Mornings, Molskines, and Mermaids... Oh, my!

Yay! My swap partner let me know she got my project, and liked it! So I finally get to talk about it. This was another “Ivy project”. She was totally in control from the from the very beginning, and as a result it was a lot of fun.

Four things you should know for this to make sense.

1) Ivy is my inner voice, my most creative, albeit flaky, part. She has a short attention span but great ideas. Luckily this was a short project, so I didn’t lose her and have to finish it on my own.

2) My email comes to my phone. (I know. I’m spoiled. )

3) This was for Handmade Anything Swap so I wasn’t restricted to a particular thing.

4) I am NOT a morning person. I never have been. I never plan on being. This is on my refrigerator:

The email letting us know our swap partners had been assigned came in around 4 am. Normally I have my phone set to silent, but for some reason it was still on vibrate and it woke me up just enough to look to see what it was. The instant Ivy saw it she was wide awake. (Making something for someone that they actually want is her favorite thing and we had been waiting, not so patiently, for partners to be assigned so we could look at a profile and start working.)

The conversation went something like this (It was early. Forgive me for paraphrasing.):

Me: What is that noise!?! Stupid phone...... Oh swap partners are assigned. I’ll have to look at that later when my eyelids will stay up.

Ivy: What?!? Swap partners are assigned?! Let’s see! Let’s see! Let’s see! (Picture a two year old with a pixie stick.)

Me: Shhhhhh. Sleeping time.

Ivy: Let’s see! Let’s see! Let’s see!

(Continue in this manner for about 15 min.)

Me: IVY! Shut up! If you look you will have to use someone else’s eyeballs!

Ivy: <Pout> If you let me look I promise we can go back to sleep......

Me: And if I don’t.....

Ivy: Well I’m already awake.

Me: ........ ok, but I’m only using one eye......

My partner had a great filled out profile, lots to choose from, but a couple things caught Ivy’s attention.

Ivy: Ooooooo Vintage Mermaids... I know..... and Molskines, we love those..... I know! I know!.... and music..... OK! It’s perfect! I know what we’re going to do!

Me: Me too.... Sleep!

Ivy: Sigh..... ok you sleep.... I’ll just be here and think....

(Another 15 min later)

Me: Ivy, you are thinking very loudly.

Ivy: Can’t help it.... Great ideas you know.....

Ivy: You could just get up.... have to in an hour anyway....we could play until it’s time to go for “the walk”

Me: Fine!

Me: What’s your idea?

Ivy: We have that Aunt Martha’s Mermaid Pattern, you know the one we made the tea towel out of.

Me: Ya those are cute, but she doesn’t say anything about liking to cook so I don’t think a tea towel is the best idea.....

Ivy: Give me more credit than that. We’re going to make a cover thing for a Moleskine. She says she likes to go out and listen to music and she likes Moleskines so we’re going to make her something that will hold a Molskine and a pen and papers or credit cards or whatever else you might need for going out.... It will need a zipper.....and a mermaid.... that’s important....

Me: That’s good..... but I really hate zippers.....

Ivy: Don’t sound so surprised and too bad. It needs a zipper.

Me: Ok, I’m up.... Which mermaid are we going to do and how big do you want this fabric cut?

Ivy: The one with the harp... duh.... music..... and I don’t know.... numbers are your job...

Me: Don’t sass me. Do you have any idea what time it is? and I’ll just make it big and figure it out later.

Ivy: Ok by me...hurry up I want to color!

Me: Color?

Ivy: Ya we’re going to use those pastels, you’ve never let me touch, sitting on the shelf.... look... right there.... ya those....

Me: I don’t know how those would work.....

Ivy: Then iron me a second one and we’ll practice first.... Yay!!!!! more coloring!!!!!

Me: Are you sure you’re 33 years old?

Ivy: Nope.

And over the course of the week we managed to come up with this:

(Front cover)

(Zippered pocket on the back)

(The inside with pen and journal)

(My lovely model, Emily, with everything that went in the envelope)

I’m pretty proud of us.

They're so tiny.....

As you know I recently discovered an instant passion for Swap-bot. It might be love and it might not.... only time will tell if it is true or just infatuation.

One of the things I have discovered there are ATC’s or Artist Trading Cards. I had to look up ATC to find out what they were (I saw them mentioned everywhere) and once again “love” at first sight. I mean what a perfect idea. They are tiny only 2.5” x 3.5” the size, approximately, of a playing card and can be anything. (This is my understanding. I’m not an expert.) They don’t take a lot in the way of materials. I’m finally using some of those itty bitty pieces “I just knew I would need some day” and cost next to nothing to mail. I joined three swaps right away, couldn’t stop myself. They were I've never made an ATC before! - international, I've never made an ATC before! : (, and Woodland Themed ATC Swap. I’ve finished and sent the first two, and my partners let me know today they got them. I finally get to show them off.... for being my first try I think they are not too bad.

The Wisdom of Eeyore

“B” is for Butterfly

Impressionist in Wool

Danger..... Please observe with care

It is amazing how fast time flies when you aren't paying attention. :) I have been stitching... honest....I have a couple more finished puppies

and I'm almost done with the last three. But my life and crafting time has been hijacked, swallowed whole, consumed utterly, by my latest discovery.... Swap-bot. Oh my goodness.... that's really all I can say. I love the post card swaps, and I'm trying my hand at making ATC's .

I have an empty wall in my cubicle at work that I can't wait to fill up with post cards

(so far I have one from the Netherlands and Pennsylvania) and tiny pieces of art.

I took part in a handmade anything swap and I can't wait for my partner to receive it so I can show you what I made... I'm really quite proud of myself and I really I hope she likes it.

This is what I made for my very first swap, Handmade bookmarks.

The pattern is from Urban Threads. I extended the fence some and I used fusible web and some felted sweater scraps (leftovers from Christmas projects) for the birds. I think it came out fairly well, and my partner said she liked it.

I've got a pin up girl I'm working on for Katie from SewLovely. I can't tell you how nervous I am about this one.... I really hope she likes her..... I had an idea that I'm not entirely sure will work but if it does I think it will be wonderful. Cross your fingers for me.

Distraction..... Look a Monkey!

And my monkey juggles......

I had originally planned for him to have stars on his vest and on the juggling balls but I just couldn't make them look neat so I filled them in and used some fancy pants looking stitches (it's just herring bone stitch folks) on the balls. The tension got a little wonky around his vest but I think once he is quilted it will be fine.