Animal Paper clips

I love altering paperclips, it's very addicting. One of the swaps I signed up to do recently was an animal paper clip swap. Here's what I made:

 The owl, ladybug and bird are stickers from Dollar Tree. The dog is a button from Hobby Lobby. The whale is a sticker from Micheal's.
Here's what I made for my second partner:

She said she liked giraffes, cats, and dogs. The giraffe and cat are stickers from Dollar Tree. The dog is a sticker I got in a swap. All the ones on the bottom are buttons.
I had thought I had to make 6 for each partner and then realized it was only 5. So I sent my first partner the ones in the first picture, and my second partner the ones in the second picture minus the dog button.
Here's what I got in return:

I love them all. That white bunny at the top, when you flip him over, there's another bunny, but it's his butt.
And here's what I got from my other partner:

I LOVE that little tiny penguin, the other is pretty cute, too!.

Emerald Pocket Letter

Since Emerald is the birthstone for May, I signed up for an emerald pocket letter swap. We were able to use black, white, gold, silver and glitter as well, but I tried to keep it mostly green. We didn't have to use just emerald, just as long as it was mainly green (any shade).
Here's what I created:

 Again, I took project life/journaling cards for the background. They are not just green but have black and white in them as well.
First row, first card: The hearts are all buttons, the turtle is a sticker from Dollar Tree, the snail is from a sticker book in my stash. Second card: The flowers at the bottom were on the card. The worm is from my stash, the jeweled butterfly is from my stash, the green 'ladybug' is from my stash. The two tiny butterflies that are the same color are from Walmart. The third tiny butterfly is from Dollar Tree. Third card: The butterfly is a wood piece from peachy cheap, I covered it with green tissue paper. The word is from Dollar Tree.
Second Row, first card: the flower is a felt sticker from a swap, the rosette is from Michaels, the washi is from a swap. Second card: the green rectangle and the swirlies on top of it are from Dollar Tree, the button is from JoAnn's, the jewels are from a swap. Third card: The flower is from Dollar Tree, the bunny, egg, and washi are from swaps.
Third row, first card: the star buttons are from my stash, the light green stars and the darker ones on top of them are from swaps, the third layer of stars are from Spellbinders. Second card: the smaller dolphins are from my stash, the turtle is from Hobby Lobby, the whale is from Michael's, the shells are from Dollar Tree. Third card: the stickers are all from my stash.
The goodies:

I tried to stick with only green goodies. I gave her some frog stickers, leaf stickers, punches, some coffee, more green stickers, washi and some turtle buttons.
Here's what I got in return:

The theme is I know why the caged bird sings. I think it's very cool.

I signed up for the 'ruby' one for July, thought that would be fun.

Altered mini composition books

One of my facebook groups had an altered mini composition book, I found a pack of three at Dollar Tree a week or so ago, so I thought I'd sign up. My partners were way ahead of me and I got my composition books before I had even started theirs.
Here's what I made:

 The background paper is from a garage sale. I used a doily as the seam covering, it was a little short, so I put some washi underneath it, not that you can see it. I added this flower piece on some foam tape and some washi at the top. It's amazing how a little dimension changes everything.
The back:

 I added some pearl trim to the bottom.
I also created a card for her:

 I just took a project life card and added a sticker to it.
The second one, front:

 I had this paper in my stash and it had this cute little nest on it, so I used it. The flowers at the top are from Dollar Tree. The bird at the bottom is from Hobby Lobby. The washi on the side is from a swap.
The back:

 The bird piece is from a swap, the flowers at the bottom are from Dollar Tree.
And the card I created for this partner:

Again, I took a project life card and added stickers to it.

Here's what I got back:

 This one is quite a bit larger than mine, I'm wondering if my partner couldn't find the smaller size. The hostess said it was fine, but warned she would get something smaller back. She covered it in yellow sparkly foam, that's pretty cool.
The inside:

 She also decorated the inside with a pocket for me.
What I got from my other partner:

I thought it was kinda cool that we both choose doilies as a base, though hers is much more decorated than mine.

