Holiday Ornament Swap

It's Swap time again!
I am always so excited to sign up for the swap that Freshly Blended hosts each year.
This is my 4th year, and even though I was a little short on inspiration this year, I was able to pull together this little bird-y ornament.

It's 1/4" plywood that I burnished with some beeswax.
My only little disappointment with this project is that I cut the ribbons wrong, and only cut 8 instead of 10 lengths.
So, a couple of people will end up with different hanging strings.

We have our tree up and lit, and it is indeed beginning to look a lot like Christmas at our house.

It's so nice to have that little bit of extra light as the days get shorter and the nights get longer.

International Craft Swap

At the beginning of August, Jenn of Paper and Clouds (and The Write Ingredients, don't even get me started on this amazing, talented woman who somehow has time to work, have an etsy shop, parent a darling little girl and run two blogs!) co-hosted an international craft swap, and I joined up.
I got my package in the mail this weekend and I couldn't be happier!
I sent my partner Amber a hand-woven scarf, which I didn't get a photo of, but maybe she'll send me a photo of it in use? (hint, hint, if you're reading this out there (: ) Amber send me these beautiful pillow covers. They're made from hand-painted fabric from an artist in Australia, which is also where my swap partner lives.
I love them! And don't they go well with my new couch?

Swapping Complete (at least on my end)

The deadlines for two swaps come up this week, and I have everything finished, and I am making my final trip to the post office this morning.For the Holiday Traditions Exchange we were supposed to share our favorite holiday traditions (duh) and I chose handmade gifts and baking.
I wove a small neckwarmer type scarf, embellished a stocking and baked some cookies.
Now, I am off to the post office, via the Children's Museum with the Younger Hug-a-Bug, and my swapping will be complete.
This whole thing has me feeling quite Christmas-y, and I am happy to say that we got our tree and village up yesterday.

They look terrific when all the lights are out, even with the sun coming up...

Swap Ornaments

I took a little time this weekend to make my ornaments for the Swap.



I had a vision of a tiny stocking with some fantastic embroidery across the cuff, but I couldn't quite make the fantasticness materialize, so I went with some holly.

The Season of Swap

It's swapping time again!
I am signed up for 3 so far this Season, and I may join one more if it repeats from last year.
I have already started receiving Christmas ornaments, and I haven't even begun on mine.
I do have an idea cooking, so I don't feel too bad, but I gotta get going as a couple of my swap partners are abroad in England and Australia.

So far I received this wonderful package as a part of the Daisy Quilts Christmas Ornament Swap, and a super cute little felt Christmas tree as a part of the Fourth Annual Cake & Pie/ Freshly Blended Holiday Ornament Swap.
I also signed up for Meg's Holiday Traditions Swap at Sew Liberated.
I may come to regret my decision to join these swaps as I have house showings to clean for, and work knitting to finish, but the pay-off in the wonderful piles of creativity coming in the mail every week up to Christmas is well worth it!
I must get myself to my needle!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving if I don't see you,
Jess

Doll-mania continues

I made a doll for the Hug-a-Bugs, really me, last year when I participated in a doll clothes swap with the wonderful ladies at Sugar City Journal.
The swap was for clothing to fit an 18" doll like an American Girl, but I didn't have one, so I made one.
Anyway, I was going through the dollies around Christmastime and I found this doll, her name was Siobhan, and thought to myself, "She never plays with this one, maybe I should just donate it to the shelter, I can always make another one." So I did.
Well, as you can imagine, though it did take a little while, when she saw that it was gone, all I have heard from the Elder is "Where is Siobhan? Why did you give her away?"

So the day before yesterday I started making a new Siobhan.This morning we stuffed her, the Younger Hug-a-Bug and myself, and he proved an excellent assistant.

Take a bow new Siobhan -

would anyone out there be up for a new Doll Clothes Swap?
I had a ton of fun last time.
Leave me a comment here or email me at bandjontheriver(at)msn(dot)com if you would like to join in.

Woo Hoo! I do love swaps.

