Here and there a few people have asked me to share how I’m going to do the Liberate Your Art postcard swap. I brought the box of envelopes with me on vacation to swap the postcards out and get them mailed. So here’s how it was done…
First, I opened each envelope and laid them out on the floor. As I did this, I made sure they all had the right number of postcards (found a few more for me!), the right postage and labels. If anything was missing I took care of it as I laid them out. The swap participating was about 80% US and 20% non-US, so I made sure that every 5th envelope was a non-US participant so they would be mixed in. Otherwise, there was no planning involved as to the order.
Thankfully, my sister has a very large, open living and dining room (~600 sq ft), because the postcards looped around the full space. Here are a couple of photos to show you how it looked. I wish I could have captured the full extent of it!
Next, the easy part, actually doing the swap. Picking up the stack of 5 postcards from the pile, I dealt them out to the next five participants. I did the same thing, moving from one stack to the next on the left around the whole loop.
Finally, the labels and stamps had to be put on. This was the time-consuming part. I cajoled my husband into helping (he’s such a good sport) and we went around the loop putting the postage and labels on all of the postcards, stack by stack. As we completed each participant’s stack, we sorted them out in to five stacks for the different mailings. There is a sixth stack of postcards from me done too.
Here I am, mailing the first stack. The postcards are officially off. Look at all of that art being liberated in the world! Pretty cool, huh?? The second mailing will go out later this week!
July 26, 2011 10:41 pm
Thanks so much for all your work on this, Kat! I can't wait to get some fun snail mail
July 26, 2011 10:49 pm
WOW and oh my, what a lot of work! A HUGE THANKS to you for doing this!!!! Can't wait to get some of that creativity in the mail! Too fun
July 26, 2011 10:53 pm
Wow! What a LOT Of work – thanks for doing this – can't wait to get mine to meet some new friends and blog about it!
July 26, 2011 10:55 pm
Woo Hoo! Can`t wait…and thank you and your husband for all your hard work in organizing this!
July 26, 2011 10:58 pm
So cool! Thanks so much! I'm glad it exceeded expectations.
July 26, 2011 10:59 pm
Awesome! What a lot of work, Kat! Thanks for doing this
July 26, 2011 11:15 pm
Wow. It boggles my mind to think of how you set that up, all the postcards to deal with, and ALL THAT ART liberated!
Wonderful project, I'm so glad to have participated. Thank you so much Kat for organizing this (and tell your family thanks for their help also.
Now heading to my mail box . . .
xo
Mo
July 26, 2011 11:17 pm
Amazing! I'm really looking forward to the returns. THANKS so much!
Rinda
July 26, 2011 11:19 pm
Thanks Kat…a great project! I love all these photos too, winding around the house…how nice!
July 26, 2011 11:22 pm
This is so exciting Kat!! Congrats on such a successful and liberating event!
I can't wait to see what goodness shows up on my front door
July 26, 2011 11:28 pm
thank you for letting me know.. I am so excited about our art all over the place…
July 26, 2011 11:34 pm
Im excited to get to see others who participated.
Thanks Kat for taking the time with this lovely adventure. You are a doll — but then everyone knows that.
Hugs
claudia
July 26, 2011 11:34 pm
Thank you for all of your hard work on this.
I don't think I could have ever tackled such a huge swap. Kudos to you , your sister and hubby.
I can't wait to see my postcards come in.
July 26, 2011 11:36 pm
looking forward to seeing the art that come my way!! I will post photos on my blog when I get them!! woo hoo…..
great jpg Kat
July 26, 2011 11:37 pm
What an incredible amount of work you've put into this! Thank you so much for doing it. I'm excited to receive postcards from other artists, and to know that my cards are going out into the world.
July 26, 2011 11:42 pm
Wow! Amazing! thank you for all your hard work. What a great idea and I'm so excited to visit the mailbox now.
July 26, 2011 11:46 pm
so fun! i wish I could have helped, it would have been fun! can't wait to recieve mine!
July 26, 2011 11:50 pm
I will be checking the mail! So excited!!! xx
July 27, 2011 12:01 am
I can't wait to check my mail this week!
July 27, 2011 12:09 am
That is so much work, wow! Thank you so much!!
July 27, 2011 12:15 am
Thank you!!!! Thank you to your sister and husband as well. I love the shots of all the postcards around your sister's house.
Can't wait-
lynn
July 27, 2011 12:19 am
kat, you are awesome. i love how you methodically laid out all those piles. thank you so much for doing this. i know postcards travel pretty slowly, so i'll sit tight and be patient. yay!
July 27, 2011 12:21 am
Gracias, Kat. I'm looking forward to a variety of cards from other artists. I appreciate this swap so much and your dedication to see that it was a success.
July 27, 2011 12:30 am
wow kat, this is just amazing to see! so much art! we all got the fun part – you got all the work!! thank you thank you so much for taking on this huge project and allowing us to set our art free!! can't wait for the hike to the mailbox!
July 27, 2011 1:29 am
Thanks so much! And I love the idea of spacing out the mailings so that we get a flow of fun mail – so great. Thanks, again.
MP in TX
July 27, 2011 1:39 am
I read an article today about the falling number of postcards being bought and sold around the world. I think you may have turned that trend around.
July 27, 2011 2:09 am
How cool is this! I am so excited to get my up coming mail! Wow Kat you went through over 875 postcards! Thanks so much for organizing this. It is a great thing you have done!
July 27, 2011 2:25 am
Thanks for all your hard work on initiating and completing this project. I can't wait for my postcards to start arriving! –Juju
July 27, 2011 2:31 am
Kat, your organizational skills are awesome! Many thanks to you and your husband for all your hard work on this project. I can hardly wait for the mail!
