Trouble with my group

I hostess this group on yahoo that makes ATCs. I've been doing this for a number of years, we used to have 10 or so people participating each month. At the moment I have three, including myself. I send out a package of items that fit a theme, people make ATCs with at least one of these items on their cards and send them back. The number of people has been falling a lot. Last year, we didn't swap until October. I sent everyone an ATC and asked if they would be interested in starting up again, I had 3 people say yes, and then 2, and then we got a new player in the group. Last month, I lost one of my long-time players. So, I only have 3 people playing. I sent out an email asking if people wanted to continue playing and got 2 replies, from the 2 people that are participating. I sent a reply saying I'm not doing this month because I'm not inspired. Today I got a response from one of my participants saying that when I take time off its psychologically disruptive to the players. That pissed me off. This is from one of my regular participants, who I love, and I love her work, but why can't I take time for me?
Sometimes I feel, I'm putting way more into these swaps than I'm getting back. I think up the majority of the themes (all of them right now), I'm the one putting the packets together, and sometimes I'm the one spending money on them. Lately, people have been a little short on having return postage to them, so I'm paying for that, which I can't afford to do all the time. I figure I can send them one free swap, but that's it.
She also said maybe people are dropping out because I'm taking time off. I'm not entirely sure about that. Usually when I suggest stopping for awhile, people agree. I know last year when we didn't swap, I asked that people let me know when they were ready again, but it was me who initiated the next swap and I only got a few players. It's also hard to know what people are thinking when no one replies to emails or snail mail, which leads me to believe they don't want to swap.
I was complaining to my mom a few months ago about swaps and people either not following directions, flaking out, or not getting things to me on time. She suggested I take a little time off from swaps. I really like the swaps I find online, their different and it challenges me in my art, I'm wondering if hostessing this group doesn't challenge me enough, so I find it boring.
But, then I'm told by my group that I shouldn't take time off. Art keeps me sane (that and music), so I have to do some kind of art. But, I don't just have to do ATCs, I do lots of different things, I've found hand sewing has calmed me so well lately.
I also feel I have a lot of things to deal with in life (not a ton, there are people with way more than me), but what I don't need is something else giving me problems.

I'd love some advice.

Thanks

The Big Reveal

Here are my fabric book pages, I just looked at a post on Indulge Your Shelf about her current fabric book, and I think her's is better. I didn't know what size to make my pages, so I just took a book I had and traced it onto some quilt batting. I used quilt batting as a backing on all pieces, and tried to incorporate some kind of trim on the bottom of all pages. There are a few pages that don't have any trim, everything I lay on them just doesn't look right.

 This fabric, I believe someone donated with some books to the library, the trim I got in a swap.

 The background is a knit fabric, the circles are sparkly. The doily was bigger, but it didn't fit, so I trimmed it. I have no idea where I got the trim.

 The background is from when I worked at an art store called, The Prairie Fiber Company, the owner sold hand dyed fabric packs. The strip, I think I got from my mom. The teapot/creamer are off of a dish towel. I got the trim at a garage sale.

 The green background is from a vintage scarf, I made some pennants awhile ago with the rest of it. The purple is a knit fabric. I bought the middle piece and trim at a garage sale.

 The background is part of a dresser scarf I got in a swap, you can't see it, but there are little holes in the shape of flowers. The blue is a scrap I had. The leaf is from a dresser scarf I got in Okoboji a few years ago. The trim I bought at Hobby Lobby.

 I bought all the background pieces at a sale, the bottom purple is velvet with flowers on it. The doily was part of a bigger piece. I think I got the trim at a sale.

 The background is a thicker piece, maybe upholstery? The doily I got at a sale, and the alien I bought at Hobby Lobby. I really wanted to use my alien, and he looked cute here. As you can see I haven't found the right piece of trim yet. On this one, I originally had a yellow piece in the middle.

 The brown background is from the hand dyed pack I bought with the other piece above. The rust and olive colored piece are very sheen in color. The light green piece is a tiny scrap. The trim is from the same piece as the leaf above. I think I still need something else on this page.

 The background here was a large scrap I had. The doily was bought at a church sale, the little rectangle was on the back of it, it reads: "Doilie from box of Linens - Ives - Late 1800's To 1910 Probably older" I thought it was a little pricey, but I couldn't walk away from it. I don't know where I got the trim.

 You can't see the sheen on the background piece, but it has a silvery thread woven into it. The circle was a scrap I had. The 'trim' is actually from a piece of lace.

 Also can't see the color in the turquoise pieces, they have black woven into them. The green I used here on a stocking, and here on a piece a couple Christmases ago. The heart piece, my mother created on her sewing machine. The brown is another shiny knit. Trim is from a sale.

I orginally had the white on the batting itself, but it looked so plain. The pink is very shiny and maybe a little more bright than the picture makes it look. I'm also sewing around the flowers for a little dimension. I haven't found the right trim for this one either.

