Collage Works, Some New Swaps and Old

Postage stamps passport book swap - thanks to Nancy Slaby for organising this swap!  From loose pages we sent her, she bound them into a passport book with blank note pages in-between, complete with cover and a fabric passport holder.  How I wish I have actually travelled to all these countries, but never mind, it is still a sort of thrill to hold and see all the amazing collaged works.

Another Paper Traders swap - paper painted collage done in 5" x 7" size.  Here's one famous artist doing this artworks - Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson.  I did mine  from a photo of Vanda Miss Joaquim - our national flower.  How's my 1st attempt?  The 1st piece went to Pam Prosser in Australia.  Before I started on the collage, I did the lino cut and print based on the same photo, so I mounted the print on the back of the collage work!

The last swap over at ATC-ArtDolls group was in Apr 2014.  We had another dress swap - Flower, a Flower Fashion Paper Doll swap and another April fairy.  But more mishap in the mails :( 

My April fairy went to Lynette McNamara (New Zealand), but I never heard from a "Elaine" for my April fairy. Cindy sent all 3 to me, but they went MIA. And a shocking news came ... Cindy passed away late July. 

I'm one of the last person to swap with Cindy in Apr, but she wasn't as active since, though she didn't drop us any hint of trouble with her health then. I'm not sure if she received my Apr flower dress and fairy doll, though hers didn't arrived here unfortunately. Although we were not direct partners for a number of the swaps as most of the times, I sent to Cindy while someone else sent to me, there were a few direct exchanges between us. Cindy's junk mail paper doll done in Jul 2010 has been one of my favourites.  We will miss you, Cindy.

Update on Swaps

Received a whole envelope of beautiful creations from the [Inchies-onexone] swaps earlier in the year which I have yet to show. 

July 2013 swaps
Oriental inchies: Crap from Rae Ann Ohlinger, Gold flower sticker from Lisa Cottrell, 3. Lady & fan from Debbie House, 4. Stamped Japanese cherry blossom from Polly. The folded cranes are done by me. 

Owl  inchies: 1. Blue-green owl from Rae Ann, 2. Black owl from Lisa C, 3. Stamped square owl from Debbie H, 4. Light blue owl from Polly. I did the 5th one with a small tatted flower for this exchange. 

Pink inchies: 1. Wrapped string (unsigned), 2. Quarter of flower from Lisa C, 3. Pink envelope, pen from Debbie H, 4. Pink dragonfly from Lisa C.

Inchie on a Twinchie: 1. Pink paint from Rae Ann, 2. Sunflowers from Lisa C.

Mermaid Moo (1 1/8" x 2 3/4"): 1. Mermaid with orange hair from Lisa C, 2. Blue b/g from Rae Ann.

ATC (any theme): 1. B/w flowers from Rae Ann, 2. Bird from Debbie H.

Aug 2013 swaps

Frog inchies: 1. Frog photo (unsigned), 2. Light green frog from Jamie Sander, 3. Blue frogs from Lisa C, 4. Green frog from Brooke G. I folded the last one, an origami frog. I just love to challenge myself to fold them as small as I can! 

Changing Leaves inchies: 1. Orange leaf from Debbie H, 2. Red-orange leaf from Lisa C, 3. Red, yellow leaves from Jamie Sander, 4. Green, yellow, red leaves from Rae Ann.

Inchies (Any Theme): 1. Hats from Brooke G, 2. Green flower from Debbie H, 3. Textures from Polly, 4. Ballet from Lisa C.

[ATC-ArtDolls] Mar 2014 swaps were a Clover dress and a Carousel Horse.

Mine were mailed to Cindy Whiddon (USA) while Laureta sent the following to me.

[NEEDLESnCRAFTS] A Bookmark Exchange 2014 was hosted by Zarina Zainal Anidin (Malaysia). My 2 tatted bookmarks, plus 2 tatted paperclips, went to Diane in the USA. 

Zarina did a bobbin lace and a crochet bookmarks for me, together with a batik card she made and a skein of her hand-dyed thread. 

What Swaps Land in My Mail Box

ATC-ArtDolls Swaps - Dec 2013 Christmas dress, Jan 2014 New Year's Eve Party dress and Feb 2014 Valentine dress.

There seem to be lots of mishap in the mails for the swaps in this group (mails from Jessica Obryen and Laureta Linett are not arriving), Cindy Whiddon made up everything, she sent me all the 3 dresses and the Dec Santa/Reindeer doll too.

