Cold hands Warm hearts swap

                        Cold Hands Warm Heart!!

                            

I haven't hosted a regular swap in ages so here goes!

What we are swapping:

-A swap box worth $30-35 minimum, not including shipping.

-The package needs to have a minimum of 5 "Cold Hands, Warm Heart" items and at least one of these items has to be handmade.  (It doesn't matter how you break down the cost.  Buy 1 nice thing and make everything else; make 1 nice thing and buy everything else; spend a few bucks per item; etc.  (NO DOLLAR STORE ITEMS!)
 *This is not a Valentine's swap but if you want, you may add something "Valentinesy" to the package.

Then, you need to wrap each item up individually and include a note to your partner.
This is supposed to be a pretty package!

As always, my swaps are meant to challenge your creativity, not bust your budget.  That being said, your package should be valued at $30-35 BEFORE shipping.  NO regifting unless is it something the person has mentioned on their list if you want to add it as an extra item you think they would like. If you send a re-gifted item, it MUST be clean and brand new looking.

This is a USA only swap.  I will not angel this swap.  If someone flakes, they are banned from joining ANY of my other swaps.
The join by date is January 8th.  I will email your partner info the following week.

The shipping date is February 6th.  Please use delivery confirmation or priority mail so you can track your packages.

You may send earlier but no later than that.

Okay, so if you want to join along, simply email me your name and address at valpowery(at)yahoo(dot)com.  I'll reply and then send an email confirming everyone right before the swap.  You'll need to reply to any emails I send during the course of the swap.

When you email me you need to answer these questions:

1) Full name and physical address

2) Your favorite colors to wear 

3) Things you use to keep cozy (scarves, blankets, etc.)

4) What hot beverages do you drink? Be specific...if you drink caffeine free, note it.

5) Do you like candles...if so, what flavor? Do you like a good soak in the tub?  If so, what scent do you like in the tub?

Heading your way

 All ornaments have arrived, been mixed up and shipped out!  

It's Good To Meet You Mr Grinch !!!!

 

This green bundle of pure zombie goodness has taken up residence in my patch !!!

He has settled down well and fits right in.

Thank you Iara for this treasure - I LOVE HIM !!!

Look at him nestled in there amongst his brain eating friends !!!

Iara spoilt me with lots of other fun goodies .... yarn, kitchen goodies (some of my most favorite things ever) !!! Hand sanitizers - can't get enough of those given I work with preschool kiddos every day :-)

And some goodies to display on my tiered trays.

Thank you SO much Iara for spoiling me, and to Val for putting together another AMAZING swap ..... this has become one of my highlights each year !!!

Undead Bluefish . . .

Look at this amazing "undead bluefish" . . . sitting in his own fish bowl full of victims.

He is AMAZING!!!  I wish you all could see him in person.  He is so great!

(My family may be tiring of me walking around saying, "One fish, Two fish, Undead Bluefish."

I keep looking at him just because he makes me smile!  He has glitter and sequins . . . and he is so cute!

We all must agree . . . that zombies can be cute!

Shelly did an amazing job!  Here is undead bluefish sitting among his tuck-ins.

Here is undead bluefish sitting with his fellow zombies!

This swap is so much fun!  Thank you Val for hosting it!

My name is ze Lorax, I speakz for the braaaaaiins.

As I was running late, I held off opening my box from Kerry until I had my package sent out to her. Oh my goodness, what a delight from the first look! Such awesome presentation, and wonderful goodies. 

I especially love these Jack and Sally sock pumpkins and feel so inspired about how to handle my overgrown stash of worn-out socks.

I was thrilled with this AMAZING Lorax! The bones are an especially unique touch. And those teeth!

Thank you Kerry for this guy who definitely meets the definition of "creepy cute." He makes me smile every time I walk past him. 

And thank you Val for hosting what is a wonderful tradition for me. I was sad to have to bow out last year, but am grateful to be back. 

Love, iara

Daisy-Head Mayzie in Zombieland

 I literally let out an audible gasp when I unwrapped Daisy Head Mayzie re-imagined as a zombie!  She is absolutely PRECIOUS!  Can you really use the word "precious" when talking about a zombie? You tell me!

Her expression!

The Daisy coming out of her head!  An her hair is SO COOL!!

The details of her dress!

And then there is the re-telling of her story....  I LOVE this!

