@ewen The TalkPhotography forum that I'm a member of sometimes has a zine exchange. I've thought about signing up a couple of times, but the two problems of design and coherent content have kept me away. The first post here has some good links: https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/zine-exchange-9-january-june-2025.765293/.

I'm in a couple of postcard sharing schemes. One is #PostcardsFromAfar where I'd be assigned to send one card and someone else signs one to me. 1/2

@klizana You could try joining #PostCardsFromAfar?

#PostcardsFromAfar Signup now available for September. From @craftymoni: We are exchanging postcard sized prints of our original art. This includes photography, drawing, painting, collage, etc. The idea is to share your creativity and have fun! Names will be drawn mid-month. You will be matched with a person to send a postcard to. You only have to send one postcard to one person. If you don’t see your name in the dropdown list, choose “add me to the list.”

It's fun!

https://www.elfster.com/gift-exchanges/c97fbdc3-98d6-4bc1-979c-d4ab81e0986e/rsvp/?join=yzk3

Secret Santa Website & Gift Exchange App For 2025 | Elfster

Use our free gift exchange generator to invite friends, family, or coworkers to a secret gift exchange online! Draw names and shop gifts all within Elfster.

Wow, @getymk.com setting the bar extremely high for Postcards from Afar: look at this stunning photopolymer print that just showed up in the mail!!! ❤️❤️❤️😍😍😍 #BelieveInFilm #PostcardsFromAfar

As well as #PostcardsFromAfar, this month I signed up for round 65 of Photrio's postcard sharing event. 22 participants; you get to choose the number of cards you send (I picked 5), and the people you send to should be sending cards to you (IIUC).

Now I need to send this month's postcard from afar, although this time it doesn't have to go very far. The person has an account here, but not posted since 2023, posting more recently on the blue place.

@craftymoni If anyone is in any doubt, give #PostcardsFromAfar a go. It's fun, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately rewarding!

Luckily, still had my phone in my pocket (a fact that continues to amaze me, I'm that old!), and Mrs R had not gone too far, so we were able to meet and get her front door key. She had the grace to look sheepish!

Which reminds me, a #PostCardsFromAfar participant once looked up my address on G Streetview before sending me their card, and found me trimming the exact same hedge as today!

I should add, the draw is in the middle of the month, usually around the 16th, so anyone interested would need to sign up by then.

It's managed through Elfster, which is really oriented towards gift exchanges like Secret Santa, and isn't a totally great fit for the postcard exchange (keeps asking me for my "wishes" for example). However, it does the necessary job that would be a lot trickier by hand. So we put up with its glitchiness.

#PostCardsFromAfar #PostcardFromAfar

If anyone wants to join in #PostCardsFromAfar , I think the link is https://www.elfster.com/gift-exchanges/a852dabe-e054-47f5-bbd4-6c990e5a04b6/rsvp/ . Please let me know if that doesn't work!

"We are exchanging postcard sized prints of our original art. This includes photography, drawing, painting, collage, etc. The idea is to share your creativity and have fun! Names will be drawn mid-month. You will be matched with a person to send a postcard to. You only have to send one postcard to one person. " A different person sends a postcard to you.

Secret Santa App - Gift Exchange Generator | Elfster

Use our free gift exchange generator to invite friends, family, or coworkers to a secret gift exchange online! Draw names and shop gifts all within Elfster.

There'll probably be another round of #PostCardsFromAfar for April starting in a few days. I'll try to remember to post a link. Feel free to ping if you'd like to know more!

(You get to send one postcard of your photography/art to a randomly selected person, and someone else sends one to you. It's all good except managed through Elfster which is a bit fragile, though maybe getting better. In the UK international postcards are £2.80 which isn't too bad. Also companies will print/post for you.)