What do you think?

Pay It Forward

Bloggers 2013 Creative Pay It Forward

Source

I learned about this event from Jessica at A Humble Creation.  I've seen it floating around the internet, and I've always been too late. I got in this time, and figured I'd see if anyone here was interested. And I totally stole part of this post from her.

Here are the details:

 

The first 5 people to comment and leave their email and blog address will receive from me, sometime in 2013, a small gift: something handmade by me...a surprise in the mail! I know I love getting mail (some days I don't get any), and anything is better than bills.

Some day, you guys will receive this random gift. I won't tell you when, you'll just be pleasantly (I hope) surprised. After you tell me you've received it, I will blog about what I've sent.

The Catch:

Those 5 people must make the same offer on their blog.

I hope I can get 5 commenters here, I figured I'd have a better chance than my other blog. So, if you would like to make some new friends, and make something fun for someone else, please leave me a comment. I will contact the first 5 people who comment to get their mailing address.

Have a great Sunday!

Candy Box Swap

Here's what I sent Michele for the Sweet Candy box

I had a very large heart box from last year. I covered the top with dictionary pages, then I added black buttons all around the edge. I painted it with some pearl ex powder mixed with water, and then added some doilies. The grey is a piece of lace, I finished it off with a couple buttons. I just realized you can't see the sides, they're decorated with some white heart trim.

 Here's some of what I sent in the box, a bunch of Dove dark chocolate hearts, a vintage dish towel. I also sent a couple of peachy colored beaded flowers, a roll of vintage ribbon, a snowman card, and probably some other things I didn't take pictures of.

And here's what's in the box, lots of lace and trim, some unmounted stamps, some buttons, a few embellishments and a Valentine tag.

Sweet Candy Box Swap

I signed up for Michele's Sweet Candy Box Swap. We had to decorate a candy box and fill it with stuff, including something handmade, for our partner. I received mine on Wednesday. Here's what she sent me. Here's the top of the box

A view from the side

 The inside of the box

 And here's what was inside, this dresser scarf is beautiful. It was way too long for my photo taking surface, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it, it's just so beautiful.

 A few Valentine cards, some Valentine napkins, and some stickers

 a doily, pot holder, hankey, and some toile ribbon. There's also a pair of earrings that Michele made me on the pot holder.

 some paper pieces, chipboard pieces, buttons, ribbon, a couple birds, some cupcake papers, a vintage tin, a couple plastic bells, and a mini teapot.

Once I've received word that Michele has gotten my box, I will show you what I sent her.

 

I've been immersed in a new project. I keep reading on people's blogs about fabric books, I've wanted to make one for awhile. So, the other day, I took out my neatest fabrics, trims and vintage fabric pieces, and started laying out pages. This is what my kitchen floor has looked like since Wednesday morning.

I have three pages done, and hope to finish a page a day. So far, only one of the pages looks like it does here. I have to keep tweaking after I sew things down, but I LOVE this project. I don't think it will be fully finished for awhile, one of my pages needs a little more embellishment, I hope to keep my eyes out for things to use this summer.
I will show you the pages when I have them "done", or at least sewn together.

New ATCs

 

I've been doing a little creating lately, unfortunately, I can't show you much as people haven't received things yet.

What I can show you are some ATC's I created for my Yahoo group. My Yahoo group is called CollageATCs. Every month, I send out a themed packet of items and the players pick out at least one item to put onto every card they create. The theme was winter. Here are my cards.

 In this first one, the snowflake and the green foil were in the packet. The snowflake was taken off of a holiday card, and the foil is from mint Hershey kisses.

 Here, everything I used was from the packet. The snowman is 3D, I picked him up on sale at Hobby Lobby, the snowflakes are domed, the ribbon was self-adhesive.

On this last one, once again, everything I used was in the package. The snowflakes are stickers, the one in the middle is from the same package as the snowman above. The paper is from a holiday pack that was given to me years ago.

 

Come back in early March to see my cards from February, the theme is Food.

 

One other thing. A little promoting for my supply shop in Etsy, I listed a pack of mostly vintage lace the other day, if anyone is interested, it's here.

Valentine Swaps

I found a couple Valentine swaps to do.

The first is The Sweet Vintage Candy Box Swap. We're supposed to take a candy box, decorate it and then fill it with goodies. Here's what my candy box started out as:

My original thought was to just take of the ribbon and decorate the red fabric top, but then I got to thinking. So I tore off the top and decorated the flat top of the box. I finished it Tuesday evening, using a process that I believe is becoming my signature look. Everytime I look at it, it makes me smile, so it must be good. I'm still in the process of filling it. Once, I've gotten word that my partner's received it (after I mail it, of course), I'll show you what I did.

 

The second swap is the 2013 Valentine Swap, we are supposed to make something with a heart on it. I've decided to sew something. I'll show you that one later, too.