Of course, its probably because I have a couple of living, breathing, little fairy kids running around pretending to be human grand children.

And of course, there are teensy fairies elves in my gardens, and guardian fairies watching over the house.   Not to mention all the woodland fey habitating the Fairy Berry Trail out in our woods.

Fairies come in all shapes, sizes, occupations, styles, and forms. Naughty little trouble makers, angelic helpers, wild and wonderful tree dwellers, water nymphs, and of course the springtime sprites who paint all the pretty flowers to welcome the new season. 

  And I am delighted by all of them. 

If you are too, maybe you'd like to join our swap in honor of the capricious, flittery creatures who are so illusive and lovely?

This is a little different than past swaps I have hosted. This time we'll be by passing tags and using half sheets of standard 8-1/2 x 11" card stock.  (Or your choice of materials, cut to approximately this size) The theme is so special, that I wanted to do a "real" book instead of tags.

I will provide a front and back cover, with vintage papers, and my own art work, coordinate 8 pages to send back to you, ring bind the books, add ribbons and a fairy charm.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Here are the guidelines, if you'd like to join:

• The theme is fairy, any interpertation you'd like
• Size is 5-1/2" wide, 8-1/2" tall (approximately)  A bit smaller, larger will work.
• Please use card stock, or something sturdy.  Please feel free to be creative and use other materials (cloth, felt, tin, chipboard, etc), just nothing too flimsy like plain copy paper. 
• Make 8 pages front and back, (the back can be simple but please at least cover it in pretty paper, not leave it blank) So that means 8 pages/16 sides total
•   Sign each page, add your blog name if you have one
  
• LEAVE ONE INCH ALONG THE LEFT HAND SIDE FLAT, no 3-D items along the edge, so I can punch holes.  Decorate the crap out of the rest of the page and goober it up as thick as you'd like, but please leave the left 1" for me to bind!
• Email [email protected] with your info to join.  Please include:

1.  Your first and last name
2. Your blog name and URL (you don't need to have a blog to participate)
3. Your email address
   

Deadline

Tags should be to me by September 1, 2012

In your package, include:

1. Your first and last name, same as you provided at sign up
2. A slip of paper with your name, and address, if your mailing address name does not match the first and last name you provided, please alert me
3. $20 fee for USA, $25 for overseas (these will probably weigh about one pound or so per book)

Here is a button you can post on your blog for the swap.

I look forward to seeing the piles of pretty pixie pages flying into my cottage!

Mail your sprite-ish art to:

KARLA NATHAN

1754 E 1200 RD

LAWRENCE, KS 66049

 

 

Faerie Swap Book Update, And an explanation of the costs

The Faerie Swap book covers are coming along fine.  Here are 77, almost finished ones. They still need a magic wand and some lace trim.

I've been trying to do them assembly line style, gluing all the wallpaper backs on, sanding and inking the edges, cutting out and adding the fairy with her vintage millinery wings, then the wallpaper circle with the title, then some glitter.

Whew.

It was going very well and I was pleased to see I was almost through the stack.

But the stack looked kind of small.

Then, I counted and realized that the copy store had only made 60 copies, not 100. So, back to the copy store for 40 more and start the process over again.

Now, I 'm working on the back cover. The very back is flocked wallpaper on the outside with some other pretty paper on the inside. I haven't decided which yet.

I bought chip board to use for a sturdy backing. I'm covering 50 in paper, then cutting them in half.

I plan for 100, my smaller swaps have gone way over that, but this one is more involved.  We are not quite to 100 yet, so you still have time to join.  Click on the side bar button if you want more info.

Some of the charms I ordered to tie onto the rings have arrived!  I've got some other ones coming. I'll be tying pretty ribbons onto the binding ring and dangling charms from them.

I've had people asking me why I am charging so much to join the swap, when postage won't take $20. 

