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crafthavenRevision: July 16, 2010
First Event
I'm expecting to finish my planning sometime in the winter. Since my ideas about location and setup currently involve being outside (thus, warm weather), that means the first swap event will probably not be able to happen until Spring 2011. I'm thinking April, with a hope for good weather.
Allergens and Cleanliness
A few people have put forth the possibility of bedbugs, fleas, or other unpleasantries being in donations. My suggestion is to ask that fabric donations be washed before donating, and to strongly suggest that anyone who takes a fabric swap wash it when they get home. What do you think? Is this realistic? I know not all fabrics are washable, and that not everyone will do it, but do you think this will address the issue? I certainly plan to wash any fabrics that I'll be storing long-term between swaps that come from people I don't know personally.
I originally envisioned that fabric donations would have to come from a pet-hair-free, smoke-free home, but I have been talked around to a more buyer-beware system--we'll warn that not all donations are allergy-friendly. The wash-before-bringing may also help this issue somewhat.
ETA about Allergens and Toxic Items:
ysabetwordsmith has brought up some great points about dealing with allergens and other potentially dangerous materials in the comments. Also, I'll be doing some research about what craft materials may cause allergic reactions, but if you have any to chime in, please do!
ysabetwordsmith mentioned:
-Wool
-Some synthetic dyes/paints
Membership
Still thinking about membership benefits, but I do have a membership database mostly developed. Membership cards will be for each person to decorate themselves--I want to use those fake credit cards you get in junk mail, with a barcoded sticker on the back for ID purposes. Only rule in decorating is barcode sticker must be readable and undamaged. Maybe should paint them white first? Or leave them as-is? Not sure.
Possible benefit: storing voucher "credit" between swaps in the database, instead of making members hold on to their actual vouchers (see below for discussion of the voucher system).
Vouchers
On recommendation from Maria, who had some great ideas, I think I'm going to reverse my former position on using bag sizes to control give/take, and switch to an equal-exchange, voucher-based system. The values below are not set in stone, just some rough suggestions from Maria--these can definitely be adjusted based on input from everyone. Quoted from Maria's email:
--Fabric: Large, full pieces are good. But smaller, irregular scraps are also useful, particularly by quilters or doll crafters. I recommend getting a small scale that can weigh in ounces up to several pounds. I do have a mailing scale that goes up to 5 lbs, so that may work out...
*Irregular fabric scraps: 1 voucher per ½ pound. (These can then all be thrown in a “scrap bin,” which people can pick through to assemble their own ½ pound piles.
*Full yardage lengths of fabric: 1 voucher per yard (pieces less than a yard should be combined into weighed scraps.)
*High-quality or unusual fabrics (I’m thinking things like silk/wool, velvet, beaded/sequined/embroidered fabric, top-end upholstery fabrics): 1 or more additional vouchers per piece. This would be at the organizer’s discretion. I’m thinking the amount would depend on both quality and quantity. IE, a yard or two of something nice, but not particularly over-the top would get 1, for a total of 2 vouchers to be used on other items. but if there were say, 6 yards of it, you might give it an additional 2 (Thinking in terms of applying the bonus amount for every 3 yards . . . ) A single yard of very nice, heavily beaded and embroidered silk might also earn 2 or 3 bonus vouchers for quality. Scraps of these types of fabrics would earn 2 vouchers per ½ pound. (You may also want to keep these in separate bins from the “regular” scraps.)
*Yardage will be rounded up or down to the nearest yard. (1 ¼ = 1 yd, 2 ½ =3 yd, etc.)
*Weight will be rounded up or down to the nearest ½ pound.
--Yarn:
*One small ball/skein of plain acrylic yarn: 1 voucher
*One large skein of plain acrylic yarn OR one skein of natural fiber/decorative yarn: 2 vouchers.
*One large skein of natural fiber or decorative yarn: 3 vouchers.
--Tools:
Definitely a good idea. There are so many types of tools though, you’d probably want to sit down with a whole list of the most common to determine individual voucher values.
--Beads: My best recommendation is to do it by weight. Get a small food scale or something, and assign vouchers based on weight. (ie, 2 oz equals one “item,” regardless of size or quantity of the beads that make up those 2 ounces.)
And yes, I realize packaging will throw off the weight a little . . . I say tough shit if anyone complains. It’s not meant to be a perfect system. Sometimes you’ll walk out ahead, sometimes you won’t. It’s the nature of this type of trading. Anyway:
*2 ounces of beads, charms, fastenings, or other findings: 1 voucher
*2 ounces of semi-precious, gem quality, or fine metal (gold, sterling silver, etc) items as described above: 2 vouchers.
