Swap Deadline Soon...

Brynwood Needleworks - Mug Mats By One Of Our Talented Participants

  ATTENTION SWAP PARTICIPANTS: A quick reminder that our March Madness Mug Mat Swap deadline is fast approaching. 

All mug mats (and gifts) are to be mailed, shipped, passenger pigeoned or pony expressed to your swap partner by Friday, March 17th. If you have any questions, or issues, please contact me.

 

I'll be sharing photos (next week, after I know they've been received by the recipients) of all the mug mat swap items as they've been shared with me by the participants. I'm giving you a sneak peek of mats that I got from one of the participants! 

 

I can say that all the mats (and extra goodies) I've seen so far are so cool. I know that everyone who's making and sending out their mats are going to love what they get!

Make sure you send photos to me of your mats and swap gifts, please, so I know you've finished yours. I'll make sure your name is in the drawing for one of two mug mats gift sets I've put together for two lucky swap participants. Drawing winners will be announced on Saturday.

Making Mug Mats...

Brynwood Needleworks - Acorn Mug Mat

Before I really shut down the studio, I needed to make the mug mats that I'll be offering to two participants in the March Madness Mug Mat Swap currently under way.

Brynwood Needleworks - Acorn Mug Mat Detail

Once I've heard from all the participants that they've sent out their mats (hopefully taking a photo of their mat before they send it off, so they can share pictures with me), I'll put their names into the drawing for one of two gift sets centered around each mat.

This acorn mat will have accessories that coordinate with the acorn/outdoor theme, and I've already starting putting on my thinking cap. I've got some fun things to add to this one.

Brynwood Needleworks - Broderie Mug Mat

The second mat I made I'm calling "Broderie" for the embroidery-theme fabric on the right side of this mat. Of course, I'll add fun accessories to this one, too.
 

Brynwood Needleworks - Broderie Mug Mat Detail

 

Naturally, I've got a few ideas to go with the themes, but there should be an item or two related to the fact that they're also mug mats. You know..."Large enough for a cookie and a cuppa". hee hee

 

Swap participants have until March 17th to mail out their mats, with a little "something extra" for their partners. I know some are already on their way, and some will be exchanged in person (which I just love!). 

 

The mats I've seen so far are beautiful, and I know there will be some very happy recipients. Thanks to those who have already sent photos of your mats to me. I look forward to getting a picture from each of you, and I'll be doing a wrap up post (sharing all of them here) before the drawing. 

 

I hope you're all having fun with your projects. I sure had a great time putting these together for our drawing!

 

February Blissfull ATC Swap - Alice in Wonderland...

What a perfect theme for our February Blissfull ATC Swap Group. It was "Alice in Wonderland". My partner was Celia of Adventures of the Striped Stocking. I knew right away what I wanted to do!

I grabbed some of my favorite Alice in Wonderland fabric and cut and stitched and glued until it looked just the way I wanted it to. I added a tiny bottle filled with sparkling beads, and attached it to a ribbon which I glued into the seam of the card. Then added a tiny note that said, "Drink me". My final touch was an old clock button I had in my box.

I put together an assortment of goodies for Celia, including a Moda charm pack (5" squares), snippets of Alice fabric, threads, tags, ribbon and pages of decals. I sure hope that she likes them!

Celia and I were exactly on the same wavelength!!! I'm telling you, it was uncanny. Look what she created for me! Nearly the same images, but she added type from the book, which I really love! And if you look at the edge trim from the front, it reminds you a little bit of rickrack, but...

look what I found when I turned her card over! Beautiful red hearts. Just like Alice's Queen of Hearts! It's clever and pretty!

When Celia's package arrived, I was surprised to see that it was a rather large padded envelope. Look what was inside. She included beaded trims, large pieces of two coordinated (and totally fabulous) fabrics and a pin wrapped in lace.

Thank you for such wonderful surprises to accompany my beautiful new atc, Celia. I love everything you sent to me! It was a grand swap, indeed.

Thanks also to Wendy at Blissfull ATC Swap blog. Her tireless work to organize our swaps does not go unnoticed. If you'd like to see the other cards, just click here to go to the list of links.

 I'm off to the quilt shop this morning, but today, I'm going with my friend, Tammy. After our coffee group, she and I will be heading to an art show in Sarasota. I think we're going to have a grand day, don't you? I'll try to get some pictures to share with you next week.

A reminder...If you haven't entered my 1000th Post Giveaway yet, be sure to click here to go to that post and drop your name in the proverbial hat. Gotta run!

