float like a butterfly...

sweet & dreamy...matchy matchy...easy peasy on my sewing machine.

I borrowed my friend's butterfly punches...(note to self "return those"!)

I punched a pile of white and blue butterflies and then sewed the white ones in a bit of a line onto to a pretty piece of blue paper using some light blue thread in my machine. Then I sewed both white and blue butterflies very randomly onto the tag.

I added thinking of you to the card, and a stamped "On a wing and a prayer" on the tag. I embellished the centers of the butterflies with pearls, and of course I topped it all of with a bit of sparkly glitter.

a fine group of swappers indeed...

...are those daring to brave a swap in the month of December! But you will be glad you did. Focusing on peaceful, soothing blue and sweet "thinking of you" sentiments will bring a certain zen quality to our holidays...right? Well that's my theory and I'm sticking with it! I will post lots of peaceful, soothing, blue lovliness to help us along.
The swappers are Debbie, Jill, Lorraine, Linda F, Jan, Mrs A, May, Marie, Bev, Joyce, Wendy, Joy and Pam. You can visit them on their blogs... see the link list in the right column >>>>>>>>>>>

Yes, today IS the last day to sign up.. What are you waiting for?

Sign Up for the January Swap TODAY!

How to sign up for the January 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 December 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 January Swap is Thinking of You. We will be swapping these 3 things:

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

This swap can be a safe escape from the hustle and bustle of the Holiday seasons. Blue is such a soothing, calming color. And I do promise to add some blue holiday cheer to my daily posts to keep us all going! There will of course be a BLUE GIVEAWAY on December 15th.

Mr. Linky for December

Please add the link to your blog so we can see what you made and received in the December Swap!

The final Bad Sweater Saturday Post...and my personal favorite

Just when you think you've soaked in all of the awkwardness... you realize she has a goat on her lap.

Mailing Day and January Swap Sign Up Reminder

While you're out picking up your Black Friday bargains, don't forget to stop at the post office and mail your swap package. Or you can mail it on Saturday. I know many of you have already mailed and that's great. Don't forget to post your pictures... I can't wait to see the green Holiday sweetness!

Tomorrow I will post one last Bad Sweater Saturday. I know you're waiting with bated breath!

Monday is December 1st (really? already?) and you know what that means! It will be sign up day for the January Swap! We will swap a "Thinking of You" themed card and tag and a wee bit of blue destash. Taking a bit of time to do this swap may be just the break you need from the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Blue is so soothing...

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing all of you a beautiful day with the people you love.

from Joyce

Hey, I recognize that little guy with the newspaper. And I love the folded tree! Thanks for sharing, Joyce!

one more from Becky

Images for You

These just make my heart sing!

is pink the new red?

I love using alternative christmas colors, like the colors in this paper. I bought just one sheet of this paper and couldn't wait to play with it.

I collect old Christmas Seals and stickers, which I glued along the bottom.

I painted a bit of gold German scrap with ivory acrylic paint and then lightly rubbed some of it off, leaving just a sheen of gold showing through- I used this for the border above my Christmas seals.

The vintage looking flocked angel is from Red Lead.

I don't think I make anything without at least a scrap of vintage ledger, which I used behind the angel and also for stamping "How Jolly" and "Be Merry" (Stamps from Red Lead)

I tipped the edges of all of the papers and the tag with a brown Colorbox Cat's Eye pad. Those little stamp pads are perfect for going around edges- they fit into corners nicely.

Finally, I used some very fine crystal glitter to outline some of the shapes in the tag to add a bit of sparkle and dimension.

really bad sweater saturday continues...

This one is definately a MUST for your next holiday party! The lights will help you find your car when the party is over. Although, if the lights plug in, you'll have to stand next to an outlet all night. This could be a good thing as well- it will keep you away from the food table!

and speaking of packaging...