I was absolutely spoiled by my swap partner, Clare - look at the tuck ins!  I am slightly obsessed with Dia de los Muertos - Salt & Pepper shakers - those will be displayed year round!  So many fun things in this package!

Thank you so much, Clare!! I am giddy with the Halloween spirit!

And thank you to the hostess with the mostess, Val!

Shelly K. Hein-Simmons

October 2020

The Cat in the Hat Zombified!!!

 

I am thrilled with my new Zombie. Stacey went all out on this guy and the rest of this amazing package. I felt totally spoiled and I LOVE him :) Seriously, do you see those ribs :) His tail is partly bone, he is amazing. 

Then there is the rest of the goodies. A pirate skeleton and his companion skeleton octopus. Plus gummy octopi. I love gummy candy so this, of course, made me happy

But wait... there is more. Do you see this cookie. Not only is it adorable, it is delicious! That box below it is full of more cookies that make up a skeleton. The cookies are so beautiful! Almost too beautiful to eat (almost).

Here is most of the package. Full of fun things that I love, camping stickers, skeletons, gummies, and cookies LOL One of the cookies is gone... yes, like I said... delicious :) 

I did manage to take a picture of the other cookie before I ate the whole thing. It was hard but I had to share the beautiful work that went into this cookie as well. 

Stacey, THANK YOU!!! I love my new zombie, he is perfect. The cookies are amazing and I am thrilled with the entire box of goodies. 

Val, thank you for hosting this swap. As always, it was so much fun!! I look forward to the next one. 

Debbie

Poor Gertrude McFuzz

 One of my all time favorite stories is of Gertrude McFuzz.  I could always relate in always wanting what I couldn't/didn't have....

Jill totally knocked it out of the park with this handmade bird!  Just look at all the goodies!

A zombie composition book (more on that later) and altered Gertrude McFuzz story, some handmade eyeball scatter, a pinch pot zombie with removable brain.  LOL!

There really is too much to share,  she really spoiled me!

Jill, thank you SO much, you made my day!!!!

Slow Joe Crow

I love the book Fox in Sox so Val create this Slow Joe Crow for me. He has a beak and one leg that can be posed. He also has a bloody bone and some intestines coming out of his mouth. All this and a smart little hat and an orange vest with tails. He's an adorable little Zombie bird!

I love the poem Val wrote to accompany Slow Joe Crow.

 My package was awesome!!! Val included so many goodies for me. Thank you my friend I LOVE them all!  Thank you for hosting this swap, which I look forward to every year.

"INTO THE WOODS"

I have decided to announce my Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap here this year.  I simply don't use my other blog (Yarni Gras!) right now and people get confused.

This year's theme is "INTO THE WOODS"

I think the forested areas are simply magical so for this swap, gain inspiration from things you would find in the woods!  Things like owls, songbirds, hedgehogs, trees, flowers and sprites, pixies, elves, gnomes, acorns, pine cones, toadstools...pinterest (LOL)   

The info:

Once again, We are doing a "5 for 5"  swap.

What this means is that you will be sending me 5 handmade ornaments and receiving a variety of 5 ornaments back. You may use ANY MEDIUM you want to create these little pieces of art!

You do not have to have a blog to join.  
The deadline to sign up is October 3rd.  I am allowing 20 participants this year so do not delay signing up!

To sign up, send me an email at valpowery(at)yahoo(dot)com with your name so I can put it on the sidebar.  I will send you instructions when I get your sign up email.

This will be a USA only swap due to shipping.

Please create something you would love to receive and be sure to package your ornaments in a nice, re-usable box so I can mail your new ornaments back to you in it.   Be sure to include a self addressed return label for me.

Try to keep your ornaments light in weight and please take care when wrapping to make sure they are cushioned, etc.  We want all our ornaments to arrive in pristine condition!  

All ornaments must be either in a clear treat bag or some other "holiday" type wrap with a tag from you.   It doesn't have to fancy, but do take some time to do a good job, no throwing all the ornaments in a box with no gift tags and no wrapping or tissue.  Remember, these ornaments represent hard work and all participants want to OPEN them as they would a Christmas gift.  Last year, I spent way too much time actually wrapping ornaments after fixing them.  I work so don't have that kind of time on my hands.

If ANY of your ornaments reach me broken, they will be returned to you.  That being said, if 2 break, you will get 2 of your own back along with 3 different ones for a total of 5.

