Yay! This was so worth the wait! The envelope was deceptively not-overstuffed, but look how much was in it:


First off, lots samples of handmade paper, including one embroidered in chain-stitch! Three pages of a blank Shakespeare journal, one with a great illustration of "Two Gentlemen of Verona". There are some painted ATC backgrounds, some stamped paper (including great gold bees!) and a bookmark that Spidermom cross-stitched with a tiny grasshopper.


More paper, both plain and printed. (I especially like the skulls.) Two sheets of die-cut letter tags. A couple of old magazine articles, one of which is on aerosol food, with a great photo of spray mashed potatoes. Some local items including a 25% off coupon from the Highland Tavern (I would have kept that!) and a classic horror illustration of a mad scientist milking venom from snakes. How did you know how much I would like that?


In a little bag were four great metal buttons and a tiny container of watch parts, including four microscopically beautiful cogs.


But wait, there's more! An old road map of Colorado and Wyoming, a 1975 Delta Airlines schedule (I would have so coveted this if it had appeared in anyone else's package!) and a magazine photo of people feeding a rather mangy-looking bear from their car window. A personalized notebook (with handmade brown paper), and a couple of additional fishing items. Three snapshots of the Colorado countryside (I love all the local stuff) and five flash cards (?) of insects and spiders. Not everyone would love these, but I sure do!


And finally, this antique photo deserved its own shot. It's a lovely family group from about 1910 (judging by the hats) but the real story is the annotation on the back: "Ray, Iva, Raymond McBride. All killed in car accident near Boulder Colo." Suddenly the anonymous figures become real people with a tragic story.

Thanks so much, Spidermom, for this great collection of stuff. I love all of it!

Wulf

Okay, here's the great basket I just got from whileitsraining. I squeezed it all into one photo.


First of all, the basket is a fabulous crocheted "nest", which is a perfect size to also be a hat. (Coincidence? I bet it isn't!) It's lined with "Easter grass" which rather than being plastic, is actually edible. There is also edible Easter Bunny confetti, which is weirdly like tiny rabbit-shaped hosts. (Simulated blueberry flavour.) The basket holds wooden eggs for each of the four elements. Lovely! And finally she baked me a loaf of Ostara bread! I had hoped to bake some paska this year but just didn't have time, so this was a delicious surprise!

And finally, a package of Peeps!

Thanks for the great package!

Wulf

I've just received an unexpected package from the always-amazing suereal, one of her contributions to the Random Acts of Kindness Swap (fake).



There's a folder with two more postcards by ManWoman (with comments on removable speech balloons), some sheets of paper made out of elephant dung (held with a dog-shaped paperclip) and an eye-popping (literally) tin containing the worlds tiniest hand-cranked flashlight. And a long note written on wonderful Tibetan handmade paper. (This is only the second note I've had from suereal and she's already my favourite penpal. The letters are long without being boring or rambling, and always on great paper.)

I'm glad to be a participant in your fakeswap!

Wulf

Oh yes, the double-hit of packages makes this swap particularly fun! And I love how long this gallery of utter fabulousness has gone on for - and we're not done yet!

Suereal:  I think most of the stuff on the box was stuck on with heavy-body acrylic gel. I've only recently been introduced to it as an adhesive, and I'm totally sold. Since most of the bits and pieces were metal, they needed to be pretty securely fixed. Anything that needed less aggression got tacky craft glue, and some of the fine bits I did with Krazy Glue. Generally I'm not one to just glue things on - I prefer mechanical attachment - but it didn't really work in this case. I'm just relieved it all got there in one piece!

Here's another photo, which shows the colour a bit better.


Lylacfey: (Oh, behave!) I'm glad you liked the ATC - it just didn't seem to be going anywhere for a while but it came together in the end. The octolady is a couple of engravings Photoshopped together then printed and pasted on. She would make a great stamp, though!

Lelila: I really like your key box, and tying another key onto the outside makes it almost like you have to unlock it to get inside. And I totally covet that tiny antique die! (And the moose pin, of course, but there's a lineup for that already.)

Wulf

Matchbox #2 from thelastkodama has arrived safe and sound! And of course our conscientious organizer has kept entirely within the rules of the swap: just a matchbox, beautifully decorated but with no gimmicks or craziness; no extras (well, almost none); filled with tiny goodness that fits perfectly inside without exploding out. It was even mailed in a small padded envelope for under $2, just like she said it could be. You make it look so easy!


The box is covered in a luminously green batik fabric with a little ribbon pull. (A great idea!) The piece of eyelet lace was wrapped around the outside. Some might have cried "Extra!" at that, but it was physically attached to the box, so it passes as decoration. Hah!


Inside, all is perfectly-sized orderliness. It didn't even jam inside the box. (I'm afraid you may not find that to be true of mine!)