July 27, 2011 2:46 am
Huge job for you Kat, thanks so much. I look forward to getting ineteresting art, and connecting with other creative people.
July 27, 2011 3:25 am
You've done a fantastic job!! Thanks for all your hard work! Can't wait until the mailman brings them!!
July 27, 2011 3:35 am
Well you have already heard how oh-some you are. It's so amazing what you have started. I usually drive the post office people nuts as well as those in line picking out different Stamps. I want to keep those stamp artists busy and that teeny bit of art that goes mostly unnoticed traveling around for the few of us who still keep looking for it. I had never thought of post cards with my contribution! I made extra cards to send to family and friends. They see my art so cards don't seem as impressive to me as something they world can see. Even if my art is not so good I hope it brings a smile to a few faces on it's way.
And it's all because of YOU! Thank you!! and you small team of helpers for making the world more interesting!
July 27, 2011 3:51 am
This is truly a labor of love Kat!
July 27, 2011 4:02 am
Woot Woot!!! Thank you for all of your hard work! I am soooo excited!!! Wheee!!!
xo
Kristin
p.s. Thanks to your husband and sister too!
July 27, 2011 4:29 am
From one Oregon girl to another…
thanks for all the fun you have generated.
Can't wait to get mine. Better than bill!
July 27, 2011 5:36 am
WOW Kat, what a job! The cards look like one of those restaurants where sushi is flying around on a track! That's NUTS. Thank you for hosting so much fun and clearly putting in a ton of work. You're awesome! Best wishes from germany, tj
July 27, 2011 5:49 am
Kat, you are amazing– it must feel so good to liberate all that art! Thanks for explaining your system and a big thank you to both you and your husband — he is definitely a good sport! Can't wait!
July 27, 2011 6:15 am
This is just AMAZING! Seeing them all together is like watching Santa Claus load up his sleigh! I am very much looking forward to getting my cards, thanks again for all your hard work – and to family members who helped! Valerie
July 27, 2011 7:08 am
Woohoo! Can't wait
July 27, 2011 7:55 am
wow I am impressed at your dedication! meant to do this but never got around to it, will do it next time
July 27, 2011 8:03 am
I'm so excited!
THanks for keeping us up to date, Kat.
July 27, 2011 10:17 am
Wow – what a great job you have done Kat. You are a true star in this creative tribe of our.
July 27, 2011 10:22 am
I Can't wait! I am so excited to see what other people did with their postcards!
July 27, 2011 11:00 am
Amazing idea! Amazing amount of work! And I'm just waiting to be amazed at the art that appears in my mailbox! Thank you for your passion & dedication.
July 27, 2011 11:09 am
thank you so much for your time on this
July 27, 2011 12:08 pm
OMG! You are the best!! So excited and happy to get to participate! Thank you Thank you!
July 27, 2011 12:19 pm
What a massive response and so much work for you!! Thank you so much for organising this and allowing us all to participate – I can't wait to start receiving some postcards! I had a thought after I got your email update and realised that although I put a quote on each card I didn't put anywhere that they were from pointypix – I think I probably should have, huh?
July 27, 2011 3:40 pm
Thanks so much Kat – this is so amazing! Thanks also to your sister and husband for supporting you! What a great project!
July 27, 2011 3:57 pm
Kat this is really too cool! Thanks so much to you, your hubs and your sister. I love this project. I am just amazed and inspired!
xo,
Angela
July 27, 2011 5:03 pm
Too cool! This was a lot of work, thanks for coming up with the idea and doing the swap!
July 27, 2011 8:05 pm
Thank you so much for doing this. I am so excited….love collecting postcards! I hope you get to relax this summer and enjoy some down time.
Again…Thank you,
Angela Vular
July 27, 2011 8:37 pm
This is so cool to see! Love it! Thank you so much!!
July 28, 2011 3:07 am
sooooooooooo fun to see the process!! you're a worker bee! Can't wait to get the liberated art.weee!
July 28, 2011 4:13 pm
Thanks so much for organizing this and for all the hard work you and your hubby put into it (on vacation even!!). Can't wait to check my mail!!
July 28, 2011 4:14 pm
Yay, I can't wait! Thanks for all the work you did putting this together. I hope they hurry and get here!
July 29, 2011 8:29 pm
I am Renee Hoag, got my first one today!!! I'm in Michigan and I recieved a cute pc from Kim in N.H. What fun!!
August 1, 2011 10:40 pm
Thank you so much for all of the work you did. I'm sure it was tons of fun to do this – but still a lot of work! We appreciate it !!
I recieved my second post card in today's mail!!
August 3, 2011 5:33 am
I've received two so far – this is such fun!!!
Rinda
August 3, 2011 10:32 pm
Wow, Kat you are truly amazing for doing this! Thank you so much. Your work is invaluable.
Received my first postcard today. 
August 4, 2011 5:35 am
You're awesome. x (I've received my first two!)
August 7, 2011 5:35 pm
Sheila said……
I received my first Postcards and it was great hearing from the artists! Looking forward to seeing the rest! Thanks for all your hard work! I was in the hospital for three weeks, and thought I had missed the deadline to send my cards in. I was very disappointed. But when I got home, I still had a few days to send my cards! So glad I could participate. The comments on the cards have been uplifting! Thanks Again!
August 12, 2011 11:54 pm
Thank for all the hard work Kat, I have now received all 5 and it was such an amazing process!
August 14, 2011 7:13 pm
*pouts* I havent received a single one yet.
August 18, 2011 5:08 am
thank you for doing this, all cards received, loved them all.
August 19, 2011 3:53 pm
so cool to see the process! And to think I didn't include a postcard for you! I was so intent on making sure I followed the directions properly that I didn't even think about it – oops!
Thank you for doing this – how fun! I'm sure the rewards will come back to you 100 fold. 