Favorite Color Swap 3

Wow!

2008-06-19T06:54:00.000-07:00

All I can say is Wow! Thank you to Jill for the amazing candles that I won! They smell amazing.

If you don't already have some of her candles, go and buy some. Now!

Winners!

2008-06-12T10:13:00.001-07:00

Drum roll please!

The winner of the stitch markers is...

MANDY!

The winner of the soy wax hand poured 19 oz. jar candle from Starstruck Cat Design is...

ADELLE!

Congrats, you two! I've emailed you both about the prizes.

Thanks to everyone for making this an awesome swap once again. I'll be sending out an email when round 4 is ready for sign-ups, probably in the fall. Thanks again, see you next time!

Prizes Coming Soon!

2008-06-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Well, for most of you, the swap is long over. I did, though, have a few people waiting on apcakges that took a little longer to get, and some that didn't show up. I've gotten angels all situated, and hopefully everyone now has gotten something. I'm back from a long vacation, and things are mellow here now, too. So, tomorrow, I'm going to be drawing for the prizes! YAAY! Keep an eye out for the blog post.

Oh, and if you're curious about the prizes, take a look over there in the top left corner!

2008-05-20T05:14:00.000-07:00

When is the next one?

Package received!

2008-05-17T00:38:00.001-07:00

Many thanks to my pal, Starfish, for my package! It arrived safely last week and I've posted a pic and details on my blog.

Thanks Nichole for oganising the swap. It was great fun and I'm looking forward to the next one.

I got my Swag!

2008-05-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

Everything from a fantastic windchime which I'm totally in love with to tasty groovy pops and 5 skeins of Caron Simply soft! We just can't buy Simply soft around here and I'm really excited because I have enough to knit my very first pullover. I have plans for making Dahlia!

She even sent my kidlet some cute Strawberry Shortcake ponytail holders and a cute sweater pattern! Pru also confiscated my washcloth lol

And the stitch markers are the first real Markers I've ever owned! I'm totally pumped about that! And the little doodad holder is also a perfect fit for my needs! I'm so excited! Thanks Auntie Em!

Package not received (yet)!!!

2008-05-09T07:45:00.000-07:00

I'm on truble! I have not received my package from my pal yet!!!!

Package received!

2008-05-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

My package from the wonderful Hockeymom arrived earlier today! Photos of all my goodies are posted over in my blog.

This was a wonderful swap, I cannot wait until round 4!

Yay!

2008-04-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

I got my wonderful box full of yarny and scrapbooky goodness and I am in love, love, love with every bit of it. My swap partner is the absolute best and I promise, as soon as a have more than three consecutive minutes available within range of a computer that is not company property, I will be posting extensively about its level of silver fabulousness!

Thank you Anne!

~Kathleen/Serya

Thanks Mary!

2008-04-30T07:23:00.001-07:00

Yay! I received my swap package last week!

Read more about it here.

My pal rocks my socks!

2008-04-29T04:43:00.000-07:00

So, I got this package a good bit ago, but life has kind of gotten in the way of posting. I am completely in love with my pal...all sorts of purpley goodness ensued in my package. See?

I'm sorry the picture is so dark...there are scented candles, an AWESOME bubble wand, some really pretty purple TLC yarn, a knit bag out of that yarn, some lavender scented stuff, some MIX cds, yay...but my very favorite part is that penguin you see in front. It's crocheted, and it's pretty much teh cutest thing I've EVER seen.

Thanks, dear pal. :)

Without further delay

2008-04-28T17:44:00.000-07:00

How wonderful to finally get my box of treasures. Carla did such a great job picking items that I just love including making a most beautiful shawl.

Heart's Delight Afghans book
A cables and lace scarf pattern
2 skeins of Debbie Bliss cotton cashmere - red of course
2 skeins of Leisure Time Yarn - red & black variegated
A set of CS Lewis books - one of my favorite authors -
Made for Heaven, Paved with Good Intentions, and What Christians Believe
beaded stitch markers
Tension Tamer tea
Beautiful gold to red variegated lace shawl

See the goodies here.

Thanks also to Nicole for running the show once again.

Coolest Swap Parnter Ever

2008-04-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

Today I had a wonderful surprise, I received the most beautiful gifts from my favorite color swap pal Laura from D.C. She is a spoiler indeed. Since I am actually both a quilter and a knitter, Laura spoiled me with both! The package includes a National Cherry Blossom Festival bag filled with:

Washington, D.C . – Then and Now book.
Fons & Porters Quilting Magazine
The Quilters Apprentice – a Jennifer Chiaverini book.
Yarn Harlot’s “Things I Learned from Knitting”.
A cute DPN case
Notecards
7 skeins of Ella Rae Bamboo Silk in plum.

