Squeeeee....Candy, Hearts and Bells

You know a swap like this would be the swap of the year for me if it had arrived on my end, yes this is all one package from Swap-bot user: ShandaPanda. This is a massive array of happy hearty valentines love thingys. There bells, jars, boxes, papers, stams and more hearts than the love factory. I am throughly impressed (and I wouldn't be lieing if I admitted to be slightly interested in how much it cost to post - theres a whole lot of happy there).

Have a closer look at some of the bits and pieces this is an EPIC package to receive. A little Stamp. A jingly Heart (I swear I thought you only got these at Christmas. Its not a Valentines gift without ribbons and its defiantly not without chocolates. You cannot tell me that isnt the most exceptional way to convey some love to a swap partner, above and beyond the norm. Fantastic.

Something Flavoured

Newbie swaps. We've all done them, because after all we were all newbies once right? (hell I was, and I was a proper newbie, ooow whats that, ooow postage thats a bit strange, hello there post lady....etc etc). This picture to the left does not strike me as the sort of thing Id expect to find from most average newbie swaps. This swap is just quite lovely, when I started I didn't tend to put so much care in my packages, I read profiles and all, but....mmm I look back and cringe. Swap-bot user: Fuzzystuffies hasn't done that and wont have any reason to look back and cringe as this swap, where she needed to send something hand made and something from her partners profile and who's favorite colours are green and purple. Have a nosey here at the complete package, yes the little purple thingy with a tiny little duck is a pin cushion and yep the happy green froggy thing is a mini bento box. awwww.

Oooow Shiney things...

A handful of beads. I can derive an odd amount of entertainment from beads and buttons alike and have done since I was a child and got to play with my Grandma's big Roses tin full of the things. It was always good times to be sat around sorting the blue ones from the black ones or finding all the star shaped buttons etc.
I can totally understand the excitement for Swap-bot user: Sonyaok when she got these, especially since it seems they were right on for the kind she uses in her work. Im a bead addict too, I love the ones at the back with the sort of cloudy colours to them and the tiny pearls. They were part of the International Beads Swap which sounded quite nice, only a small $5 packet containing about that much in beads before shipping. That leaves plenty of creative collecting from the sender and plenty of surprizes for the reciever.

Sneeky Peeks and Faeries

I saw this photo after having a look at a set of four ATC's with the same design on them, And honestly both are worthy of honorable mention. Kinda cursing the fact I didnt sign up to the swap the ATC's are part of *grumbles*
Thats quite an eye catcher of a design, made for as a transparency? (at least I read it like that) and then stuck to things. What a very clever idea. I am in awe of the photograph of this one (im a sucker for sky pictures). and Im curious as to what the backs of the atc's were made with or if they were just that way when the cards were created.
Its the faerie design though that makes both and that is all Swap-bot user: ShandaPanda's art. Its the simple things that really catch your eye sometimes, I guess some may argue that this isnt really so simple, but a silloutted Faerie and very short but delicate wings works simple for me *froths at how she would want this on her window cill*

Ostra ATC Swap

This arrived yesterday I admit. Had a pretty busy birthday though but I just had to share it. It is from Swap-bot user: Ogma who set up the Wheel of the year ATC swaps. Basically there is an swap currently set up for every festival of the year, the next one being Beltane.
I love the little extras included with this fantastic Ostra themed ATC. Theres a small packet of Lavender (I really am gonna grow my own Lavender bush one day, its very useful for keeping flys away and smells lovely). There's also a small packet of pretty beads, inside are also some strange square bits and pieces, Im not sure what they are but they will soon have a space on one of my chunky books, as they look and feel pretty darn cool.

I am definatly signing up to the rest of the wheel of the year ATC swaps. Hopefully by the end of the year I will have quite a collection formed.

A Cup of Tea

It must be a british thing. I feel an odd connection to the tea cup and generally the occupation of tea drinking, Now Im not a huge fan dont get me wrong. It's like drinking milky leafy water, some teas are nice but alot are just leafy wet stuff. That doesnt stop me looking on in envy when I see this tea cup and little dish. As an object it is very sweet. I like the little stars on it and I assume that little brown packet inside is tea too.
I wonder who the lucky partner to Flickr user: appliquegoddess who I assume posted this one out. and I do hope it arrives safely and not squashed (or otherwise diverted to my house so I can keep it for my occasional tea drinking fancey).

