Adventures of the Traveling Notebook USA #18

*This swap series now has a group page. Please request to join if you'd like notifications when each round has been posted. Here's a link to the group:

https://swap-bot.com/group/1b2cae9f8936e2f4d95fc55b2e4b214b/about

*****Please note: make sure to send your notebook in a quality envelope, such as ones made of kraft paper. If you just have a regular envelope, please use packing tape to make the envelope a little more secure - wrapping the envelope once around the length and width. Please don't use envelopes made of thin paper. Also, instead of a paper envelope, consider using plastic mailing envelopes for added protection from possible water damage.

*NOTE: PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE SWAP DESCRIPTION.

Welcome to Adventures of the Traveling Notebook!

Here's how it works:

 - If you participated in previous rounds or already have a notebook:

Fill out a 2-page spread and send the notebook to your partner.

*PLEASE MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE THE DATE AND THE NAME OF THE SWAP & ROUND # IN YOUR ENTRY. If there's a theme to the notebook you have, please try to follow it. Otherwise, you may fill out your pages however you want to.

Some ideas of what you can write include telling a bit about yourself, write about your day, the weather, you're hobbies/interests, or whatever! You can also decorate your pages with paper crafts, designs, doodles, stickers, washi tape, photos, or whatever you would like. You can include stories, poems, quotes, recipes, what your interested in, etc. You can also include gifts for the owner of the notebook. Simply make sure to label it as “For: ‘notebook’s owner’” so that anyone else who gets the notebook knows they are not freebies for everyone to take.

*Please don't use thick or bulky embellishments. Doing so can make it challenging for you partner when they add to the notebook.

 - Starting a new notebook:

If you're a new participant, or a returning participant needing to start a new notebook, here's what you'll have to do.

Keep in mind the size as you do not want your partners to have to pay a lot for shipping. Medium sized notebooks work well for these swaps. Try to choose one that is approximately 5 x 7 inches. It can be smaller than that, but not larger. Larger notebooks like a composition notebook are too big. You can buy one or make your own.

Your notebook should have around 30 sheets (60 pages, front & back). You don't want it so be too thick. It can have fewer than 30 pages, but please make sure it doesn't have much more than that. Please no more than 40 sheets (80 pages, front & back). Keep in mind that the more pages your notebook has, the longer it will take to be returned to you. The longer a notebook is circulating, the more likely it is to be lost in the mail or kept by participants who don't want to play fair. Also, thicker notebooks can potentially increase the cost of shipping.

Please use a notebook with a sewn binding instead of one with a glued binding. Notebooks with a sewn binding hold up better. And please don't choose a spiral-bound notebook.

The notebook should have a soft cover rather than a hard one. Hard covers are too heavy and can potentially increase the cost of shipping.

Decorate the front and back cover if you wish. On the inside of the cover, include the swap name, your Swap Bot username, your address, and anything else you’d like. Also include your email in the event that you move so the last person to sign your notebook can confirm your address.

Next, you may decorate the first few pages as you wish. Tell us a bit about yourself, write about your day, the weather, you're hobbies/interests, or whatever! You can also decorate your pages with paper crafts, designs, doodles, stickers, washi tape, photos, or whatever you would like. You can include stories, poems, quotes, recipes, what your interested in, etc. You can make it an art notebook, junk notebook, or more of a writing notebook. Feel free to add a theme for your notebook that you'd like each entrant to follow. You can also list things you enjoy to give everyone an idea of things they could incorporate into their entry. Or you could list a few questions you'd like everyone to answer.

Finally, after creating the notebook, you will send to your partner.

 - After receiving a notebook from your partner:

Rate a 5 once you received the swap and a ❤️ If it was extra special.

When you receive a notebook, HOLD ON to it for dear life until the next swap comes around. Join the next round of Adventures of the Traveling Notebook, add a 2-page spread to the notebook and send it to your partner.

 - Tips:

*Only use a pen that will not bleed onto the next page.

It's okay to add your entry on the front and back of each page.

Make sure the crafts are sturdy and will not come off. Washi tape, for example, tends to after some time. Packaging tape helps with this. In addition, try to use flat embellishments so the notebook doesn't become too thick. It can also make it difficult for people to add to their pages if you use bulky embellishments.

 - Important:

JOIN FUTURE SWAPS: This swap will involves commitment to join subsequent swaps in this series. Please don't join if you can't make that commitment. To avoid lost notebooks and keep a consistent flow, it is important that you join future swaps. It's okay to miss a round here and there. I understand life happens sometimes and you might need to drop out of the swaps. If you can't participate in future rounds, please let me know. Message me or the owner of the notebook and try to send their notebook back to them. This swap series is supposed to be fun. It ruins it for other people if you only join a few rounds and then drop out.

Do not forget to date each entry! This really adds a lot to the notebook and its nice to look back at the pages knowing when it was written.

If you're the last person to write in the notebook you receive, send it to the owner of the book. This means you will have to start a new notebook for the next round.

Due to the random nature of how partners are assigned, you may receive a notebook you have already added to before. Or you may receive your own notebook. If that happens, feel free to add another entry to it.

Please try to keep the journal you receive in this swap series. Try not to send it in a different Traveling Notebook/Junk Journal swap series.

*****If I receive your notebook and you haven't been active in this series of swaps for 6 months or longer, I will remove it from circulation. It's fair that you get to have your notebook circulating if you are no longer participating in this series. The only notebooks that should be circulating are ones that belong to people who are active in this swap series. You're welcome to rejoin the series at any time. With the cost of postage rising, I am no longer returning notebooks to people who drop out of the swap series. Instead, I'll contact you to see if you want it back you'll need to send me the money first.

 - Requirements:

25 or more Type 3 swaps. There is no rating requirement. All I ask is that you are a established user (active on Swap Bot for at least 1 year). I also expect you to have a well filled out profile and no recent or unresolved 1s or 3s. Your profile doesn't need to be an essay but please include a little about yourself, some of your interests, and your likes/dislikes (things you don't want to receive). I will ban anyone who looks sketchy or who does not meet the requirements. If you have any questions about your eligibility in joining this swap, send me a message and I can help! I do make exceptions on occasion. If you're a newbie interested in joining, I'm more likely to make an exception for you if you send me a message before signing up.

If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message. I don't always check the comments so it would be best to message me.