Lucky Charm Swap

Do you feel lucky? Would you like to share that luck with 7 new friends?

I just found out that Cynthia Deis of Ornamentea is hosting her annual charm swap with the title Lucky Charm Swap. But this year instead of keeping it local to the Raleigh, NC area where the store is, Cynthia wanted to open it up to a broader audience so that anyone can play, and this means you!


{my new Chinese chop charms I am working on}

I have participated in charm swaps in the past, and I have really enjoyed meeting new people from all over the country. Seeing the package arrive with all the charms makes me feel giddy. I still have so many of the charms that I have swapped with others simple because they are too special for me to part with. And the packaging they came in was part of the fun! It was like opening Christmas presents.

{beauty}

Whether you are an art bead artist who makes charms (like me!) or someone who just loves to create, you can get in on this. Lucky Charm Swappers need to create a total of seven charms. That's it! They can all be the same or different. This is a perfect way to dip your toes into creating art charms. Who knows? You might find a new creative outlet for yourself!

Not sure what you can do for a charm? Well, they must be smaller than 1 1/2" square, so think small. Typically, charms are sized for charm bracelets, but that is not the only way you can use them. They can be mixed media or any type of your choosing. But it is not enough to just put a jump ring on a purchased charm. Give it some thought as to how you can really make it your own. On her Shiny Little Things blog, Cynthia gave some great examples and links to some great resources. You need to package them up with your business card or other identifying mark, and send them off to Cynthia and the Ornamentea team to begin the swap which will be held on March 2nd. If you opted to have them mailed you will receive your mystery package in a few days after. I can't wait to see what I get in the mail!

{an example of my packaging for the 'simple truths'}

There is a form to be downloaded on the Ornamentea website and if you are not able to be there in person, they even have a way for you to buy the shipping to get the hand selected charms back to you as a sweet treat in March. All charms must be received at Ornamentea no later than Wednesday, February 29th.

Click here to join the Lucky Charm swap and get your art on!

If you enjoy the idea of the Lucky Charm swap, also check out the International Art Charm Day on April 28th! Over 13,000 art charm enthusiasts from around the world wear, share and create handmade art charms on that day each year.