Okay, here finally are all 3 of the cards I received.  They are all fabulous!  Very fun for my first ATC swap    Please pardon my photos -- I don't have a scanner, just a camera and a verrry steeaady hand...

From Tristitia, similar to one already posted, but slightly different -- you can't really get how many layers of texture are on this one, with the paint techniques:


From Lilbandade, a very cute take on the theme:


And from Ptarmic Wumpus, a beautiful card with sequins, beads, and stitching, that reminded me of when I lived in DC in college:


Tristitia and Ptarmic Wumpus, both of you put some kind of sealant on your cards.  Is this the Future floor wax, or Mod Podge, or what?  They look like they might not be using the same technique...

Thanks to all my partners!

Melinda

I almost don't want to re-post mine, because there are such cooler things... but hey, it's the first time I even tried the Challenge, and I think it came out great! 

I always think it would be great to be able to whip a game out of  my purse when my friend/DH and I are sitting in a restaurant or coffee house or park or airport, but most "travel" games are either too complicated to work well in tiny form (like Scrabble), too bulky to carry around, or too simple to be any real diversion (like tic-tac-toe or something).  So, I made a travel game that *I* would actually want to play.

On the green side is an 8x8 grid, on which you can play Reversi (also known as Othello):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reversi


And on the orange side are two rows of 6 boxes each, where you can play Mancala:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mancala


You could also, I suppose, play checkers on the green side, since it is an 8x8 grid (and surely everyone can remember to play on the diagonal without there being 2 colors of square), or simplified versions of Pente or Go.  The whole thing weighs less than a deck of cards, and can be thrown into a zipper baggie.  It's also very durable, being made of washers and duct tape.


I laid out overlapping strips of duct tape to make a sheet green on one side and orange on the other.  Then I measured and cut an 8-inch square, and drew the grids on with Sharpie.  I used 64 washers, painted black on the flatter side, so that they are black on one side and silver on the other.  I had bought a 99-cent can of spray paint, but the weather kept being cold, wet, and windy, so I ended up using no-prep brush-on metal paint, which was also very easy.

I'm already thinking of other games you could make this way!  It was even easier to make than I thought it would be 

Melinda

Thank you for trusting me 

I've had a lot of crap come up with my job the past several weeks.  The good news is that I got a NEW job, which will be a lot more fun and a lot less stress, and give me a lot more time for crafting!  I start next week!

I'm REALLY REALLY REALLY sorry, guys, I know it's all waiting for me.  I did finish, finally, and it's going out in the mail tomorrow (I don't have a car today).  Here it is:


Boy, have I gotten a lot of crafting mileage out of a stack of 1973 Woman's Day magazines from eBay.  I've used them for everything!

Melinda

Thanks from me, too, I enjoyed this swap.  Here is the "peanut butter" pin, and also the other pin I sent, which I believe has been received by now:


The tiny tiny jar of peanut butter is also from the 1948 Seventeen magazine, from a story about all the wonderful things we get from peanuts, and the other is from an Archie comic I bought in a thrift shop when I was in Montreal.  Archie is saying, in French, "Some guys have it, others don't" 

Melinda

Glad you guys like them!  The Tide and the soup are from ads in 1973 Woman's Day magazines, and the girl with the soda is from a 1948 Seventeen magazine.

Here, also, are finally pics of the cool leopard flower from Shotgun_Bettie and the adorable "ball of fluff" from ppcakes!


Melinda 

I was clearing some photos off the digital camera last night, and found this one of the item I sent crafty_dame:


It is the first thing I've actually sewn on my sewing machine -- well, except for the purple felt, which was hand-sewn, and the buttonholes, which were hand-sewn because I don't know how to do them yet on the machine.  It was kinda funny, though, because I had a moment where I thought, "Wait a second...I bet you use the BUTTONHOLE embroidery stitch to make BUTTONHOLES..."  hahaha

Melinda 

A few days ago I received awesome CDs from darkhairedgirl and from...uhh... I'm not sure who... I LOVE the covers of both of them!

I'm impressed with people who made DIFFERENT CDs for different people!  Here is the CD I got from darkhairedgirl:

I'm really intrigued by all the remix stuff.  I'm not super-familiar with this genre of music, but I heard that "Grey Album" that made the rounds on the Internet last year and I find it very fascinating.  Can't wait to dig in!

Track list:
Starry Eyed Surprise -- Paul Oakenfold
Guilt is a Useless Emotion -- New Order
Love Will Freak Us Apart - Disco -- Missy Elliot vs Joy Division (I can't wait to hear this!)
Tubular Bells -- Book of Love
Frank Sinatra -- Miss Kitten
Slut (Remix) -- Avenue D
I Beg Your Pardon -- Suicide Machines
Dogma -- KMFDM
Rapture on the Storm -- Blondie vs The Doors
What Would You Do? -- Paris
Sandwiches -- Detroit Grand Pubahs
i-Generation -- MC Cars
Discoball World -- David Garza
In Da Club (Electro Mix) -- 50 Cent
Head Star -- Depeche Mode
Marta's Song -- Deep Forrest
Bigmouth Strokes Again -- Smiths vs Strokes
Sunday Bloody Sunday -- RX

And here is the mystery CD (I'm sorry, I brought it to work with me, and if it said on the envelope, I can't remember -- please take credit!)

Track list:
Van Lear Rose -- Loretta Lynn
Beach Boys -- Don't Worry Baby
Social Distortion -- Nickels and Dimes
Marie Marie -- Blasters
Tears of a Clown -- English Beat
I Wanna See You Bellydance -- Red Elvises
Here Comes the Summer -- Undertones
Modern Kicks -- Exploding Hearts
The World's a Mess, It's In My Kiss -- X
Send Me an Angel -- Thrice
Just Can't Get Enough -- Depeche Mode
Every Dog Has Its Day -- Flogging Molly
Photograph -- Weezer
Fujiyama Mama -- Wanda Jackson
Bomb the Twist -- 5678's
Blue Suede Shoes -- Carl Perkins
King Cry Baby -- James Intveld
Baby Lou Tattoo -- Horrorpops
Sick of Psychos -- Frisk

THANKS!!  I'm planning to give them both a listen right now!  I'm hoping it will help me get through my mind-numbingly boring day at work 

Melinda

Here's a card I made my mom for Mother's Day:


Melinda

I tried to run in and take a pic of the fluff ball, but for some reason I couldn't get it to come out non-blurry.  I'll scan it tomorrow.

Here are pics of the pins I sent mrsbenjimadden and lrschic:



Melinda 

My mother made this "tiara" for my wedding.  It is real rosebuds wired to a plastic-comb headband, and she made it the morning of the wedding (because she is amazing).  I had no idea what she was making until the morning of the wedding when I came to get dressed.  I would say it's probably less stress to use artificial flowers, but if you can do it, the real ones are awfully gorgeous.  My mother did all the flowers, actually -- I told her I wanted red and pink roses, and she made the bouquet, all the corsages, everything.  I think this "tiara" that she made is a neat idea of something different to do if you (a) have short hair, and (b) are not wearing a veil.


Melinda