Thank you so much Laura. You are so wonderful! I couldn’t have picked out better myself!

BIG thanks to Megan!

2008-04-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

I received my box from Megan, while I was out of town on business last week. What a great present to have waiting for me when I got home.

There's more details on my blog.

mystery chest revealed

2008-04-22T23:57:00.000-07:00

when this super huge package arrived for me, i couldn't imagine that it could have been my FCS3 package. i was expecting something smaller but to my surprise...behold the mystery chest:

seriously, my pal went above and beyond. first, let's talk about this trunk. oddly enough, a friend and i have been talking about those little cosmetic trunks that our mothers had back in the days of hot rollers and such, and how they would make the perfect knitting case. imagine my surprise when i ripped into the package to find this trunk so carefully wrapped in scrunched paper for protection.

it came over the weekend but i haven't had a chance to take any photos until tonight, so please forgive the lighting. check out it's amazing contents:

there are two hanks of malabrigo worsted in citrus, three hanks of manos cotton stria, three luxurious skeins of royal bamboo, and one skein of life style by zitron; 3 bags of licorice...OMG, i am about to faint over those i love them so much...3 bars of dark chocolate...seriously, someone catch me...some amazing glass knitting needles, a set of 000 addi dpns, "things i learned from knitting...whether i wanted to or not" by the yarn harlot, a cottage cotton collection pattern book by manos del uruguay, some lovely rain dots stickers for my windows, an embroidered "c" initial iron-on (i am having serious thoughts of putting my initial on all my shirts a-la laverne) and last but not least yarn ball cat toys for my cat. whew!

first of all, how she managed to get all that into that trunk is beyond me, i can't seem to get the top shut again with all that stuff in there. second of all, there is way more in here than i could have imagined, my secret pal went way above and beyond. thirdly, she certainly was good at keeping her identity a secret, i had to do a little investigative searching to find out who she was...there was no note enclosed!!

a little birdie told me who she was, thanks kathleen (Serya of Duntrune)!!

WOW!!

2008-04-21T14:51:00.001-07:00

I decided to walk down to the apartment office while Mosterette was napping to get some card thingy for our new washers and dryers in the community laundry room. I walked in and the awesome lady behind the desk asked me if I had a package. (apparently, between far-away relatives and obscene amounts of interwebs ordering, I get a lot of packages.) I said I didn't think I had a package, and she said, " (insert last my last name here), right?"

"Uh, yeah..."

"I'm pretty sure there's a box for you back here..."

She wanders into the package closet, and comes out with a box for me! It's too small to be the box that my grandma sent me (full of YARN! More on that at another date, though), so it MUST be the box from my Favorite Color Swap pal! SQUEE!

I rushed back to the apartment, and tried to calm my nerves enough to take a picture before tearing in to everything:

The card was super cute, and had a great little message from Tami inside:

After reading the card, I carefully took out the tissue paper and folded it up (yes, I'm one of those people. I save tissue paper and re-use it.), and this is what I saw:

I immediately went for the roving, pulled it out, and fondled it a bit before moving on to the TON of other goodies. It's such awesome roving! I need to spin more... Oh, and I don't now if you guys can tell, but all the goodies were wrapped in this great stitched paper. I tried really hard to save it, but then I got all crazy and paper was a-flyin' in all directions. There was so much goodness in that box! It really made me smile. Here's the first round of goodies:

From the bottom left: A bath puff, flower pen, reed diffuser (I've been lusting after one of these FOREVER. How'd you know, Tami?!), orange bell pepper cutting board, note cards (WOOT!), photo frame, yummy orange popsicle scented lotion, bath salts (with bergamot! One of my favorite scents!), and a little felt watering can and maracas for the Monsterette. (Which, by the way, she TOTALLY loves. anyone who knows my kid knows she loves to make "music".)

Are you overwhelmed yet? Because at this point, I was! Can you believe there's more?

Again, from the bottom left: Awesome stitch markers, star-shaped post-its, Cadbury dairy Milk chocolate bar (my all-time favorite chocolate. EVER. Oddly, one of the bars she sent didn't make it to the photo shoot. Hmm.), The awesome roving, SWTC Bamboo yarn (I've been wanting to try this stuff forever!), Panda Wool sock yarn (isn't is gorgeous?! I've been wanting to try this, too!), orange point protectors, and a Critter container that I've been lusting after for a while.

