Shout out to needlegrrl for the joyful card exchange

December 20, 2017 6:05 AM

I had great fun participating in this year's card exchange. So many of the cards I received had nice notes of greetings and mefi love. Much appreciation goes out to needlegrrl for suggesting and organizing it. And I want to also shout out appreciation to all the card-senders!
posted by mightshould to MetaFilter-Related at 6:05 AM (44 comments total)

Hooray for needlegrrl and for everyone participating! I've been quietly watching that thread and it's a delight to see people getting and sending and thinking about their cards and so on. <3
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 7:32 AM on December 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Yes, thank you needlegrrl and all card senders. Getting the cards from around the world was fun. From simple to more elaborate each one brightened my day. I rarely send any mail so it also gave me a chance to buy The Snowy Day stamps too which are very nice.

I hope this happens again and if so, might I suggest the organizer(s) add their address to the top of every list (only as a receiver of cards)? I'd love it if all the work of organizing names and addresses resulted in a flood of greetings.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 7:37 AM on December 20, 2017 [11 favorites]

I loved it too! Thank you for organizing!
posted by Sophie1 at 8:17 AM on December 20, 2017

Due to my health (damn cancer) I wasn't able to send out any, but I got a card from needlegrrl a couple of days ago and it really brightened my day. Thanks so much.
posted by mrbill at 8:45 AM on December 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

It's been a lot of fun and such a cheerful thing! I was just admiring all the beautiful cards this morning. Thank you, needlegrrl!

And hugs to you, mrbill!
posted by mochapickle at 9:09 AM on December 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Yes, thanks for making this happen. Next year I will try to write some better greetings and get better Christmas cards. I thought getting nice Christmas cards of Cambridge would be easy, I was wrong.

Anyway, I enjoyed getting the cards (and the tea and the bath salts), thank you all.
posted by antiwiggle at 11:17 AM on December 20, 2017

Yes, this was really enjoyable, thank you needlegrrl and all the senders. My last couple went out yesterday.
posted by paduasoy at 11:56 AM on December 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

I would like to add to the chorus of appreciation for needlegrrl and also vow to get more exciting cards for next year. I haven't gotten quite all my cards yet, but my swap group has been stellar, and the top of the bookshelf devoted to cards is notably more festive than it usually is!
posted by the primroses were over at 12:18 PM on December 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I enjoyed the card swap! I would also have liked to include a holiday/thank you card to the organizer(s), that's a good idea. Did anyone do anything cool to display cards this year? I just taped mine up on the wall so I could keep looking at them.
posted by Secretariat at 12:20 PM on December 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

It was a lot of fun but I didn't know what to write in them! So if you got scribbled nonsense, I hope you found it charming.
posted by possibilityleft at 1:39 PM on December 20, 2017

Oh my goodness I am sad that I somehow missed this! Will do it next year.
posted by knownassociate at 1:50 PM on December 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

I've gotten such a bunch of lovely cards, some of them MetaFilter-dedicated originals, not to mention tea and general good will! Thank you very much cardsenders, and especially needlegrrl for making this happen. I hope this becomes a yearly event.
posted by huimangm at 2:03 PM on December 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Yes, thanks needlegrrl! My cards are still rolling in, and I'm excited to check my mailbox every day. Also thanks to those who joined the international swap group - those of us in more far-flung places really do appreciate it.

I second the idea of including the organiser in the address list - I had needlegrrl in my list already so was able to send her a card, but she should be flooded with them!
posted by une_heure_pleine at 2:35 PM on December 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

I had so much fun doing this. I will say, I did participate in every international exchange - I hope no one minds, but I love sending cards so much, I added my name (and sent as well!) The domestic ones worked out to be full enough that I did not participate.

I love receiving all the cards - they're so lovely! I am quite amazed by some of them (metafilter originals! tea!) and hope to be even more creative next year. I'd love to do it again if people are up for it.

We're sticking our cards up on our game cabinets for now, and it's quite cheery!
posted by needlegrrl at 2:43 PM on December 20, 2017 [16 favorites]

This was lots of fun, thanks so much for organizing it, needlegrrl! They are on display and cheering up my apartment!
posted by gudrun at 5:18 PM on December 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Yes, this was a lot of fun! I would definitely like to participate next year in the International group again—getting a bit of mail from a faraway land is exciting!
Thank you for organizing, needlegrrl!
posted by bookmammal at 5:25 PM on December 20, 2017

I just got a text from an IRL friend whose card I mailed with my MeFi cards. Hers was the first card I addressed, but my pen was crappy, so I got a new envelope and rewrote it. Today, she received her card... and one stamped but empty envelope.

I can't wait to do this again next year!
posted by Ruki at 5:48 PM on December 20, 2017

Thanks to everyone! Thanks to needlegrrl for getting the project going! I LOVE ALL MY CARDS!
posted by bjgeiger at 7:10 PM on December 20, 2017

We love you, needlegrrl,
Oh, yes, we do;
You are the needliest grrl
We ever knew.
You saw the card exchange
Right through,
Oh, needlegrrl, we love you!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:02 PM on December 20, 2017 [4 favorites]

On a more serious note, this card exchange has done more for my holiday spirit and general emotional well-being than anything else I can think of.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:09 PM on December 20, 2017 [7 favorites]

I <3 Christmas cards, they make me so happy ! - this passed me by this year, but I would really love to participate next year if this becomes an ongoing thing - not to put too much pressure on you needlegrrl, sounds like a big organisational feat. Wishing you a very Mefi Christmas, everyone.
posted by Ziggy500 at 1:50 AM on December 21, 2017

I've had some lovely cards from MeFites all over the place. I was a little late posting mine (although still well within the last posting dates for International mail) so I hope everyone's cards have reached them.