I got another birthday surprise in the mail from Deb! What a cute bundle of green goodness! And what was inside was even better! Deb knows what I like from the years of swapping...vintage cards, buttons, hankies, vintage Christmas seals/stickers,trim...and of course, handmade cards. She included it all! I love every item, Deb! Thanks so much for thinking of me!

In case you want to "wrap this up" early this month...

Here are some ideas for green wrappings, and all the fun "let's wrap this up" pics all rolled into one. I would usually post these next week, but I am guessing many of you are wanting to wrap up this swap and mail your package before the Thanksgiving holiday.

I will be posting our "Mr Linky" tomorrow so you can link us up to your blog post about the swap and the pictures of what you created and received. Don't forget, you can also post your pictures on our flickr group page. But please do post your pictures! The swaps feel incomplete if we cannot see what everyone made and received.

AND ONE MORE IMPORTANT REMINDER: Please be sure to let the person know when you receive the package that they sent you. If you don't post pictures or send the person an email to thank them and let them know the packaged arrived safely, it causes worry and concern!Since we are not mailing and receiving from the same person, this important step can more easily be overlooked or forgotten. Plus, it is such a busy time of year for everyone!

i really did 'stamp' this one!

I had fun making this one... choosing old stamps and then just gluing them to a tag & adding a few embellishments. It gives the word "stamping" a bit of a different twist!

a sweet surprise

Monday was my birthday. I'm past the age where I can get excited about my birthdays. I'd prefer to have one about every 5 years at this point. But something unexpected happened that I must share today!

Our mail comes late, about 4pm, and my daughter Mary Grace was home from school and came in from the mailbox with an armload saying, "Happy Birthday, Mom!"

Imagine my surprise to see that this armload was from my beloved swap buddies! Yes, YOU!

I was most surprised to see some "Royal Mail" from England! Miss May, how in the world did you manage for your card to arrive on my birthday? Do you have an "in" with the Queen? I told my daughter in my best over-dramatic British accent, "Oh, a lovely bit of Royal Mail just for me. I do hope it's from the Queen!" Such a pretty card, May!

There was also a card from Debbie, which features her own adorable image on her birthday when she was young. I've often told Debbie that she was about the cutest little girl ever...she could have given Shirley Temple a run for her money...I LOVE the card, Debbie!

Then a sweet parsel from Joyce. Lovely packaging of course. Sorry, I ripped into it like a toddler, and there was no way to repair the damage for a photo! First I opened the chocolate. The delemna will be how long I will be able to save them since the wrappers are so delightful. Yet I know what is waiting inside... and she also sent some wonderful destash! I am quite sure that adorable baby face image will be showing up on the blog at some point! And the card was especially delightful as well. I love that nurse (she looks like she could kick some serious butt!), and I love the saying on the card too! Look how the stickers on the card resemble band-aids! And Joyce's sweet sentiment on the inside touched my heart. Thank you so much.

And finally, when I saw that box, I knew exactly who it was from. No one on this planet can create masterpieces on the front of a box like my friend Linda I've learned that when you get one of these boxes from Linda, you open it from the bottom to keep the top intact.
The wrapping paper on the gift inside the box about stopped my heart. Have you ever seen anything more deliciously retro? I photographed it in front of the flowers my son and his girlfriend gave me since they looked so fab together! What was inside you ask? The sweetest nurse's prayer ever! It is vintage, but the prayer is ever so true today. I realized that although everything about medicine has changed dramatically through the years, what it is like to be a nurse never really changes. The references to babies was touching since that is what I do. I am with the babies when they take their first breath and it is an honor and very precious to me. Linda is a nurse too, so we have always had that bond. Thank you, Linda. I cherish it.

So that was my most precious birthday surprise! I told my husband that it amazes me how we as women can connect so intimately with other women we have never met. I consider many of you to be very dear friends, and I've never even heard your voice or seen you in person! Such a gift. Thank you all!

they believe

here's a cutie from Becky...love it!

it's time for a vintage photo

from 1960...so cute!

who's ready for a snow day?