So, I thought I should explain.  First of all, I have to buy charms, chip board, wallpaper, glue, more glue, ribbons, ring binders,card stock,  ink, and glitter.  I have to pay for color copies, plus use my own stash of wallpaper, flocked paper and millinery.

It adds up for 100 books.  And the postage will be higher than previous swaps I've done, these books are much larger than little tag books.

I put in hours, and hours, and hours of time to this. Starting with the watercolor of the fairy, so that there is an original design on the cover, not just an image I got from the internet.

Plus, all the sorting, and book making, then the days of making labels to send out the packages, plus the ink and paper for my printer.

Now, its true, that not all the money goes to purchases, some goes to my time. But it doesn't cover the extent of time that I put into the work. I'd make a lot more if I was taking photos of my things to sell and adding them to the Boutique. Or making something arty to add to it instead of this.

But I love swaps and its so fun to see my studio swamped in pages and pages of your art work! 

So, I enjoy doing it, but I simply could not do it if I didn't charge, it takes away too much time from my real work. I hope you don't think I'm trying to gouge you on the price.  Honestly, I'm not getting ahead on this.  If you think I've over charged you, I hope this explains the costs behind the price.

 

Comments

[Sue]

Wow - there's no way I can pass this one up! Count me in if there are still spots available! I'm emailing you right now :)

[robin]

Karla I would love to join count me in. Im going to email you.
Robin

[Stephanie O.]

Sounds fabulous...Just emailed you....S

[Judi Storm]

It must be because your "Faerie book swap" has caused the web site to crash, but I can't get on the page to sign up for your swap.
I'll try again in the a.m. I am so glad to be a part of an other one of your swaps. Thanks Judi

[Soarenth]

Such a delight of fairy images and stories! Thank you for sharing, Karla, and hope that you enjoy an equally delightful swap.

[Linda P.]

I just emailed you with my sign-up, Karla!

[Andrea Villarreal]

This is awesome Karla!!! I will email you right away:)

[Jane]

Just emailed to sign up for the swap, Karla! What a delightful theme! Thanks for sharing so many images and all the sheet music, text, etc.
Your swaps are always so much fun!

[Leann]

Woo Hoo - what fun. Can't wait to get started. I'm excited - your swaps are always such fun.

Enjoy the rest of your week!
Leann

[Jamie V]

I would love to participate! Count me in! Jamie V in MT
http://rem-nants.blogspot.com
[email protected]

[Charlotte]

I was hoping you would pop up with a swap. Fairy theme will be fun, and you've supplied some delightful images to include. I'm in. Charlotte

[elaine]

I love fairies..count me in. Do you want 8 double sided pages that are the same or all 8 different?

[Karla Nathan]

Since the pages go to different people, it doesnt matter. Do them any way you wish!

Sent from my iPad

[Terri Gordon]

Hi Karla, I would love to join your swap, this is wonderful, thank you so much for doing this, I am super excited. I am off to email you. Have a wonderful week. Hugs, Terri

[Margie Staniszeski]

Karla, I'm so excited about this Fairy book swap! How do I pay you via paypal?? I can't find that info... I'm probably looking right at it too! hahah! sorry!

[Karla Nathan]

You can send money with your pages. If you pay by PayPal, please include a note with your pages to remind me that you already paid, thanks!

Sent from my iPad

[Kim Smith]

I've been looking forward to this swap Karla, I'm emailing you now with my sign up info. thank you!

[Linda McMillin]

count me in, i will send info to you.

[jeanie]

Count me in, Karla! This sounds like great fun! I'll send check with pages and address -- this will be a delightful way to focus some of my summer creating!