Laureta Linett attempted to sent yet another envelope, this 3rd envelope finally arrived!!! Oh, thank you, Laureta, for the so pretty Christmas and Valentine dresses, a most pain-takingly constructed mermaid for Feb doll swap and the just-too-cute handmade birthday card!

Most of the time, international mails take about 2 weeks to or fro any countries.  However, 1 mail I sent on 4 Feb to South Carolina, USA, was returned in my letterbox after 1 straight month, while another swap to Minnesota, USA sent on 6 Feb, also took 1 long month to reach.  Wonder if they were affected by the icy weather in USA in Feb!

Let's see my Valentine dress and mermaid that I sent to Cindy!

And another set for myself.

[artisttradingcards] "Chinese New Year swap - Year of the Horse", hosted by MaryAnn Arnold (USA).  I did 3 CNY Year of Horse red-packet style ATCs with 2 number of 50-cent colour-pencil rubbing paper coins enclosed in each. Almost the same idea as for my last year CNY swap.

Swap received, going clockwise from left: 1) From MaryAnn Arnold, (2) From Sam Jordan, (3) From Janes Graham, USA.

[Paper_Traders] My Secret Valentine greeting card swap.

I did my Valentine card with some tatted flowers and heart/words die-cuts.  I also enclosed a small tatted heart bookmark for Connie Holso (USA). 

 In return, I received this fine handmade card from Amanda Evans.  Amanda included some ephemera, ribbon and heart buttons too.

Beckie of Paper_Traders organised a Lucky You Altered Tag Swap in March, this is the first time I did a tag. The requirement was the use of stencil(s) to create an altered tag with a "Lucky" theme in size #5 manila tags (4-3/4" x 2-3/8").  I did mine with distress inks over hot glue gun stencils, top with some coloured glues and mica flakes. Mine went to Pam Prosser (Australia).

I received this Irish lucky tag from Pam Colosimo (Canada). She sent some ephemera (old book pages, stamped images, etc.) too.

Lisa Alff sent more Guatemalan worry dolls and more treasures!  I'm so excited to see the painted laces in person!!

In the mood for haiku, I composed this one of the evenings as I opened my letter (mail) box...

Finally, My Computer Is Back!

My computer has been down for so long, and just get it up and running.  So much to catch up...


After the dress form swap in Aug, the ATC-ArtDolls group had dress swaps going. Sep Dress Swap was "Back to School". I did the uniform of Nanyang Primary School, where my girl is, for Barb Glasier (USA).  A plain but neat uniform, just what school uniforms in Singapore are like.

And Cindy Whiddon (USA) sent me a blue dress (with red, white & blue) for Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for those who have died in the nation’s service.

(The pair of flip-flops is actually a card - so cute!)

I read that the association of red with Memorial Day goes beyond just being part of the red, white and blue of the American flag.  The color red and the poppy symbolize “remembrance of those that died in war”.  This association came out of one of the most memorable poems ever written about war.  It is a poem called “In Flanders Fields” written by Lt. Col. John McCrae.  The poppies referred to in the poem grew in profusion in Flanders in the disturbed earth of the battlefields and cemeteries where war casualties were buried.

Oct Dress Swap was "Halloween". I did a "skeleton" dress and felt quite please with it! One went to Cindy Whiddon (USA), together with my ghost for the Oct Paper Doll swap.

I have enough papers to make another 2 smaller ghosts for myself!

Cindy Whiddon did a witch for me ...

and Barbara Glasier (USA) sent me a fall dress.

Dec Paper Doll swap was Santa and Reindeer doll. And Christmas dress. Both went to  Laureta Linett (USA). 

A 2nd set I made to keep.

A gorgeous Christmas Holiday Button Fairy from Kim Miles (USA), but still waiting for the fairy from Lisa Alff.

I did these 2 fairy girls - the blue wing one went for Lisa and the other one on the right for Kim.



I'm left with 2 more for keep.

Diane from the NEEDLESnCRAFTS group hosted a thimble holder swap in Nov. I have never attempt a tatted thimble holder and couldn't understand the pattern I have.  Attempted a few tries before I could tat up something decent and with a snap fastener.  Starched it too to hold a metal Singapore thimble.

In exchange, Usha (Malaysia) sent me crocheted thimble pouch, in fact 2 pouches with 1 in a heart shape!

Just before I went for holidays in New York, I had a basic shuttle tatting class in Hwa Chong Institution for their sabbatical programme. 10 girls and a boy who was almost too shy to stay for the class. Ok, I convinced him and they were sure creative, these 17-years old, turning mistakes into creative doodles!

More to come, and so many photos from my holidays too!!!