My Heart to Heart Swap Box Arrived!

So as I mentioned in previous posts I participated in Sarah's (Makin' Projicks) Heart to Heart Swap!  I came home Friday night and what should be waiting for me on my door step?  My Heart to Heart Swap Box!  I can't tell you how excited I was to see that box.  It was like the scene from "A Christmas Story" where Old Man Parker (I had to look that up) wins the "special prize" that arrives in the box marked F-R-A-G-I-L-E (Fra-gil-lee).  He won the ugly leg lamp but I feel I got something even better.  You should have seen my excitement.  I like receiving fun packages in the mail and look forward to many more swaps...one of the reasons I started a blog.  Many other blogs require you to have a blog to participate in a swap, but Sarah doesn't!

Warning photo heavy post!

This is a photo of everything I received  right out of the box.  You can see some of the lovely packaging.  I loved the packaging and didn't want to disturb the items because I didn't want to mess up the lovely wrappers...but the best part was what was inside the packaging.

Beth B. made this banner using different fabrics and textiles.  It is all hanging from a spool.  This is a close up of some of the detail.

As you can see from this photo it is quite long and it was hard to capture the detail.

Michaele from Twigs and Tulle made this lovely crocheted ornament.  I'm still working on learning how to crochet...it's been years in the learning!

Shara from Monkeybox made these Valentine Flash Cards to display...Shara I'm thinking I might add a little glitter.  I love glitter. Except the mess it makes...but it makes everything so shinnnnny!  I loved how they arrived.  I will be re-purposing the little rosette into another ornament.

Megan sent two Valentines!  They are made from old book pages and maps.

Kimberley made these altered paper heart ornaments, so lovely.

Ok, so there is a story behind this next Valentine ornament.  I saw this ornament on another bloggers site.  She had received it as a gift in a box of Valentines gifts...I think.  When I saw this ornament I was so jealous of her and wished I had one of my own.  Guess what?  When I opened this envelope...

...this ornament was inside!  The exact same ornament I had admired on a different blog.  Look at the detail.  This was made by Marci from Parsley Vintage

Dolores made these colorful fabric Valentines.  The card says "Sew, You wanna be my Valentine?"  I love the combination of fabric.

Tamera made these cute stuffed owls!  Look at all the different hearts used to make these.

Look at these "When Pigs Fly" ornaments.  I just about died with laughter when I saw it, I love it.  I love that saying and when I saw this pig I knew this Swap was "made" for me.  Tiff from Folded Gingham made these.

This gumball ornament is so adorable.  It is made from an old spool and vending machine toy container.  I'm assuming those are sprinkles inside...I haven't opened it up to test them yet.  This was made by Michelle & Ashley from The Tattered Quilt Cottage.

And last but not least, our host Sarah, made these lovely butterfly ornaments.  If I had been quicker at the store at Christmas time the swappers would have received similar ornaments from me.  But my closest craft store "Walmart" sold out of the plastic round ornaments before I could decide what to make.  I love the color combinations.

A quick refresher of the packaged ornaments!

and if you forgot this is the ornament I submitted for the swap

I stole this image from Sarah because her picture is so much better than mine!  If you want to see the semi-tutorial of this project you can click here!

  I love seeing all the different work and mixed medias from talented artists out there.  Maybe someday one of these ornaments will bring a fortune or maybe one of our great-great-great-grand-kids will find them in a thrift shop, buy it, and treasure them for the work of art that they are.  I love finding vintage unique items in the thrift shops and treasuring or re-purposing them.  Thanks for another great swap Sarah, I look forward to many more.

...and Banksy if you are out there reading this blog I would love for you to join a swap!