Button Floozies Ornament Swap Gifts...

It's time for me to show you the gorgeous ornaments I received from my swap partners in the Button Floozies Ornament Swap.

These are the ornaments I sent out to my three partners. (Remember, I showed them to you late last month?) All three of my partners have sent theirs to me now, too. Wait til you see their gorgeous creations!

The first to arrive was this beautiful Button Ballerina from Marsha of the Oklahoma Button Society. Becky started with white pipe cleaners, added an empty thread spool for a body, crepe paper for her ballerina skirt and buttons for the head and hanger. Isn't it pretty? (Thank you, Marsha!!! You're so creative!)

Next to arrive was this beautiful ivory stocking from Becky of Rebecca Rose Designs. Her stocking is embellished with printed muslin fabric, and a paper rose and velvety leaf. Vintage buttons finish off her pretty stocking ornament. (I love it, Becky! Perfect for any decor and full of vintage lovliness! Thank you.)

Last, but not least is the gorgeous ornament I received from Deb of Deb's Vintage Soul. The base of her ornament is a wooden disc, which she covered with silver glitter. Then she added a green cameo to the center and encircled it with buttery vintage buttons. She added a sweet curly hanger to the top and sent it off to me. (Thank you, Deb! I love what you created and it will be the perfect addition to our tree!)

Finally, thank you to Laurie of Button Floozies who organized the swap. I sent an ornament off to her, too. It was a variation on my nutcracker ornament. I embroidered her nutcracker in dusty blue and all the buttons I chose were toy-themed to make it look like the toys a child might find under the tree on Christmas morning.

I really enjoyed the swap, and appreciate the hard work that Laurie and my swap partners put into the exchange. You can click on the Button Floozies link (above) to see all the ornaments that were creative by all the talented participants. I'm sending wishes for a Merry Christmas to all, and looking forward to a Floozie New Year!

A Surprise Swap Gift and Christmas Concert...

The postman brought another package yesterday. I was expecting a swap gift from Barb in Crivitz, WI as part of our Ravelry - Grandma's Hand group swap, but this was a real surprise. I never, in a million years expected anything other than handcrafted ornaments. When I opened the box, I found this lovely, crazy-quilted pillow.

It's hand stitched with a vintage glove and hankie as embellishment. There are also lovely laces and crocheted pieces, along with buttons. It is really beautiful work and I'm tickled with Barb's effort. It will be front and center in our holiday decorating this year. Thank you so much, Barb!
Last night was the first of Handsome's Christmas concert performances. The North Port Chorale, the "Soundsations" singers, and the local bell choir - "Joyful Ringers" - provided the holiday music. Everyone left humming and talking about the concert.

We may not have snow here in south Florida, but there certainly was no shortage of holiday spirit Saturday evening.

A Christmas Dove...

This year, I'm involved in a Christmas ornament swap on one of my favorite online sites. This swap requires home-crafted ornaments, so I set about making the first of two needed for the swap.

I decided to use Warm & Natural batting as my fabric. (Thanks to Dawn from The Feathered Nest blog for the inspiration.) I cut out the dove body and wing pieces and then hand stitched the matching parts together. I even remembered to leave an opening for light stuffing. (I used my favorite - 100% organic wool.)
I used heart-shaped buttons to attach the wings to the body, added two black beads for eyes, and a pretty "sprig" for its mouth. I used a medium thickness metallic thread for its hanger.

My last step was to spritz it with spray adhesive and press it into chunky white glitter. (You can click on the photos to enlarge them to see the glitter detail.)

What do you think? Was my first ornament for the swap a success? Do you think my swap partner will like it? I think the second ornament for this swap will be a lacy Christmas tree - or a heart. What would you do?

Tomorrow will be my 200th Post! I'm planning a Giveaway, and hope you'll come back to see what I've gathered for you.

Another Sweet Surprise And My Next Project...

I was so wonderfully surprised today to receive another gift in the mail! I recently participated in a stitch marker swap with some of my grandma friends. I knew that my swap partner had been burned before and so I wanted to make sure that she was really pampered this time.

I found out that she collects tea pots, so I found a special one for her in an antique shop in Wisconsin, and then I found the perfect little tea cup charms to make her stitch markers. I added a few other little goodies for her, and then sent off her package anxiously anticipating her reaction. Of course, I was not disappointed, and neither was she. Her posts in our group were above and beyond complimentary. I was thrilled that she loved all of her gifts.