*1 spool of non-metal beading thread: 1 voucher
*1 spool of beading wire: 2 vouchers.
*Additional vouchers may be awarded for unique or high-quality items at the organizer’s discretion. Or for bringing in mostly un-opened items, since they’re easier to keep organized. You’ll definitely want to have a good way to keep some things sorted. Maybe also have an “unsorted” bin that costs slightly less per ounce to go through? (EX: You can get 3 or 4 oz of “unsorted” beads for 1 voucher, since you’re having the hassle of having to sort yourself, or pick through for something specific. A little bit more in your favor if you brought in unsorteds as well, but that’s why I came up with the idea of awarding extra vouchers for bringing in stuff in packages—you come out way ahead if you bring packaged stuff and leave with unsorted . . . not sure if it’s entirely fair, but still working on it.)
--Craft/Fashion Trim:
* ¼ pound assorted trim: 1 voucher
* ¼ pound high-qualitiy trim (beaded fringe, rhinestone, etc.) 2 vouchers
*Full spools of trim: 1-? vouchers, depending on quantity and quality.
I'm also thinking about what vouchers should look like. I want it to be something that people can keep between events if they don't use them all. I want to make them easy to mass-produce, but I also want to make sure they're not easy to copy. I thought about stamping them, although making my own stamp would not be easy and I don't want to shell out money for a custom stamp. Using glue-gun faux wax seals might not be too bad, since I can make my own sealing stamp.
First Event
I'm expecting to finish my planning sometime in the winter. Since my ideas about location and setup currently involve being outside (thus, warm weather), that means the first swap event will probably not be able to happen until Spring 2011. I'm thinking April, with a hope for good weather.
Allergens and Cleanliness
A few people have put forth the possibility of bedbugs, fleas, or other unpleasantries being in donations. My suggestion is to ask that fabric donations be washed before donating, and to strongly suggest that anyone who takes a fabric swap wash it when they get home. What do you think? Is this realistic? I know not all fabrics are washable, and that not everyone will do it, but do you think this will address the issue? I certainly plan to wash any fabrics that I'll be storing long-term between swaps that come from people I don't know personally.
I originally envisioned that fabric donations would have to come from a pet-hair-free, smoke-free home, but I have been talked around to a more buyer-beware system--we'll warn that not all donations are allergy-friendly. The wash-before-bringing may also help this issue somewhat.
ETA about Allergens and Toxic Items:
ysabetwordsmith has brought up some great points about dealing with allergens and other potentially dangerous materials in the comments. Also, I'll be doing some research about what craft materials may cause allergic reactions, but if you have any to chime in, please do!ysabetwordsmith mentioned:-Wool
-Some synthetic dyes/paints
Membership
Still thinking about membership benefits, but I do have a membership database mostly developed. Membership cards will be for each person to decorate themselves--I want to use those fake credit cards you get in junk mail, with a barcoded sticker on the back for ID purposes. Only rule in decorating is barcode sticker must be readable and undamaged. Maybe should paint them white first? Or leave them as-is? Not sure.
Possible benefit: storing voucher "credit" between swaps in the database, instead of making members hold on to their actual vouchers (see below for discussion of the voucher system).
Vouchers
On recommendation from Maria, who had some great ideas, I think I'm going to reverse my former position on using bag sizes to control give/take, and switch to an equal-exchange, voucher-based system. The values below are not set in stone, just some rough suggestions from Maria--these can definitely be adjusted based on input from everyone. Quoted from Maria's email:
--Fabric: Large, full pieces are good. But smaller, irregular scraps are also useful, particularly by quilters or doll crafters. I recommend getting a small scale that can weigh in ounces up to several pounds. I do have a mailing scale that goes up to 5 lbs, so that may work out...
*Irregular fabric scraps: 1 voucher per ½ pound. (These can then all be thrown in a “scrap bin,” which people can pick through to assemble their own ½ pound piles.
*Full yardage lengths of fabric: 1 voucher per yard (pieces less than a yard should be combined into weighed scraps.)
*High-quality or unusual fabrics (I’m thinking things like silk/wool, velvet, beaded/sequined/embroidered fabric, top-end upholstery fabrics): 1 or more additional vouchers per piece. This would be at the organizer’s discretion. I’m thinking the amount would depend on both quality and quantity. IE, a yard or two of something nice, but not particularly over-the top would get 1, for a total of 2 vouchers to be used on other items. but if there were say, 6 yards of it, you might give it an additional 2 (Thinking in terms of applying the bonus amount for every 3 yards . . . ) A single yard of very nice, heavily beaded and embroidered silk might also earn 2 or 3 bonus vouchers for quality. Scraps of these types of fabrics would earn 2 vouchers per ½ pound. (You may also want to keep these in separate bins from the “regular” scraps.)
