White Quilties! ~ Joellyn Quinn

Joellyn Quinn from Sun Prarie, WI has sent in some really lovely shades of white quilties. I am going to let the photos do the talking! Click on any photo for more detail.

Thanks so much, Joelleyn.

This photo is a bit blurry unfortunately, Joellyn did a great job with the backs, printing the info on fabric.

New Swap #5: ‘Altered by Design’ Angels, Fairies & Divas ATC swap 6 for 5

2008 - swap #5 - An ‘Altered by Design’ sponsored Angels, Fairies & Divas ATC swap due May 24th!

Think “Diva Darlings” and create 6 ATCs on the theme of angels, fairies and/or divas for 5 ATCs in return, using any of Altered by Design collage sheet images. The extra ATC will go to the sponsor/hostess of the swap. This swap is due in my hands May 24, 2008. Late entries will be returned.
Requirements: Your ATCs should be 2.5 x 3.5 in size, landscape or portrait orientation. The base of the ATC can be created from fabric, cardstock or both. Each ATC must have one ‘Altered by Design’ collage sheet image by Carol Murphy incorporated into it's design. These images can be found for purchase at joggles.com where there are many beautiful sheets to choose from on all different themes. Participants in this swap can create Angel ATCs, Fairy ATCs or Diva (beautiful women) ATCs using Carol Murphy’s wonderful collage sheets. Create some of each kind or create all on one theme. I will leave that decision totally up to you! You will receive a variety of ATCs in return.

Please look at Carol’s collage sheets and you will certainly be inspired to create for this swap! You might recognize the “Be my Valentine” collage sheet, as Carol used these images for her Valentine Ornaments in our recent creative swap (left). There is even one collage sheet called “Darling Diva Potpourri” – it would be just perfect for this swap.

An Important Note!! Each participant will receive an ‘Altered by Design’ limited edition collage sheet created just for the participants by Carol, along with a "Snippet Pack" (random images from Carol’s collage sheets) with their swap returns. One lucky artist will be awarded a special first prize for the most creative ATCs. Carol Murphy, the sponsor of this creative swap, is awarding this first prize participant a copy of Bernie Berlin’s fabulous book, the Artist Trading Card Workshop. WOW!

*Because participation is limited you must email lenna to check availability and to sign up for any of the creative swaps. Please include your first and last name along with your preferred email address for correspondence. After I receive your email I will let you know promptly if there is room in the swap you desire to join - and sign you up, if there is/or put you on a waiting list, if there is not. Once your participation is confirmed, I will send you via email the full details of this swap including mailing instructions. Your swaps must arrive to me -by the due date. Create your swaps and send them along with your label/envelope/shipping funds. All swaps will be mailed to you promptly in early June, 2008. As the swaps arrive, I will post your artwork on the creative swaps blog for all to enjoy. If you have a personal blog or website, send the address to me with your swap pieces and I will add that to your post of your swap pieces.
This swap is limited to 35 players. I'm looking forward to this! : ) lenna

New Swap #6: Alpha Stamps/Grimm Fairy Tale Collage Swap due June 28

Creative Swaps 2008, swap #6 - An Alpha Stamps/Grimm Fairy Tale small collage swap, due June 28 and closed for joining. This is a 4 for 4 swap of mixed media collages (all sized 5”x 5”). If you desire, create 5 pieces for 4 in return. This extra will go to the sponsor/hostess and is optional. I will send your extra piece along to Leslie at Alpha Stamps after choosing a few to keep for myself! Any extras are most appreciated by your host & sponsor. If you are not familiar with the Grimm Fairy Tales, take a look at this Wikipedia entry.

This swap is sponsored by Alpha Stamps and has required Alpha Stamp products. Each participant will receive a special Alpha Stamps gift collage sheet made especially for this swap just for participating : ) One lucky artist will be awarded a special first prize from Alpha Stamps for the most creative collages! This swap is limited to 35 players.

Requirements: The collages for this swap will be created and layered onto a 5”x 5” art board or cardstock -your choice, but no substitutes. Your collages must utilize fabric, paper and/or transparency images from the new collection of Alpha Stamps Grimm Fairy Tale collage sheets. This special collection includes Red Riding Hood sheets, a dozen new Cinderella Sheets, new Sleeping Beauty, Grimm fairytale book covers, related castle, roses and jousting sheets -- all available now. Snow White and the Frog Prince collage sheets should be available soon, as well as many others! Leslie Elledge, owner of Alpha Stamps collects vintage children's books, so lucky for us! There is a link under “More Fairy Tales” on the Brother’s Grimm page on Alpha Stamps where you can sign up to be notified of additions to the page.

