Post Your Pictures from the February Swap Here! Sign Ups begin Tomorrow for the March Swap!

Leave your link to the treasures you made/received here on Mr.Linky or on our Flickr group page!

My Mailing Find of the Century

My friend Sandy at the Post Office, (we're on a first name basis since I am there at least twice a week if not three) revolutionized my mailings when she introduced me to the Priority Mail $5.95 Flat Rate bubble mailing envelope. It is about 12.5" x 9.5" You can mail whatever you can manage to stuff in there for $5.95. You can stuff that baby with lead weights and it will still mail for $5.95! (If you do this, don't give them my name!) Another nice feature is that it comes with free tracking / delivery confirmation. Plus it arrives in 2-3 days. It only mails within the USA at that price, however. I do not know the international rates. You can order a package of 15 or so, as well as the mailing labels on the USPS website - they are free and so is the shipping.

Your swaps with me this year may not be heavy enough to cost more than $5.95, but if they do, give it a try if you haven't already. This envelope has been a lifesaver in my Etsy business. (Did you know I have an Etsy store? It's here.)

I hope you find this helpful. Or just a good reminder if you already knew about these. See you tomorrow!

more sweet packaging

A delightful surprise!

Look what came my way today! I ripped open the envelope like a big kid, so I can't show you that, but this is what was inside. Then, inside of the sweetly packaged presents were a delightful assortment of goodies! A tiny handmade Valentine card, some very pretty tags, a red stamp pad (adorably tied up in pink organza with a rhinestone heart on top, polka-dotted washi tape, some pom poms, a fab little acrylic stamp set, cute heart cupcake or decorating pics, red delicious embroidery floss, and more more more. And did I mention chocolate? This wonderful surprise is from sweet and thoughtful Elizabeth. Some of you may have swapped with Elizabeth before in some of our earlier ASFAS swaps. She just found us again for the February swap. Thank you, Elizabeth for the wonderful surprise! I really love and will use (or have already eaten) it all!
My swappers are toppers!

deer friends...

This is the last week of our February swap. The mailing date is on or before February 1st. Where did the month go? You should receive your Valentine swap package in time to use your new Valentine card and tag for some gift giving of your own.

Since I painted those leftover Christmas reindeer pink, I decided to use them for my Valentine tags this year. You know, for some of my "deer friends".

Tomorrow I'll post my finished Valentine garland, and the rest of the week will be spent wrapping up our February swap and preparing for the next one... I know we could all use a bit of Spring right about now...

Vintage Valentine Weekend continues...

Vintage Valentine Weekend

Feel free to save these images! I tried to find Valentines that our February swappers would enjoy. It was really fun. More tomorrow!

upside down

The last 2 pieces of my Valentine garland are chipboard tags that I used upside down. I'll show you the finished garland on my mantle soon.
Don't miss tomorrow's Vintage Valentine Saturday for more valentines chosen especially for YOU!

today's sweetie...

...is a pretty card that I found on Pinterest. The artist sold this card in her Etsy shop, DesignStudioL.

packaged with love

one last little birdie tag...

the king and queen of hearts

This piece for my garland is probably my favorite. I just love these two kids! Vintage yearbooks are such a perfect place for finding Valentine images! I frequently find them at estate sales and I have a hard time passing them up. ("How many do I really need?", I ask myself.) I just love looking at the fun names and the sweet faces. You can tell who was the jock, the bad boy, the nerd, the beauty queen, etc. Priceless.

I also enjoyed using the king and queen of hearts cards. I made a valentine for my husband using them as well. Unfortunately now we're hard pressed to find a full deck of cards at my house!

red destash

Tips: keep it simple (just 1-3 items or so), don't buy anything- this should be honest to goodness destash. If you don't have destash in that month's color, try taking some old book pages and stamping or painting them...or print off some free ephemera...or give an old rubber stamp or other crafting tool/supply and wrap the item(s)in color. Please don't stress over it! And did I mention to keep it simple?

vintage valentine Saturday continues...

...with some valentines I chose especially with a few of this month's swappers in mind! I will have many more next week, too! Happy Saturday!

pretty in pink

...#3 in my Red Lead swap tag set...