*Yardage will be rounded up or down to the nearest yard. (1 ¼ = 1 yd, 2 ½ =3 yd, etc.)
*Weight will be rounded up or down to the nearest ½ pound.
--Yarn:
*One small ball/skein of plain acrylic yarn: 1 voucher
*One large skein of plain acrylic yarn OR one skein of natural fiber/decorative yarn: 2 vouchers.
*One large skein of natural fiber or decorative yarn: 3 vouchers.
--Tools:
Definitely a good idea. There are so many types of tools though, you’d probably want to sit down with a whole list of the most common to determine individual voucher values.
--Beads: My best recommendation is to do it by weight. Get a small food scale or something, and assign vouchers based on weight. (ie, 2 oz equals one “item,” regardless of size or quantity of the beads that make up those 2 ounces.)
And yes, I realize packaging will throw off the weight a little . . . I say tough shit if anyone complains. It’s not meant to be a perfect system. Sometimes you’ll walk out ahead, sometimes you won’t. It’s the nature of this type of trading. Anyway:
*2 ounces of beads, charms, fastenings, or other findings: 1 voucher
*2 ounces of semi-precious, gem quality, or fine metal (gold, sterling silver, etc) items as described above: 2 vouchers.
*1 spool of non-metal beading thread: 1 voucher
*1 spool of beading wire: 2 vouchers.
*Additional vouchers may be awarded for unique or high-quality items at the organizer’s discretion. Or for bringing in mostly un-opened items, since they’re easier to keep organized. You’ll definitely want to have a good way to keep some things sorted. Maybe also have an “unsorted” bin that costs slightly less per ounce to go through? (EX: You can get 3 or 4 oz of “unsorted” beads for 1 voucher, since you’re having the hassle of having to sort yourself, or pick through for something specific. A little bit more in your favor if you brought in unsorteds as well, but that’s why I came up with the idea of awarding extra vouchers for bringing in stuff in packages—you come out way ahead if you bring packaged stuff and leave with unsorted . . . not sure if it’s entirely fair, but still working on it.)
--Craft/Fashion Trim:
* ¼ pound assorted trim: 1 voucher
* ¼ pound high-qualitiy trim (beaded fringe, rhinestone, etc.) 2 vouchers
*Full spools of trim: 1-? vouchers, depending on quantity and quality.
I'm also thinking about what vouchers should look like. I want it to be something that people can keep between events if they don't use them all. I want to make them easy to mass-produce, but I also want to make sure they're not easy to copy. I thought about stamping them, although making my own stamp would not be easy and I don't want to shell out money for a custom stamp. Using glue-gun faux wax seals might not be too bad, since I can make my own sealing stamp.
Well...
Date: 2010-07-19 09:31 pm (UTC)That seems like the most practical approach to reducing the hazard. As long as you're moving stuff around, the risk of pests etc. will never be zero, but you can get pretty close.
Re: Well...
Date: 2010-07-20 12:11 am (UTC)Welcome, and thank you for your input! I'd like to do my best to protect folks participating in the swap, but I think you're right--the risk will never be entirely eliminated.
Re: Well...
Date: 2010-07-20 12:20 am (UTC)I'm a wordsmith; I spend most of my day in front of my computer.
>>I'd like to do my best to protect folks participating in the swap, but I think you're right--the risk will never be entirely eliminated.<<
Just tell people what you're doing and what you recommend to reduce known risks, and they can make decisions accordingly. People would probably appreciate if fibers are labeled (cotton, wool, etc.) and natural/synthetic things (wood, plastic, glass, etc.) are identified for sake of allergies. Folks allergic to wool will not have fun if all the yarn gets chucked into one bin.
Also, I like the concept of your community but the layout is hard to read with the text mashed into that tiny narrow column. Might you consider switching to a layout with more space for the text?
Re: Well...
Date: 2010-07-20 12:40 am (UTC)I definitely like the idea of labeling/having different containers for possible allergy-triggering materials! I hadn't even thought of the craft materials themselves triggering allergies--I myself have pet allergies so that's the first place my brain went. This is why I need other folks to check my work ;)
Re: Well...