*New Rule:  Many of us have become dear friends and I even have family members joining now too.  Please understand that in shuffling these ornaments around, your friend or family member may get an ornament you planned on giving them privately.  When it started happening, I made a few extra ornaments but in an effort to give everyone a unique package, I ended up giving away my own ornaments from the swap to do this.   May I suggest you either send in extra ornaments to keep this from happening or refrain from giving the ornaments privately until AFTER everyone receives their box.  (Some of you already do that, thank you!)

Shipping:  $10.00 is sufficient to cover the cost of sending ornaments back to you unless they are oversized or heavy.  In that case, please send in a buck extra.  Again, please include a return address label already filled out.  

Ship in time for me to receive them by mid November...no later than Thanksgiving.  That way, I can get them in time to mail them out by the first week of December.  Sadly, I can't guarantee you getting an exchange box if your ornaments do not reach me in time.  (If that happens, I'll gladly return your own ornaments to you using the money you sent for shipping.)  
Shipping funds are important!  If you forget to include shipping, your ornaments can't be sent/returned until you have sent me the funds to send/return them to you.

If you finish your ornaments early, feel free to send them to me early so I can start organizing them.  The earlier the better!

If time gets away from you and you need to back out, no big deal, just drop me an email and I'll remove you from the list. 

Star-Belly Sneech

 Thank you sooooo much Debbie for my Star-Belly Sneech!! I absolutely love him! I have to admit I was super excited to see what you would send ever since I saw that we were paired up! I also adore that cute skeleton and those antique strainers fit perfectly into my collection! I did not have any of those pieces!! I have had him all of a few hours and I have already showed him off to some of my family!😀  Thanks again for my awesome package and thank you Val for hosting once again! I love this swap!

Check out that base! Those hats are awesome!!

                               

Yarnigras' Annual Zombie Doll Swap! REGISTRATION CLOSED!

                                                                           

         

It's that time of year again!   I'm hosting my annual Zombie Doll Swap!  Feel free to spread the word!!!  This year we are swapping Zombies from our favorite Dr. Seuss book.

This swap will make you look at your favorite Dr. Seuss book in a whole new light! Just imagine Yertle or Gertrude or Bartholemew as zombies.  

Here is what we are swapping:  


1.)You will create one "Seuss character" zombie doll for your partner and then add a minimum of 3 tuck ins to round out the package.  The doll is to be at LEAST 6 inches in height/length.
 
*The add can be handmade, purchased, thrifted, re-gifted, etc as long as they are clean and undamaged. Please check out the answers to your partner's list.  This will help you.   

This is a USA swap only.
The sign up close date is August 20th so I can announce partners that weekend.  I retain the right to close the swap early if I choose.
If interested, please don't wait to join up.

Ship date is September 26th so the dolls can arrive to their new home by the 1st week of October.

If you want to join, grab the badge if you have a blog, leave a comment here and then email me at valpowery(at) yahoo(dot)com with the answers to these questions:

1. Name and address
2. List of 3 Dr. Seuss books/characters for your partner to choose (one) from. 
3. Colors you decorate with for Halloween 
4. Choose either "creepy" or "cute" style
5. List what you decorate with at Halloween
6. List any things you collect or hobbies you have for "tuck in" ideas.

Please read:

My swaps are made to encourage creativity, not bust the bank.  That being said, your package should equate to about 30 bucks before shipping.  Please create a zombie doll that you feel certain your partner will adore.  (Wrap it up in Halloween colors.) 

Also, be careful when wrapping items for shipping so they don't get damaged.  
When shipping, I suggest using tracking.  If the doll does not arrive within 10 business days, you will be responsible for making and sending a NEW zombie doll package.  Any flakers will be banned from future swaps.

Perfect Polly, The Unknown Zombie

I decided to share what I sent Shelley....she has received the doll so I don't think she'll mind...she is busy at a craft show!
She was "decorating for Christmas" when the Coronavirus hit!  I had to make a new doll pattern for this swap because I wanted a cute doll.  Then Polly was too cute so I cut off her head and sewed it back on....perfect!  LOL!

I made her a zombie magnet and pen and pin cushion along with an adult sized face mask in zombie fabric.  I also made a poem but forgot to take a picture of it.

I Was Baking At The Time The Virus Came .....

Thank you Emily for my darling little baker girl, complete with her piping bag, rolling pin and other kitchen goodies !!!
She is perfect in every way !!!