So from left to right starting below the empty box:

• two inchies
• three interesting metal beads
• a piece of lovely Japanese paper
• two green stone beads
• four Hello Kitty stickers
• a penny flattened by a train on the railroad tracks (very cool)
• a card of six tiny snap fasteners
• a tiny phial that says "Elgin 809" containing lavender flowers
• a small religious medal (of the Virgin Mary)
• a coin sequin
• a surprisingly heavy brass button
• three tiny buttons
• five wooden beads
• a piece of quartz
• a stone bear
• a carved bone bead
• two beads that look like teeth but are actually shell
• six more beads in stone and glass
• four postage stamps from Romania, North Korea, West Germany and Czechoslovakia

What wonderful, tiny stuff! The stamps were immediately pounced on by my partner, who is a stamp collector. The rest I'm already thinking about what I can make from each item!

Thanks for making this such a fun swap. I'm already looking forward to doing it again.

Wulf

Okay, these matchboxes are some of the coolest things I've ever seen on Craftster. I can't even name favourites anymore - my head is spinning!

And even more because I got my box from Suereal this afternoon. Holy cow! She totally walked all over the "no extras" rule - the box was about the size of three VHS tapes stacked up! "It's all padding" she says, but bubblepack was never this good! I don't even know where to begin...


Okay, here's everything that was in the box. The main (and most legitimate) packing material was a wonderful lot of wool suiting samples. I'm already dreaming of what I can make of these. So many of them! Then there was an envelope containing a card (with a wonderful image by ManWoman - I'm a fan) and an ATC (which we had agreed to swap), then the matchbox itself, wrapped in another wool sample. Even the string is fabulous. Plus there's a large wood and brass wall-mounted hook, a tiny bell in the shape of an owl and a squirrel-shaped spring clip.


Here's the hook (a wonderful thing in its own right) and the "tweed robot" ATC, which is pieced out of more wool suiting, with great hand-stitching, buttons and tiny studs. Brilliant!!!


Here's the matchbox itself, which I included mostly to show that the contents didn't quite all fit inside - something was already squeezing out. The box is covered in a mosaic of copper, gold and silver foil, each embossed with different patterns.

And no wonder it was bursting out - look at how tightly it's packed! I could barely slide the box open.


And finally, here's what was inside, referenced to Susi's itemized and annotated list. (Note the zebra-print lining in the box!)

 1. Small Mind Sector - everyone has someplace they would like to put something like this.
 2. 2 star stickers - For glitter
 3. Lady Bug stickers - it reminded me of the hibernating Lady Bugs in your yurt.
 4. Plastic dog tag - pretend they are wolf foot prints...
 5. Food grade silicon band. Just not something I thought you'd buy for yourself. Bundle asparagus and boil, for example.
 6. Automatic Transcribing Machine. A tiny steampunk writing bug. Carefully bend its legs so it stands. (I've glued them on 3 times with 3 different glues. Hope it holds.) It did.
 7. 3 shell buttons
 8. Small coin from my belly dance belt.
 9. Labyrinth
10. Token for Amusement only. That's exactly what I'll use it for.
11. Wolf and man dangles Obviously I love these!
12. 2 Scrabble tiles W & I
13. Knife, fork, spoon
14. Tiny key (vintage)
15. CN Tower I think this may actually be the Skylon Tower at Niagara Falls. More research is required.
16. Square sun button
17. Moon
18. Star
19. Rhino - I made this in college. A wonderful little charm made of brass and another metal (nickle?)
20. Handsome/Valuable clip One side says "HANDSOME" in tiny letters, the other says "VALUABLE"
21. Spool of thread
22. Skull - from Tibet and vintage Silver I think.
23. An armadillo.
24. Scissor
25. French paper clip
26. 12 tiny coins.

Thanks for all this wonderful, fabulous stuff. I'm going to go fondle it all again right now

Wulf

Oh my! I've just got my ASTOUNDING package from Ffrogg, who absurdly apologized for how little she'd sent! 


Okay, here's the stocking, with beautifully embroidered writing. (How long did THAT take?!) And a tub of jennieingram's Christmas Crack. (I was just looking at the recipe this morning and thinking how delicious it sounded!)  And finally, a wonderful Advent calendar garland with little felt pouches for each of the days. December 21 and 25 are in gold, as I celebrate both Yule and Christmas!


Here's the Christmas Crack again (already disappearing) with the LED fibre-optic bow turned on But it turns out that the lettering on the stocking was the back, and the front is even MORE spectacular! But what's inside? Not tiny treats or candy sweets, but a lovely string of imported fabric birds, and a toque (that's a knitted cap to non-Canadians) I'd told Ffrogg that I hadn't been able to find a simple black wool watch cap, and she knitted what is arguably the best toque I've ever seen.


Look how intricate the top is! And all done in a lovely, soft wool.


Does it fit? Here's proof! (Sorry about the blurry photo. I was taking it at arm's length and kept missing my head . By the time I got this shot the camera's battery was dying and it was the best I could do!)


