Panda Swap Fun!

Nature Girl and I have been hosting Panda Swap 2011. The craftiness has begun and some of packages have even been mailed. You can check out the swap goodies over at our other blog Crafty Bits Swap Spot. Right now our panda swap is featured but we'll be hosting another swap soon. We'll keep you posted. Below is the panda package Nature Girl received.

Nature Girl received her panda package from Melinda and Olivia. They sent pajama bottoms with a matching panda headband, watercolor paints, Twizzlers, and an art book.

Just look at this book they altered. Isn't it awesome?!! We think it's a panda masterpiece. The book is full of paper for Nature Girl to draw and paint on. When she saw the book she said "Look it's art." Thanks for sending such an amazing piece of art to her. She LOVES it!


Also a special thank you goes out to Val who sent Nature Girl these special goodies. Nature Girl wishes I could crochet (I do too) so I make cute little amigurumi softie animals. Val was so sweet and sent this sweet amigurumi panda, mermaid fabric and mushroom to Nature Girl. Nature Girl says thank you! Thanks from me too, I appreciate your kindness and friendship!

Puppies and Patterns Don't Mix

I got up early this morning thinking I get some crafting done. I set about cutting out a new pattern while the rest of the house was still asleep. I was almost finished cutting when Nature Girl brought puppy boy downstairs. There I was sitting on the floor cutting out all of the pieces. Chunk immediately found the pattern scraps pile and wrecked havoc with it.

I whisked him outside for a morning potty but when he came in he immediately ran to my pattern piece pile and marched his little wet feet all over my patterns.

Chunk isn't a help when it comes to craft projects. Good thing he's so cute! I was able to save the pattern pieces before he did more damage but I learned that puppies and patterns don't mix!

My Not so Green Thumb

I have a reputation as a plant killer. It's a sad but true fact that I have more of a black thumb than a green thumb. The only plant I have successfully kept alive for a long period is "Harry, " my Golden Ponthos(part of the philodendron family.) While we were in Kauai we learned that philodendrons are parasitic plants that almost impossible to kill. Based on Harry's 12 year existence in my house I'd say this is true. I've branched out a bit adding a spider plant, a Wandering Jew and a Cyclamen to the mix this year. The cyclamen isn't as healthy as the rest but it's holding on. Actually the Wandering Jew "Wanda" and clippings from the original Harry were hanging in the window in my classroom all year. The kids helped me water and talk to them and they really thrived this year.

Feeling heady from my house plant success I decided to try my hand at gardening this year. I wanted to grow my own zucchini to make zucchini relish this summer. Each year I spend a ton of money on the produce to make relish, so I thought growing my own would be a great idea. I bought a small two tiered raised bed at Sam's Club, gardening soil at the local hardware store and a few small veggie plants from someone at school. I planted cukes, zucchini and tomatoes in my little garden. Thanks to having to take Chunk out to go potty twenty times a day I've actually remembered to water my garden and it's been growing. I've been so excited to see my zucchini thriving and a few little tomatoes are starting to ripen now.

Here is my first harvest. Five zucchini and two cukes show my new success as a gardener! My husband is a realist, so when I first planted my little garden, he pointed out that with all the money I spent on the raised bed and soil it would have been cheaper to just pay for the produce at the supermarket. While he is correct, you can't put a price on the feeling of successfully growing your own food, particularly when when you have a bad reputation with the plants. I'm so excited! Even my husband and Nature Girl are surprised and impressed with my gardening success. So now it's zucchini relish making time again and this year I grew the zucchini myself!

Introducing Chunk

This is our new puppy Chunk. He's a 12 week old black pug. Nature Girl picked him out and named him herself because she thought he looked like a chocolate chunk. We picked him up four weeks ago and have been busy trying to train him and adjust to life as puppy owners. Chunk is a bite-er. He bites fingers, toes, shoes and shoe laces. This doesn't endear him to my husband, as he regularly has his toes chewed on!

Chunk went to his first puppy class last night where we worked on sit, which he already knew, and down which he needs a lot more practice on. Hopefully he'll learn not to bite so much! We've been working on it, so he's better with me but not Nature Girl and my husband. I think it's his way to trying to get them to play and interact with him but it hurts like heck!

