A Swap For All Seasons-August-Just My Style!

We are heavily into the work of packing up our house to move.

The movers come on August 22nd.

We close on our house here on August 25th.

We move into our new home in Delaware on August 27th....although our belongings may not arrive until the beginning of September, depending on how many stops our truck has to make.

To offset the stress and manual labor of the move, I have continued to participate in the monthly swaps at A Swap For All Seasons. How could I not? This year of themed monthly swaps has been great fun!! Our hostess, Linda, is the Queen of Swapping and has made our lives more creative and fun every month. I have had some partners I've never swapped with before and have, therefore, made new friends. I've also swapped with very treasured women that I've known for years! Next month is our last month in this year-long project and I am hoping that Linda will have something up her sleeve for another year of creative play.

August's theme for our card and tag was, Just My Style. We could create in our own unique way and the destash that we sent was not limited to one particular color. This couldn't be any easier!

Sherry, of Creatology, was my "donor: this month. Sherry is one of the friendliest, generous people on the planet! She is always gracious and kind and I don't think she ever sleeps because the lovely things that come out of her craft room seem to be never-ending! She swaps in several groups, sends surprises to friends and also makes things for charitable organizations. She is a dynamo!

Sherry showered me with a variety of wonderful gifts this month. 

First is the card and tag...

The tag is filled with lots of embellishments and old vintage papers. Kind of an international travel theme.

The card was made using a stamp of one of my favorite artists, D. Morgan.

I love all of the sea and beach themed art pieces she does and we already have one of her prints in our bedroom. I am planning on framing Sherry's card to hang up also. I wanted you to see the detail...

The treasures that Sherry included in my package were many and clever...

little pouches of paper and fabric, a notebook, handmade papers, washi tape, ribbon and lace

 and the prettiest and classiest bubble wand I have ever seen...

Did you know that blowing bubbles is a great stress reliever? I guess it's all that "blowing out" that you do! 

My person to send to this month was Lorraine Beaumont of 

Over the Rainbeau. Lorraine is a very accomplished artist. If you visit her blog, and you should (by clicking on her blog name), you will see some of her creations. It was a tiny bit (OK a Big Bit) intimidating to be creating for her but after all, it was Just My Style. Those who know me, know that I have kind of a quirky sense of humor. I love creating cards to send to friends for no particular reason except to bring a chuckle...a milk-snorting-out-the-nose laugh would be even better but I'll be happy if you chuckle. Anyway, the image for the card I made just begged for the quote...

When I saw the image of this little roller skater, I immediately loved her determination to skate and not get hurt! I thought the bow on the tag mimicked the bow in her hair.

Lorraine loves vintage images so I pulled a bunch out of my stash. along with some lace to play with in her crafting.

Another fabulous and fun month!
Next month is our last in the year long swap and the theme is Halloween...always a fun topic. My fingers are crossed that Linda has some plans for more fun swaps in the near future!

xoxo
Joyce

A Swap For All Seasons...July...Share a Smile!

We continue through the year with our monthly swaps at A Swap For All Seasons.

July's theme was Share a Smile and the color for the destash was purple. Even though our card and tag do not have to be the color of the month, I find that I tend to use that monthly color in my creating. These swaps have enabled me to expand my color palette.....some of the colors we use are not ones I would naturally choose but I'm liking the challenge of it.

I am a great believer in the practice of laughing every day....it is good for my mental and emotional health. I have to say that being married to David provides me with a lot of comic relief. He is one of the funniest people I know and he can always say or do something that keeps me chuckling!

Over the years, I have enjoyed creating cards for women to send to their friends for no reason other than to share some mirth. I chose one of these cards to send to my new friend, Pam, of Virginia Retro. Pam loves vintage things and has an amazing collection of tablecloths from the 50's and 60's as well as other vintage goodies she finds at estate and yard sales. I swoon over some of the treasures she finds! Anyway, I thought Pam might enjoy a funny card featuring a pair of the cutest "mature" ladies whose image I found on-line years ago. I saw a funny quote once that said, "Old age is always 20 years older than the age you are." Don't we all remember when we were younger and thought that 65 was about the end of the line? Well, when you turn 65, it's suddenly not so old after all!