The other thing that didn't make it into the photo (I was browsing though it while I ate my chocolate bar) was the Favorite Socks: 25 Timeless Designs from Interweave book. This ROCKS! This should definitely jump-start my sock knitting. I've been lusting after sock books for a while, but couldn't justify it, never knitting a pair of successful socks.

Oh. My. God. Seriously, this was one awesome package. Tami, you totally rock! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Hooray for Allegra!

2008-04-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

The other day, I received my swap package in the mail. I opened the box, and here's what I saw:

Once I opened the packages, it was even better! Thanks Allegra - you coudn't have done better if you'd known me all my life!

If you are curious, I provide all kinds of details here.

Thank you so much Jennifer T.!!!

2008-04-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

I love bright rich colors and Jennifer T. really hit the mark. Thank you so much for all the wonderful goodies. To read more about what I received check out my blog! This was my first swap and I must say it was a ton of fun, both giving and receiving. I can't wait to do it again. Thank you Nicole for hosting this and doing such a wonderful job.

So Spoiled!

2008-04-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

I came home after a loooooooong day and was pleasantly surprised to to find a BIG package leaning up against my front door. First, I'd like to say WOW! Thanks Panj! I am so happy and feel so spoiled.

Panj was such a great secret pal. She sent me so many cute and cheerful eCards that made me smile. She is such a thoughtful, wonderful person and I was very lucky to get her as a pal. So, Panj you are a sweetheart! Thank you sooooooo much!

Now...LOOT!!!

It's so hard to choose a favorite out of all this wonderful stuff. I love that she sent a post card from her neck of the woods. I love that she made me a very pretty pot holder! I love everything. Yay!

The Camera Works

2008-04-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

Read and see the details of my wonderful haul on my blog

Yay!

2008-04-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

Mandy rocks.

Click here to see why.

Got mine!!

2008-04-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

Received a lovely package from Fioleta. Check out my blog:
http://fiddlestix.typepad.com/fiddlestix/2008/04/cool-swag.html

Allegra

Holy Purple!

2008-04-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, so can I tell y'all a story about being spoiled completely rotten? I am ruined for swaps from here on out, I'm sure of it.

So, I had the great swap pal who contacted me regularly and very obviously asked the right questions or stalked my blog or Ravelry or something. Make sure to read to the end of this post to find out who my swap pal was...you'll be jealous when you see the spoiling she did!

I came home today from a rather stressful day and was all excited because I was pretty sure my sock club kit from Woolgirl, my Loopy Groupie package from The Loopy Ewe, and my April shipment from Harmony Semi-Solids would be in the mail (yes, I do have a problem). But there was this mysterious 4th package and the HECK if I could figure out who it was from! The name and address were unfamiliar and I was baffled. Had my yarn problem grown to a point where I have ordering black-outs? Very possible, I suppose.

So I tore into the box. Within the box were all these little things wrapped in beautiful tissue paper and black ribbons. Well, many yarn stores wrap things up all fancy, so maybe this was a new supplier for my habit? I tore open the first one and was REALLY confused. It was a stunningly gorgeous yarn that I have heard of but I just knew I hadn't ordered any. Or had I?

Yes. I am a little slow on the uptake. But suddenly it dawned on me. This was my Favorite Color Swap Gift!

I quickly put the yarn back in the tissue and set up the package contents for a photo session (photo quality is not great as I used my iPhone).

Here is what my first glimpse was (we won't discuss that I already ripped into one package and then quickly rewrapped...):

Now that a picture was taken and I realized that I had not yet reached the blackout-yarn-ordering stage of my habit, I allowed myself to savor the opening of the contents.

Since you probably can't tell what everything is, I will share a complete list. There were little notes on many things, which I will include as well.

