Every soap maker is welcome to join. You must be a member in the Crafter's Community here. Everyone can be a part of the Soap Swap including FREE members. (Once you register you must be sure to click the pink button that says "Join Group" to post your name.)
What is The Great American Soap Swap?
The Soap Swap is a game for soap makers to connect to other soap makers in the artisan community. Here, we can make a personal connection with other soap makers in our community and get inspired by the final product, packaging, and craft from each other. Art is meant to be shared, and one great way to expand on your creativity is to learn from each other. During the soap swap each soap maker is matched with a random partner. Each partner sends a small gift package of their art to each other and posts their gift (with a thank you message) for everyone to see.
Where to find the Soap Swap?
Announcements for the soap swap are posted in the Thermal Mermaid Facebook Group every month and on the Cottage DIY website posted on the Events Page.
YOU MUST POST IN THE SOAP SWAP GROUP HERE.
you must be sure to click the pink button that says "Join Group" to post your name.
How to enter the game :
This part is easy. When you see the announcement posted in the Facebook Group or on the Events Page, post your name and your country below the post. You can post in either place. No one will be left out (with one possible exception - see below) You will be contacted through Facebook inbox AND/OR the inbox in your dashboard in your members dashboard with the name of your partner. You have to contact your partner to swap mailing addresses for each other.
Step by step Game Instructions:
1. Join the Game by entering your name and country below the Soap Swap post.
2. Partners are randomly assigned and matched by country.
3. Once your partner is announced send a message on Facebook or right from your dashboard when you log in to the Crafter's Community.
4. Swap shipping details with your partner.
5. Send 1-3 bars of your hand crafted soap, along with your business card (if you have one). Please no more than 3 bars. (This is not meant to be elaborate and make any soaper feel like their package is too small.) Please ship your package within 7 days of the Swap Partner Announcement.
6. Receive your package and post a thank you to your partner in the group along with photos of their soap, business card,and any pretty labels or packaging.
Housekeeping Rules:
1. Everyone is invited to join the soap swap, however, this is meant to be a fun experience and not a burden on any artist. Each person who wishes to participate has to carry the cost of shipping their package to their partner. To keep this cost as low as possible we only match soapers with a person in their own country. In order to participate there has to be at least 2 people from any country who want to play. If you are from a smaller country you are welcome to invite any other soap makers to join the game. So if you are in a group with local people/soap makers invite them to join the game and we will get people to match your soap swap.
If there is only one person from any country we wont have any one to match.
2. If you enter your name you are obligated to send your package. Please ship your package within 7 days of the partner announcements. Your partner is looking forward to your package. Soapers really look forward to participating, and when they go to all the care of wrapping their package with love it is disappointing not to receive a package in return. Please only drop your name if you mean to follow through and play the game.
3. You must post photos and a thank you message either on the Soap Swap Group in the Crafter's Community within 7 days of receiving your gift package.
4. Not sending your swap once partners have been assigned OR not posting a thank you will result in having to sit out the next swap. (You can join again the following month, but you must follow through if you choose to join.) We know that sometimes mail gets lost, and trust your word if you say you did ship a package that does not arrive to someone. It is not necessary to pay for extra delivery confirmation, but if you simply snap a pic of your package with its postage on it this will be accepted as proof if your partner does not receive their package.