Three very cool valentine ornaments arrived today from Donna Eck in San Jose, California. Donna created sachets for our swap by recycling old materials, including old prom dresses and recycled bride's maid dresses. I love this idea!! Way-to-go Donna. These heart sachets are so creative!
WOW, these ornaments Gunvor made are so interesting and beautiful. Click on the scan for more detail. There is an extra one for me, and 3 for the swap! The red heart is on one side and a cherub with collage papers and some clear embossing on top of this perhaps? Note: Gunvor wrote and told me it was actually crackle accents from Ranger, and that she loved that stuff! Gunvor has her own blog - "May the ink be with you" : ) - but be forewarned you will need a translator unless you speak Swedish. I used this one and Gunvor said I understood pretty well!
Gunvor, many thanks for participating & sending all the way from Sweden to CT, USA!
From Peggy Gato in Alamo, CA - we have a cool and creative bag for our swap due here February 23rd. Thanks for sending this early!
It's great! Thanks again, Peggy : ))
From Sharon Schutt in Indiana we have 3 beautiful woven & beaded valentine heart ornaments, complete with a little pocket on the back for love notes or treats! (click on the picture for more detail) - Sharon enclosed a wonderful note and with it a real chocolate Valentine Heart from DeBrand, a local chocolatier to her. Thank you!! I hate to admit it, but I already ate it (delicious)! I am sure many of you feel like Sharon, who wrote; "I'm having so much fun creating the Valentine's for the swap. And then I realized that receiving three Valentines from the other artists will be the second half of the fun~ And even better that the first half of the swap as surprises will soon be on their way." 
From Gayle in New Jersey, first we have two soft and beautiful fabric heart shaped ornaments - see the scans to the right and below - click on them for more detail. Both sides of these cloth ornaments are beautiful!
The other heart ornament (pink with white lace, bottom right) was a hostess gift made especially for me - thank you so much Gayle!
For her third ornament (this swap is in sets of 3) Gale made a lightweight square ornament - see below!
This swap is really shaping up - there is about one week until all the pieces are due here (Feb. 2nd). Please send your ornaments off if you have not already!
From my friend Marla in Colorado, we have a set of 3 lovely fabric, trim & button heart ornaments --plus an extra heart ornament just for me. Thanks ever so much, Marla!
All the way from Madrid, Spain! I have received three wonderful Valentine Ornaments for our swap, by Mercedes Jimenez. WOW! Your Valentines are delightful, Mercedes! Thanks so much for playing and sending from far away.
Oh My! I have received a lot of swaps recently. It's all good - keep them coming!
From Susanne Wiebe in Victoria, British Columbia -- a wonderful handmade creative bag with pockets and a matching eyeglass case! There is another picture below, to show off the pockets Susanne added . . . there is one on the outside of the bag and one on the inside. Susanne did a wonderful job - this bag is totally lined! [click on any photo for a better view]
Very cool! I will also brag and thank Susanne publicly for the wonderful and needed eyeglass case she included just for me!! (see photo below with one of my kitties)
I think Farfel likes it : ) and wants it for his own!
Don't worry, I was WEARING my glasses when I took this photo!! Thanks again, Susanne. Love your fabric art!
From Eva Nyberg in Sweden we have received some lovely mixed media pieces for our valentine swap. Eva did post these on her blog: Eva Scrap - which I follow regularily, but of course it is much more of an experience to see these beauties in person! One reason you join swaps, I bet . . . . nothing like holding a piece of hand made art in your hand, right?? : ^)
I love Eva's use of color and what I call her hand-dyed "cheesecloth" . . . but I think she has another name for it - I can't remember?? When Eva took my Mini Art Quilt class through joggles.com last Fall, I think she also used this material to make some gorgeous quilties ~ go see!
Eva made 3 ornaments for our swap and then she made an extra "St. Valentines" piece for lucky me! (see below - purple & pink). It says: "I claim there ain't another Saint as great as Valentine"
~Thank you so much, Eva!
Ginny Ballou from MA sent the coolest ornaments for our valentines swap. I would have never thought of this: A veritcal Valentine's Banner! Thank you Ginny! Here you see it OPEN and folded up - click on any photo for a better view . . . .
From Wil Opio Oguta in the Netherlands I have received my first swap pieces for the Shades of White Quilties swap due here in CT on or before April 26th. Wil is definitely working ahead and I am so happy to have her in my swap!
From Laura Butler in VT, who was a student in one of my workshop classes last Fall, I have received a lovely knitted & felted bag for our swap. Thank you! It is wonderful to see the variety and care that goes into each piece.
. . . . from Doris Stahl in England two sets of wonderful, very creative Valentine Ornaments have arrived! They are covered with soft felt and fabric - or some are plain, and Doris has attached the words "Love Nest" on one side, and the quote "Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence" on the other side.
You can read more about them on Doris' blog!