There's something so personal about a card that someone's written in, even if it's just their name. Thank you, needlegrrl for arranging this.
posted by essexjan at 3:17 AM on December 21, 2017

I loved the card exchange. You folks are so creative! Thanks for organizing this, needlegrrl. It brought me a lot of joy!
posted by zorseshoes at 6:28 AM on December 21, 2017

I missed sending out my Christmas cards last year but kind of hopped back on the bandwagon this year with the card exchange - I'm really happy I did so. Like possibilityleft I also had no idea what to write in them, so I kept it pretty generic for the most part. Maybe I'll try nonsense next year.

You lot are a lovely bunch.
posted by invokeuse at 10:22 AM on December 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

Thank you all, this was very cheering. I've got the cards lined up by my Charlie Brown-like tree and things look mighty festive. Three cheers for needlegrrl!
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 3:24 PM on December 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

The cards brought me a lot of joy I would definitely card again! Thank you!
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 3:40 PM on December 21, 2017

Ooh too bad I missed this. Will watch out for it next year.
posted by The Toad at 3:53 PM on December 21, 2017

Sign me up for next year! Thank you for doing this, needlegrrl!
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 8:45 PM on December 21, 2017

I enjoyed this so so much!!
>.>
<> *almost* as much as Quonsmas!

Thank you needlegrrl and everyone in my swap!!
posted by RhysPenbras at 8:57 AM on December 22, 2017

Another thank you. My "real life" acquaintances are NOT card people at all, so while I send out, I rarely receive. This year I have a bounty of cards on display and I love them all!
posted by kimberussell at 9:23 AM on December 22, 2017

I'm sorry, I came down with bronchitis last week and it still hasn't cleared up. I'll try to get mine out as New Years cards within the next few days.
posted by brujita at 10:23 AM on December 22, 2017

I agree; it was so awesome! Cortex and Secretariat I especially appreciated your awesome homemade (I think?) card! So cool!

It was really fun to send and receive cards!

Just a n.b. for next year--not everyone celebrates Christmas for those who sent actual Christmas Christmas cards. Not trying to be rude at all, and I hope I am not coming across that way. Still loved all my cards, even as an agnostic, not-at-all-religious, non-practicing Jew. :)
posted by bookworm4125 at 11:15 AM on December 22, 2017

And now I would like to send and receive New Year cards or cards for Kathleen Kenyon's birthday (5th Jan) or Arthur Ransome's (18th Jan) or Eva Ibbotson's (21st Jan) or the saint's day of Mary Slessor (11th Jan) or the anniversary of the day Johnson met Hester Thrale (9th Jan) or or ... must do ALL THE POST.
posted by paduasoy at 11:32 AM on December 22, 2017 [3 favorites]

Yes, the holidays versus Christmas thing was on my mind, especially as I was part of the international exchange. Most of those I sent were Christmas cards, though non-religious ones, and I hope that didn't offend anyone.
posted by paduasoy at 11:35 AM on December 22, 2017

We could do Valentines. I haven't given or gotten one of those since Grade 5.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 5:35 PM on December 22, 2017 [5 favorites]

If anyone wants to do Valentines, I don't mind organizing. I could put up a MeTa in January with a mailing deadline in early Feb.
posted by mochapickle at 7:56 PM on December 22, 2017 [7 favorites]

Let me join the chorus of praise for needlegrrl. I had a lot of fun "meeting" the MeFites on my list by looking at their profiles and browsing some of their posts. I have my cards displayed on my dresser in the bedroom where I'm spending a lot of the holiday recovering from a broken foot. They've really lifted my spirits!

Would love to have this become an annual tradition.

And Valentine's Day cards sound fun. Hope everyone is okay with those really corny elementary school ones ... my inner child misses them. (And they're budget-friendly. Don't want to exclude people because of $$$.)
posted by LeftMyHeartInSanFrancisco at 11:17 PM on December 22, 2017 [4 favorites]

Valentine's Day exchange would be fun!
posted by bjgeiger at 7:32 AM on December 23, 2017

This sounds so lovely! I would enjoy doing valentines if that happens.
posted by ferret branca at 2:09 PM on December 23, 2017

Sweet -- let's do that, then. I'll post a MeTa in early Jan for valentines!

This has been so lovely!
posted by mochapickle at 3:56 PM on December 23, 2017 [2 favorites]

Yes, our card was handmade and fractal-themed- designed by cortex, cut with a Cricut, and then hand-glued together. We learned a few things about practical card-making and I'd like to do it again sometime to see what I can improve. The shapes are koch snowflakes and a Sierpinski Triangle. The triangle was modified slightly so that the triangle shape cuts don't touch- if they did, all the positive space triangles would fall out. And it was modified to look like a Festivus Tree.

I was not bothered to receive cards that were directly "Christmas" or "Hanukkah" or any other holiday in either a religious or non-religious sense. It was definitely on my mind to not make any assumptions about what someone might celebrate, but on the receiving end I took it as people sort of sharing the parts of their holiday tradition that are important to them, which was cool!
posted by Secretariat at 4:17 PM on December 23, 2017 [4 favorites]

I am definitely in for doing this again next year (participating and organizing, barring insane life events) and would also love to be a part of the valentines exchange! I’ll keep an eye out for the meta talk.
posted by needlegrrl at 8:15 AM on December 25, 2017 [4 favorites]

I too loved this, the cards dropping in really brightened my December. Thanks everyone!
posted by hannala at 2:52 PM on December 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

....And the Valentines post is up. Come sign up if you like!

Yay needlegrrl for all the holiday cheer -- and thank you!
posted by mochapickle at 10:14 AM on January 9, 2018