Valentine Loaded Envelope

I signed up to do a loaded envelope swap on one of my facebook groups. I hadn't made a loaded envelope before and didn't have any unused envelopes, so I basically made my own. I'm pretty sure I made it way harder than it needed to be. The requirement was to use a 6x9 manila envelope. I took a piece of double sided 12x12 scrapbooking paper, basically folded it, so I had a 3x9 piece, a 6x9 piece and a 3x9 piece, so the two 3x9 pieces folded up to each other on the front. This paper had a little white strip where it was attached to the paper pad at the top, so I tucked that under the edge of the bottom piece of paper on the front. I didn't like the inside color of the paper, so I added another piece of paper in the opening of the 'envelope'. I did cute down the middle and roll the flaps down, that was a bit tricky with all the tape going on in that area. I also added an extra pocket on the front and back of the 'envelope'. I thought it turned out pretty good and am now in search of double sided 12x12 scrapbooking paper. I do not have a picture of just the envelope itself.
Here's how it turned out:

 I used some vintagey paper for the pocket and some ledger looking paper for the front. I basically just wanted a base for the original 12x12 paper. I guess I could have easily just used a single sided, but I didn't think of that. I added some washi to the bottom of the rolled edge. I also added some felt trim underneath the rolled edge. When I was trying to roll it, it kept tearing, so I tried to cover that up with the trim. The hearts on the outside pocket were from a swap. I added pink marbled washi to help hold the pocket on. Whenever I make pockets and adhere them with tape, they always try to fall off, so I'm trying to make them stay better. I really wanted to decorate the pocket with vintage stuff, but I didn't like anything I put on it. I finally put some sparkly heart stickers and a sparkly love sticker I got in a swap.
I put a few heart picks I got at Dollar Tree in it, I also made a wand for my partner. I tried to pin the selfie pin to the felt trim, but it wasn't happening, so I pinned it to the rolled edge. There are project life cards and some heart doilies in the outside pocket.
Here's the back:

Again, I used vintage paper from Hobby Lobby. The roses on the top and bottom are from my stash. The quote says "art is therapy, music is medicine, love is the cure". It's spelled out in individual letter stickers from my stash, sadly I lost one of the "e's" and had to add another in pink.
There's more project life cards and a notepad in the back pocket. I also added a tiny heart notepad and a paperclip. I know I put in some candy as well.
Here's what I received:

 This is it all loaded up.
Here it is emptied:

 and the back/front? I don't really know:

 And here are all the goodies:

 and more:

 And a cute tag she made me:

Valentine's pocket letters

I signed up to do two Valentine's pocket letter swaps. Here's one:

 I started with the Valentine paper as the background, it's from Hobby Lobby. I started out with a few stickers and decided it would be too busy to just put them on the background, so I cut out these smaller rectangles from black cardstock and layered everything. First row: first pocket the butterfly sticker is from Dollar Tree, the jeweled hearts are from a swap. Second pocket: this sticker is from Hobby Lobby. Third pocket: these are both from Dollar Tree. Second row: First pocket, this sticker is from Dollar Tree. Second pocket, this sticker is from Hobby Lobby. Third pocket, the top sticker is from Dollar Tree, the strip at the bottom is from Hobby Lobby. Third row: First pocket: the die cut is from a swap, the sticker is from Hobby Lobby. Second pocket, this sticker is from Hobby Lobby. Third pocket, this was a tag from a swap.
For this pocket letter, we had to have it double sided, so I just cut up another paper and added it to the back. I didn't realize until I had the pocket letter all packaged up that it had to be double sided, so I took it out and added this paper. The washi on the side is from Hobby Lobby

 Here are my goodies:

I added some paper clips I got in a swap, stickers from Target, and my stash, washi samples, a linen tag, some more stickers, paper scraps and more stickers.
And here's what I got back:

 It came apart a little bit in the mail, but she had posted a picture before sending it, so I put it back together. I love the rosette, the love banner and the paper doll.

