Kara Klein - 1st Valentine Ornaments in!

Just late last week, after returning from our vacation, I recieved my very FIRST Swap package for the new season from Kara Klein in Los Angeles, CA. All of the ornaments you see in this post were created by Kara - what variety, and what a delight it was to open her package! Kara decided to make TWO sets and sent in 6 valentine ornaments for this swap, due in my hands February 2nd - only aboout a month away! If you are participating in this swap here is a gentle reminder to start playing and thinking valentines- if you have not already.

An unfortunate turn of events for one of our participants, Beverly T. (a broken wrist - ouch!) means that I have one spot now open in the Valentine ornament swap ~ NOW FULL. You can read some of the swap details in the original post and then if you are interested in joining, please email me to see if the space is still open. Thanks and a Very Happy New Year -quite creative with lots of art involved- to everyone reading! yours very truly, Lenna.

A close up of one of Kara's ornaments - click on the photo below for more detail.


p.s. Kara so kindly made me a beautiful gift as a thanks for the swaps I host that she has enjoyed. Thank YOU so much, Kara! I just adore the little clay book you made for me - I can't help but share it, please see photos below.

Just a note before I go . . .

The Valentine Ornament swap, White Quilties swap and Creative Bag swap are all FULL as of December 15th. You may put your name on a waiting list as sometimes people must drop . . . . just email me. If you are signed up for a swap and you cannot complete it for any reason -- please let me know as soon as possibile. The Alpha Stamps Tallulah's Card/Postcard swap has 7 spots open as of 12/29/07!
Happy Happy Holidays from lenna : )

Happy Holidays & update on 2008 swaps!

12.04.07- 010, originally uploaded by creativelenna.

Even though I'm sure everyone's attention has most likely shifted to the Holiday season, I still wanted to say hello and update you on my Creative Swaps for 2008. One of the 4 swaps I announced (in late November) is already filled! The Shades of White Quiltie Swap, due April 26th is now FULL with 30 participants. If you are interested in being put on a waiting list, I will take a few names just in case someone who has signed up has to drop out. Email me at: lenna[at]creativelenna[dot]com.

The other 3 swaps have just a few spaces; Creative Bags is now closed (12/13 -check the sidebar for updates), and no spaces for the Valentine Ornament swap. There are 7 spaces left for the Alpha Stamps Tallulah's Postcard/Card swap -I am taking up to 35 participants for this Alpha Stamps Sponsored swap (with a free gift) and so, there are more spaces available.

I hope you will be joining in on the fun! If you are not able to join a swap, it's always great just to check out the art here once the swap pieces start rolling in. The Valentine Ornament swap is due in my hands by February 2nd, so I imagine I will have a busy January uploading art! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the holiday season with family and friends. . . . . . I should let you know that I will be away to a warm climate with my dear husband December 16th - December 23rd ~ our present to each other! So if you write to inquire about signing up for a swap that week -- I will not be able to respond to you at that time. DO not worry; I will get back to you sometime after December 25th, I promise. If you do not hear from me by the 27th of December, please email me again.

Have a creative holiday and thanks for all the fun, and the inspiring art this past year via these swaps!!!

Happy News! New swaps for 2008

hello and happy holidays from lenna!
Yes! I have finally organized, announced & uploaded my new swaps for the beginning of 2008. Instead of having a swap due in January though, I opted to give you a little more time & have the Valentine swap due in early February. By looking at the dates you'll see that I have a swap due near the end of the month every month through April (so far). I hope to continue in this fashion except for one month in the summer & one month during the winter holidays when I will take a break. We will have a monthly creative project to work on for most of the year! I will announce the new swaps in batches just like this, a few months before they are due so you can plan ahead. Suggestions for swaps and themes are always welcome . . . . In fact, I took Beverley's suggestion this time for a fabric page swap! You can leave a comment to this post (below) or email me directly if you have ideas or wishes for future swaps.

Note: The new swaps are 1/3 to 1/2 full already because I announced them yesterday via email to current & former participants; but you can sign up anytime, as long as there is still room. I do limit the number of participants in each swap so sign-ups are on a first come first serve basis! Just scroll down through the next few posts to see what we are doing swap-wise and email me with any questions.

If you have to drop out of a swap all I ask is that you let me know as soon as possible so I can allow someone else to fill your spot; thank you! I also have firm deadlines (in my hands) for all my swaps in fairness to all the players - so when you join, please remember to mail on time or early and include your mailing label & postage, or you won't be able to be included!