(I apologize for the quality of these photos. I continue to have computer issues ((insert REALLY sad face here!)) and the photos are not transferring properly)

Inside of card...

The tag was made using an image from Paper Whimsy. When I first saw this little girl I was struck with the thought that she resembled photos I have of my mother at a young age. She has the start of a sweet smile, don't you think?

Along with the card and tag, I pulled out some purple treats from my stash. Doilies, ribbon, rick-rack, letter stickers, embellishments and a funny magnet. It was a fun month!

My "donor" this month was Wendy of The Frog Palace. I had the opportunity to create for Wendy several months ago and now it was her turn to make a card and tag for me. I am glad that Wendy is not afraid to use color in her crafting. Her card and tag made me smile as soon as I saw them. The card, especially has a very funny sentiment inside. Great job Wendi...you certainly made me smile!

Inside of Wendy's card...

 She also sent me a huge number of stash items...WOOHOO! Lots to craft with!

For August, we are to create in our own style and we can use any color we'd like. This is going to be fun!!!!!!

On the HOME front, we traveled to Delaware last week and bought a new home in 36 hours. We have been wasting no time here! We have a date of August 25th to close here in Pittsburgh and August 27th to close in Millsboro, Delaware. Next up are home inspections here and there and find a mover.
I hope to be able to post some pictures of the new place, soon.
xoxo
Joyce

A Swap For All Seasons-June-A Guy Thing

We're rolling along in our year long swap with A Swap For All Seasons. This month the theme was A Guy Thing. Each month our swap package consists of a card, a tag and some specific color destash. The month's colors were black and gray.

My "send to" partner was Elizabeth of Tales From The Pond. Elizabeth's blog makes you feel like you're sitting at her kitchen table having a chat. She and her husband have recently moved into a newly built house and she's having lots of fun decorating. She and Dave have lots of adventures together and he is often included in her blog posts. Thinking about the fact that Elizabeth's Dave wears glasses, I made the following card using some cute, new dies...

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loving the spectacles!

For the tag, I used some Tim Holtz and Graphic 45 supplies.

It was fun to work with a "guy" theme this month. It's often hard to find supplies for masculine cards but if you look at the others swapper's blogs in our group, you'll find many fine examples.

The destash trinkets I sent to Elizabeth...

When I saw that May, of May's Happy Daze, would be sending a card and tag to me I was very excited! She is a talented artist and a sweet woman. Here is her card and tag...

Very masculine and wonderfully detailed!

May really spoiled me with the stash she sent. I will have lots of fun creating with all she gifted me with.

Thank you all of the wonderful treats, May!

Another fun swap....now on to July!

In case you've been wondering where I have been....I have lots of news to share as soon as I can find some time to organize my thoughts. Remember my Word of the Year was

DECIDE,

well, I've been deciding like mad!

xoxo

Joyce

A Swap For All Seasons-March.... My gifts from Jan

Well, I think all of us in the US (at least the Midwest and East Coast) are about fed up with Winter this year. I know we have had over 55-inches here in Southwest Pennsylvania.  But consider my new friend, Jan Smith, of Jan's Arty Junk. She lives in the UK where they have been having record rainfalls and flooding. Please take time to visit Jan's blog (click on her blog name above) She is a talented artist and Tim Holtz style wizard. Fab.u.lous!

Anyway, I couldn't wait to receive her package and let me just say that my pictures don't nearly show the detail of her very fine work!

Look at the spool...

Isn't that clever?
Then there is the oodles and oodles of sunny yellow craft gems...
beads, buttons, ribbon, papers, stamps, parasol...bits and bobs...

I am swooning over the Easter egg napkin. I want to try my hand at some napkin decoupage using that napkin,  the details are lovely.
Jan, thank you very much for your creative gifts and for sharing them with me.
I have loved being your recipient and I hope we are partnered again soon!
As soon as I hear from Francie that she has received my package, I'll show you what I sent to her.

xoxo
Joyce

A Swap For All Seasons...December...from Lorraine,and a surprise package from my friend Mary, of Primitive Seasons

So much beauty has arrived on my doorstep this past week!

