Sharing the Love

The 45 Days of My St. Valentine's

Valentine's actually started around here more than 45 days ago, but I'll just count from here as that is when I received the gorgeous, luscious, delicious, wonderful, enchanting, adjective-laden box (very top 5 photos) from Andrea Hamilton in MN, my partner in Kari Ramstron's "Artsymama's For the Love of Supplies Valentine Swap." http://artsymama.blogspot.com/. I was so eager to sign up for this after the holidays, and lucky to get in, as the waterfall of signer-uppers caused Kari to have to close the swap early. Heck, Heather Simpson-Bluhm's Hippity Hop Easter Swap http://12-days.blogspot.com/was closed the day I saw the announcement, and I was Johnettie-on-the-spot, I thought.

Anyway, I truly think I got the best deal, best swap, best partner! Thank-you, Andrea! This was her first swap- unbelievable!. Look how thoughtful- she sent a sweater for my Blythes, with the coolest bottlecap pin. The lid was so cool, with the nametag and Betty Boop earrings that I could not even open the box until someone, anyone, came home to help me enjoy the process. I should have just invited the mailman in, but we all know what that leads to, and besides, I have a mail lady.

So, back to this box: oodles of embellishments and supplies, two postage stamps I've never seen before of dolls (and I like both stamps and dolls), vintage jewelry, gorgeous lace and ribbons. I don't know how I'll be able to use any of it.

Meanwhile, the bottom three photos are what I sent to Andrea, using a lot of Love, Elsie! products from KI Memories. I also enclosed a lot of similar things, so it is almost eerily funny how we like a lot of the same things. Thank you again! I will definitely be celebrating V-Swap Day from now until February 14.

Fairy Dreams kept me Awake

I started on these 5 artist trading cards for the ARTchix Fairy Dreams swap about 9 p.m. last night, finishing about 1 a.m. I was so excited to see how they would turn out after drying, that I woke up about 4 a.m. to check (or maybe that was when the noisy adult daughter came home).

They looked so great, but needed a little additional sealing and a few other touches. I also decided my pocket fairy needed a magic wand. So, instead of going back to bed, I have been tinkering for the last 3 hours and finally decided they were ready to photograph and upload. Mind you, the swap is not due until Oct. 15, but when inspiration strikes, who wants to shut it down? I guess it sounds like I like my results, which I do. I am always so amazed and pleasantly surprised when something turns out the way I hoped. As well, usually when I fiddle with a finished project, I end up ruining it. So, all is well and that must mean I need to work only in the wee hours.