Your collages MUST be created with any of the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale collage sheet images from the Alpha Stamps website. You may do TWO sets of four collages if you wish. When you receive your swaps back, four collages would make a lovely framed display and eight pieces could even be made up into a small book. It’s up to you whether you create 1 or 2 sets of 5” x 5” collages & you do not have to tell me in advance how many pieces you will create. Deadline for this swap is due in my hands by June 28th, 2008. Late entries will be returned.

*Because participation is limited you must email lenna to check availability and sign up for any of the creative swaps. Please include your first and last name along with your preferred email address for correspondence. After I receive your email I will let you know promptly if there is room in the swap you desire to join - and sign you up, if there is/or put you on a waiting list, if there is not. Once your participation is confirmed, I will send you via email the full details of this swap including mailing instructions. Your swaps must arrive to me -by the due date. Create your swaps and send them along with your label/envelope/shipping funds. All swaps will be mailed to you promptly in early July, 2008. As the swaps arrive, I will post your artwork on the creative swaps blog for all to enjoy. If you have a personal blog or website, send the address to me with your swap pieces and I will add that to your post of your swap pieces.

After confirming your space in this swap, create your collages! Again, they must be based on either a 5”x 5” piece of cardstock or art board and utilize fabric, paper and/or transparency images from any Alpha Stamps Brothers Grimm collage sheets. You can use additional papers, fabric, paint, watercolour crayons, any mixed media along with the Alpha Stamps images. Your collages can be completely different from one another or they can be all of the same design. They should be left plain, without a hanger, so that your recipient can decide whether to put these collages into a book, hang them together in a frame, hang them separately, or not at all! You will receive a mixed variety of collages in return. It is always nice to know who created what, and even how, so for each collage please add a tag, write a note, add a business card, a Moo card, or at least sign your name, and perhaps add a description of your techniques. Thank you!

New Swap #7 - a fabric page/quilties swap, due July 19th

Sorry, this swap is already FULL. You may email me to put your name on a waiting list in case someone has to drop out - you could take theeir place.

Swap # 7 in 2008: Due July 19th – a fabric page/Quilties swap! Theme: Shades of spring ~ Brown & Robin’s Egg Blue (4/4) The deadline for this swap is: due in my hands by July 19th, 2008. 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. There’s no need to tell me in advance how many quilties you are creating. As always, a small gift or extra quiltie for the hostess is very much appreciated!

Requirements:
1. Your quilties must all be the same size: 6” x 6” - Some participants will take their fabric pages and bind them into a fabric book, some will create a wall hanging or make a small lap quilt, so it is good if they are all the same size. Your Quilties should have finished edges (not open). Edges can be raw (not turned under) but should be stitched.

2. Your fabric pages/quilties will be created on a theme of “shades of spring” – and specifically the colors: shades of Brown & Robin’s Egg Blue. I got this idea from a color combo ATC swap; these 2 shades are just great together! Above is a scan of a Quiltie I created in 2006 for a 'Blue' Quilties swap, added here simply to give you an idea of what this swap is about. Think spring, rebirth, nests, eggs, birds, and shades of brown & soft blue. Mixed media embellishments are encouraged. Be creative! Challenge yourself to try something new with this swap. The most creative Quilties will be awarded a first prize packet of mixed media & fabric goodies hand-picked from my own stash that is sure to delight!

*Because participation is limited you must email lenna to check availability and sign up for any of the creative swaps. (This swap is FULL). Please include your first and last name along with your preferred email address for correspondence. After I receive your email I will let you know promptly if there is room in the swap you desire to join - and sign you up, if there is/or put you on a waiting list, if there is not. Once your participation is confirmed, I will send you via email the full details of this swap including mailing instructions. Your swaps must arrive to me -by the due date. Create your swaps and send them along with your label/envelope/shipping funds. All swaps will be mailed to you promptly in early August, 2008. As the swaps arrive, I will post your artwork on the creative swaps blog for all to enjoy. If you have a personal blog or website, send the address to me with your swap pieces and I will add that to your post.

This swap is limited to 30 players. After confirming your participation, CREATE your quilties! I have basic instructions on my website to help you get started: http://www.creativelenna.com/FAQs/faqs.htm

Note: the front and back of the Quiltie put together with batting in the middle, is considered one page, for all my swaps. It is your choice whether or not you are going to decorate both side of your fabric page. If you like, you can concentrate on the front of the page and save the back for your contact information. If you prefer, decorate both sides – again, the choice is yours and either way is acceptable! This swap is limited to 30 players and due in my hands July 19th, 2008. If you do not make the deadline, you cannot be included in the swap - so please mail early! Check with me via email to sign up first, thanks!

