Alpha Stamp/Tallulah's Swap: Patricia Schweitzer

From Patricia Schweitzer in Kentucky, we have received some wonderful and dimensional cards for our Alpha Stamps Tallulah's Swap! She did lots of cutting, trimming & positioning of embossed vintage images to coordinate with the beautiful Tallulah's images of Lina Cavalieri.



Thank you, Patricia! See a close-up below!

White Quilties! ~ Vicki Page

Look at this beautiful package of Shades of White Quilties for our swap from Vicki Page ~thank you!!


Then, take a look at all the 6x6 inch quilties that Vicki made below -click on any photo for a larger more detailed photo:

** Now, I think I have figured out which quiltie you made as a gift for me, Vicki . . . is it the one with the stars in the sky??


Vicki wrote me an email where she explained her process: "These quilties were made by painting muslin with a shiney white paint then adding two different colors of glitter. Then is used some different mesh or tulle fabric ironed on some wonder under then ironed that on top of the painted surface. The rest of the quiltie was made from some old antique laces that I've collected at auctions, flea markets and antique shops over the past 5 years. Just love the stuff! Once I got into the box of my old laces I couldn't believe how much of it I had. Must have a addiction for the stuff! Some of the laces are also new, and some of it I tried tea staining and coffee staining. Just playing around but sure enjoyed it. I saw this technique in one of my magazines so had to give it a try."

Creative Bag Swap: Vicki Page

This creative bag is from Vicki Page in Cottage Grove, WI. I think both the bright fabric & the bamboo handles are faboo! Vicki has also done some beading, she's added fibers, plus she's made a Velcro closure on the inside top of the bag. I just found her email where she told me more about creating this bag:

"The purse I made is a pattern from Amy Butler then I added my own spin for the handles. The design on the purse: I used different yarns using a fabric spray to glue them down put washable sulky over the top and sewed a graph across the yarns to catch all of them. Then washed the sulky out and added some beads. The theme I used was "Under the Tuscon Sun" hopefully you see that within the beaded design of the purse and the fabric I choose."

Click on any of my photos of her bag for more details - Thanks, Vicki!

Creative Bag Swap: Donna Eck

From Donna Eck in San Jose, CA we have the cutest little Sushi Bag!! So original, Donna! You will see Donna has beaded some of the images, lined the bag, added a ribbon handle, and a cool little butterfly tassle to the zipper pull. Donna fabric art designs can be found in her etsy shop that she shares with a silver jewelry designer!

Here are more views of Donna's bag -- of course, click on any photo for more detail!

more updates tomorrow!

As of today I have also received creative bags from Donna Eck and Vicki Page, plus shades of White Quilties from Vicki Page and a wonderful package of cards for the Tallulah's swap for Patricia Schweitzer, whew! Tomorrow, I will finish those uploads & see what else arrives in my mailbox : )) lenna

Creative Bag Swap: Kitty Mitchell

Oh my! Kitty Mitchell from New York has sent in a gorgeous painted canvas sachel for our swap!! I think this is a very creative approach to our bag swap and I love what Kitty has done. Her painting is wonderful and on top of that she has added some fibers and real shells. Very cool!

I will add some additional photos below; click for more detail. Thanks so very much, Kitty!













A close up below:

Creative Bag Swap: Anne St. Louis

From Calgary, Canada comes Anne St. Louis' bag! I am again amazed at the variety and the beautiful execution of all the creative bags for this swap. Anne's would make a lovely knitting, sewing or crocheting sachel. I will add another photo or two below, click on any one of them for more detail.

Thanks for participating Anne, in between packing, unpacking and chasing around a toddler!

Creative Bag Swap: Fiona Brockie

All the way from Scotland, Fiona sent this wonderful little evening bag she made with real Japanese Kimono silks. Wow! It is wonderful, don't you think? My photos cannot quite capture the softness and luxuriousness of the silks . . . .






Fiona surprised me by including a gift for me, a smaller version of the bag she made for our first bag swap last November. She says this one was designed to be a little sewing tote to carry reels of cotton. I have plenty of Fat Quarters that will fit in here nicely! This was so kind of Fiona, thank you . . . . Here's a photo, click on it for more detail of the bag.



Here are both bags Fiona created. I must say I am impressed! Thanks again for sharing your talents with us Fiona, and for participating from across the ocean (pond)!

