New Swap - Prayer Flags!

Announcing Creative Swaps Prayer Flag Swap!

• Create THREE Prayer Flags in exchange for the same amount in return.
• All swap packages must be delivered to me no later than September 15, 2012.
• Late entries will be returned.

Prayer Flags . . . They sound quite religious don’t they? Well, they can be religious in nature. Historically they are rooted in Buddhism. Read more about the history of prayer flags and view some current wonderful samples from The Prayer Flag project, here.

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

I have found through my reading that you can make prayer flags yourself, embodying a looser interpretation of the word prayer, if you wish. Many artists are making prayer flags with this in mind these days, although often with many of the same original intentions. For this swap, I would expect each flag to have a word, a prayer, a wish or a hope associated with it.

My first prayer flag

For inspiration, view a lovely blog post, inspiring blog banner and a beautiful prayer flag by Kim Tedrow, here. I also love this prayer flag by Jane LaFazio - a thing with feathers!

What Size for the swap? We will be making three 5" x 8" prayer Flags for this swap. Lots of ideas and instructions are included in the 10 page document you will automatically receive via an email and a download link when registering for this swap. The $10 fee to register for this swap also includes return postage for your Prayer Flags to you anywhere, including international postage. All Flags will be posted on this blog, with credit to you, as they arrive in my mailbox. See our previous swaps for examples of this.

REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED 7/25/12. How to register: Go to the Registration page: http://creativeswaps.blogspot.com/p/registration.html - you will see the swap listed there. Click on the "Add to Cart" button, which will take you to a PayPal page. Note: You do not need a PayPal account to use this service. PayPal accepts all major credit and debit cards, eChecks and bank transfers. If you are unfamilar with PayPal and want to find out more about it, visit this page.

Registration is handled by e-junkie. You will receive your swap information as soon as your payment has cleared, at any time of the day, in any time-zone - no matter if I am at my computer or not! After registering you will receive an email from e-junkie to your pay pal associated address titled, "Prayer Flag Swap Purchase". This email will include a link for you to download my 10 page pdf file for this swap. Follow the instructions to download this file and then save the file on your computer (somewhere you will remember) or simply print the file out!! It will include the swap rules, where to send your prayer flags, any information, pertaining links and my lesson to get you started.

There will also be a second part to this swap! After all the prayer flags have been swapped and sent home, I will encourage the participants to snap a photo of their prayer flags hung up, so we can all enjoy seeing how they look. This string of flags will include the flags receieved in the swap along with any others the participant has made. Participants will take a photo, upload it to their own blog, website or photo site -someplace on the web with a link to that photo. I'll set up a Link Tool so participants can go to the creative swaps blog and leave the link. Then we can click on it and view your beautiful prayer flags, hanging in the breeze spreading their prayers and wishes!

Re-cap: Prayer Flag Swap
Make three 5x8 fabric mixed media prayer Flags for three in return.
* Delivered to me by September 15, 2012 *
$10 to register for the swap includes a lesson and return postage.
Registration is done via PayPal/Credit Card on the registration page of this blog. Note: Registration has closed. Hope to see you in the next swap! 
I reserve the right to close registration at anytime. If the participation grows too large, I may close the swap to new registration.
* Don't forget to come back here to enjoy each participant's prayer flags *

Thank you so much for your interest in creative swaps - 
Let's get creative and have some fun! 

This image below is from http://janelafazio.com/prayer-flag-project/.  Aren't Jane's flags so very beautiful and creative? It makes me want to go make some!!

by Jane LaFazio - http://janelafazio.com/prayer-flag-project/

Any questions, please email me here.

lenna young andrews -prayer flag swap!!

Did you know I participated in this swap too?
I made 3 flags for the swap and 3 extras to be hung in Florida with my swapped flags - I can't wait! Most of the flags were made while I was visiting Wolfe Island, Ontario -so I either sewed by hand or used glue, as I did not have my sewing machine with me . . . Below you can see 4 of the 6 flags on the table in the cottage that looks over the St Lawrence River!

The flag below was photographed at home in Florida, but created on Wolfe Island . . . with a prayer for a happy home.

The textile beads that hang from this flag are some real beauties by

Carolyn Saxby. I just love her beads!!

Another prayer flag I made in Canada with a wish for peace . . .

The stitching is drawn with a marker -this one was put together only with glue! 

The prayer flag below was hand-stitched and beaded. It uses a linen cocktail napkin (with the little fish) that was my Nonie's. The wish for 'energy' was clumsily hand embroidered by me, but I still like it!

You may recognize the 1st prayer flag I made below, used in my lesson for you. While I was in Canada I outlined the white stamping ink I used with a black sharpie for more definition. Balance.

