STICK PIN SWAP

My stick pins for this swap came in the beautiful card. My partner was Donna over at http://postcardsfromthestudio.blogspot.com/ the swap was hosted by Tee at the http://thealteredpaper.blogspot.com/ .

In side the card were these lovely stick pins! I love them thanks for being my swap partner Donna.And all these great goodies came along for the ride. I will have fun creating with them.

Thanks again Donna. Not much going on since my last post so this will be a short one.

Blessings

donna

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!

I am a little late with this stick pin swap. This was a swap hosted by Tee at The Altered Paper. http://thealteredpaper.blogspot.com/ Go check out the great swaps she has! My partner for this was Valery at Itsanalienlife. http://itsanalienlife.blogspot.com/ A sweet blog she does great work.
Close up shows wonderful handmade paper flowers! Wish I could make them that good. I had lace back ground, fringe with acrylic beads dangling, and a crinkled seam binding bow. Love that crinkled stuff. With three very large wonderful stick pins. Thanks so much Valery and sorry its so late being posted. And thanks for being my partner :)Got this in the mail on Friday, it is a swap from Donna at http://www.donnascupoftea.blogspot.com/ This was a mystery swap held by Tee, we are to send our partner, an envelope filled with goodies for them to make some art with. Love these challenges. The very pretty envelope was filled to the brim with this" stuff". I love it all! Most of the time I make tags with these but there is so much in this package I think I'm going a little out of the "box" and make something different. Wait for more to come. Thanks so much Donna can't wait to get started! And thanks for being my partner for this swap.
WEATHER IN MELBOURNE FL: Wild and windy weather, 64 one day and 90 the next, what can I say....I love it. No snow!!! But I guess my peeps up north have had a very mild winter so far. I say so far as my bro told me wind knocked out the power in the area and seen on news this AM bad snow storm there also. It can get pretty wild in North West PA in March so its not over with yet.
The robins finally made it here this morning, I was beginning to think they by past us this year on their way north. I will enjoy watching them like I never have in PA. In PA they are just part of every day life, here in FL they are just passing thru (like thousands of them) and I do like seeing them among the pelicans and Ibis.
Went to a few yard sales and a gourd show yesterday. I will post on the gourd show nest time and post some pic's. While out and about went over to beach side and found the new dog beach that opened up. Hmmmm it is great to have one here, but it is only 700 ft end to end and you get a bunch of dogs, not much room , not sure how it will work out. They said that for the ribbon cutting they had over 100 dogs there. Way to many for such a small area. It will be for one year, as a test, maybe they will expand it then. All for now thanks for looking and come back soon
blessings
Donna

ATC SWAP & A PEAK AT A PIN

Got this ATC in the mail from my swap partner Janet at http://janetsartplay.blogspot.com/ The swap was hosted by Tee at http://thealteredpaper.blogspot.com/ go check out her swaps! And join in the fun! It was a valentine swap here is the ATC and some goodies that Janet sent along!!Close up of the card shows a broken glass in the stamp frame. Sorry Janet :( I think it happened at the post office. It is a lovely card with a vintage love couple and a framed postage stamp. Looks like some vintage lace also. Thanks so much Janet, I love the vintage valentine ATC!!And here is a sneak peak at some spring is in the air stick pin swap. I chose to do some spring flowers. Got the flower head at HL before Christmas they were on sale and only had one package and I have been hoarding them. lol. We were to make 3 pins and package them. I will post everything later.
Weather in Melbourne Fl ..very warm and muggy. Some kind of tropical type storm in S. Florida not something that is suppose to be this time of year. So we have hot muggy winter days for awhile. Not sure what I will work on today. I have all my swaps made and up to date, most are not due for 3 or 4 weeks. I would like to start sorting thru family photos and make some mini albums by theme. One I would like to do is about me from my childhood. I don't have many photos but still want to make it and maybe journal about my life then. I have never journaled so not sure how well that part will go. Another I want to make several of my children and grandchildren. I have that bridal shower mini to start also. I will figure out something. Well all for now thanks for looking and come back soon