The only other thing in the stocking was a couple empty boxes from Christmas puzzles. "Hmmm," I thought. "She must've put those in as filler or stiffening." No, of course not. Turns out the puzzle pieces are scattered through the 12 Day of Christmas in the Advent pockets! I can hardly wait to see what the other little treats are inside each. (Look how beautifully made they are, with the number embroidered on each pouch in silver cord, and little Velcro tabs to keep them closed.) The best thing about getting an Advent calendar right at Christmas is that you don't have to wait to open any of the days! And next year I can fill it up again and enjoy it all over again. (Maybe I should fill it early in the year so I'll have forgotten what's inside by December.)

Thanks for the most amazing, splendid package.   I can't believe how much work you put into this. No wonder the last few weeks before your holidays were so stressful!

Wulf

Okay, here we go. The envelope I got from AlteredMommy was WA-A-AY over-size and stuffed so full of paper ephemera, bits and pieces and other stuff I don't know where to begin. She totally spoiled me with exactly the kind of stuff I love!


First, there's a lovely big reproduction of a favourite page from the Trés Riche Heures du Duc du Berry; a book page with an engraving of two very grave little boys and a dog (and a poem by George MacDonald on the other side); two more book pages in Russian; a Lemony Snicket card (trading? divination?); a cut-out key; a milk cap; a slice of deer antler; some cigarette trading stamps; and some reproductions of a matchbox label. And then...


A sheet of Arabic (Turkish?) newspaper; two art reproductions with Japanese captions; two playing card game pieces; a bottlecap magnet with a tiny picture of penguin; what appear to be two large contact lenses but which are probably tiny watch crystals; some clock hands with scrapbooking rivets; various bits of rusted metal including a flat key; two strips of copper strapping; prints of clock and compass dials in different sizes; more book pages in German and Spanish; an old Russian newspaper clipping; and my favourite of all, an inexplicable hand-painted sign that says "Laval Q LQ". And then...


A page from a speller; two pieces of scrapbooking paper with a ruler design; a wonderful illustration of a bullfrog from a Russian book; two tokens, some fasteners and a tiny watch-face button; a 35mm slide of a goat; an old postcard of a Russian palace; a vocabulary flash card that says "portend" (another favourite); a long strip of printed label that says "Lord Robert de Luxe" (from a cigar box, perhaps); two bingo cards; and some 'cigarette cards' (these are actually from tea packages) showing trees, orchids and fighter planes. There were also a Russian banknote and three or four old stamps, but I made the mistake of showing them to my partner Ian and never saw them again. But wait, the envelope isn't empty yet...


There's a reproduction New Jersey banknote; two early 20th c. cheques; a lovely piece of collaged paper; a piece of beautifully soft deer hide; and inside yet another envelope, a card and a Steampunky ATC. But that's still not all, because inside the card there's...


Two more ATC's, the right-hand one of which is one of the best I have ever had. The photo doesn't begin to show its textury goodness.

Whew! I have a lot of work I really need to get done tonight but I think instead I'm just going to go fondle all my new stuff.

Thanks!

Wulf

I had to wait til this afternoon for the sun to come out bright enough to get a good picture. After I came inside and downloaded the photos I realized Monnie's card was almost invisble against the oak leaves behind it. So I went out to re-shoot it, but I found it was now snowing heavily. Yes, really.

The one on the bottom left is from Polkadotts and it's very dear to my own heart, for obvious reasons!

Thanks everyone (Including Saturn, whose card hasn't arrived yet) for the great cards, the wonderful spells and poems, and the stones, teas, crocheted leaf, Halloween confetti and so much more!

Wulf

Okay, so this afternoon I got to meet up with my partner in person, because she lives just across town from me, and it's our organizer -zoma- herself! After commenting earlier in the week about how totally different everyone's interpretations were, -zoma- and I made each other journals that were remarkably the same! (The background material, by the way, is the luxurious handmade purple paper my book came wrapped in!)


She re-used the cover of a book called "Around Toronto", adding some Steampunky gears to the front.


Not only the cover was recycled, but many of the pages of illustrations by John Richmond have been bound back in, amid pages of many different kinds of blank paper, from thick watercolour to brown kraft paper. The title page even incorporates a drawing of the monument from the old War of 1812 burial ground on Portland St., which is one of my favourite secret spots in the city! There are two ribbon bookmarks with clock hands as finials.

There are some pages that just have one quirky image on the whole page:

Some incorporate the original book illustrations, like this poem:

Some pages have small ghostly bits of text or drawing, like this:

There are both large two-page backgrounds

and single pages with very specific places for writing. (This is one I particularly love.)


Faint images of machinery appear on many pages. There are also random photos, texts, poems, a wonderful "found poem" from a children's language workbook and lots of other stuff.


Finally we both ended our journals with envelopes inside the back cover, for collecting bits and pieces for future use. I did one large envelope across the back endpaper, and -zoma- put three into my book.

Thank you so much for this! It's so much like me, it's hard to believe we'd never met before today!

Wulf