I realize I didn't take a picture of the other extras she sent me. She sent a few Valentine's cut aparts, some paper flowers, and some more stamped paper dolls.
I love these Julie Nutting paper dolls people are doing. I don't color, it never looks good when I do, so I love it when  people send their creations to me.
Here's my second pocket letter for a different group:

The background paper is from Hobby Lobby. I really wanted to use my stickers on this one.
First row, first card: Lisa Frank stickers, second card: heart stickers from Dollar Tree, heart washi strip from Dollar Tree. Third card: heart stickers from a swap.
Second row, first card: rosette sticker from Dollar Tree, I took out the jewel from the middle and added a heart sticker from Walmart, heart washi strip from Dollar Tree. Second card: heart stickers from Hobby Lobby. Third card: felt owl sticker from Hobby Lobby.
Third row, first card: foam stickers from Hobby Lobby, "and" sign sticker from my stash. Second card: mini sticky notes (under the heart bling) from a swap, bling border (on bottom) from a swap, heart bling from a swap. Third card: felt heart stickers from Hobby Lobby and heart washi strip from Dollar Tree.
And here's what I received from my partner. Sorry about the weird picture, I was at work and trying to minimize the glare:

Wand Swap

When one of my facebook groups asked for ideas for 2017 swaps, I had mentioned I wanted to try my hand at doing wands. One of the last swaps I just sent out was to make 4 wands for your partner. Here's what I sent mine:

 And the backs:

These are bad close-ups, but I didn't take individual pictures, so I just cropped the other two pictures.

 This one has a red snowflake cupcake liner with a mini green cupcake liner and a poinsettia sticker on top.

 The back is a red snowflake cupcake liner with a white doily, a mini green cupcake liner and a Santa sticker.

 This one has a playing card as the base, a heart doily, a felt heart sticker and a banner sticker stapled on to it.

 The back is another heart playing card with a heart doily and the middle of a pocket page on it.

 This one has a large punched circle, a smaller punched circle, another punched circle, some eyelash yarn and some duct tape on it. I don't know the dimensions of the circles, they were sent to me in a swap.

 The back just has the back of the circle above, a glittery scalloped circle and part of a cut apart from a paper pad.

 This one is on a pencil. It has a white doily, a cardstock circle with a snowflake, and a plastic snowflake on it.

 On the back it has a blue doily, a snowflake doily, and another snowflake circle.

 This one is a handmade doily with a circle, and a fabric flower on it.

The back has some layered circles and a sticker.

I ended up sending her 5 wands, because I felt bad that two of them were more winter themed and we're almost done with winter. I think my favorite is the heart one. I loved the look of the staple and that banner sticker on it.
Here's what she sent me:

Pocket letter from Karlene

Remember, back in November I posted this? I got the return pocket letter in the mail last week. Here's what Karlene made me, this is what came tumbling out of the envelope:

 Here's the pocket letter:

 I love the ribbons she attached to the top and that sparkly bow paperclip. I also love that shaker pocket (I'll let you all in on a little secret, I'm not really a big fan of shakers, mostly because people just close them with washi and they spill out. I do like them when they are closed with a fuse tool and I don't have to worry about spillage). Obviously Karlene has a fuse tool and everything stayed in the pocket. I love how simple and elegant this pocket letter is.
Here's the goodies from the back:

 I really love that ribbon paper clip and the punches she sent me.
Here's what was in the pink envelope:

 Tons more punches. I believe they are punches and not die cuts, but I don't really know. I love getting punches and die cuts. I love seeing how people make handmade embellishments (there are a few in the picture) and trying my hand at making some myself. I have a 1" circle punch and a couple smaller flower punches. I keep thinking about buying a heart punch, but I haven't yet.
Here are the other goodies:

The vellum sheets and page flags were in the pink envelope as well.

Thank you so much Karlene. I loved swapping with you.