Hooray for Handmade

I have just cut the last threads on my last addition to the package for the Bird and Little Bird Celebrating Handmade Swap.
Tomorrow is the mailing deadline, so I have to find a box and pack it up and send it on to my swap partner during my semi-weekly 50 minutes of freedom.
I am a little surprised by the results, as three items doesn't seem quite commensurate with the giant mess that I have accomplished in my sewing area.





I hope that my partner likes her package, I planned the doll and doll's quilt for her 6 year-old and the rocket for her baby.

Have a great Monday,
Jess

vetoed

Well, I have been overruled on the issue of freckles on the doll.
Here she is sans freckles.

If only real freckles were that easy to eradicate...
During the summer my face undergoes a freckle explosion, I mean freckles on the eyelids and earlobes.
In my youth I had fantasies of a freckle-free face, there are some pretty funny episodes in the Anne of Green Gables books about freckle eradication.
It may be time to bust those out again, I love Anne of Green Gables.
And with that tangential leap,
I bid you good night.
Jess

Chloe Chomplete

We had a free night at Mamas of the Craft last night, and to make it extra fun we started with some yoga.
The tape we were using was paced a little too fast for me, so I dropped out, sad to say, but I did get a lot done with my Chloe doll.In fact, she is finished.
I had a shoe to sew together and a snap and button to put in and, despite some very yummy wine, I got both of those things accomplished.

Now I look at it, the button is a little purple for the dress, but it is under the hair so you don't really see it.
All that is left for this swap is to make a tiny rocket for a 4 month-old, and I can send it off.
I think I need a bunch more of these girls.
The pattern was easy-peasy and she is so cute!
Next on the list is Kit.
Have a relaxing weekend!
Jess

Swapping part 2

I have finished the primary work on a doll for the Celebrating Handmade: The Swap.
I am using the Kit, Chloe & Louise pattern from Wee Wonderfuls.Hillary's patterns are really easy to follow and thorough.
I got this little lady (mostly) finished in a day.
Her face is a little wonky, which is pretty good for me, since they're usually really wonky, but I think I will reserve judgement of my own work until I have the hair on.
Now to find the right hair color in my stash.
Have a great Sunday,
Jess

Swapping

I am in a couple of new swaps.
One is a Valentine's Day ornament swap that spun off from the Freshly Blended Cake & Pie Holiday Ornament Swap.
I am making little hanging roses.
The other swap is Celebrating Handmade: The Swap from Bird and Little Bird

This swap is about making and trading handmade toys and gifts.
I think there's still room, go over and check it out!

It's all the way up to 0 degrees today. (For the past few days we have been at about-10 to -20 F)
Heat wave!
If you're in the Twin Cities, go outside.
Jess

It's beginning to look...

I have been thinking and doing Christmas all week.
I am in a couple of swaps, and I finished the ornaments for the Freshly Blended/Cake & Pie swap.

They are ready to send out tomorrow or the next day.
Also, the other swap that I am involved in, the one from Sew Liberated, it is suggested that I make a mix CD of Christmas music.
This is a difficult task for me, as I love Christmas music.
I have finally decided on the list, I think.
That swap stuff is almost entirely compiled.
Then, we have to schedule a visit with Santa for pictures.
Whew, I am a little mentally winded, but I am having tons of fun!
Talk to you soon,
Jess

swapping

I am participating in a couple of holiday swaps this year.

I am doing the Freshly (Blended)/Cake & Pie Ornament Swap and I am also doing the Sew Liberated Holiday Traditions Exchange.

Here is a peek at my planning.

Gone away is the bluebird.

I have just finished my entry for an online holiday ornament swap. I have 10 of these little birdies. They were made by cutting two bird shapes from a felted thrifted sweater and hand sewing them together with wool. the loop and legs are one long braid of wool sandwiched between.
Also, a pic of a drizzly November early evening.
I had all sorts of stuff that I was gonna post about, but I can't remember any of it.
I have had a couple of fitful sleeps the last two nights, and I am not working at full brain capacity.
talk to you all soon,
Jess