Chick-tastic

Easter is coming. Its been coming for well over a month and happy chicks and bunnys are popping up even more than they were a couple of weeks ago. Its brilliant, because while the weather is showers and patchy clouds, the colours here on the site are bright and green, yellow and pink.

So I had to share this picture I found. Its a little fluffy chick, I have to say I love the fact he has an easter egg in hand and its tiny. I could just see myself recieving this swap only to have my young Mr. steal it away and use it for a soft pillow to sleep on like the house cat that he is.
He has really cool tweedly feet too. Regardless of those he would still use the chick for a snuffly cushion. Thank you Flickr user: Mandalarama for sharing a wonderful stuffie.

Inch big Ladybirds

Small and tiny, crawly but not creepy. and I mean the ladybirds not the inchies. But arent these just adorable.
I mean yes I say that about alot of things, but Im looking at these and wanting them in my inchie collection. (the fact that they werent meant for me, and that I havent swapped inchies in the last 2 months means Id have had no hope of aquiring them *sulks*).
I think the one in the bottom right particulalry has my sway, I love the background papers pattern, pretty cool looking. So I envy Swap-bot user: Ninou's partner 100%, but I reckon we should see more Inchies by the swapper, if these are just a drop in the ocean of pretty ossum things that she can make.

Firey Things on Rainy days

what a fantastic stuffie. Simple as.
For those who havent already recognised the character, this is Calcifer the fire spirit from the Ghibli Movie, Howls moving castle. I loved this movie. I love them all in their own way but I have to admit, its a wrestling match between Howls moving castle and Princess Monoke(I think I spelt that right). For the best.
I know for a fect though Ive paid for stuffies of characters from the Ghibli movies and they havent been as good as this stuffie. Hes really well made, take a closer look here. At no point does it look like the lady who made him, Flickr user: carottepower,got bored and podged the end (something I am infamously guilty of). Really well done and I look forward to seeing other ossum stuffies like him.

America Cupcakes...Wooooosh!

A little while ago Swap-bot user: dBowie created a Wishlist Chunky Book page swap, where you get to create two pages for your partner on one of their three given themes.
This swap is due out this week and I figured before it was time to post it out on its way, I would share a photo of what I have made for my partner. Her wishes included vintage (which isnt something I can do very well), cupcakes and the 4th of july. Being a brit I guess it is hard for me to understnad about quite how important the 4th of july is in the USA, however I can understand the importance of cupcakes. So what a better way to create a page for my partner than with America themed cupcakes!
Better yet. the bottom cupcake page with the really REALLY long tail has a pop up part to it too. Because everyone likes fire works and cupcakes too. I have to give special thanks to those in Swap-bot chat the night I made these pages, for listening to my very silly questions about how many stars and stripes there are (I didnt have a clue!).

Simply black, white and pink

Look at all the bits of happy here that came out of this Whimsy jar. Wow! though I admit they look sort of like little sweets in the picture to the right, and perhaps a tiny bit edible. I would advise against it, because a closer look with present you with a mixture of black, white and pink beads, stampy bits, scrabble tiles and other lovelies. All sent to Swap-bot user: Ozrob as part of a personalized jar swap with Flickr user: Smoke_and_mirror's.
That must have been an amazing package to recieve. I can remember the last jar I got and it wasnt nearly as stuffed full as this one, it was stuffed to the brim and I have yet to be disapointed by a jar I have recieved. But I have to totally envy Ozrob here. What a fantastic jar to get, I bet that was a day brightener whether Smoke_and_Mirrors thinks so or not. Dont worry about being too creative with the jar on the outside, Sometimes the simplest things can really stand out because they are just that, Simple.

Buttons and Cloth

I cannot sew, but I appreciate those who can. I also find it oddly appealing to collect together bits of sewing kit and things along those lines, I'm always the first to put my hand into the button jar and have a play with the shiny buttons in there, sorting them by colour or making pictures with them.
Im sure Swap-bot user: Wenot must have the same thoughts, because after having a browse through their flickr gallery, they have some of the most delightful photos of hand sewn goodies, or well things they have recieved to make more with. From buttons and brads to beautifally coloured fabrics. My only problem is with swaps like that, Id be too delicate with the fabrics etc. to ever use them up, Id always be saving them for the extra special project or package. Then enevitably never use them.

White Rabbits

Like it or not, it is infact almost easter already. A new array of lovely spring themed swaps have already begun to pop up around Swap-bot. And its left me wondering, just where the year has gone, its gone SO quickly that we are already at the end of March, when I swear yesterday we were still finishing up with new year and christmas. *gasp*
But at least the good weathers here. And better still the new array of swaps that people are sharing images of have brought things like this lovely needle felted bunny and his bunny toys out for us to have a look at.
Made by Swap-bot user: Sunnyblueskies. He must have taken some pacients to craft because yep, that is a match box in the background and I do assume him and his goodies all fit inside, as he was made for an Easter themed mini matchbox swap.

Sometimes Swaps get ontop of you

Sometimes, I mean that quite literally here, after having spotted this lovely photo of an energetic blue owl stuffie made by Flickr user: shakeslikejelly. On what I can assume is her less than amused and slightly tormented looking pet dog named Bob. Gosh look at those eye brows, I can just see those being used against his good lady as a weapon of aquiring more treats.

The owl however is a lovely stuffie. It sort of reminds me of the owl from sinbad, at least I think its from that old movie, it was a little iron owl. I think its the eyes. I love them, they are all big and owly. (and yes thats a technical term). I cannot see why Bob would look so unimpressed by it, because I am, thats for sure.