Now open: Winter Tag Swap 2026
December eats everything. Your time, your table, whatever was left of you after everyone else got theirs. Making something for yourself drops to the bottom of the list, again.
So make it small. One tag. Whatever winter means where you are: Christmas, solstice, snow, the dark coming early, a cup of something hot, the quiet after everyone goes home. Make it, mail it, and something made by someone else comes back to you before the holidays.
| Make | Winter tags, any style. No bigger than 4 x 6 inches (10 x 15 cm). Up to 3. |
| Closing date | In my hands by Monday, November 30. Firm. |
| Mail by | US: Friday, November 20 (it’s Thanksgiving week after that) Outside the US: Monday, November 9 |
| Back to you | Mailed the week of December 7, so they should arrive before Christmas. After that it’s up to the post office. |
| Send to | Shiny Designs, P.O. Box 242, Enka, NC 28728 |
Everything else, from envelopes and stamps to photos, is below.
How the swaps work
You make things and nobody sees them. They go in a drawer, a box, the back of a journal, and that’s where they stay.
Let’s fix that with a swap! You make one small thing and mail it to me. So do a lot of other people. I personally swap them by hand, and something made by a real person comes back to you in the mail.
No one has to be good at this. I match every piece myself, by effort and heart, not polish or perfection, so a first try lands with someone who’ll be happy to see it. If something can’t be matched, or the mail chews it up, I swap in something from me. No one is left out.
How it works
- Make your piece. The theme is in the announcement above. No bigger than 4 x 6 inches (10 x 15 cm). Up to 3 per person, and you get one back for each one you send.
- Address an envelope to yourself. Big enough to hold your piece flat, and not square. Tuck in 2 Forever stamps, loose. Don’t stick them on.
- Put it all in a second envelope and mail it to:
Shiny Designs
P.O. Box 242
Enka, NC 28728
Then watch your mailbox.
The fine print (there isn’t much)
- Flat. Your piece in its envelope should be no thicker than three quarters stacked. Fatter mail gets delayed, charged extra, or eaten by the machines.
- Something you’d hand a stranger. Strange, dark, funny, wonky: all welcome. If you’re in doubt, it’s probably too far out.
- The closing date is the closing date. Anything that arrives after it misses the swap. Mail early.
Questions
Why loose stamps?
Return envelopes come in every size and weight, and I can’t tell what each one needs until they’re all here. Two loose stamps give me room to make it work. Think of it as your gift to me. 😘
Do I really have to address my own envelope?
Yes. My handwriting is not great even when I’m trying, and it goes downhill from there.
I’m outside the US. Can I join?
Yes. Same rules, same address. Your stamps won’t work on mail leaving the US, so skip them. I’ll take care of getting yours back to you. If you’re feeling generous, you can make a Ko-fi donation.
Who sees my address?
Only me. Your envelope goes back to you, and I don’t add you to any list.
Will you share what comes in?
Yes. I share photos in my weekly letter, Works of Dangerous Joy, and sometimes on YouTube, with first names only. If you’d rather your work stay private, write “no photos” on the back. That’s it.
Anything else? Ask me here.
Made by hand, released without permission.
Shine your light! Monette.