A Crafty Swap

I'm back from 4 full days in Chicago, where I attended AWP for the first time, tagging along with my writer husband. It was SO fun and I'm having a hard time transitioning back to my normal life after spending so much time bumming around with so many awesome people. Part of my transition back includes catching up on my Google Reader and finally blogging some photos I've had marked as "private" in Flickr for what seems like forever. So, I'm getting to it!

What you see above is my contribution to a Handmade 2011 swap with Rita of Mochi Studios. The premise of the swap is that you post on Facebook that you will make something handmade for the next five commenters, but only if they in turn post and pledge to make for their next five. I'll say that I did this with varying degrees of success, but that I was exceedingly happy when Rita requested that we do an exchange. Then came the problem: What do you make for someone so crafty and awesome that she could certainly make it herself?

Enter the Pincushion Caddy from Anna Maria Horner's first book. By all accounts I've read, this is a challenging project. I always thought it was a great idea, though one that won't work for me: my kitty loves to pull pins out of things, so I have to keep mine hidden at all times. Anyway, I'm here to say: YES, this project is a bugger.

Stuffing was HARD. I found it easiest to leave two openings, one on each size. I also found that a jar of Newman's Own salsa was the perfect size to help the center keep its shape while stuffing. And oh, these photos? They are of my third pincushion. The first was not nearly so pretty.

What turns out well EVERY time, though, is the lined drawstring bag from In Color Order. Along with these crafted gifts, I included some crafty books I knew Rita wanted, just to round things out.

And here's what I got in return: two sweet foxes in a log! Squee! They are so cuuuute! When Rita first posted them on her shop's facebook page, I freaked out. I'm so happy that they are mine!

Possibly the best part? Rita embroidered the log with this bit of sweetness. Aww! Check out the Mochi Studios Etsy shop if you'd like to get your own! These owls are also incredibly adorable, as is everything else in the shop! Rita's craftsmanship and embroidery are exquisite; I'm so happy to call her a bloggy friend!