Date: 2010-07-20 01:31 am (UTC)Good idea. You can use the preview function on the selection page. I went through several before finding one I liked -- I think it's called Ocean New. It boxes everything in for easy reading, has a relatively wide posting area and a clear sidebar. (I tend to emphasize legibility over artistry when it comes to journal designs; that makes it more accessible to people with disabilities.)
>>I hadn't even thought of the craft materials themselves triggering allergies--I myself have pet allergies so that's the first place my brain went.<<
You can ask people what kinds of allergies or other considerations should be labeled if possible. (It's not always possible to tell.) Wool is a common allergy and fairly easy to identify. Some people are allergic to synthetic dyes or paints, but it's hard to tell which -- a good way to handle this is to label only the items known to be ALL natural as "natural." (Some companies market their embroidery yarns or dyed wooden beads this way.) Certain craft supplies, such as clay glazes, paints, lead figurines, etc. are downright toxic and should be marked as such if you know that. Many have an age label like "not for children under 3" or "child-safe" which is helpful.
Not everybody will have this information for all their stuff, so you could make a list of things like "If you know any of these safety designations apply to your item, please mark it accordingly." The details aren't always on the package, but at least it's better than nothing.
Another way to deal with allergens is to seal things in plastic bags, but that uses a LOT of plastic which isn't very good for the environment. I wouldn't do it for everything, but it's helpful for things like oil paints that you DO NOT want getting loose.
Re: Well...
Date: 2010-07-20 01:35 am (UTC)Re: Well...
Date: 2010-07-20 02:37 am (UTC)Re: Well...
Date: 2010-07-20 02:45 am (UTC)I also have a crapton of saved plastic grocery bags, which, while not quite as airtight, are still better than paper or fabric for containing such things. So I could offer those up to people who wanted them and forgot/did not bring their own, and that would be assuage some of my guilt about using plastic.
Re: Well...
Date: 2010-07-20 01:54 am (UTC)The mass method does NOT work well for the more expensive types of beads such as lampworked glass, semiprecious stone, etc. which are very popular trade items. You often buy a packet of several of these when you need one or two, and it would give lampworkers a place to hand off their "not quite good enough to sell" beads.
I recommend tallying more valuable beads by giving a voucher for stuff like:
* packet of multiple small valuable beads, such as enough rose quartz balls to make a necklace.
* matched pair or trio of small or medium fancy beads suitable for earrings or the center of a necklace.
* single ornate bead or pendant (aka "focal bead") such as engraved bone, lampworked glass, carved stone, etc.
As with fabric, seriously consider giving extra vouchers for more exotic items. Somebody who brings in half a string of freshwater pearls or glass rose beads should get more in trade than somebody who brings in a handful of plastic beads.
Really, you could generalize "rare, exotic, or expensive" to grant extra vouchers in any category. You never know if somebody's going to bring in their old serger that still runs.
Re: Well...
Date: 2010-07-20 02:50 am (UTC)Good point!
Date: 2010-07-20 05:31 am (UTC)When people volunteer, ask them what-all they're good at that seems relevant to this project. Include a list of all the crafts they're familiar enough to price supplies into very rough categories. (If I were local, I'd be able to process materials for a lot more crafts than I can actually make. That's not terribly rare.) Then you can try to arrange the work schedule on swap days to cover the main categories.
What are the main categories? Ask people what they would like to donate, and what they would like to pick up. Watch for clusters. You'll probably see something like Textiles (fabric, yarns, etc.), Jewelry (beads, findings, etc.), Scrapbooking (paper, pens, templates), Tools (punches, rulers, pliers, etc.) and so forth. You might want to make a separate category for Big Items (sewing machines, pottery wheels, lampwork torches, etc.) and consider a voucher auction or raffle or something for those to keep people from dueling over them. Anyhow, base your categories on how the stuff you get seems to group itself, and try to track people's fluency with those categories.
Hmm...
Date: 2010-07-20 05:53 am (UTC)This is a lot like designing a community/alternative currency. Identify your goals, then rank them in order of importance. That'll help you figure out the design. I tried looking up recommended design parameters but couldn't find much. Here are a few examples:
http://interactiondesign.sva.edu/students/show/category/designing_local_currency
I suspect that a custom stamp would be an excellent investment. It can include an art logo and/or a changing number. A unique logo and a serial number on each voucher would seriously discourage counterfeiting. You could sit down and make a big batch of these in an afternoon. Put them on sturdy paper and you wouldn't have to replace them soon. Here's one supplier with decent prices, depending on size:
http://www.rubberstamps.net