New Swap #1: Valentine Ornament Swap!

This swap was completed in February, 2008
The deadline for this swap is due in my hands by February 2nd, 2008 and note that late entries will be returned. This is a 3 for 3 valentine ornament swap. Participants may create 2 sets if they wish, trading 6 ornaments for 6. No need to tell me in advance how many you are creating.

Your ornaments must be small and lightweight enough to hang easily. They should come complete with a way to hang, and be ready to hang! Some ideas: Stuffed puffy fabric ornaments, paper hearts, felt ornaments, or fabric & lace or embroidered ornaments . . . what about ornaments utilizing transparencies, stained glass ornaments, metal or tin ornaments, ATCs made from fabric or paper with a ribbon added to hang, or . . . ? ? The choice is yours!

Think love, romance and valentines. You may use images or not, as you like. * You are required to email lenna to see if there is space available in the swap. * I will limit the amount of participants to 30-35. Once your participation is confirmed, I will send you the full details of the swap including more links to ideas for these ornaments. Then create your ornaments and send them along with your label/envelope/shipping funds – all ornaments will be mailed to you in early February!

~ These photos are just an example of puffy, stuffed heart ornaments I made a few years ago. Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo - they were painted, dyed and stamped! Remember, you can create whatever type of ornament you wish as long as it is lightweight & easy to hang.

New Swap #2: CREATIVE BAGS

Fabric bag by Anne St. Louis!
THIS SWAP is CLOSED - and was completed in February, 2008.

We enjoyed this swap so much in 2007 that we have decided to run it again. This time I will be expanding the swap to allow ANY type of creative bag or purse, not just fabric! The deadline for this swap is due in my hands by February 23rd, 2008 - late entries will be returned. This is a 1 for 1 creative bag swap. Participants can create 2 sets if they wish, trading 2 bags for 2. You only need to create 1 bag ~ and anything goes!! This means: any size or any style of bag, using any fabric you wish - or any other materials. Your bag can either be handmade by you, or purchased and then embellished.

Any kind of fabric bag is a good choice; a crocheted or knitted bag, or make a cigar box purse. You could create a tote bag, a felted bag, an evening purse, a hobo bag, a beaded bag, a shoulder bag, a make-up bag, or a satchel - you decide!
Create your bag from start to finish, or purchase a plain bag and dress it up with rubber stamping, paint, dye, embroidery stitches, or by transferring images, doing appliqué work or beading. Anything goes with this swap, so be creative!

New Swap #3: Alpha Stamps Tallulah’s Vintage Card/Postcard swap! (fabric or paper)

This swap is closed to join & due March 22nd, 2008.
Below is a sample of the back of a fabric poscard I created for another swap to give you ideas. Your cards/postcards can be fabric, paper, or a combination of both but must use AlphaStamps Tallulah's sheets!
The deadline for this swap is due in my hands by March 22nd, 2008; late entries will be returned.

This is a 5 for 4 swap: Participants will create 5 cards (flat or folded) or postcards (fabric or paper) for 4 cards or postcards. 1 card or postcard will be sent to Alpha Stamps for sponsoring the swap . . . . . . Everyone will receive a gift collage sheet from Alpha Stamps for participating -- and one lucky participant will be awarded a special first prize from Alpha Stamps for the most creative card or postcard.

Requirements: Your cards or postcards must be created with any of the Tallulah’s vintage collage sheet images from the Alpha Stamps website. You are required to email lenna to see if there is still space available in the swap as I will limit the amount of participants to 35 ~ You will receive full details of the swap when you sign up with your first & last name -thank you!

Create your cards! Any size folded card, flat card, postcard is OK as long as it would be easy to mail. You can create these cards so someone could actually use them for correspondence or just create them for their enjoyment. When choosing images from the Alpha Stamp Tallulah’s sheets you will decide whether you will work with card stock, vellum, or fabric sheet images. The actual card is up to you: fabric postcards are very welcome! Folded or flat paper cards are lovely, and paper cards with fabric or lace are a treat! You can make some of each if you like or they can be all the same. You will receive a mixed variety in return. Hope to hear from you! Contact me via email to see if there is room - see my profile page for the address.

Below are two fabric & paper pieces I have created from one of my favorite Tallulah's sheets; Drama Queens (scroll down once there to see it).
I hope this will give you some ideas!

