April Affair (IYP6) Gallery!

[catpants]

thank you for posting pics, missmeshell! i knew mine wouldn't turn out half as good

opening this package was totally like christmas! afterward i was running around the house putting the tea towels in the kitchen and deciding where to hang things 

i wish everybody could see what you sent up close -- there's such an attention to detail.  the big canvas (which is NOT ugly, thank you very much!) has embroidery details all over it!

i am super impressed with the yarn; it's way better than anything i ever spun on drop spindle and probably a little better than anything i've spun on the wheel (i tend to overspin and this is beautifully smooth).  i'm sure it will be luxurious to knit with

okay, i just realized i've been sitting here staring at the screen for about five minutes without typing... i think it's time for a cup of coffee 

THANK YOU, meshell, for spoiling the (cat)pants off me!! 

[SewingLori]

I'm a MissMeshell fan (I read her blog every update  ) and everything she does is always beautiful. That is a great package!!!

[Katxena]

I got my package from alteredmommy, and I'm just blown away by her artistry, generosity, and mind-reading abilities.  As she mentioned, we agreed to swap cigar boxes, altered and filled with goodies.  My theme was Mexicana, and alteredmommy did an amazing job with it.

First, look at the nicely wrapped package I found in the box.  It was so pretty, I didn't want to open it -- but you know I did! 


Outside the box, AM included some fabric and a book.  The fabric is for my postage stamp quilt, in colors I asked for -- I really love them all, they are exactly what I needed.  The book is by Kathy Cano Murillo -- this is example #1 of AM's mind-reading skills.  When I lived in Tucson, Arizona, I was a huge fan of Ms. Murillo, back when she wrote a craft column for a Phoenix newspaper (this was before her blog, her books or her podcast).  I used to buy that paper ever week to read her column!  I had been wanting this book for some time.



Then came the main event -- unwrapping the cigar box!  AM decorated it in a loteria theme -- it's awesome.  Here's the lid and side:



And inside!  This cool mirror-headed dude and a bunch of tiny packages!

She put the tin mirror right over the head of the guy in the box, then decorated around it.  It's too funny!

I'll put pictures of the things that were in the box in my next post.

[Katxena]

Whew, ok.  At this point, opening alteredmommy's package felt like Christmas.  Look at all the ribbons and tissue I got to untie! 

Here's a group shot of everything that was in the package, after unwrapping:


There were so many wonderful things: a Virgin of Guadalupe Shrine, Mexican hot cocoa, postcards with Mexican women on them, a day of the dead keychain, an optimist moose, homemade lipbalm, a laminated dashboard Jesus card, bottlecap magnets, a dia de los muertos needlebook, a Frieda Kahlo   matchbox filled with goodies, and several ATCs.  Wow!

Here are some detailed pictures.  First, a set of Mexicana bottlecap magnets.  You can't see this in the picture, but they are painted with sparkly glitter paint and filled with resin!


Next, a very cute felt needlebook with hand embroidery, sequins, and paper flowers.  She also made sacred heart, rose and skull pins out of sculpy!


Next, a Virgin of Guadalupe shrine.  AM made it from a board book.  It's my very favorite item in the whole wonderful package.  First the outside, then the inside.  I hope that if AM has better pictures she will post them.  This shrine is amazing, and my pictures really don't do it justice.



Beautiful postcards, and the optimist moose.  This is example #2 of AM's mind-reading skills.  My husband has an optimist animal collection!  My moose has joined them, but I made sure he understood it was still my moose. 


The Freida matchbox, and its contents.  The matchbox is really neat, and I particularly love the sacred heart charm here:


The keychain, dashboard Jesus, and lipbalm.  The lipbalm is homemade and really nice and smooth.  This is example #3 of AM's mind-reading:  we've had bad luck with our car lately.  We've been in 2 serious accidents (no one was harmed), 2 minor ones, and had weird random things happen like the ignition freezing and the donut blowing out.  We desperately needed a dashboard Jesus, and we didn't know it!  It's in the car right now.


And last, but definitely not least, 5 ATCs.
"Our Lady of Guadelupe Church".  An altered photo ATC made from a picture AM took herself.  The texture and tone of this card is really great.  I promise the card is rectangular in real life, it's my photo that's crooked.


"El Wrestler" and "Dia de Los Muertos".  I told AM that I love Mexican wrestling, and this card perfectly captures what I like about it.  The skull card is really cool -- I think it's completely hand-drawn, with a bit of paint.  Is that right AM?


"Mexiko" and "Home".  The one on the left was made from a German atlas, and the one on the right from a picture of the San Xavier del Bac mission in Tucson.  This is the last example of AM's mind-reading:  I love that mission, it's one of my favorite places, and I visit it often when I'm home.  I know I've talked to AM about missing Tucson, but I don't think I ever told her about the mission.  This card made me tear up a bit -- I miss Tucson a lot.


Whew!  That's everything, and I can't believe it all fit in that box!  Thank you so much alteredmommy -- my first dance has been awesome, you are a marvelous partner, and I love all the things you sent!

[catpants]

wow!    great theme, and alteredmommy did an amazing job on everything she did!

[Banga]

WOW!!! Those last two packages are so fabulous! Amazing work (as usual!) from MissMeshell and alteredmommy! You ladies are very lucky to have received such gorgeous stuff. I am salivating over that quilted canvas, the needle book, the shrine...

[rackycoo]

kat and alteredmommy, you two were great partners! I love the theme you picked, and I'm jealous of the packages you both sent. 

[MissMeshell]

WOW!

[alteredmommy]

I'm so happy you enjoyed your lotteria box of goodies Katxena!  Thank you for being my dance partner, it was a blast!!  I have all my charms and ATC doo-dads in my cigar box and my eiffel pillowcase is traveling with me to Las Vegas (I'm too old to leave my good pillow behind )

[Phizzychick]

WOW! That is one incredible package alteredmommy, everything is so wonderful! The board book is such a wonderful idea, and beautifully done, and I love the little skull pins!