Giveaway Winner and a Recipe for a Sweet Valentine Treat

The random number generator over at mathgoodies.com chose the #4 comment. That makes Joyce the winner of the Red Giveaway Package! Congratulations! Your package of red goodies is on its merry way to your doorstep! Congratulations! Our next Giveaway will be the Yellow Giveaway on February 15th.

I mentioned there would be a "sweet treat" in the Red Giveaway. I am sending some of my Sweetheart Snack Mix, and thought I would share the (very informal) recipe as well.

Sweetheart Snack Mix

* Alphabits Cereal
* Valentine Mix M & M's
* Brach's Candy Conversation Hearts
* Teddy Grahams
* Peanuts
* Pretzels
* Popcorn

In a large mixing bowl, add ingredients in amounts that are pleasing to you. Make any substitutions that make you happy. Mix well and serve in your favorite glass bowl, basket, tin or jar. I like to make up little clear plastic baggies tied with ribbon to give as individual treats.

The Red Giveaway is TODAY! Open to Everyone! Leave a Comment to Enter

All are welcome! Just leave a comment (and your email address if I don't have it) on this post to enter to win this RED Giveaway package. Tomorrow morning, I will choose a number using a random number generator and the corresponding comment with be the winner! Visit tomorrow to see who won. Good luck!

What's in there? A Valentine card and tag handmade by me, a package of Red Hot Crayolas, an assortment of red paint chips and Valentine ephemera, a vintage red clothes pin, sewn crepe paper ruffles, red heart rhinestones, an exclusive Red Lead Valentine Rubber Stamp, and a sweet treat!

Don't Miss Tomorrow's Red Giveaway!

I made this tag using a laser cut wooden cutout that I got for about 19 cents at Michaels' winter clearance sale. I painted it red and used it to frame this great vintage image that I found on Pinterest. There were a few deer leftover from Christmas lying on my desk, so I painted them pink and added some sparkling glitter. Finally, I adhered it all to a tag I made from a great piece of scrapbook paper that I've been reluctant to use because it's so pretty. (Do you do this?)

Something tells me this tag (and yesterday's card) may show up again...perhaps tomorrow in our Red Giveaway! Make sure you visit the blog tomorrow to sign up- it's only a ONE DAY Giveaway so don't miss it!

bird, garland, repeat.

Add one great paint chip, a bit of glitter and a few do-dads and we've got ourselves a Valentine!

lots of birdies this month

I just love this birdie image. It's an enlarged photo copy of a vintage valentine. This is another of the card collages I made for my garland.

Vintage Valentine Saturday

Susie and I swap pigs...long story. So I dedicate the pig valentine to my dear sister!
Feel free to copy and use these images. I'll share more vintage Valentines next Saturday.

a bird on the head is worth...

...No, that's not right-nevermind. Anyway, this is the 2nd of my "bird on the head" Valentine swap tags. Another cutie pie image from Red Lead

mystery artist!

Someone special made this wonderful Valentine for me a few years back...hmmm...it could be someone in this month's group. Leave a comment with your guess; and if you're the artist, identify yourself! Let's see if anyone guesses correctly. Hint: it is NOT my sister, Susie!

Fun With Vintage Valentines

Vintage Valentines are on of my favorite types of ephemera. In a "Krafternoon" with my knitting buddies, we made several card sized valentine collages and made a garland with them. I use vintage plastic clothes pins to attach my collages onto lace trim . I will show you my collages this month, as they could be used as individual cards/tags as well. Most of them feature vintage valentines (or photo copies of them), faces from old yearbooks, scrapbook paper and embellishments. This is one of them.
See you tomorrow!

sweet

I made this tag for yet another swap I participated in. The image is one I found in a Google search. I love the paper and matching felt flower embellishment. I think this collection was BoBunny from a few years back.

Commentary: never underestimate the power of glitter. I keep a little jar filled with tiny clear sparkling glitter and an itty bitty scooper on my studio table at all times. Most things I make get at least a tiny sprinkling of it. A little bit here or there can really add to your card or tag. On this tag, her dress sparkles. The glitter added some needed dimension to the image. (Although I'm not sure you can tell so much from the picture as much as in person.)

love birds

Such an adorable card! It's from Pinterest, and there was no mention of an artist nor a link. I have a fondness both for pink and for newsprint/bookprint so I just love this.