Alpha Stamp/Tallulah's Swap: Teri Calia

Oh my! This is Teri Calia's Tallulah's postcard created especially for Leslie Elledge, the owner of Alpha Stamps & sponsor of this swap. I think this postcard Teri made is very beautiful and it's so fitting that she asked me to pass this card on to Leslie - who works very hard to create beautiful images for us to work with! Teri also created a card especially for me, and then enclosed 4 more cards to swap. Wow! Teri hails from Emeryville, CA - the hometown of Alpha Stamps!
The backs of Teri's postcards look like this:

I love it! Plain backs are very nice, but I enjoy this so much.

I recently found out Teri has an ETSY shop, called Catnip Designs! You must check it out! Teri is very talented and has many great pieces of art for sale. Below are the rest of Teri's cards for our swap- please click on any one that you wish to see in more detail.

Teri's images on her postcards come from the Beauty Queens Sheet and Paris Showgirls #1 found at Alpha Stamps.

Thank you, Teri!

Alpha Stamp/Tallulah's Swap: Shannon Sawyer

From Shannon Sawyer in Gold Canyon, AZ we have received TWO sets of 5 very creative postcards. Shannon wrote to say she was not really sure about her first set of postcards, so she made another . . . and then decided to send both! Well, as I told Shannon, I am quite impressed with both sets she created. This goes to show you how you can doubt your own work -only to find out later you may have been too hard on yourself!

Shannon sent her swaps in a richly painted padded envelope and enclosed a handmade card and a 1/1 special edition ATC as a gift; MUCH appreciated -thank you Shannon! As always, click on any scan for more detail.

The first 2 cards here use collage images from Tallulah's Beauty Queens and rubber stamp images from Alpha Stamps Pen & Ink Clear Stamp set.

Shannon's card & ATC for me:



Just wonderful!
You can see more of Shannon's art in the Alpha Stamps Gallery. I love this Harlequin piece she created especially for Alpha Stamps.

Alpha Stamp/Tallulah's Swap: Gayle Gross

Gayle Gross from NJ has sent in 4 postcards/flat cards and one folded card. I love the way she created the backs of her flat cards; just beautiful.

Clicking on these scans will open them in a new window, much larger.

Gayle used a variety of collage items, images from the Kisses collage sheet, Bathing Beauties and Modern Romance - all Tallulah's images by Alpha Stamps.

I love this postcard below, Gayle!! Thank you for your lovely hostess gifts as well. Lenna

Alpha Stamp/Tallulah's Swap: Janice Perkin

From Janice Perkin in the UK, we have 4 yummy fabric postcards and one beautiful card using the Alpha Stamps Tallulah's images . . . . please enjoy.


Thank you for the beautiful piece of lace you sent, Janice!

Click on any scan for more detail.
Some of the swap postcards coming in have plain backs - ready to be addressed and used. Other postcards have decorated backs with the artist's info included there. EITHER way is fine!

Alpha Stamp/Tallulah's Swap: Caroline Ouzts Hay

From Caroline Hay in MS, we have a variety a beautiful cards created from Tallulah's Pierrot collage sheet. Click on any scan for more detail.

Caroline included a special ATC for me as a gift - thank you!
Visit Caroline's own blog for more on her art -once there, scroll down to March 5th for more on how she created these lovely cards.

March 8 update

Most everyone who visits this blog knows I have been out of town visiting my parents, but just in case, I wanted you to know I will be home late on Monday night and will catch up with our swaps as soon as I can . . . especially with any packages that have come in while I've been gone. There is a bit more about my absense on my art blog if you are interested! Please contact me with any questions: lenna at creativelenna dot com
Thanks, Lenna

Creative Bag Swap Congratulations!

I have great news! All of the creative bags for our swap have been packaged up and were MAILED today, phew! I forgot that it is always a little bit of a challenge to package such varied types of items . . . . but was it worth it? Yes! I hope you all enjoy the swaps I made for you and you like what you receive as I tried to pair you with someone who's art & creativity I thought you would enjoy. This time, whomever you received a creative bag from, has your bag. It was an equal swap 1 for 1 with no switching around to make things work out. Too cool!