blessings
Donna

OTHER ATC AND STICK PIN SWAPS

Here is the other ATC (the swap I forgot who got what) This ATC was made with hard card board as the base, covered with flower patterned paper. A pic of a vintage girl, framed in a metal heart Metal corners that match, I think I got these at a dollar store, not sure, and a Recollections flower. I made the stick pin. These are the stick pins I made for the swap at http://minialbumscraps.ning.com/ This is the first swap for me there. Last night I joined in the Junk Journal swap. All bagged and ready to go. In those cello bags you get at the candy dept in craft store. Stapled the bag and covered with pretty pink ribbon.The theme was love, valentine, all the pins I made are the same and the tag is the same paper. The flowers are a little different and the vintage buttons are also different.Even tho the pic's look different color they are not. It is my cheapo camera. (someday a new one) I love making stick pins, Norma E is covered with them. Look on my side bar.
I sent these in a couple weeks ago, so I have to wait to get my 3 back. I made an extra pack for the host of the swap. All for now thanks for looking and come back soon
Blessings
Donna

STICK PIN SWAP RECIVED!

Got my stick pin swap today from Jean at http://lilaclanelivery.blogspot.com/ Wonderful Jean! Looks like she used a hand crochet doily as the base then some lace, and a pretty pink yo yo with a button. Close up of a few pins.Beautiful!Here they are hanging around on Norma E. and a few other friends.
Weather in Melbourne FL. hot and muggy today, from the first thing this morning till now. More of the same tomorrow. Cool down to mid 70's on Friday. Mid 80's sat. We are having a yard sale on sat. Now going to therapy for my feet 3 times a week. I know it will help!! Made my winter ATC for the swap in Dec. Got the match box done a while ago. I am way ahead! Thanks again Jean for the pins! The swap was hosted by Tee at http://creationsbytee.blogspot.com/ go visit and join in the fun. Thanks for looking and come back soon.
Blessings
Donna

MY STICK PINS

These are pic's of the stick pins I made for Tee's swap. My partner Jean received them so I thought I would go ahead and show you what I made. I made all the stick pins with new beads and some beads from vintage jewelry that I had. The blue beads moon glow beads from a vintage necklace.The yellow pin on the right has a yellow ribbon rose on the top using the white head of the pin as the middle of the rose.
Most of the tags are made with scrap booking card stock some are from a few old cards I had. Then I used fashion yarn for the tag ties. I had a fun time making these pins. I would like to do another stick pin swap with matching charm. I think that finding a way to display your pins and charms in the most interesting, and challenging part of this type of swap. I think a monthly swap with a different theme would be fun also. I have a bunch of pins made, about 30 or so, I had to stop making them because I didn't have anything to do with them. I can't wait to get mine! I will post them soon as I do. All for now thanks for looking and come back soon
Blessings
Donna

ABOUT STICK PINS.................

Some where along the line...I read that some did not think that a stick pin swap was not much of a challenge. My take on it is a little different. It is just not putting beads on a pin. The packaging plays a big part in the whole over all craft of stick pin and charm making. Matching up the beads with what ever you choose for packaging is a bit of a challenge.Part of the package..... The card, some embellishment, some stamping, this flower will be the part that holds the pin. The paper flower is one I made. Then looking for the perfect beads to match up with what you have already picked out. Here are three different package's I came up with. They are not unique to me, I searched the Internet to find out what everyone was doing. There is soooo many more ways to package, unbelievable the unique ways people come up with. A small tag I made, you can alter a packing tag also, I used scrap book paper to make all the ones for this swap. Another paper flower I made to hold the pin. Join the swap that Tee is having http://thealteredpaper.blogspot.com/ This is another one. Some what larger so that it holds three stick pins. That is usually what you send in a swap that has more than one partner. This type is called match book holder. It is made like a match book and the pins are held in side.This is the inside of the match book. You can see how it hold the pins. I used pop dots under the flap to stick them in. So like I said there is more to it than just putting beads on a pin. You have color, texture, embellishments, etc, just like with any other piece of altered art. If you google stick pin swaps you will come up with a ton of ideas. And you will see what everyone else is doing in these swaps. When you do this check the You Tube links that show up also, check out 1966allyson on You Tube and see the swaps that she has done and shown on You Tube. Some very beautiful work done there. I hope this will help you when doing some stick pins. I love doing these and will join every swap I can find. Go over to Tee's and join! http://thealteredpaper.blogspot.com/ I also used alot of vintage costume jewelry just not the beads but brooches, earrings, used in embellishments on the cards. All for now thanks for looking and come back soon.
Blessings Donna