Someone asked if the Valentine card and tag needs to be for a sweetheart. You can make it for anyone you like... a friend, child, sweetheart or generic enough for all of the above. Go wherever the muse takes you. I'm sure your partner will love it.

Happy Monday!

First of a Set

I made this Valentine tag for a Red Lead swap a few years back. It is part of a set of 4 tags, and I'll try to show them all this month. I just love this sweet little girl (image from Red Lead). (She is rather calm for having a bird on her head.) See you tomorrow!

We have our February Swappers!

Debbie, Joy, May, Jan, Mrs. A, Wendy, Jill, Becky G, Pam, Marie, Francie, Joyce, Marti, Deb, Susie, Elizabeth, Bev, Linda F, and Lorraine. Lovely! Let the Valentine fun begin!

TODAY is the last day to sign up for the February Valentine Swap!

Sign up for the February Swap TODAY!

How to sign up for the February Swap:

Send an email to aswapforallseasons@gmail.com with the following info:
1. your name
2. email address for your partner to contact you
3. link to your blog if you have one.
4. if you are willing to mail to an international partner THIS month

If you have never swapped with A Swap For All Seasons before, please list any recent swaps you have participated in and how you found A Swap For All Seasons.

I will send out a confirmation email letting you know if you have been added to the swap. When the sign ups are closed, you will get an email with a list of participants and who you will be swapping with.

As long as you are still seeing this post, you can still sign up! I will close the sign ups on the morning of January 4th or when we reach 25 swappers, whichever comes first. COMMENTS ON THIS POST ARE NOT CONSIDERED A SIGN UP FOR THE SWAP- please send an email!

The theme for the February Swap is "Valentine". We will be swapping these 3 things:

1. a handmade card
2. a handmade tag
3. just a WEE BIT of RED craft destash

There will be daily posts filled with lots of valentine and red inspiration! And of course, there will be a RED GIVEAWAY on JANUARY 15th. Don't miss the fun- sign up now!

Happy New Year, dear swap buddies!

This is my last post for 2013. If you haven't mailed your January swap package yet, don't panic...the actual mail date is January 2nd. Please email your partners when you have mailed your packages, and when they have arrived safely.

Come back tomorrow, January 1st to sign up for the February Valentine Swap. The sign ups will be open until we reach 25 participants or through January 3rd.

I wish you and your families a New Year filled with good health, love and peace. XOX Linda

I want to see!

Here is our Mr.Linky for the January "Thinking of You" Swap. Feel free to share the link to your blog post on what you made and/or received for this month. You can also upload your pictures on our Flickr group page!

one final lovely bit of inspiration for this month...

Such a pretty card! I found this on Pinterest and the origin appears to be Paper Crafts Connection. The card is no longer on the site, therefore no mention of the artist. I especially like the white paint accents and the bit of yellow stenciling which add an artsy element. Very nice!

giving it a whirl

An important message:
I have found countless cards and tags from Pinterest to share with you, but I am having a very difficult time finding the artists and/or getting a response to my request to share them here on our blog for inspiration. Some of the websites have not been updated in over a year, and often the images are already on countless Pinterest boards. So I am going to try something different. I always stive to be honest and upfront, so I want to let you know my intentions. Unless an artist contacts me to object, I am going to go ahead and feature cards that I see have already been pinned on multiple Pinterest boards, of course always naming the artist with a link to the blog or website whenever possible.
I hope the artists will feel that sharing them here for inspiration is very much like allowing them to be pinned on multiple Pinterest boards for inspiration. I have a policy that has always been in the right column of this blog and I have updated it to include a note about Pinterest.

So...I found the perfect card to help me give this idea a whirl. It was made by Kathy Martin, using a layout from Design by Diana.
Such a happy and cheerful way to say "I'm thinking of you"!

love from across the pond

I received the most lovely package on Christmas Eve...all the way from England! In the pretty blue box (just a bit of it is showing in the very top of the first picture) was a wonderful assortment of goodies! German Christmas scrap, images, buttons and gorgeous ribbon. What really touched my heart is the amazing baby photo collage and the beautiful handknit little stocking! Two of my favorite things- babies and knitting! Special thanks and a big hug goes out to Jan for this most unexpected and wonderful surprise! What a great group of ladies you are!