'Tranquility' was made with vintage linen. After writing my prayer with a permanent marker, color was added with watercolor crayons and I sprayed water to release the color. When that was dry, I used an aerosol artwork sealer to provide some protection from the elements. 

Freedom!  I made this with a piece of fabric that I hand painted on the banks of the St Lawrence River in 2009. I brought it back with me in 2012 in case I wanted to work with it. I cut it to size but did not actually make this flag until i returned to Florida. I was so happy to have my sewing machine available that the first thing I did was add a decorative stitch across the top to make the sleeve. I noticed there was a slight sheen of gold in the fabric from a light wash of Lumiere paint and that caused me to add strips of gold fabric which I hope will sway in the breeze . . . . 

I left threads hanging on purpose and wrote my wish by hand with a gold marker.

That certainly was fun, they are addictive (so quick & easy) . . .

And I'd love to make more! Do you have a favorite of mine?

Swap note: I have gotten caught up with the incoming prayer flags, at least for now! All flags  received are uploaded on the swaps blog. If you sent from overseas I am keeping my fingers crossed because I know a couple of you are waiting to hear of swap package arrival. There are 9 mailing days left for packages to reach me. They due in my hands September 15th, so I hope to see them all. If you cannot make the deadline, please let me know.

The essence of all art is to have pleasure in giving pleasure.
  ~ Mikhail Baryshnikov

update: prayer flag swap

There are 40 participants signed up for the prayer flag swap and Registration has CLOSED. I'm traveling during the month of August and we'll have limited internet access so I have decided to close the registration and wrap up the paper work before I go. Thanks so much for your response. Forty participants is really fantastic - I am so pleased!!

I'm very happy with our participant list too - go check out who I will be receiving from! I've already received 3 different and wonderful sets of 3 prayer flags. See them listed below this post or on the blog if you are receiving this as a feed. All swaps are due September 15th and all prayer flags will be showcased here on the blog. For more information about the prayer flag swap, click HERE!

prayer flags by Marnie, Leslie S and Frieda

Prayer Flag Swap

We have a fantastic group of - 40 - creative participants registered for the prayer flag swap, as of July 25th, 2012. Wow! It's so fantastic to have such great creative energy collected for this fun project due September 15th. Since I will only take up to 40 participants for this swap, registration has now closed. Scroll down for more info if are reading this on the blog, or follow this link for more details on the swap.

thanks so much! lenna 

Linda Kunsman -prayer flag swap!!!

Even though my friend Linda was quite busy this summer and had already signed up for another prayer flag swap, she also signed up for mine!! Lucky for us that she did because Linda has contributed some wonderful, bright flags with one of my favorite quotes /sayings.

Linda has created four prayer flags, one as a gift for me that I will really enjoy! Remember three flags are required for the swap and you will receive 3 in return. Extra flags as a gift are always appreciated, but not required!

I like the way Linda made her flags. She measured her fabric longer than 10 or 11" (8" plus extra for the sleeve). I think her piece of fabric must have been about 16" long. Then she simply folded it in half and the fabric hanging over on the back acts like a lining to cover any stitching on the front. Great idea.

Everything came in a bright and beautiful mail art envelope.

Thanks so much, Linda! 

You can read more about her flags on this post on her blog:

heARTfully inspired. Definitely a blog to bookmark!

Jan Smith - prayer flag swap!

All the way from Essex, UK I have received Jan Smith's prayer flags for the swap early, yay! Jan is so kind. She created 3 for the swap and included an extra prayer flag just for me as a hostess gift. This is not necessary, but I appreciate her gesture very much. Jan has written about her prayer flags on her blog -check it out! Since we are leaving tomorrow on holiday, I have copied Jan's individual photos from her blog because my time for blogging is limited. Thanks, Jan! Here they are . . . I will have trouble choosing one for me!

If you are participating it is fine to send your flags while I am gone, the mail will be picked up! It will be safe until I return. All flags are due in my hands September 15th. 

This swap is closed to registration with 40 participants!!!!!!

Let your life lightly dance on the edges of time like dew on the tip of a leaf. 

  ~ Rabindranath Tagore.

Vickie Trancho - prayer flag swap!!

I really must include a part of Vickie's personal email to me when she sent her flags . . .

