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.

Winter Pocket Letters

 At the beginning of January I had asked on facebook if anyone wanted to trade winter pocket letters, three people responded. Here's what I've made and sent out:

 
 I wanted to use this red snowflake paper as the background, and just added more red to it. I didn't want to do red and green because that makes me think of Christmas.
I used some plaid washi for the side that I got at the Target Dollar Spot. The tag is also from Target I just added a felt bird I got at Hobby Lobby
The first row I went with a cardinal theme, the stickers were all clear stickers, so I put them on white cardstock and stuck them on the cards. I also added some red bling to the bottom.
The second row is vintage looking pictures of snowmen.
The third row is foxes all dressed up for winter. I also added some snowflakes to the cards.
Here's the back:

I added some more vintage images, some red cord someone else sent me, that's my note on a tag, some chocolate, Christmas/snow stamps, washi, erasers, felt owl ornament and a snowflake pin.
My second one:

 I like the blue and white theme, I also wanted to use this paper as the background. The background papers are from an all occasion paper pack I got at Hobby Lobby.
The first row is penguins and snowflakes.
The second row, I added a wooden snowflake and snowflake stickers. I also added the letters for "let it snow" on top of the pockets.
The third row has a snowman I cut out of a card and some snowflakes.
I used shiny blue washi tape from the Dollar Tree on the side.
Here's the back:

Some vintage looking snowman images, stickers, washi tape, wooden snowflakes, chocolate, blue sequins, erasers. I didn't have anything in the last pocket because the snowman is on the outside of the pockets and he closes the last pocket.
My third one:

I really like this one, especially that blue and white theme. I made this one up just from the inspiration of that sticker in the second row.
I chose this background paper with the snowmen on it and just added snowmen and snowflakes to it.
First, third, seventh and ninth pockets are all about the same. On the first row I used shiny washi tape from the Dollar Tree, added some wood veneer snowflakes with a jewel in the middle. The last row I used sparkly washi from the Dollar Tree. The two snowmen pockets have the opposite blue washi than the outside pockets. The snowman on the first row is something I made awhile ago. It's a piece of matboard with Ultra Thick Embossing Powder and white embossing powder and then I stamped a snowman in it while it was warm. In the last row, I just used a tag from the Target dollar spot, I added a snowflake sticker to cover the hole from the ribbon on his hat.
The second row, I just used that sticker on top of the pockets and added snowflake stickers to the pocket papers.
The washi on the side I got from a swap, I added snowflake gems on top of it.
Here's what I've received in return:

 It came a little mixed up in the mail, so I put it back together the best I could.
Here's the goodies:

And the second one:

 I think it's really cute.
And the goodies:

Here's the third one:

Ephemera Swap

One of the swaps I signed up for on facebook was an ephemera Swap. I forgot to take pictures of what I sent out, but I made little loaded bags to put the swap in, I needed to make something after working for so long and not doing anything creative.

Here's what I've received back:

 This one came so cutely wrapped.
This is what was inside:

 I love these little bags she put everything in. Here's what was in them:

 My second partner:

My third partner:

The package was in my mailbox when I left for work, I couldn't wait to open it, so I took the pictures at work. My last partner spoiled me rotten.

Get to Know you pocket letter

I signed up for a Get to Know You pocket letter through one of my facebook groups. We had to decorate it with stuff that we liked and add some goodies that went along with stuff we liked.
Here's what I made:

 I had a hard time with this one, I'm not sure why.
I used green/blue paper for some of my backgrounds, I'm not sure where I got it. The pink chevron paper was in a paper pack from Hobby Lobby.
First row: First card, I put a "W". Second pocket: an owl on books stamp. Third pocket: my favorite colors of green and blue, but I'm also trying to get into purple.
Second Row: First card, I put a swimsuit sticker on a sticky note that was flip flops. Second card: I put washi with words and stamped some quotes on a banner sticky note. Third card: a monster sticker and monster washi.
Third Row: First card, buttons. Second card: a girl with cupcake stamp and some donut washi. Third card: emoji stickers.
Here's the goodies:

 I put my note behind the W, I put a magnetic bookmark to go with the books, I added some samples of the washi I put on the front. I gave her some of the flip flop sticky notes, I put in some heart page flags and a cupcake eraser, I put in a monster notebook and some monster stickers. I put in some emoji stickers, I put in a piece of chocolate and a cupcake sticker, I put in some buttons.
So, basically, I love W's, collect owls and books, my favorite colors, my favorite season is summer my birthday is July 2nd, I hoard stationary items: stickers, page flags, sticky notes, etc, I like monsters, I like buttons, I like sweets and I like emojis.
Here's what I got in return:

 And her goodies:

She likes to garden and bake. She loves Christmas and is very religious.

I have more posts coming soon, just waiting on some return items. I have been crafting lately, I actually may have signed up for a few too many swaps because I was going through crafting withdrawal.

wands

Man, it's been awhile. And I haven't really been creating much. I haven't had a day off from working since the 4th. Last week, basically all I did was get up, go to work, get home, sleep and repeat. I worked about 65 hours, I was wiped.
I did create a wand and a pocket letter on the 5th.

 I won't be able to recreate this wand. Everything on it is from stuff people have sent me in swaps. That silver snowflake at the top, is actually from a Holiday tag swap. The doilies were sent to me by my winter ELF swap partner, as was the sparkly foam snowflake. The middle snowflake on the back was on a winter paperclip from a swap. I did sign up for a swap where I make 4 wands. I like wands, and I love getting them, so I wanted to try making some.
I also made a wand from a lot of goodies I got from one of my winter PL's:

There is a mirrored snowflake on top of a thick foam snowflake on top of a sparkly snowflake on top of a sparkly plastic snowflake on top of a white snowflake doily.