Round robin deco vol. 2 - arrived!

[Griffin]

visitors can't see pics , please register or login

Hello all amazing pony artists! I've been thinking about this for some time and I guess it's best to start by gauging interest first. If you like ATCs, I'm sure this is your cup of tea! (Edit. Nov 12 - taking sign-ups already, see end of post!)

What is a deco?
Decos are small handmade booklets that contain about 4-10 pages. Most typically they are postcard sized, but the size and shape can vary; anything goes as long as it fits an envelope. Each signer should decorate one page, or sometimes a spread, according to the theme (if the deco has a specified theme) and send it forward. Once all pages are full, the deco is returned to its maker, or sent to whoever is marked as the owner. (Quoting myself from the Deco Swappers forum.)

Normally decos are swapped with other deco swappers a few at a time, most people have certain swap pals they swap with on a regular basis, just like pen pals. That means decos generally don't have a predetermined route, they can be sent to anyone and the maker can only hope they will be returned when full. However, sometimes the round robin system is used instead and that is what I'm planning to do here: I'll make a My Little Pony themed deco and gather a list of people who sign up. I then send the deco to the first person on that list; they decorate the first page and send the booklet forward to the next person on the list, and so on. The last one will return the deco to me, full of pretty MLP artwork. ^_^ (I will think of something to reward all participants! Though I'm not expecting you to spend hours on your entry but mainly have fun by crafting something pony themed, see below for ideas.)

Drawing is not required but you're free to use e.g. stickers, cut up some box art to use on your page, print out colouring book pictures, or whatever you can think of, as long as it's MLP themed and you don't violate anyone's copyrights (i.e. no fanmade art other than your own). You can also use all kinds of embellishments like pretty papers, ribbons, brads, rhinestones etc. to decorate your entry.     

I organized a round robin deco like this some years ago on the old Arena but unfortunately it was lost almost immediately as the second or third signer went MIA. That's why I'm requiring at least some feedback this time as well as an e-mail address to be able to contact you outside the Arena. I would very much like to have the deco back, and I think we also owe that to the ones who spent their time on decorating the first pages. I will set a time limit of three weeks for you to work on your page if that helps focusing. Of course you can have more time if needed, just ask! 

Here's a gallery of my decos (all kinds of themes) if you'd like to take a look for inspiration: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/griffin/album/470921 My style is pretty different from most, however, as many deco people do not draw but use magazine pics and other readymade stuff. Very few of them have open access galleries, though, otherwise I would be happy to show you the variety of styles.

***
How to sign up
I'm taking sign-ups for approx. one week, until Nov 20, or until all the slots are filled. I ask you to have at least two (2) positive feedbacks here on the Arena, preferably from trading or selling (but I will judge each case individually, I just want to make sure people are committed and have some kind of proof that they are trustworthy).

Please PM me with the following information:
1. Your Arena username & real name
2. E-mail
3. Postal address
4. Link to feedback
5. Any preferences regarding the order of participants

Your address and e-mail will be given privately to the person before you so they know where to send the deco and can notify you prior to sending. Please let me know asap if your address changes or if there are any unexpected issues. I also ask everyone to keep me updated whenever they send or receive the deco, either by posting on this thread or by PMing/e-mailing me. There will be some participants who don't have an Arena account so you can either use e-mail or contact them through me if needed.

What to do when you receive the deco:
1. Leave a message to let me know you have received it.
2. Find the page with your name and decorate it as you please. Don't forget to include your name/username so we'll know who made the pretty entry!
3. Send the deco to the address given to you and notify me (and, optionally, the receiver so they know to expect the deco).
I ask you to keep the deco for three weeks at max, that should be sufficient time to make your entry and pass the deco on. If you need more time, just let me know. I know life can be unpredictable, and the deco might turn up at a bad time, it's hard to tell beforehand... But communication is the key.
Finally, and most importantly - have fun!

Participant list - full! 