Alpha Stamp/Tallulah's Swap: Frieda Oxenham

From the multi-talented Frieda Oxenham in Scotland, we have received 5 of the most delicious quilted fabric postcards for our Alpha Stamps Tallulah's card/postcard swap : )

Mmmm! The postcards are made of black velvet with gold quilting that you can probably just barely see via the scan, try clicking on the image for a closer look. Frieda used Alpha Stamps fabric sheets from the Tallulah's collection and she wrote more details on how she created these on her own blog, Frieda Quilter. Please go there to learn more and view some of the many other wonderful things Frieda creates! I will put additional photos of the fronts and backs of Frieda's postcards for the swap below. thank so much for participating, Frieda!!


Since Monday is a Holiday here in the US, you will not see me post again here until Tuesday afternoon -if my mail carrier does bring me some more packages.
(I did make her a valentine for all her hard work!)

update on swaps - February 15th

Just to let you know -- I have a few spaces in the Shades of White Quilties swap (4 for 4) and about 6 spaces available for the Alpha Stamps Tallulah's card/postcard swap (5 for 4) because some people needed to drop. Please email me & let me know if you'd like to join us! lenna [at] creativelenna [.] com

Alpha Stamp/Tallulah's Swap: Martha Franklin

Martha Franklin from Virginia sent in the first entries for our Tallulah's card/postcard swap: 2 sets of wonderful postcards using Tallulah's images from Alpha Stamps. Martha used watercolor paper as her postcard base and combined images with very appropriate and sometimes funny sayings!

Here to the left and below, Martha used images from the '20 Beauties' collage sheet and also the Bathing Beauties collage sheet, found here.

Click on any scan for a larger more detailed view. I will add more scans of Martha's postcards below; remember she created 2 sets ~ Thank you, Martha. Just lovely!

Creative Bag Swap: Anna Luna

From Anna Luna in San Antonio Texas, we have a wonderful handmade creative bag. I love this bag's shape! I have not seen anything like it before. I hope I don't lead too sheltered a life!

Anna wrote: It is from Amy Butler's pattern for the Frenchy Bag. I have some pictures of it on my blog.
Well, I have heard of Amy Butler before! No wonder I like Anna's creative bag ~ : ^ D
I still have not made a bag myself to add to the swap, but I hope to get it done in a week's time. I have the luxury of not having to mail, so I get an extra few days to create.

REMEMBER - all bags are due here in CT by 2/23/08 in order to be included. Please let me know if you cannot make the deadline!

More photos of Anna's bag -click on any picture for more detail. Anna has created some lovely divided pockets inside this bag.

Creative Bag Swap: Cynthia Zdanzukas

From one of my long-time swap participants -- Cynthia Zdanzukas in CT, a wonderful wool bag, which I think Cynthia felted herself. YES, she did! I just received thid note from Cynthia:

"A warning about felting – it’s addictive! I immediately started another bag, all of the ladies at work want one now! It is so fun!"

I have not gotten into felting at all myself, but I really love the look!

Thanks so much Cynthia for participating and sending in with plenty of time to spare. My power is back on here in Avon, CT - I hope you are doing well where you are too!

A reminder: ALL BAGS are due in my hands february 23rd - just a week and a half away! Looking forward to swapping these beauties out!

Creative Bag Swap: Carolyn Getter

From Carolyn Getter in Northampton, MA (she was practically neighbors with my son Dallas, when he lived there!) comes a really funky yet very functional purse.

How cool is this?? I love the handle and all the wild bits & pieces Carolyn has secured to the top of this very creative purse! Below is another view - click on any photo for more detail. Thanks so much, carolyn!

White Quilties! ~ Amanda Blunden Smith

Amanda, from Oxon, UK sent her white quilties all wrapped up individually. It made me smile to see the wrapping in shades of white! I did unwrap these packages to photograph them, but saved all the wrappings & will fix them all up again before swapping them out : )

Amanda used some beautiful old laces when creating her quilties . . . . click on any photo for more detail.

And she enclosed a beautiful GIFT for me of some of these laces, and a lovely handmade card. Oh my gosh! I have not started my own set of shades of white quilties to swap yet, so I think I will be employing some of these delicious bits~ thank you so much, Amanda!