Cat Dodt-Ellis: Bead Swap

Our 3rd entry for the bead swap is from my friend Cat Dodt-Ellis in Idaho. I must say as these beads come in I am more and more impressed with them! Beautiful, creative, imaginative . . . and so far, all beautifully packaged for this swap. Individually labelled as requested! Thank you all! With 21 of us participating, I am sure you will love your swap returns. A reminder: Due in my hands March 24.


Now on to Cat's beads and packaging . . . Cat sent me this picture in advance . . . before she packaged them up!

Below, how she lovingly packaged them.

A close-up 

out of the package -

Beautiful!!

I was spoiled by Cat . . .  with mail art . . .

. . . and a necklace she made for me:

Under the glass is the image Cat used on a skinny page for me

Since she knew I loved this image

she sent the charm/necklace along with her beads.

Thank you ever so much.

Your beads are fantastic, so glad you are in this swap!

Trish Busby: Bead Swap

The second entry for the bead swap has arrived and this one is from Trish Busby. I will share a few photos I took below, but please visit her blog Art Anomaly to read more about how she created these wonderful beads! Trish has more photos and notes on how she made her different beads . . . which means her name will get added to the drawing for an extra package of handmade beads from me!

Here's one bead - Trish made her own individual plastic bags

by cutting larger bags & sewing them up - ingenious! 

click for more details - there's so much variety here.

Trish made great tags and packaged her beads individually with a flair!

She made an extra bead for me!

This is the one I chose, Trish. Thank you.

The beautiful mail art was also truly appreciated! 

Go visit Trish!  I so look forward to receiving the rest of the beads. Due in my hands 3/24.

Barbara DeLisle: Bead Swap!

Whoo hoo! I have received my first entry for our bead swap from Barbara DeLisle in Florida. Barbara sent in 20 beautiful and unusual paper beads, all wrapped separately and labeled as I requested for ease of swapping -thank you!!!

please click on any photo for more details.

Barbara added end caps and wrapped wire around her beads.

Barbara also sent me a hostess gift, a necklace she made . . .

I'm wearing it right now!!

Thanks, Barbara! I often wear the butterfly necklace you created for me 

and gave to me via a previous creative swap. Lovely work you do! 

To see more of Barbara's art, please visit her blog:

Barbara's Me-own Folk Art

The bead swap is due in my hands March 24th and there are 20 of us playing so far. You can still register! Find all of the details and how to register here: 

http://creativeswaps.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-swap-paper-fabric-beads.html

Thanks for making my day, Barbara! ; ^ ) 

i'm hosting a bead swap!

There is still time to join us in the bead swap!  

The paper (or fabric) bead swap has 18 participants but is still open to join. The registration fee is only $12.00 and includes a 14 page lesson with links to more info, video tutorials and step-by-step instructions (with photos) on many of the different ways of  making your own rolled beads. Registration also includes documentation of your swap artwork on the creative swaps blog and return postage anywhere in the world for the beads you will receive in the swap. You can follow my instructions in the lesson or use your own! Make 15-20 beads and receive the same amount in return. Please read the complete swap details and learn how to sign up here:

http://creativeswaps.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-swap-paper-fabric-beads.html

The due date is March 24 (delivered to me by).

When the swap is complete and all the beads traded and sent home, you will have the opportunity to create something with the beads you received and made for the swap and share it on the swaps blog.

Contact me if you have any questions, and hope to see you in this swap! 

paper & fabric beads

There is plenty of room in this art swap I'm hosting if you would like to join us! Please visit this post: New Swap - Paper & Fabric Beads for all the swap details. A slideshow of some of the beads I've made for the swap is below. You can view this full screen by clicking on the arrows in the lower right corner after you hit 'play'.

These are fun to make, I will definitely be trying some more.
Swap beads are due march 24!

* Tyvek beads for the swap *

I left the last bunch of beads I had made for the current swap out on my work table. Boy, did I smile when I walked past them today and saw my finds from yesterday's walk combined with these beads in a very pleasing composition! I had literally dropped the shells & feather there yesterday without really looking.

Isn't that pretty? Click on the photo for more details and shimmer. Tyvek beads are so interesting!  It also got me to thinking . . . while my experiments with Tyvek paper are in the lesson that comes with swap registration, I had not shown any of these beads on the swaps blog . . . 

I already have had a dozen or so people sign up for the swap, so I am very excited! Someone asked, and yes! You will receive a variety of beads from different artists in your swap returns. To read all about the Paper and Fabric bead swap, scroll down or follow this link!

happy creative day to you,

lenna

New Swap - Paper & Fabric Beads!

Announcing Creative Swaps Paper and Fabric Bead Swap!

• Create 15-20 paper and/or fabric beads - in exchange for the same amount of beads in return. It is up to you how many beads you create but at least 15 and no more than 20. 
• All swap packages must be delivered to me no later than March 24, 2011: Late entries will be returned.  
• What Size? Any size beads. They are generally  ½” - 2” long and various widths.
• What Materials? Make your beads out of fabric or paper of any type. You could use Tyvek paper, wrapping paper, leftover scraps of paper, patterned or printed paper, plain paper. Add color with markers or paint. Use newspaper or magazines. I even tried a long curl of a wood shaving from my husband’s workshop! Try cutting fabric, ripping fabric and adding threads or fibers. More ideas and lots of instructions are included in the accompanying lesson. 
• The $12 fee to register for this swap includes a 14 page lesson on making paper & fabric beads plus the return postage for your swap beads to anywhere in the world. 