1. UrocyonFox Received - sent Dec 30, 2013
2. MikeysGrrrl Received - sent Jan 19, 2014
3. Cron Sacchariferous Received - sent
4. Tsukikakushi  Received - sent
5. dashesndots Received - sent
6. Imialani Received - sent
7. Oniontart Received - sent
8. Sokkis Received - sent July 7, 2014
9. Marigold Received - sent Sep 11, 2014
10. Haine Received

[UrocyonFox]

count me innnnnn

[Griffin]

^ Certainly!

Anypony else? Maybe my post was a little tl; dr and that puts people off...  ^^'

I know the timing may be bad with the holidays approaching and all, but please note the deco will take some time to pass around (normal decos usually travel for YEARS) so it might not be until weeks or months that it reaches you. And I'm very lenient when it comes to deadlines as long as you keep me updated and won't just go MIA.

And if you have any questions just let me know, I'm happy to answer! I know it may sound confusing at first but I'll provide clear instructions.

[ZennaBug]

I've never quite understood the concept of a round robin I don't think.  Does everyone send out a deco?  Or just one that everyone decorates?  I'm sure it's a ridiculously simple concept and I'm overthinking it, but I think I have just confused myself. 

[Griffin]

Zenna, it can be done either way. I was thinking just starting one that everyone decorates, mainly because it's easier to grasp the concept once you actually see a deco in person. Of course everyone is welcome to start their own if they get excited about it! I would be happy to sign everyone else's decos, too. ^^

If there's no interest in this I'll probably just make a normal deco (with no set participant list) with MLP theme and send it to UrocyonFox with some other ones...

[ZennaBug]

Oh, ok.  That makes sense.    Sounds like fun!

[Griffin]

I found some Finnish pony people who would like to do this so it's possible to just start one for them (+ U.Fox ^^ ) and try again later here on the Arena. But it's only been a couple of days so far so I will still wait if there are people interested, not everyone spends half their time online like me, eh...

I think I'll start taking actual sign-ups now so it's easier to keep track of how many participants I actually have. I'll update the original post!

[MikeysGrrrl]

This sounds like fun, almost like a scrapbook?
I would be interested

[tsukikakushi]

I think it sounds like fun. Though is there a size limit on these? Or pretty much as long as it fits in a standard envelope it's good?

[Griffin]

Hey MikeysGrrrl & tsukikakushi, thanks for your interest! I updated the original post with sign-up info and requirements if you'd like to take a look.

Yes these are pretty much like scrapbooks, except that they are smaller and one deco passes through several people who all contribute.

Basically any size that fits an envelope is fine. Most people prefer postcard sized decos, though, as larger ones tend to get heavy and expensive to ship (typically you swap several decos at once although here it will just be one... in any case it's a good idea to keep the weight as low as possible to minimize postages). Of course it also comes down to individual preferences, some like to work in smaller scale while some prefer a larger format. I was planning the "standard" postcard size for this one, too.

So, just to clarify... I will make one booklet with a page reserved for each participant. You don't have to worry about the size or anything, just see what others have done before you and you'll be fine! I can take some pictures of the deco before I pass it on to the first person so you will see what to expect.

[MikeysGrrrl]

This sounds like so much fun, sending a PM now

[blackestbird]

I'm interested too, just kinda bad timing. I know it's possible to get it after the holidays though, with the working time each individual will have. I'm considering it, this sounds fun!

[Bekuno]

This is a super cutie idea, I've never heard of these.

I don't have any feedback though so I can't enter but I hope it goes well and I know you guys will make an awesome Deco! 

[Sokkis]

I'm one of those fellow Finns. I love the idea! Hopefully many people will join.

[Griffin]

^ I hope so! Send me your details when you have the chance, Sokkis, and I'll add you.

Blackestbird, I hope you decide to join, too! I can place you towards the end if that makes it easier? I'm pretty sure the booklet will only have time to go through one or two persons this year so the rest will definitely get it only after the holidays.
 
Bekuno, I'm sorry you can't join us this time. If you're interested in decos (other than MLP themed), there is some general information available on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendship_book) and several groups at various places online, e.g. Yahoo, Facebook etc. where you can find swap pals.