She went out of her way to thank me on our site, so you can imagine how surprised I was to open an envelope from her today and find a perfect tiny sock she had knitted and made into a key chain for me! Isn't it just the sweetest thing? I really love it. How lucky am I? Thank you again, Fran. How thoughtful and kind of you.

I finished my sweater knitting. Now I have to assemble it, and then crochet the edge on the body of it. I'll photograph it to share with you yet this week. I just wanted to show you what I've started as my newest (knitting) project.

Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton in a dreamy, sky blue. A shawl pattern by Mac n' Me. No rush to finish. It won't take long to knit. Moss stitch for eight rows, then the first and last eight stitches of each row in moss stitch with the rest done in stockinette stitch. I want it to be a lovely warm wrap that I can toss over my shoulders on our cool Florida winter nights. You can always track my progress in my "Currently On My Needles" Flickr album.

Marion's Artist Trading Cards...

Imagine me giggling like a silly schoolgirl when I opened the package that arrived in the mail yesterday! My online friend, Marion and I have been involved in a few swaps over the past few months. When I announced the ATC Swap, Marion signed up and yesterday her card(s) arrived!

The first thing I noticed was the lovely fabric that was wrapped around the rest of the package contents. Upon reading Marion's enclosed note card (with the cool cowgirl on it), I learned that Marion had hand loomed the towel herself - and after reading my tea towel post decided to send this one to me . Woven in beautiful blues, it fits in perfectly with my color scheme.

Then, I got to the ATCs! Oh, goodness...the first card is a watercolor lily painted by Marion, with pretty green beads hanging on the side. On the reverse is a Bible verse: "Through love serve one another" Galatians 5:13. I really like that.

Marion had told me in her card that there was a second ATC in my package, and when I saw it I laughed out loud (so did Handsome, who was watching over my shoulder). Marion had drawn an image of a wild hog with a bullseye on it!

If you've followed my blog at all, you'll understand this card. If you haven't heard about the Great Hog Invasion of 2009...just use my Google blog search feature in the sidebar and type in the word "hog". It will bring up each post I wrote related to our saga!

Marion, I want you to know that your package really brightened our day. I'm constantly reminded of the talented women whom I am fortunate to call my friends. I'll be putting your package together and sending it off soon. (I have something special to add to your ATC card, too!)

You can see larger images of all the Artist Trading Cards I've received as they arrive. Feel free to leave comments on each photo so those talented women get more feedback on their creations!

Diggin' The Mini Quilts...

After a day of mini-quilting Monday, I was in the mood to tackle the creative part of my latest swap project. This swap involves the participant's choice of 1) 1 yard of fabric or 2) a 1/2 yard of fabric and something sewn by the giver. (I guess there are other combinations available, but after I saw Option 2, I stopped reading.)

I'm lucky, in that I was recently asked to be a swap angel for the last swap, which was for pincushions. (Read about that swap here.) The organizer for that swap was "starknits". She contacted me and asked me to make a gift for a gal who hadn't received her overseas package. The recipients name was "amylynnknits" and she lives in Athens, GA.

After she received the pincushion and other goodies I shipped out, she posted a note that she loved what I made for her and that she especially liked mt fabric choices. I have a reason for telling you this. Our swap partners are secret until after the swap packages have been received.

You can imagine my surprise when the organizer of the new swap, "celia", matched me up (again) with "amylynnknits"! I was tickled and decided today was the day to make the "creative" part of her swap gift. More Laurel Burch fabric for this swap! And I decided to make another mini quilt, but this time I would put it into a shadow box frame with other goodies. A mini quilt collage.

I have a number of hand made "beads" that I like to use in my collage work. They're simple and fun to make - and they're a perfect project when sitting in front of the television. You really don't need a lot of supplies to make them and the results (I think) are quite fun. Leave a comment if you'd like to learn more about how they're made. I'd be happy to put up a free tutorial if there's any interest!

After I finished assembling my newest mini quilt, I did the machine quilting with Hemingworth metallic thread in a beautiful aqua blue.
I completed the quilt by hand sewing the binding. I'm really happy with the results...especially knowing ahead of time that my swap partner will love the fabric!

I opened the back of the frame I'd chosen and removed the velvet-faced board. I used two pieces of velcro to secure the quilt to the velvet, and did the same with the beads. Then I glued three abalone cabachons below the beads. I replaced the backing into the frame and voila! a completed collage!

I'd love to know what you think of it! I'm planning to make more, and may just have one as part of my 100th Post Giveaway Drawing (which isn't too far off)! Your feedback will be greatly appreciated. Do you think I should include a Mini Quilt Collage in my drawing? I hope so...I'm really diggin' making the Mini Quilts!