I spend SO much time in my kitchen baking ..... I've decided this year I'm going to create a baking themed tiered tray to display at halloween ...... she is going to take center stage :-)

Emily also sent me some fun buttons ..... a girl can never have enough fun buttons.

Thank you again Emily for spoiling me ... I LOVED my package.
Thank you Val for giving us a chance to get creative and make our Corona Virus Zombie Dreams come true !!!!

Yarn Zombie!

LOOK AT HERRRR

Thank you so much, Jill! She is perfectly me and I know my coworkers will be sooooo jealous. The towels are amazing! I really needed new Halloween towels. And the mask is very much needed. It's so comfy! Thank you again!

Zombie baker

Thank you Becca for my adorable little baker! She is super cute and will fit in well with my other zombies! I also really like my jewelry tuck ins! Thanks again!!
- Stacey

Thank You Ashley

 I chose at work (teaching preschoolers) or grocery shopping as my possible themes. Ashley created a zombie teacher shopping for student brains. Best of all the teacher is wearing polka dots. I LOVE polka dots, they just make you happy. A zombie wearing polka dots fits my cute not scary zombie style. My zombie package also included a ceramic apple filled with buttons, earrings and little candy bead charms. Thank you Ashley.
Now it's back to my job and the end of the school year frenzy. After 11 weeks of remote teaching and one more to go I think this zombie looks better than I do. I think I'm ready for summer vacation!

A Gardening Girl

Big thank you to Natalie for this gardening girl!  The tuck ins are perfect...gardening and booze....THAT'S my kinda zombie!  

Thank you!

Got my dolly in on Monday been busy back at work I love her so much!!!

Thank you very much!!!

The coolest punk rock zombie ever!!!

Thank you so much Debbie! I couldn’t have imagined anything cooler. I love my punk rock zombie. I haven’t picked a name yet but he will have one. Maybe like Zane or something.

This little girl is headed off into the world tomorrow! I put some extra goodies in, as well, but wanted to keep them a surprise. I hope my target loves her as much as I do!

Mailing on Tuesday...

This guy is getting costumed this weekend and will be on his way to his new home on Tuesday. I thought I would send one last look before costuming. I am so excited about him and hope his new mom enjoys him.

Debbie

She's Arrived!!! My Beautiful Zombie has Arrived!

After a long day yesterday I was thrilled to receive a package from Clare!!!

When the pandemic hit I was in the islands. While my island vacation wasn't affected, poor Jenny's vacation was definitely interrupted. She even has a poem!

Clare, Jenny is amazing. I LOVE her.

Little Jenny Zombie

Jenny's friend

I love this guy! Not only is he wearing board shorts, he has his own beach chair that actually folds flat. 

Goodies!

Clare also send me a beautiful journal, a pack of travel scrapbook stickers which will be used next weekend at the 3 day scrapbook crop I am going to, and some supper cool Halloween themed guest towels. The only thing not pictures is a tiny potion book which is so amazing I can't believe I left it out of the pictures :( 

Thank you Clare for an amazing Zombie and fun set of googies!! She is beautiful and will be cherished. 

Thank you Val for hosting this fabulous swap again. 

Debbie

I was working in the garden . . .

 Look at this AMAZING little zombie that I received from Kerry!

I was "working in the garden" when the corona virus hit.

I have always wanted a crocheted zombie.  

She may just stay out until Halloween.  :)

She can be my decoration for this Shelter in Place season.

I LOVE HER . . . and her flowers . . . and germs . . . and hair bows . . . 

. . . and especially these skulls in her head!

 I wish I had taken more photos of the packaging, but my granddaughter was at my house and I think she was excited as I was when my zombie package arrived.  I am not sure what a three year old thinks a "zombie package" is ??? . . . but when she saw that it involved opening pretty wrapped packages . . . she was all in. 

This is the granddaughter that told me once . . . "You're kind of weird."  . . . zombie packages in May - maybe she is right.  :)

This whole package was fun!  

My granddaughter also help me start the seeds in the 

"Brain Growing Kit".  

 This wonderful journal . . . and a skeleton beaded garland.  

Is it too early to start decorating for Halloween?

 Thank you again Kerry!  I LOVE IT!

Also, thank you Val for hosting this fun swap.

I am hoping you are all safe and healthy!

"When is a monster not a monster?

Oh, when you love it."

                                        ~ Caitlyn Siehl