[Amy Bauer]

I thought I commented yesterday, but apparently not! I'm in. I e-mailed you already and am most excited to get going. These books will be wonderful! - Amy Bauer

[Sherry]

Hi Karla...I am joining in on the swap. This is going to be a beautiful book. I love your beautiful fairy drawing. You amaze me.

hugs,
Sherry

[lynn legge]

karla, i sure can use a bit of beauty around me.. and one cant have too many fairies.. can they? please sign me up for your swap... i would love to join.. and cant wait to see what lovely artwork all the creative ladies out there produce
big big ladybug hugs and have a great weekend
lynn

[Karla Jackson]

I need a little bit of magic in my hectic life right now...who better to bring it than faeries!!!
Thank you for the wonderful inspiration pages you posted...I will have fun finding just the right faeries for my book page.
Bih glittery hugs to you in Kansas (my favorite state, I lived in Manhattan) from another Karla!

[Kathy Cabble]

Hi Karla. I just bumped into this swap. I'm new at this kind of thing. I would love to join this swap. I'm not sure that the kind of things that I do are good enough for this swap. Would you please check out my blog and then tell me if I can join? I have some fairies on it. Thanks. Kathy
www.cabblecottagecreations.com

[Angela]

I love this. Thanks for hosting such a delightful swap.

[Kim]

Please sign me up for the swap! Sounds fun!

[elizabeth streeter]

Karla add me also
Elizabeth from Australia I know I am late but hopefully not too late look forward to completing the pages

[Susan G]

I would really LOVE,Love, and love to join this swap. (Kim knows me)
But first I'd like to know what the $20.00 is for?

I do not think it will cost $20.00 to ship this, especially if we go with priority flat rate ($11.00) or BOOK RATE...which would be much cheaper. (as these will be books)

PLEASE reply and I can go from there.
Thanks so much,
Susan

[Karla Nathan]

Well, I have expenses involved besides postage. With about 100 books to make, I go through a lot of supplies. I use vintage wallpaper on the front and back covers, pay for color copies, plus printer ink for the labels. I buy rings to bind them, add ribbons, a charm, and embellish the books too. There are a few dollars left over, which could be considered profit, but if you consider the hours and hours I spend on the swap, it doesnt come near covering my time, so its not as much of a profit as it is an offset against my losses. Because when I work in these, it takes me away from my regular work.

But I do love swaps, and enjoy the process. Ive hosted many in the past and charged much less for participating, but was in the hole on them. If I want to host big swaps, I have to cover all of my expenses, plus at least some of my time. If I only had twenty or so swappers, it wouldnt be such a big deal, but with this many involved, it becomes a huge task.

No, its not $20 to ship the books. Overseas books can add up, approximately a dollar an ounce, but it is less for domestic shipping, of course. But I cant use book rate, these are not traditional books.

I am not trying to cheat anyone or take advantage of swappers, just trying to keep it fair for myself.

Sent from my iPad

[Elaine]

$20 is a GREAT deal for all of the work you're doing...I'm sending my pages off to you today...can't wait to see what you send back :)

[Nancy Collins]

Hi Karla...just found this swap! Am I too late to join up?
Let me know what I need to do, Please....
Thanks,
Nancy

[Rosanna Van Etten]

Karla, I just found this information on Pinterest, love Pinterest! Am I too late to join?? It would be great fun - RosannaVan

[Jennifer Hayslip]

Karla, you will always and forever be the FAIRY QUEEN! I wish life would slow down for me so I could join your amazing swaps. I miss them! xo,Jenn

[lynn legge]

karla my faerie swap pages are winging their way to you.. my hubby mailed them for me on saturday.. i cant wait to see the finished product..
have a great week :)
lynn

[Misses Peach]

Hello Karla...my faerie pages are alomost done and will be in the mail to you next week...just wanted to update you. I have so enjoyed making them...gathering the crepe paper edges was time consuming so it has taken me longer to finish them than I expected, but they will not arrive late!
Faerie hugs from the other, formerly from Kansas, Karla

[Jackie]

Karla, i just found you! WOW! i am going to try and put mine together in time for the swap...wish me luck!

[Mike]

My niece is going to be a fairy for Halloween. Is there a unique name for guys that are fairy's or can fairy's be both guys and girls?