Summer flipbook

Another swap I signed up for was a summer flipbook. I had a base already started from last year when I picked up a summer themed scrapbooking kit at Hobby Lobby.
Here's what I created:

 The background papers are from that scrapbooking kit. On the cover I made a banner that spelled out 'It's summer' the banner is made from sticky note flags from Target. The letters are from Dollar Tree (I think). The ice cream truck is from that scrapbooking kit. The arrow I had in my stash.
When you flip it to the left:

Close up of left page:

 I made a pool with a paper from Hobby Lobby. The diver, flip flops on the right and the sentiment about flip flops are from the same scrapbooking kit. The flip flops on the left are from Walmart. Swimming pools and flip flops make me think of summer.
Close-up of right page:

 Ice cream makes me think of summer, too. I enjoy it year round but it tastes the best after doing something outside on a hot summer day. The letters are from Dollar Tree. The middle cone is from Dollar Tree. The blue cone on the left and the blue popsicle are felt stickers from Target. The tall cone on the left is from the scrapbooking kit. The red white and blue popsicles are from Target. The tiny cone and popsicle in the middle are buttons from a swap. The tall cone on the right is from a swap. The washi at the bottom is from a swap. The two cones in the middle right are from a card from Dollar Tree.
When you flip this page to the left:

 I stamped a bunch of bicycles on the bottom (Stamp from Hobby Lobby) and colored them in with bright colors. I added some washi (from a swap) to the top and just added some cut aparts (from the scrapbook kit) in a horizontal waterfall
When you close this page and flip the previous page to the right:

 Close-up of middle page:

 I'm really bad at adding goodies to flipbooks, I like the decorating part so much that I tend to just decorate and not add places for goodies. I tried really hard to remember to add goodies to this one. I made a pocket at the bottom with paper from the scrapbooking kit, the sticker is also from the scrapbooking kit. I added some watermelon washi (from Hobby Lobby) to the top.
Here's what I put in the pocket:

stickers and tags. The sticker on the left is from the scrapbooking kit, the large cone is from Dollar Tree, the stickers at the bottom are from Target. The first tag has washi on it, the top one from a swap, the next three are from Dollar Tree, the last one I got at a garage sale. The second tag I got in a swap.
Close-up of the right page:

 I used another paper to make a side pocket. This is what I included:

 Some papers from another paper pad from Hobby Lobby and another tag with washi. The top one is from a swap, the bottom two are from Hobby Lobby.
Here's the back:

 I added a pocket and put my note in it.
Here's what it looks like ready to be mailed:

 It's very full, so I used a bow I got in a swap to hold it closed. The two paperclips at the top I got in a swap.

Here's what I got from my partner:

Front

 First flip

 Second flip

 Third flip

I'm not really sure what makes it a "summer" flip book though.

Black and White pocket letter

I signed up to do a black and white pocket letter on one of my facebook groups. I thought it would be a good challenge to only use black and white on it.
Here's what I made:

 I took some project life and journaling cards that were just black and white and cut them down to use as my backgrounds.
First row: first card: this piece was just in my stash, so I trimmed it down to fit the card. Second card: I made a rosette and added a felt flower to the middle of it, I also added some jewels. Third card: this piece was in a swap I got recently.
Second row: first card: this piece was in a swap I got recently, it was originally one a corrugated cardboard tag. Second card: I trimmed down a vintage photo and added another piece I got in a swap. Third card: I added a snowflake and some snowflake washi.
Third row, first card: I got this pinwheel in a swap as well as the the washi. Second card: the 'man' I got in a grab bag from Peachy Cheap, the triangle paper I got in a swap. Third card: I got this piece in a swap as well, I just added some jewels to the side I got them at Target.
I included only black and white goodies as well:

 Some of the backs of the cards are not black and white, but since I only needed the front for my backgrounds, I didn't really care. I included some coloring pieces, journaling cards (I originally had three word cards cut down, but I couldn't think of how to embellish them), word pieces, mini clothespins, washi, jewels, sticky notes and some ribbon.
Here's what my partner sent me:

 I love the jar stamp and the "w's".
Here's the goodies:

Love the "Wendy" at the bottom, they are actually tiny notepads. I don't know where she got them, but I love them.