The theme for A Swap for All Seasons this month, as I mentioned in my last post was Happy Holidays and the color for the month was green. One card, one tag and some green destash!

My "green" package came this week from Lorraine of Over the Rainebeau (so clever).

I didn't know Lorraine before this swap but now I'm stalking following her blog.

You really need to hop over (click on her blog name) and see her beautiful work...her free images...and her Etsy Shoppe. 

So...the card that Lorraine made...

(click to enlarge pictures)

Beautiful image, ribbon, snowflakes and twine.

The Tag...

The layers are all fantastic and the glittery snowflake at the bottom is perfect!

Th Goodies..

Sparkly embellishments, die cuts and images galore. So much fun stuff to play with!

I use the wire bird cage in the dining room to display all of the handmade cards I receive.

Thank you Lorraine, I am so glad you were my "donor". Your talent dazzles me!

Our next swap is "Thinking of You" and the color for the month is blue.

Now, you can see a third card on the bird cage. That was part of the surprise package I received this week from my blogging friend, Mary, of Primitive Seasons....another extremely talented paper artist! Mary is the type of artist who sees a new crafting tool and likes it...buys it...and uses it right away to create beautiful things, unlike me, who buys something and then lets it sit for a long time to allow it to get used to being in my craft room before I take the steps to learn what to do with it! I've been following Mary's blog for several years and she always wows me with her stuff. In the last month or so, Mary showed some slippers she made using beautiful Graphic 45 scrapbook papers and embellishments. I wrote to tell her (probably with drool on the computer screen) how much I admired the slippers.

This week, a box came from Mary and inside...

Are these not stunning?! Look at the detail...

Look at the lace and trim, pearls and satin ribbon, rosette and leaves...and you did notice the paper used as the innersole...fairies?

AND, as if the slippers were not enough of a Random Act of Kindness...

A heart, with a handmade rose, gorgeous layered butterfly and a stamped quote from a Beatles song titled The End. Mary didn't even know I was a Beatles fan.

Enclosed with all of this wonderfulness was this card...(with a gracious hand-written message)

The detail on this card is hard to convey in a photograph. The layering, embossing, glittery embellishing, all of it gorgeous. Almost every element on this card is raised with spacers making it very dimensional!

This is the most glamorous owl I have ever seen!!

How lucky am I? Two delightful packages, tied up with string, holding what has become some of my favorite things!

Thank you Mary...I am so happy with your generosity and talent!

And now, back to decorating....

xoxo

Joyce

A Swap For All Seasons...December...Green

I am participating in a fun, monthly swap that started in October of this year.

A Swap For All Seasons

is a swapping blog, designed and maintained by Linda Smith...hostess extraordinaire!

Each month we are assigned someone to design a card and a tag for and also send one destash item.

Likewise, someone (not the person you are sending to) will be making and sending items to you. It's easy and lots of fun and I'm meeting some really talented women.

The interesting part is that there is a theme and a color each month to make it challenging . If you were ever interested in getting your feet wet with a swap,this is the one to start with. Hop on over to the blog and read about it. All of the guidelines are there. Just click on the link in my first paragraph.

The next sign-up is December 1st (and just for that day!) and  the theme will be

 Thinking of You and the color...my favorite...blue.

The Theme for December was Happy Holidays and the color was green.

My partner was the sweet and crafty (in a good way)

Susie Alles of  South City Hues. Susie has been my partner before and I loved creating for her.

The card I made...

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Susie's favorite color is green...made it easy!

The tag...

Ice skate image, cut twice and used to make the skates and some of the holly leaves dimensional.

Except for the background papers, all of the elements of the card and the tag were digital. Of course, glitter was involved and a little paper rose on the card...

For the destash, I sent a big bunch of lovely dark green vintage seam binding and some other papers that I failed to photograph. All wrapped and ready to go...

(lunch bag, doilies and green garden twine from Home Depot!

Every month...so much fun...love this swap!

xoxo

Joyce