We haven't had any yet here in St Louis (although flurries were in the forecast last week but never happened. But I know many of you have already had your first snow day of the season.

I made this tag in fond memory of school "snow days". Here in St Louis, if it snows overnight and the roads are bad, many schools close. When I was young, the school closings were announced on the radio (now they're on TV), and we'd wait with bated breath to hear the name of our school announced as being closed. My daughter has had a few rituals through the years to improve the odds of a snow day for her school. One of them is wearing her pajamas backwards and another is putting an orange in the freezer. Either (or both) of these done the night before you are hoping for the snow day can bring you luck. Believe it or not, these little rituals have worked their magic many times for her throughout the years!

it's also time for our 2nd Bad Sweater Saturday

Scroll down to the next post to congratulate Debbie on her Green Giveaway winnings!

And without further ado, I show you this week's delicious holiday sweater! That is one hot mess of tinsel!

The Giveaway WINNER and more wonderful Red Lead tags!

The winner of the Green Giveaway is.... Debbie! Your bundle o'green goodies is on its way to you! And I wonder if I can guess who the green lover is...hmmm. is it Bev? (I know she likes frogs, and frogs are green...) Anyway, congrats Debbie!

The next giveaway will be on December 15th and will be BLUE. I've added the badges for the January Swap and the December 15th Giveaway to the right column over there>>>>
Feel free to add them to your blog.

And today... more beautiful holiday tags from Red Lead. happy Saturday and see you tomorrow!

Here are the goodies! The package includes: One of my handmade holiday cards and tag, a pretty little set of acrylic swirly tree stamps, the green crayolas, pretty green paper flowers, shades of green paint chips, a bit of holiday paper, green baker's twine, "celbrate the season" green twill ribbon, a bundle of silk milinery leaves and a pretty ivy tag.

To enter, leave a comment on THIS Giveaway Post anytime today. Be sure to include your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win!

The winner will be chosen and announced tomorrow morning, November 16th by an online random number generator. Anyone can enter. Feel free to spread the word!

Green Destash Ideas and A Giveaway Reminder- it's tomorrow!

Tomorrow, November 15th is the Green Giveaway! Don't forget to to visit the blog and leave a comment on the giveaway post to enter.
I've also put together my monthly collage of destash ideas for inspiration.
Have a great day!

santa and jellybeans

Here is another wonderful card from Danee at It's Raining Jellybeans. Thank you for allowing me to showcase your work for inspiration.

I've loved this old line from The Night Before Christmas since I was a little girl, "And laying his finger aside of nose, and giving a nod up the chimney he rose". This card really brings that quote to life for me. I love it.

a vintage image for you today

aren't they "tweet"?

she's telling us that there are just 44 shopping days until Christmas!

This tag was fun and easy to make. I used a great vintage image that I cut into a circle shape. I put a small pile of snowly glitter right smack dab in the center of the image, then I glued a plastic disc (Red Lead sells them) over the top of the image. I didn't move the tag until the glue dried completely (overnight) so that the glitter would not adhere to the glue around the diameter of the disc. The next day I added a few embellishments to finish the tag.

from Debbie

I'm sharing 2 great tags today that were made by Debbie. I love them both- great images and colors. Thanks for sharing, Debbie!

Send more cards and tags to share! Email them to aswapforallseasons@gmail.com
See you tomorrow!

bad sweater saturday- holiday edition

I thought it would be fun, and in keeping with my twisted sense of humor, to have "bad sweater saturday" here on the blog this month. And of course, if you own one of the sweaters that I will be making fun of, I apologize in advance! To quote one of my all time favorite movie characters, Clairee from "Steel Magnolias": "I always say,'If you don't have anything nice to say about anybody, come sit byme'!" Oh I love her.