ELF Spring Swap

It's time for the Esther Luka Family swap, this time the theme was Spring. We had to make
1. Pocket letter, flip book or loaded envelope
2. Three handmade cards: Hello, Get Well, one for our partner.
3. a wand
4. Five samples of washi at least 18 inches
5. Three tags
6. Four embellishments
7 One-two extra embellishments.

Here's what I made:
Pocket letter:

 I used a bunch of springy embellishments from a K&Company kit I bought. I added a bunch of goodies to the various envelopes. I also added some flowery washi on the side.
The back:

 She said she liked elephants, so I filled the back with elephant ephemera.
Cards:

Hello:

 I like this technique, I stole it from Poetspice, it's just using your scraps to make a card. The zigzag scrap on the right wasn't quite long enough to cover the whole page, so I added the blue scrap on the bottom and then the seam between the two top pieces looked rough so I added the plaid sticker, and just spelled out 'hello' with dollar tree stickers.
Get Well:

 I'm really not that great at making cards, this one is really simple. I just used a scrap of paper for the background and used a new balloon stamp. I spelled out 'get well soon' with stickers.
One for my partner:

 I actually like how this turned out. I made the main piece first and attached it to the card base. I made the banners with some dollar tree washi and added the 'friends' piece from a paper pad I picked up at a garage sale.
Wand:

 The background is a cupcake liner. I've been loving making rosettes, since I watched Esther's tutorial on them. The rosette is just a scrap of paper, I added the middle of another cupcake liner and a jeweled flower. I wrapped the stick with washi to make it a little more springy.
Washi samples:

 I try to give people washi that you can't find at dollar tree or Hobby Lobby or Micheal's, these I got in swaps, so I'm not exactly sure where they came from, but I know they're not Dollar Tree and I've never seen them at Hobby Lobby.
Tags:

 First tag:

 The background paper is from a DCWV paper pad, as is the butterfly piece and the yellow paper it's layered on. The brown strip at the top is a scrap from my stash, the 'the good life' is from a sticker from Dollar Tree
Second tag:

 The background is a tag from Michael's, I layered some trim on the bottom, a cut apart from JoAnns, and a sticker from Dollar Tree.
Third tag:

The tag I got from skybluepink, I added some pink washi to the bottom, a scrap in the middle and a cute hot air balloon sticker.
Embellishments:

 bag close-up:

 I took a tiny bag that was on my desk, added some brown washi to the bottom and created a fan. I also added a sticker from Hobby Lobby.
Other close-ups:

 The pink is a scrap, layered with ribbon, a yellow ticket and a diecut word from Michael's. The bottom two are made with punches and stickers from my stash. I also made her a purple owl paperclip.
Extras:

She said she liked perfume bottles, so I added this cute notepad. I also included an elephant eraser, and some elephant washi.
Here's what I got from my partner:
a flip book
Front:

 First flip

 I love the little shaker pocket she made.

 Second flip:

 Close-up of first page:

 I love the mouse, I do sewing sometimes, and she incorporated a lot of sewing elements into her creations.

 This tiny piece is actually the front of the flip below, I edited my pictures wrong.
Close-up of second picture

 That piece on the left is the back of the 'Wendy' piece above. The right side is a glassine envelope filled with goodies.
Third card:

 These are the tags she created.
Close-up of last page:

 I'm loving everything about this flip book.
The back:

 The handmade cards:

 I'm always in awe of what people make for me.
Wand:

 washi samples:

 I love that blingy roll.
Tags:

 These are the tags from the pocket above.
Embellishments:

 These were in the glassine envelope above.
Extras:

 That's an emery board, some nice smelling sachets, 'W' stickers and a stamped piece.
More extras:

Some stamped elements.