Speaking of CREATIVITY, I have a First & Second Prize to award two participants in this swap. Was this hard to do? YES!! There were so many really creative bags . . . you all did fantastic. The 1st prize for the most creative bag is awarded to Catherine van der Hoeff from the Netherlands. YAY!
I had some ideas of a winner before Catherine's bag arrived, but when it did I knew hers was the one! The felting, beading, sequins, bells, the button fairies - oh MY! I think Catherine's bag really stands out and she really deserved first prize! ~ : ^ ) A close up of her bag is above right . . . and her prize is below. I gathered fabrics I thought she would like, a pattern for fabric bags, bits of my favorite marbled paper, and some fabric images from Alpha Stamps.







I am awarding the SECOND place runner up prize for most creative bag to Mercedes Jiménez Campuzano of Madrid, Spain!

Oh my, Mercedes bag has so much stitching and detail . . .
just beautiful! See the bag to the right.


You can read more about it in my original post or directly on Mercedes' blog . There is a translator on her blog if you do not speak Spanish! For Mercedes' prize I gathered together fabrics and lace I thought she might like; see below - click on any photo for more detail.














Congratulations to everyone on a succesful and beautifully creative swap.
I may orchestrate it, but YOU create it!
NEW SWAPS will not be announced until I return from visiting my parents in Florida; around March 12th, but there is a teaser in the sidebar to the right about what's to come.

yours, creatively, lenna

Creative Bag Swap: Catherine van der Hoeff

Sorry to be a little late in uploading our last creative bag. Here is Catherine's bag, all the way from the Netherlands; I am so glad it made it as it is such a beautiful felted bag. Catherine's note to me, enclosed with her bag, said that she put wool and silk rovings on a scarf and felted everything together. You can see some of the original scarf hanging off either side of her bag. I don't know anything about felting really, but I do love the look!

Catherine also wrote, "When I saw the little button faeries on the ARTchix site I knew I had to make some and find them a good home (. . . or garden!). " There are 2 little button fairies on Catherine's bag, click on the photo to see them better.

Now that ALL the bags are in my hands, I have made my decision on the most creative bag in this swap and a runner up, and I have a prize for both . . . even though you ALL were so creative! As I told the participants in an email, this swap was really amazing as far as creativity - thank you!

I will wait to make the announcement of the winners until ALL the bags are packaged & on their way back to you, hopefully by late tomorrow - check back here please! below, a few more photos of Catherine's felted bag . . . . . (the back and inside, below)

The alphabet beads she added spell out "PICK MORE DAISIES" : ^ )

Creative Bag Swap: Melissa Woolsey

From Melissa Woolsey in OR, A wonderful ART satchel to hold your supplies in!

This is that last bag I received in the mail on Saturday. Catherine Van der Hoff from the Netherlands sent her bag out on February 13th, and that is the one bag I am missing. Parcels to the US usually take a week to 10 days or so, and Saturday marked 9 mailing days. What I am going to do is start to swap these bags out, meaning match them up, tomorrow. I like to try to match you up with someone I think whose work you will appreciate! But if I need to, I may hold a few pieces back for a day or two to see if I can make a swap happen for Catherine. She has been in my swaps previously and has always been very conscientious. If a day or 2 go by and her package is not here, I will send the remaining ones out. I hope this is acceptable to you. I am strict about due dates but would rather bend a little in this case!!

OH! And I will award a first place and a 2nd place runner up with a prize for the most creative bags! That announce will come before all the bags are sent out!
Here are more photos of Melissa's tote, and I want to THANK YOU ALL for participating. If you click on the "creative Bags" tag you can view ALL of the bags that have come in. I would say this swap has excelled most swaps I have hosted because of the creativity displayed. Each package was like opening up a surprise, what would it be?? EACH bag was different from the next, it has been amazing! I am going to have a difficult time picking a first & second prize for most creative . . . . till then! xo lenna

Creative Bag Swap: Rena Matus

Rena dropped off this COoL cigar box purse yesterday, as she does not live far from me here in CT. Rena painted the cigar box, added hardware, decorative stamped paper and rubber stamping, beads and a red satin lining!! wow.

Thanks, Rena!!


You can click on any photo for more details.

Creative Bag Swap: Linda Garcia

Linda Garcia from New Mexico came up with a fabulous idea to Rubber Stamp 2 purchased bags with permanent ink for our swap. They reflect her love of the Southwest, where she resides. I think this was such a great idea!

She has stamped both sides of this bag.

Here is her second bag . . . .

AND, she decorated a bag for me with 2 ATCs and a cute little Gecko all decorated with wire & paint!! Click on it to see it better. . . Awesome, Linda, Thank you!!