Chunk is my little buggy-eyed boy. When he plays, his eyes get super buggy. It's too cute! He makes me laugh. It's hilarious when he chases his own tail! Last week he chased his tail at the top of a hill and ended up doing summersaults all the way down the hill. It was one of the funniest things I've seen all summer.

Here Chunk is sitting in a pink car seat. He likes to sit in Nature Girl's seat when she's not in the car. He has a doggie seat belt on but can just reach the car seat to sit in it. This picture was taken during his first long road trip when we stopped for a few minutes. He stole Nature Girl's seat when she got up. Really he is great in the car! He rode for 5 hours and slept most of the way.

Life with a new puppy has been a bit busy but I think he is a keeper! Just look at that sweet little face!

Panda Partners

Let the panda fun begin! Panda Swap partner information has been emailed out. If you have any questions let me know.

Panda Swap 2011

Nature Girl asked me last week why I don't sign her up for swaps anymore. I explained that working moms have less time for swaps. Of course since I'm a teacher and have the summer off that doesn't currently seem like a good reason. So we discussed hosting our own swap. We decided to host a panda themed swap. We're already thinking about panda bags/purses, panda softies, panda journals, panda pillows, panda key chains, panda jewelry, etc. The possibilities are endless! As you can see we're excited about this swap, we hope you are too! Here's what we are swapping:

Participants will swap:

• One handcrafted panda themed item.

• Three black and white goodies of your choice. These can be bought or made.

• A card or note to your partner to say hi. Please include your e-mail address so your partner can send you a thank you.

Swap rules:

1. This swap is open to people of all ages. If this swap is for a child make sure you state that in your sign-up so the package can be geared to a child.
2. You must have a blog or website to participate in the swap.
3. Please be prepared to spend or create items that are about a $10 to $15 value. You don't have to spend a lot, just send something that you would be happy to receive.
4. All packages must be mailed by August 16th. If you are in the US please use delivery confirmation and send me your tracking number. Please send e-mail to let me know when you mail and when you receive a panda package.
5. You must send a thank you note to your partner once you receive your package. It's only polite to say thank you when some creates something special just for you.
6. If you sign up you must follow through, so please only sign up if you are able to create and send a package by the deadline(August 16th.) We don't want any sad swappers! :(

Now that you've read the rules, it's time to sign up. Swap sign up is open from now until midnight on Friday July 15th, so hurry! Partner information will be sent on July 17th. You can sign up by completing the sign-up form HERE. Leave a comment or e-mail me if you have any questions.

Did you sign-up? If so, grab the swap badge from the sidebar and get ready for some black and white panda fun!

Ladybug YOE

June's YOE theme was ladybugs. I was excited because I have always loved ladybugs and consider them to be lucky. One of the things I've really enjoyed about the YOE swap this year is trying new things. So to keep with the idea of trying new things, this month I tried modge podge and paper mache with tissue paper for my ornaments. The frame ornament on the right was made using a silver frame that I bought at a yard sale. I modge podged a page from Alice In Wonderland onto it, then drew a little ladybug for the center, of course that could be taken out and replaced with any other picture. Since I was having so much fun with the modge podge, I decided to alter a small Altoid tin to be a ladybug ornament or maybe a little pill box for my partner's purse.

The green leaf ornament in the center was made using wire and tissue paper that I glued to the wire. The ladybug on the leaf is also made from paper mached tissue paper. It's not easy to paper mache with tissue paper as it rips super easy when it gets wet!! But I didn't let that stop me and I was really happy with the result. I'm already thinking of other things to create using tissue paper mache.

Of course my personal favorite in the package is the wool ladybug pincushion. I promised myself I wouldn't use recycled wool this month for YOE ornaments but I couldn't stop myself. Technically it's not an ornament but a pin cushion so I didn't really break my promise to myself. Either way, I did use recycled wool and this little ladybug fairy was born. I think she's very cute and rounds out the package. I had a great time making these ornaments and hope my partner Sherry will like them!

Now I'm looking forward to July's theme - Mermaids, water sprites, sirens, and water nymphs! I can't wait to get started! I have a few thoughts stirring in my head but no definite plan or vision yet. I'm still mulling it over.