New Swap #4: Shades of White ~ Quilties

Swap #4: Shades of White ~ a fabric page/quilties swap -

Feb. 25th: This swap is Full and closed to join.
The deadline for this swap is due in my hands by April 26th, 2008, and late entries will be returned. Participants will create four 6” x 6” Quilties (fabric pages) in exchange for four different ones in return. You may create 2 sets of 4 quilties if you wish, trading 8 for 8 (your choice) -no need to tell me in advance how many fabric pages you are creating. As always, a small gift or extra quiltie for the hostess is much appreciated!

Requirements:
1. Your fabric pages must all be the same size: 6” x 6” - as some participants will take their swap quilties and bind them into a fabric book, create a wall hanging, or make a small lap quilt.
2. Your pages are to be created on a theme of Shades of White. Think winter whites, vintage whites, ecru and white, lace and *light*. You do not have to work ONLY in white; simply with an emphasis on white or shades of white. To give you some ideas, here is what Wikipedia says about white: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White
3. You are required to email lenna to see if there is space available in the swap. I will limit the amount of participants to 25-30.
CREATE your quilties! I have some basic instructions on my website to help you get started: http://www.creativelenna.com/FAQs/faqs.htm. The front and back of the fabric page or quiltie put together with batting in the middle, is considered 1 page. It is up to you whether you decorate both side of your fabric page; you can concentrate on the front of the page and save the back for your contact information. If you prefer, decorate both sides. This is your choice and either way is acceptable! Your Quilties can be all the same OR all different. This swap is limited to 30 players (FULL 12/5/07) and due in my hands April 26th, 2008, full details upon signing up - you will find my email to contact me on my profile page.

Click on any photo for more detail.

The winner is . . . Vicki Page!

It was very hard for me to pick a winner as so many of the fabric bags that were sent in were so creative! Scroll down to the next post to see an amazing slide show of all the bags!

With much pleasure, I am chosing Vicki Page for the most creative bag sent in for our swap. Her bag is incredibly beautiful and shows an amazing amount of work! She quilt-pieced (I think that is best how to describe it) and sewed and embroidered and embellished and put a lot of thought into her bag. She calls it a Japanese inspired bag and the Japanese word you see on the front of the bag means 'Artist'. The small green butterfly to the left of the Japanese woman represents the human soul, and the koi fish she appliquéd onto the other side of the bag means 'fearless'. Well done, Vicki!

Here are a few more photos (click on any photo for a larger picture) of Vicki's award winning bag -- and photos her prize below that! I am giving Vicki a shoulder bag I decorated : ) It was once a plain black bag. I added layers of paint, mostly Lumiere, then textured the paint with tools, stamped on top of that . . . and then added an image from artchix studio with alphabet beads which spell out, "let go". I hope you enjoy, Vicki!





Vicki's prize: a bag by lenna!

Thanks to all for participating!

Fabric Bag Swap Slide Show!

All the bags are in for our swap, so I thought I would give you a little slide show while I swap them out & decide on a first place winner for the most creative bag! Enjoy. Yours creatively, lenna

Fabric Bag Swap - Sue Simpson, WA

From Sue Simpson who lives in Camano Island, WA - a lovely knitted & felted bag! It's very, very soft to the touch. A close up and the whole bag - click on any photo for more detail.

Thanks sue!

Fabric Bag Swap - Victoria Talcott Wormell, CT

A very cool hand crocheted and felted bag got here just in the nick of time from my friend & student, Victoria Talcott Wormell! I love the bright color, short handles and fuzzy fibers that embellish it - Thank you Victoria, for being part of this fun swap!!

update!

Just a quick note to let you know ALL the bags made it here on time -just 2 more bags to photograph & upload-soon! I will SWAP them out this weekend. Oh my, be still my heart! So many beautiful bags I hope it won't bee too hard! If you'd like to view all of the bags that came in for the swap - follow that link! I will be adding another fabric bag swap to the mix of new swaps ~ an announcement will be coming out soon : ^ ) lenna

swap update!

I am just waiting for a couple more bags that are due to arrive tomorrow, right on time on the deadline day. I want to say thanks so much to everyone in this swap for being so clever and creative and for getting your swaps here on time so I can include them! Also, many thanks to those of you who contacted me to gracefully bow out of the swap for one reason or another. You must know I will truly miss your art, but don't mind you dropping your participation in one of my swaps as long as you tell me -- so I'm not left wondering what happened! If you can't make the deadline but are considerate and let me know, I will welcome you with open arms to any future swaps I host : )) I do understand. Sometimes life happens! All you need to do is communicate with me. Thanks.

