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. 

Rena Matus: haiku ATC swap

Sent from my old home state of CT, Rena Matus has sent us 3 ATCs for the swap, plus she gifted an extra one for me, thank you.

Rena's ATCs are hand painted on fabric and were inspired by her first close up encounter with a hummingbird. I had the same experience myself about 10 years ago in CT. It is really quite something to see one up close. 

Thanks so much, Rena.

Sabrina Hoeke: haiku ATC swap

From Sabrina in California, we have 3 autumn wind haiku ATCs.....

You'll find Sabrina's blog here. 

Thank you, Sabrina.

Tiffiny Jackson: Haiku ATC swap

From California, Tiffiny has sent us 3 hand drawn/collage ATCs with 'urban' haiku.

Thanks so much - Tiffiny's blog is here!

Jo-Ann Reichert: Haiku ATCs

From Pennsylvania, Jo-Ann sends 3 hand painted ATCs that she added beeswax to.

her haiku reads:

Moon sheds light on us

Shimmering beauty ocean

Summer's days to end

she also so sweetly, made a card for me on the same idea . . .

Thank you Jo-Ann.

Visit her PictureTrail here.

All ATCs are due Saturday, October 8th.

I am expecting a few more.

a personal note

My dad passed away yesterday after a long illness and I have posted his obituary on my personal blog. I wanted you to know, just in case you had not heard. It is sad and it is life changing but it is also a relief after his long illness. Thank you in advance for your care and understanding if I am delayed in any aspect. Lenna

Barbara Johnson: Haiku ATC swap

Yesterday, I received these really lovely ATCs from Barbara Johnson in Illinois. More than I expected, I have been enjoying receiving and especially reading everyone's haiku.

All haiku ATCs are due in my hands one week from today, October 8th. I will swap them out as soon as I am able and then I will be taking a small break from hosting swaps. My father was transported to the Hospice House last night and was settled in comfortably. He was having end-of-life symptoms that were difficult to manage at home and I know in my heart that now he is in the best place for everyone involved. He has been battling cancer for over 3 years. We, my entire family, have each other and we are holding up. I need to keep doing what I can as far as my art and the swap for my own well-being, but wanted you to understand if I am not here. Thank you. lenna

Siri Opdal: haiku ATC swap

From Siri in Norway -wow! Three lovely fabric ATCs for our swap, plus some handmade flowers for me. Thank you so much, Siri! View all of Siri's swap pieces here -this is her 7th creative swap. ; ^ )

click for details.

Siri's haiku is on the back . . . 

Love the postage stamp, flower & colorful strip of paper!

Thank you, Siri. 

Ellen Lai: haiku ATC swap

All the way from Singapore, yesterday I received Ellen Lai's beautiful ATCs for our haiku themed swap.

Ellen enclosed a tatted butterfly she made for me, shown above -thank you!

Ellen embroidered the fabric (this is fabric on top of paper),

tatted the tiny butterflies and dyed the fabric too.

The postage stamps from Singapore are a real treat - I'll be sure to use them.

Turtles and Tamarind!

Ellen wrote about her haiku ATCs and shared more photos, here on her blog. 

I am so glad you could join us, Ellen.

leigh sanders: haiku ATC swap

From Spain, Leigh Sanders has sent in 4 very wonderful watercolor haiku ATCs for our swap. This is Leigh's second creative swap (view both entries here). I so love her style and the colors she freely uses. I feel very fortunate that she sent an extra ATC as a gift.

click for details

You can find out more about Leigh and her art on her own blog, Ruby Barr. When I first visited her blog, I learned she was using Spoonflower. This is a site where you can upload your own designs and create your own fabric! I went to her profile and promptly bought a fat quarter of her Spring 2011 flower design -the link to this is on her blog. It is fantastic! I looked around the Spoonflower site and decided it was easy enough to upload a couple of my recent art journal pages as my own designs for fabric. I have purchased Fat Quarters (21" x 18") of my designs and I am also very pleased with how they came out. You can view my fabric designs here. The ideas are mind-boggling. Thank you, Leigh! I so appreciate your art and your participation all the way from Spain.  ; ^ ) lenna

Joanna Urbani: haiku ATC swap

Joanna's beautiful haiku ATCs arrived from Kent, UK and I feel so lucky to be able to hold them in my hands. The only way I could give you an indication of how beautifully iridescent they are was to photograph them. Please right-click for the largest view.

Then I scanned them for details.

Joanna's husband helped her with a few of the words . . . 

like surveying ; ^)

Please read more on Joanna's blog!

I think I may be making another set of these if I can. Have fun! 

Due October 8th -still time to join.

postcard mail art swap MAILED!

Ken is my mailman, of course!

100 postcards! 

Hope you receive them soon ; ^ )

Thanks again for a really great swap and please thank your postcard maker when you receive. If you cannot figure out their name or email from one of my reminder emails, feel free to contact me. I will get back to you as soon as I can.

postcard mail art swap - ready to mail

I have all the postcards swapped and addressed -complete with postage stamps. I did put some of them in clear plastic bags if I thought they needed the protection. I would have usually gotten all of this swapping done a bit sooner, but my dad has not been well. Understandably with my dad not doing well (cancer) my attention lately has been on my family and not the swap. I was able to take care of the swap, just slower than usual. In fact, it was good to have this task to do. It kept my mind occupied on other things when I was worried. Steven and I are not traveling to my son's wedding next weekend . . . we feel we need to be here for my mom & dad instead and Dallas and his fiance do understand.

The postcards are in a box ready to go, so I will mail them tomorrow, I just wanted you to know. If I am slow on uploading the Haiku ATCs, this is why. Joanna Urbani's arrived today and they are gorgeous. Have a peek on her blog: http://fiddlesnips.blogspot.com.
Thanks.

haiku 9.20.11

walk with the minnows
darting and flashing ahead
the dogs don't see them.

swoosh goes the water
swoosh, whoosh, swoosh against our legs
the sun shines warmly.

lenna young andrews 09.20.2011

laurie morris: haiku atc swap

Laurie Morris, who lives not too far from me in Florida, registered for 2 sets of haiku ATCs. She wrote me an email earlier this month saying, "You have created a monster! More politely, haha, let me say that I have been writing haiku nonstop!!" : ^ ) The haiku she chose for her ATCs were written by others, but Laurie thinks she'll use the haiku she wrote for The Stetchbook Project. Awesome! Just this morning while walking in the water with my dogs at DeSoto Park, I was composing haiku in my head. Writing haiku is kind of addictive! Here are Laurie's ATCs:

Click on any picture for details, use the "x" in the right corner to return. 

The glass leaf bead in the center, above left and also on the 1st ATC are beads Laurie bought in Paris in 2005. 

Thanks very much, Laurie - for all this beauty and haiku!