How to register: Go to the Registration page on creative swaps: http://creativeswaps.blogspot.com/p/registration.html -This is where you will see the swap registration. Click on the Add to Cart button, which will take you to a PayPal page. You do not need a PayPal account to use this online banking service that accepts all major credit and debit cards, eChecks and bank transfers. If you are unfamilar with payPal, find out more it here.

The swap registration is handled by e-junkie so you will receive your materials as soon as your payment has cleared, at any time of the day, or in any time-zone, whether I'm at my computer or not! You will receive an email from e-junkie titled "Bead Swap + Lesson Purchase" sent to your PayPal associated email address. This email will include a link for you to download 2 pdf files: RULES+MAILING-beadSwap.03.24.12 and Making your own beads out of fabric and paper. Just download the 2 files with the link you are sent and save them somewhere on your computer where you will remember! Or print them out.

There will be a second part to this swap! After all the beads have been swapped and sent, I will encourage all of the participants to create something from the swap beads they received. You may use extra beads of your own, but I'll request that at least some of the beads used in the piece you make were ones received in the swap. I'll set up a "Linky" tool and participants can visit creative swaps and leave a link that will take us to see your bead swap creation! This means you will take a photo or scan, upload it to your blog, website or photo site ~ somewhere where you can link to that photo and share it on the swaps blog so we can view it.

So looking forward to this!

Bead Swap re-cap:
15-20 paper/fabric beads delivered to me by March 24, 2012
$12 to register for the swap includes a lesson and return postage
Registration via PayPal/Credit Card only - on the registration page
I reserve the right to close registration for this swap at anytime . . . lets say at 40 to 50 participants, or whenever I deem it full. Thanks!

Some of my beads for the lesson below : ^ )  lenna 

almost ready . . .

I'm almost ready to announce the paper bead swap -hip hip hooray! Below is a glimpse at some of what I have been working on.

I am almost done with my lesson which will go over different ways to create various kinds of paper and fabric beads, photograph examples of them, step-by-step instructions, plus links to more information and videos to inspire you in making beads. It should be a lot of fun and you will have plenty of time; due at the end of march. After all the beads are swapped out I will host part 2, where you can share what you create with your swap beads! All details and sign-ups to follow soon. I have been slowly working on this project and thank you for your patience. Next time you hear from me here I will be announcing that registration is open. : ) yours creatively, lenna 

new swap coming ...

You'll have to be patient a wee bit longer while the details are ironed out and I practice, write out rules and prepare things, but I do have an idea for a creative swap that I think would be great. I would love our next swap to be a swap of paper OR fabric beads you create yourself! You could even make fabric-paper beads or a little of both. Mix them up any way you like! I have found quite a bit of information online that I will share with you when you register. The swap is not ready yet-but soon!

I will also make my own beads -some paper, some fabric and share both my results and how I made them with you in a lesson that will be part of your registration. I found the photo below on paperbeadgems flickr account but was directed there from paperbeads.org. I figured you may want to check into making fabric beads or paper beads online prior to the formal announcement of the swap to get some ideas.

Big Round Paper Beads, originally uploaded by paperbeadgems.

I would like to thank magicmoon musings for first suggesting fabric beads when I asked for ideas last month and also my friend Frieda Oxenham for sending me a bracelet with beautiful paper beads on it! That really had me inspired! My plan would be to make this a 2 part swap. First the making of the beads and second, making something from the beads you receive in the swap and sharing it here via links. For the making, the addition of more of your own beads if you wish, would be wonderful! 

Suggestions and comments are welcome. I will be back when I am ready to present the swap! yours creatively, lenna

update!

I did some housecleaning today and updated the creative swaps blog. The information pages are now easily view-able as side tabs, top right on the blog. I think it looks good, but I hope you'll take a look and let me know what you think. I am pondering about what would be fun for us to do as a creative swap in the new year . . . . and you know I am always open to suggestions. Leave me a comment or email me, thanks!! lenna

Haiku ATC swap sent and a break

I swapped the haiku ATCs over the long weekend and mailed them all out today, 10/11. You should have them in your hands very soon. Thanks to all of my participants in the swap. I enjoyed all of your ATCs and most especially your haiku. What a lovely swap! Scroll down to view the next few posts and see what came in, if you have not visited in a while. A big thank you to my husband too . . . I forgot to say earlier, it was Steven who came up with 'haiku' when I was brainstorming themes for this swap. : )

For the first time in a long while, probably since I moved to Florida in 2009, I am taking a break from hosting swaps. I will be returning, but I'm not sure when. My best guess would be at the end of this year to announce something for 2012. If you'd like to be notified of any new creative swaps, sign up for the swap participants email by clicking here. You'll only receive occasional emails from me about new creative swaps soon after they're announced on the blog. This mailing is run by feedblitz and it is called "The Swap Participants News Flash". You'll receive two announcement emails at the start of a new swap and no blog posts ever. I hope you stay in touch! It is my pleasure to work with you and orchestrate these exchanges. Please let me know when you have received your swaps. Leave a comment here or email me. Thanks, lenna

Janet Fystrom: Haiku ATC swap

From Janet in MN . . . . . she kindly sent 4, so I have chosen one as a gift.

Thank you so much, Janet.