Where do I start with this beauty? Oh I think I'll start with the bell hanging off to the side. Goodness me.

little Tommy and Susie

This is one of my favorite photos of all time! It is my brother Tom and sister Susie, and it probably was 1957 as on the christmas stamps! (a treasure from an estate sale)
The tag was inspired by one that Tim Holtz made. I used lots of little vintage embellishments. The flocked santa is an image that I cut from an old Tally card (remember those?). The bow was torn from some delicious old red dotted swiss fabric that I found at an estate sale (another of my favorite found treasures). I love the little tiny plastic reindeer. I buy a handful of those every year at Red Lead and glue one on everything that will hold still. I used my old label maker for the sentiment (so fun to use!), a sprig of holly and some great vintage looking flocked cardstock for the background.

Hmmm...I wonder who I should sent this tag to?

Printing a Sentiment on the Inside of a Card

After some trial and error, I created a template several years back for printing a sentiment on the inside of a card. I never seem to have the right sentiment rubber stamp for the inside of cards, so now I can easily print one that says just want I want to say. Here is how I do it.

You can start with a piece of unfolded card stock or a ready made card (unfold it and put it through the printer flat.) Do the printing BEFORE you make the front of the card!

1. In Microsoft Word, I created a blank document.
2. In page setup, I made the document have 2 columns.
3. I changed the layout from portrait to landscape.
4. You can also change the paper size to the size of your card. (I didn't do this, I just kept mine at 8-1/2" x 11" and used the ruler on the screen to judge where I would be printing on my size paper)
5. Choose your font style and size, and type your sentiment. Center it and play with the number of words on each line until you get it how you like it.
6. Make sure your sentiment is in the center of the second column and also in the center of your paper size. You might have to print it a couple of times on plain paper and hold it over your card to test, and make minor adjustments until you get it right. Sometimes I also adjust the size of the font as well, until it looks right.
7. Print it out.
8. Save your template and then all you have to do is print a new sentiment for the next card and it is already lined up correctly and ready to print. I have several card templates saved for different sized cards. (3x5, 4x6 and 5x7) You can easily change the font and the color for each new card without disturbing the setup.

Finishing: For this card, I printed out a vintage image, mounted it on coordinating paper, and embellished it with fine irridescent glitter and a word stamp, and that is pretty much it. I picked a font style and color for my sentiment that I thought coordinated with the front of the card.

Red Lead Tag Inspiration

Here is some delightful Red Lead Tag eye-candy. love love love

Pink Joy

I love pink as a Christmas color. And also the combo of pink and green. So I found this cardstock in my stash, as well as a rubber stamp that I really love and amazingly had never used before. I stamped the angel on white paper and got out those old handy-dandy Stampin-Up chalks and colored it in! What a blast from the past! I'm quite sure I've had them for 15 years if not more. I am getting such a kick out of using things that I've had like forever, and either forgot about, moved on from or never used at all.
So here she is, all joyful and pink, dolled up with a few embellishments.

2 Reminders:
* Send me Holiday cards/tags that you've made in the past so I can share them.
* Don't forget to post pictures of what you made/received for the November Swap on the Mr.Linky post below or on our flickr page. I want to see!

Our December swappers are all lined up!

The December Swap sign ups have closed, and we have a great lineup of swappers, ready for some Holiday Cheer!

If you missed out, the sign ups for the January swap will begin on December 1st. See the announcement I've posted in the right column >>(and feel free to post it on your blog if you'd like) Also, please follow along on the blog throughout the month and enjoy the Holiday fun.

The montly GIVEAWAY will be held on November 15th. ALL are eligible for that. Mark your calendar so you don't forget to sign up for your chance to win some exciting GREEN goodies, including a handmade holiday card and tag.

Today is the Last Day to Sign Up for the December Swap!

Sign Ups Begin NOW for the December Swap!

How to sign up for the December 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 November 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 Decembere Swap is Holidays/Christmas. We will be swapping these 3 things:

1. a handmade holiday card
2. a handmade holiday tag
3. one GREEN craft destash item

I'm really exacited about this one! I have loads of fun stuff to share throughout the month! It will put us all into the holiday spirit!