When you lose people you dearly love from this planet, it can feel devastating until you realize their soul, their spirit is always there. The wonderful Prayer Flag swap really brought that back home in a beautiful way. I started my project with some gorgeous ethereal silk I've had for ages. The colors always made me smile. Perfect for the flags. As I started to cut the pieces the material kind of bunched up and the edges were so uneven. I took one look and knew that was just what I wanted. Life and death are so uneven. Then my printer quit. More hand work...beautiful. I made these flags with the intention of impermanence. The only thing certain in life is change. Their delicate nature reflects how I feel about life these days. It is so beautiful. It is so fragile. We should fly with every moment we have. Love, Vickie

I really cannot add much to those insightful words! Thank you Vickie, for adding your feelings to your art. To me, that makes the whole process much more special. And thank you for the extra flag especially for me. Not to worry, I used a permanent marker and made a "creative recovery" by adding an "n" to my name on the flag. It would be beautiful without the correction, but I like seeing "lenna love"! I love the blue feathers and the extra fabric on the left, on the flag below. I can just imagine these flowing in the breeze.

love to you Vickie, so glad for your participation! 

Nancy Roberts -Prayer Flag Swap!

Wow! We are back from our trip to Canada/wolfe island and there are 7 swap packages that
arrived while we were away. If you are wondering if your package has arrived, please check the list here. I use it to mark off the received packages as they come in.

First up, we have 3 really wonderful prayer flags from Nancy Roberts in Florida. Nancy is a fabulous quilter who has participated in many creative swaps with me. Here is what I received from her:

I love the one below made with sheer fabric and ribbons . . .

Below, I love how Nancy used paper beads, perhaps from our previous swap? I used some paper beads on one of my flags too! Click on any photo for greater detail.

Then Nancy was so kind and enclosed a bag of goodies for me! I love little inspiring bits like this from someone else's stash, perhaps leftovers of what they have been working on . . . thank you! I scanned the goodie bag on top of an interesting magazine picture she enclosed . . . Nancy said it made her think of the studio photos I've shared of my work desk. So great! It is sure to be put to good use.

Nancy has written about making prayer flags in 2 separate posts, here: More prayer flags: Somebody stop me! and also here: Prayer Flag Practice. Give her a visit! Thanks again, Nancy ; 0)

Tina Wittmer -prayer flag swap!

From Tina in MN, 3 wonderful additions to our prayer flag swap!

This is Tina's first creative swap and she has done a great job.

Tinaenclosed a sweet hand bound book as a hostess gift for me. 

Thank you, Tina! So lovely.

More flags to come tomorrow : ) I have 5 packages here waiting to be opened!!

ALL swaps are due in my hands 2 weeks from tomorrow, September 15th. I am really enjoying all of the work that has come in so far, so keep it coming! : 0 ) lenna

Marilou Bain - Prayer Flag Swap!

We have some gorgeous prayer flags in from Marilou Bain in California. She has created her flags with washed canvas, burlap, scrim (like cheesecloth), sari silk, buttons, printed images, inks, her sewing machine and glue. Let me share them with you.

Marilou hand wrote her information on the back of each flag. 

She also did the same technique as earlier discussed with Linda Kunsman's flags -

She made the fabric a longer length so the extra fabric acted as a lining (see below).

Then, Marilou did something rather special for me which really touched my heart.

She apologized for "borrowing" a photo from my blog . . . but I did not mind. 

With this photo Marilou created a very special flag for me in memory of my dad. He passed away October 1, 2011.

I will admit I cried when I saw it . . . but that is okay. It is part of the process of losing him. I will gladly hang this flag along with the many others made for me (thank you all) and some I have made myself!! I have not even gotten a chance to show you yet -but soon. Three for the swap and some extra for me, made while I was in Canada. I have 3 more sets of flags for the swap here from Laura Hummel, Jo Johnson and Jewels Oman which I should be uploading tomorrow -- and then I will be caught up (for now) - yippeee! I will share my own flags after uploading those 3 sets and wait for more sets to come in. Remember to check on the participation List to see if your package has arrived. I will write received as they come in so even if I do not get to upload them right away you can be assured that your flags have made it to me. They must be in my mailbox on or before the 15th of September.

It's my pleasure to host this swap -hope you are enjoying the incoming!

(3 sets were uploaded today)

Julie Oman- Prayer Flag Swap!

Julie Oman (Jewels, as we like to call her) has made some wonderful vintage style prayer flags for our swap. I left them in their sheer presentation bags when I scanned them so you could see them as Jewels prepared them, but if you go to this post on her blog, you can see them out of their bags and even hanging! Give her a shout (a comment) and let her know you came over from here!

I really love what jewels did. My sweet friend even made a prayer
flag especially for me, see below. : )) 

thank you, jewels.....
I do believe I'll be very lucky and will have more than one string of prayer flags blowing in the breeze when this swap is complete thanks to the generosity of participants! Don't forget, when the swap is over I will give you all the opportunity to share a photo of your flags hanging up wherever you find a place. That should be fun!