The Cards Have Begun To Arrive...

Imagine my excitement when my first trading card arrived in the mail last week! I opened the envelope to find a lovely letter from the sender, Linda K.. Then, in addition to the artist trading card, she had also included two lovely gift tags and a bookmark with a verse from Psalms on it. Linda is a blogger too, and she has two sites: America The Beautiful which is beautiful and patriotic; and White Linen - Lavender Fields. Visiting WL-LF is like sitting on a porch swing on a lazy afternoon, sipping lemonade and waving hi to your neighbors. I love both sites and visit them often.

I've started an album (which you can link to through the photo button located in the left sidebar) to highlight each and every ATC I receive. You'll be able to read about the person who sent it, see what their card looks like, and what materials were used in its construction.

The second card I received last week was from my friend, Krisann. I wrote about her last week so you're already familiar with her. She needlepointed a Tumbling Blocks design for her ATC. Teeny, tiny stitches - just because she could! You can only guess how envious this ol' needleworker was to see her fine work. (What's that term you use, Krisann?)

Now, if you don't consider yourself an artist, don't be shy. Each card is special in its own way and this is not a competition. I'll mail your card from me as soon as yours arrives, so you can just imagine how busy I've been to get my cards finished, too! I can't wait to see the next one to arrive in my mailbox.

There's still time to join this swap, because the deadline was extended to July 1st. Just join my "followers" list and send me an email so I know you want to participate!

I'm In The Mood For An ATC Swap...

How would you like to trade with me? I'm in the mood for an ATC swap. They're called Artist Trading Cards. They come in all different media, but they're all the size of a playing card and you can decorate them any way you'd like. Please remember to limit your size to that of a standard playing card.

A while ago, my creative daughter-in-law, Jess, was involved in an ATC trade and included me. I worked on my card, using my printer, sewing machine, batting, batik fabric, beads and a charm. Jess used her paint brush, artist paper and oil paints (she's much more creative with fewer "ingredients"!).

I made more than a few, and the one I decided to send to her had a photograph of her husband when he was a little guy, being held by Handsome, his father. The one in the photo here was another one I created and kept for myself. I sent off the one of my two guys (which she loved, by the way) and was thrilled beyond words to receive a miniature handpainted chair image (on the upper card shown in the photo) from her.

I had so much fun with that project, that I'd like to do it again on a grander scale. I'm offering to trade with my readers! Every card I create will be a one-of-a-kind, and you can choose any medium you'd like to make the one you send me. The sky's the limit!

Here are the rules (sorry, but we need to have some guidelines):
1. You need to be a "Follower" of my blog, which means you have to sign up and sign in, please.
2. Let me know under "Comments" that you wish to participate, and then send me an email (through the email postcard link - see, it's over there on the left) to tell me we'll be trading cards, along with your name and address so I'll know where I'll be mailing your trading card so it gets to you.
3. If you have a special subject that you love or collect, share that with me so that I can incorporate it into your personal card. If you don't list a favorite subject, that's ok. I'll still come up with something special for you.
4. Once I receive a message from you, I'll give you an address to send your completed card to me.
5. Upon receipt of your card, I will send yours to you via First Class Mail, so that you won't have to wait too long to receive it. (If you live outside the U.S., I'll send it the best way to get to you asap.)
6. I'll start an album of all ATCs I receive and credit you as the artist. If you don't want your real name and city/state posted with your card, please let me know how you'd like to be identified with your card so you get all the credit for your creation.
7. Deadline to contact me with your intent to participate is June 15th. SIGN-UP DATE CHANGED TO JULY 1ST!!! There's still time for you to sign up to participate.
8. Deadline to mail your card to me is July 15th. (You don't need to wait until July 15th to mail. I will send off your personal ATC card as soon as I receive yours!)

I'm really looking forward to our swap. I hope you are, too! (I know, aren't you sitting there thinking about what your card is going to look like already?)

This is from a partial response in my "Comments" page, to give you some inspiration:
...release your muse. It could be fun. Here are a few ideas:
• knit and hand felt the base for the ATC. Embellish and voila!
• quilt a little piece of fabric and hand or machine sew on surface. Add a few beads. Yup, voila! a finished card.
• take a photograph of something you love. Hand color it. There you go...a finished ATC
OK...one more
• watercolor paper. Give it a deckle edge. Stamp beautiful images and decorate as desired.
You can use buttons, keys, stickers, old jewelry...the sky's the limit.
Come on! You can do it!