Big Birthday for Trinket

This arrived yesterday, But Im still frothing about it today.
What is it? you ask. Its a BIRTHDAY CARD! because yep you guessed it. Today is my birthday. I always fuss over my birthday a little too much, even if the weather outside is grey dull and horrible. It's still my birthday. Im gonna wrap myself up in blankets and eat cake all day till I get ill....or well just dont want to eat anymore cake (I can't see that happening soon).
And all the time this little ginger kitty shall be poking his smiley nose at me. Thank you very much Swap-Bot user: ChuckInNY for posting this to me. Oh and yes. That is glitter, long after the card has been moved away, there shall be glitter all over my room as the sparkly gift that keeps on giving in my socks and shoes ever day. (I may have spilled a bit - everywhere).

Its madness...no wait, its Chunky Pages

My name is Trinket and yes I have an addiction. Chunky Book pages. I haven't yet got enough to make a full book of any one given theme. But I have been making them like a Squirrel storing nuts. I think I am going nuts infact.
Moving on from my madness I couldn't help but spot this delicate little beauty this evening (well morning its also 1.45am here in England). Made by Swap-bot user: freespirit66 for the Wishlist Chunky Pages Swap, I believe there is still a little sign up time for a similar swap here too. But I have to appreciate the very detailed description though about just what went into making the page. As a maker of chunky books myself, I love to find out about what other folks use for theirs. It makes me very curious what botanical handmade paper is, as this apparently used two sheets of it to make the base *ponders*

That's Not Scrap

Thats it. Im signing up for the next paper scraps swap I come across because there is just no way these lovelly quality bits and bobs are scraps. They're the sorts of bits I horde away in my papery box of ossum like the hording hermit I am. Always saving them with the intent, Im savint that particular shiney piece of paper for some epic piece of work, that generally never happens.
I do hope that wont be the case for these bits and that they are destined to appear on this blog another time shaped into something marvelous. I cant wait to see, but Swap-bot user: LittleZ I would be your partner for a scrap paper swap anytime. I especially do like the little bird sat on a cloud you posted. I wonder if thats a sticker of a transfer like the ones in your Dawanda shop.

Big Owl Eyes

Its all owls and cupcakes again, but I just had to take notice of this little guy, maybe its those big brown eyes and all but I am quite in aw of this little creation by Swap-bot user: bean. Hes an tiny owl Arrigurami (I assume at least), but he was made without a pattern. Ive often marvelled at my mother who happens to be a seamstress who can piece together a pair of trousers at a moments notice if you give her the fabric without a pattern. It takes alot of pacients and a quite a bit of talent in my oppinion.
Im still looking at this little guy in awe. though that could still all be in the big brown eyes. Hes very well made. Bean you should be very proud, and gosh after reading your flickr gallery here, I hope your feeling better too. Allergic reactions are horrible.

Swirly Twirly Doom

Just woken up. sleep is in my eyes. Then wham. Pretty colours. What a lovely twirly picture of psychadelic prettyness. This was definatly an eye catching pretty for me. Better yet this isnt it all.
Swap-bot user: Franstuff must really have had a hard time finishing this ATC project afer painstakingly outlining that whole piece with a fine liner. Because this had to be chopped up into nine seperate ATC's. I know I would have struggled at least. But Fran managed it, here are the finished nine cards. The top left is my favorit.

This is a really good idea to have a bit of therapy drawing doodle something magnificent like the image pictured and then cut it down into cards, your never sure what your going to get but they do look fabulous finished, thats for sure.

The Key

Huray for ATC's. One of the few things crafted that I make a hell of alot of. I think last month I passed my 100th ATC. I love to look at them and collect them, they're better than baseball cards thats for sure - you never run out of new and creative things.
I guess thats why these caught my eye. When I think of embellishments I think chunky things, beads, buttons and odds and ends. These have keys. Gosh I would love for a card with a key on it an old brown iron one where the door no longer exists or the key fell out of an old mans pocket 10 years ago and he was locked out forever.
These four ATC's dont quite do that. They use collaged key's instead and that is just as cool.

I couldn't say which one was my favorit out of the set. They look very rustic, like you'd just tipped out your loose jar of old keys and bits and out came some other bits and bobs like loose buttons and tape measures and that pad lock you bought but never got to use. Great stuff really. Thank you Flickr user: Haberdashery Pie for showing off your cards, they're lovely.