. . . Speaking of future swaps, I am planning on announcing the new swaps very soon! I have talking about them and have been wanting to announce them for a while, but really rather have all the specifics organized, laid out, and clear in my mind before I make the announcements. I've been distracted - sorry! We FINALLY closed the deal to buy the home that we moved to TWO months ago, late yesterday afternoon, the 13th of November. Everything was recorded this morning and we now own our new home - HOORAY! I will get to the announcements of new swaps & the swapping of this wonderful bag swap this weekend, after all the entries have arrived. ThanK YoU so much!

Fabric Bag Swap - Stacha Reed, WI

Stacha wrote that she doesn't usually sew, but you would not know that by looking at this bag! She even added a cool magnetic clasp. Click on any picture below for more detail. Thanks for participating, Stacha!

Fabric Bag Swap - Heather Alwaisi, MN

Heather from MN sent in the coolest knitted bag - I think it's knitted? (instead of crocheted). This bag is so soft and textured . . . mmm! thank you Heather! Here are a couple of photos:
So cool!

Fabric Bag Swap - Linda Bean, NY

From Linda Bean in NY - Two fabric bags that are different from all the others I have received! Linda has created bags with a hanger on top! Here are some pics so you can se what I mean. Thank you Linda, for your creative contribution to our Fabric bag swap - I love these! : ) lenna

Fabric Bag Swap - ShuWanna Stout, St. Thomas, USVI

From ShuWanna Stout in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands comes another fabric bag to amaze and impress me. Thank you, ShuWanna! This bag is quilted with beaded trim along the front flap and a velcro closure. It's just beautiful! I have been having so much fun with this swap that I am considering running it again; not due until the end of February, 2008. Let me know if you are interested by voting in the poll at the top right of this page. Here are some close up views of ShuWanna's beautiful fabric bag; click on any photo for more detail!

Fabric Bag Swap - Cynthia Weed - Wyo

From Miz Cynthia Weed in Wyoming, another most wonderful Fabric Bag to add to our swap, thank you Miz Weed! Wow, all of the participants just keep amazing me . . . . so glad i decided to host this one!
Cynthia wrote me a note saying she would love to do another fabric bag exchange now that she has explored some of the "Baggy" possibilities : )) -- well, what do you think? Maybe I will add a poll . . .

Fabric Bag Swap - Susan Metcalfe, Texas

What a sweet bag Susan Metcalfe has sent in for our Fabric Bag swap. It has a darling handle that looks like it's been stamped . . . made of beautiful silky fabric with a great closure & it has collage images on the back, wow! Take a look, I think you will agree with me -- it's fab! Click on the photos for more detail & enjoy! Thank you, Susan.

Fabric Bag Swap - Donna Eck, CA

Oh My goodness! More gorgeous fabric bags keep materializing (no pun intended!) in my mailbox. Wow, I just love the bag that Donna Eck has sent to us from California. The postcards & letters on the bag even bear the San Francisco postmark on them, so cool!! Donna wrote in an email to me, "I took a "Three Hour Tote Bag" class at my local quilt shop and I've been having so much fun with it, putting my on slant on it. This exchange really got me thinking and creating. I do appreciate you hosting these swaps. Can't wait to see everyone else's."
Me either, Donna!

For a closer look, just click on any of the photos . . .

A look into swapping out the Mother Goose ATCs!

Here's what the floor of my office looked like, before I even swapped any of the ATCs for our swap. This was just the preparing stage! You can be very sure that the door to my office was closed at all times during this procedure to keep curious, playful kittens at bay! It really was not a bad job; I prepare by setting everyone's work out on top of their mailing envelope and then I usually figure out the swapping on paper first; making a chart of sorts. When doing the actual, physical swapping there always seems to be one piece leftover needing a swap, so I end up doing another swap with someone to make sure everyone gets different art in the exchange. It typically works out without too much of a hitch. : ) Packaging them up after they are swapped is another job it itself, but I don't mind doing it despite the work because of all the great art I get to see first-hand. Thank you for joining my art swaps! They were all mailed yesterday, November 5th, 2007 - and included a gift from Alpha Stamp's owner Leslie Elledge.

Below is a peek at the folders I told you I was making for the swap to hold your swap returns . . . . . they are stamped with Humpty Dumpty and Three Little Kittens rubber stamps from Alpha Stamps.