Incoming and Outgoing Mail!

Ready for a long one? I think there are about 20 photos here.... LOL so get a cup of coffee and I'll see you in a minute!

Warning to Heather (Speckled Egg), Ele, Amy, Cheryl, Rachael & Rosalyn-Sue ~ if you don't want to see you swap goodies look away now!!! (Maria and Angelina I forgot to photograph yours!)

Gorgeous Holly was so sweet, the cheeky girl sent me some pressies! I asked her "What is a nut cup?" So she made me one and filled it with goodies and sent me a matchbox of beauties too!!!! Amazing, love everything!!! Thank you Holly!

And more incoming mail ~ my bits and pieces swap collage arrived and wowee!!!! Catie Ann made this amazing collage for me for the swap Jenny organised. She knew I love pink and green and she has included so many personal touches I don't know where to begin! Like a bingo token with the letter N and 31, would you believe she found a token with my initial and my age??!!! (not for long though yikes!). And she included my son's name, little dresses (how I love dresses!) and lots of lovely sweet trims. THEN as if this wasn't enough she really spoiled me and sent me a vintage sewing pattern, vintage trims, lovely old postcards and more! All packed in PINK bubble wrap!!! Thank you Catie, it's so lovely!!!

Now from the other side of the world in a different direction, in my favourite place outside Australia, and what I call my second home, Italy, the lovely Joan sent me this gorgeous package! We were supposed to swap an ATC, and boy did she spoil me. FOUR gorgeous hand drawn/painted ATCs later, plus some lovely trims and sheets from an Italian book (super!).... boy did I feel bad about my little ole ATC I sent her, I am hoping I remembered to put a few extras in her package.... fingers crossed!!!
And not a swap but an "I must have one of these" purchase (well it was incoming mail!), was this divine corsage made by the talented Beth ~ you can buy these in her Etsy shop but hurry on over, she has only got a few left and they go like hot cakes!!! I wish the photos could do it justice, there is beauty all around, inside and on the back... unbelievable!!!

Now for the outgoing mail...

Here is the tussie mussie I made for Heather for the Tussie Mussie Swap. It's my first tussie mussie... I was (and still am) nervous about sending to Heather, she has such wonderful trims and so I hope the vintage stuff I filled this one with will be to her liking! I figured she is a trim queen so if I stick to vintage stuff she is less likely to have it already. I also made a different one for Maria who hosted the swap, but forgot to take pics of it before packing it, LOL!

I used anaglyptic wallpaper and tried to keep it all in tones of white with hints of pink. She likes white so I figured it would be fun to do something where the layers and textures speak for themselves.



The Art Doll Hat Swap ~ my partner is Ele and she is so lovely! We have bought items from each other so I was excited to get her as a partner! Here's my doll I made for her. I hope she likes it! I used colourful German glass glitter on the bodice and on the skirt, I have used a beautiful Alannah Hill fabric underneath (one of my favourite Aussie designers!) and layered the top with vintage embroidered lace. I also managed to burn my hand with the hot glue while sticking the lace on! LOL! I am such a klutz!
The mini one in the front is for Amy who hosted the swap, this time I did remember to take a photo! She likes brighter colours, and loves pink. The third one is a spare I made just because I wanted to! Might put it on my website, still deciding...
Next swap! The lovely Angelina organised a Christmas card/tag swap. My partner is Cheryl and if you go over and visit, you will see the amazing job I remember she did of her crown for Holly's crown and tiara swap and the amazing box she created to present it in. Then you would know why I was nervous to get her as a partner! Hoping I could live up to her lofty standards! So I created these.... I felt like I was in a bit of a creative funk when I did them but they are warming on me now... I so hope they are ok for her.... I am avoiding visiting her blog in case she has pics of mine up there, for a change, I am keeping the surprise!!! I still haven't looked at Karin's pics of my crown that is in the mail.... itching to since I am the person who is terrible at receiving a surprise!
These were my favourite, the little tags. I will do some more of these closer to Christmas to put on my website. Each card and tag is of prints of my paintings.

Oh and some experimenting with my new crown seal and green pearly wax on doilies... Angelina is getting some goodies too but again forgot to photograph them. (again??!!!)
Phew are you still there?!!!

Last swap.... Rosalyn-Sue hosted a cupcake swap. Now how could I NOT join up! My partner is Rachael just a hop skip and swim across the water in stunning Auckland New Zealand! She likes pink and green (thank goodness ~ cause that's what she is getting!) ~ I put together a package of my faux cupcakes, some of my cupcake scrapping pages plus a few new backgrounds that haven't made it onto my website just yet, some rose printed cupcake patty papers, cupcake tags, cupcake cards and a cupcake wall hanging collage. And here's the little thank you gift for Rosalyn-Sue (didn't forget to photograph this time!)
Lastly ~ (thank goodness, you are saying!) I sent this little wall hanging to my friend Ali up in Queensland as a little thank you for helping out with some stuff, she is a sweetie! Also sent a hanging strawberry for her daughter's room that you can see here . The biggest FLUKE of all is that Ali calls her blog "Ali's Spot" and I seriously didn't know that when I made this. Her blog is very new. I totally fluked it by calling her wall hanging by the same name!

All done now!!! See you next time!

Natasha xo