Valentine's Day Card

On one of my facebook groups, I signed up to swap Valentine's Day cards. Actually I meant to sign up, after the partners went up they needed another person, so I volunteered. I was originally going to go with non traditional colors, as I found a black and white heart sticker and had a plan (right before I went to bed), but I didn't sketch it out when I had it, and forgot.
Here's what I made:

 I like how it turned out. The hearts are actually the faux leather hearts from the tags at Target Dollar spot, I just strung them on some twine and glued them down. The trim I picked up at a garage sale last summer. The 'love' piece is just a piece of acetate I got it in an ArtC collage kit, I thought it was a sticker.
My partner was Liz W. here's what she sent me:

I had commented on one of her photos of die cuts that I loved the 'octopus' I was really excited to get a card with it. I also love the other die cuts she included, I didn't realize that 'thank you' one was sideways and just hanging out there. I really like the banner she included, too.

I don't want a die cutting machine, but I love it when people send me diecuts and things made with them.

ELF Valentine Swap

It's time for another ELF Swap, this time the theme is Valentine's Day. We had to include:

a pocket letter, flip book or loaded envelope,

a handmade card,

2 handmade tags,

4 handmade embellishments

5 samples of washi at least 18" long

1-2 extra things.

I admit, I did a horrible job of taking pictures this time.

I was originally going to do a loaded envelope, but found this gorgeous vintage looking paper at Hobby Lobby and went for a flip book instead. I'm not sure why I always do the flip book, I have a hard time deciding how to decorate it, I'll probably do a pocket letter for the next swap.

Here's what I made:

 Like I said the background paper is from Hobby Lobby, the floral washi is also from Hobby Lobby. I picked up the heart doilies at JoAnn's. The letters are foam and they came in a bag with green and white foam letters that I picked up at an after Christmas sale at Hobby Lobby.
When you open it:

 The left side:

 I decided to affix my washi samples inside. I did florals on one card, they are actually wrapped around some Valentines. The card on the right I was gifted in a loaded bag swap, I used a mask and filled in the heart with red ink. The red floral washi was gifted to me in my January random rak swap, the "Love you" washi was gifted to me in my last ELF swap.
When you flip these two cards up:

 I have another card of washi. I try to pick rolls that I have a lot of. The card on the right is from one of my Project Life kits.
The page on the right:

 The rose card is from a mini project life kit, the other card is a pocket card from the paper studio. The trim on the bottom is velvet.
When you flip these open:

 This is a vintage Valentine.
When you flip this side open:

 The middle page:

 I made a pocket and put these felt hearts from Hobby Lobby on it. Inside this pocket:

The envelope is from my stash, the die cut someone gave me, I just stamped the jar of flowers on it, and added a tag from Hobby Lobby to it. I have this little doily like doll that I added a felt heart sticker to. This is one of my tags, I glued dictionary paper to a tag, stamped a rose on it and water colored the rose.

The cards are from the pocket below.

 This pocket.
When you close the flip book:

 
I got this card in a loaded bag.
Here are the embellishments I made:

The banner in the background is from Target, I made the top banner by gluing this piece of packaging to a pink piece of paper. The next one is a felt heart sticker with a vellum sticker and a word sticker on the top, the other heart is the same thing. My partner said she liked altered paperclips, so I included this one I made from lace.
Apparently I forgot to take pictures of the handmade card, and the 1-2 extras. I remember throwing quite a few pieces of candy and sweets in the box.
My partner was Beth P on YouTube
Here's what I received from my partner:

 I told her I don't have a Micheal's near me and love their new paper line, so she must have picked up the mermaid paper pack. It looks like she created a loaded envelope with the papers, plus she included some cut aparts and created her card out of it. I love the giant wand she made me, that is a normal sized cup right next to it, so you can see it's quite big. There's also a stuffed heart in there.
Here's what was in the envelope:

 Her handmade tags, washi samples, some sheets of stickers, Valentine pencils, paperclips made with foam heart stickers and the mermaid paper on the back, foam heart stickers, a wooden tag, and some heart paperclips.
There was also chocolate:

Every time someone makes me a loaded envelope, I can't put it away. I've been putting them back together and sticking them in a box so I can look at them every so often.
I love what my partner made/put in the swap for me.