Black Currant superwash finger weight sock yarn from Have You Any Wool? This is lovely. Gorgeous deep plum colors, and oh so soft. I cannot wait to knit it, but I also want to admire it in the skein for a bit.
Handmade (by my swap pal!) dishcloths. 1 black, 1 purple, 1 black and purple. I have never received a knit item before. I almost cried. They are fabulous and I can't decide if I should use them or frame them! I love these, and I love that my pal went to the effort to make me something special. Little note: "Handmade by me! I absolutely love these dishcloths."
2 Bath & Body Works hand lotions...Sea Island Cotton and Sensual Amber. My pal knew of my hand lotion habit and my favorite supplier, but somehow managed to find two scents that I have never tried. I love them! These go on the list of favorite scents. For the life of me I cannot remember if I told my pal about my hand lotion habit or if she stalked that info. Either way, it cracked me up! The little note on these said, "Feeding your hand lotion addiction - hope you like the scents!"
Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bar. Oh yum. How I managed a picture before scarfing this down, I do not know. Oh how I love the chocolate! And my pal has magical powers. The chocolate is NOT MELTED! It is 80+ degrees today, and it is fully intact. But to be on the safe side, she thoughtfully packed it (and the lotion) in an individual ziplock. Little note: "This is my favorite chocolate!"
Stitch Markers. Beautiful, tiny, PURPLE stitch markers for sock knitting. I do not own tiny stitch markers! The best part? Also made by my pal! And I really need tiny stitch markers cause I am getting ready to try some fancy sock patterns and they will be a life saver. Little note: "Handmade by me, from my Etsy store! Thought they would be good for socks." Etsy store is here, and I highly recommend that you visit and buy buy buy. I can tell that these will never be in the way and will never snag, but will distract the heck out of my because they are SO PRETTY!
Big bag of Starburst Berries & Creme. Oh. My. Gawd. Yum. I love these things. And when I say big bag, I mean a BIG BAG. I have to hide this and the chocolate from DH. He tends to steal, and I do not want to share. Little note: "I know you said you liked berry flavors - I hope you like these!" Well, pal, I do not like them. I love them with every fiber of my being.
Wee little teeny tiny bamboo crochet hook for picking up dropped stitches. Now I know I did not say anything anywhere about this. What are you, a mind reader??? I have the hardest time with picking up stitches and making repairs, and a lot of it is due to a lack or proper tools! I have a zillion crochet hooks and they are all too dang big and awkward to use. I seriously had no idea such a tool as this existed, and I am crazy about it. I use a small bag for my sock projects and I like to limit the amount and size of tools to conserve space. This is the most perfect thing EVER to add to my essentials. Little note: "I love this for picking up dropped stitches. It's a life saver!" I'm sure it will be.
And last but not least by a long shot! 5 gorgeous postcards from her homestate. The pictures are beautiful. I think I need to move to New Mexico now. Seriously. These are going on the mirror in my knit room. I love them and they really make me want a vacation.

So, wow. Has anyone read this far? Can you tell how happy I am? I've had a very rough couple of months and very few things have made me smile this much in quite some time. But dang! This may be getting me out of my funk.

Thank you so much to our lovely swap hostess and my secret pal (told you I was spoiled!), Nichole D. aka SavingNine.

Good News and Bad News

2008-04-16T17:49:00.000-07:00

The good news: I got a terrific package from Dee today. She really outdid herself personalizing this box with my colors and things I like. She made lots of things in the package herself...and this woman has eight children! What a woman! When does she sleep, I want to know.

The bad news: The camera needs charging, so I can't post pictures yet. Soon, I promise!

Yay! It's here!

2008-04-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've just finished posting to my blog about my booty pile from Genevieve. Come on over to see it.

Got Mine!!!!

2008-04-16T12:38:00.001-07:00

All the way from Washington, DC comes sunshine for my day!! I wish that my camera skills were enough to show how great a package I got today!! Thanks Tara!!!! You're GREAT!!! The card says a "Big Smile on Me" and that's just what I've got!! A BIG Smile!!
:D Carla aka Little Piggy

Favorite Color Purple?

2008-04-15T12:32:00.000-07:00

Then be looking for a box... A very special box!

With some special Purple things inside!

What you thought I'd give it away before you get the package? tsk tsk.

Yippee! A box for MEEEE!

2008-04-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

My box arrived today, courtesy of a wonderful swap partner Lauren. My 4 year old was so anxious to have me open the box, so we didn't wait until we got home.

I have some lovely roving in purples, along with a luscious chocolate bar, some nice stitch markers, and a stamp pad (that will come in handy for letterboxing).

Thanks so much to Lauren! I can't wait to start spinning.

I got mine!

2008-04-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo. Details here!

2008-04-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

Look what I got in the mail! It's from Susan over at Knitters Delight and I love it!

It's pink - 7 skeins of Elann Camilla, a pattern to make my first shawl, some great beads (maybe I'll make stitch markers - who knows?), a candle and a new note pad for my purse. Thanks, Susan!

Kelly, Thank You

2008-04-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

Early in the morning I received the package from Kelly of Made Up Words full of lovely beads, stationary and other bits. All day my head was buzzing with ideas of jewellery I can make for myself out of the beads. I wish I could spend all day looking at them. Thank you!

Got my package!!

2008-04-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

Look what Lisa sent me!! What a wonderful package! Thank you so much I love it all! My favorite is the sheep ornament I can't wait to get it started!
Thanks again Lisa!!

I got it! I got it!

2008-04-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! I got my package sent from Eileen! She put together a wonderful package for me! I am so excited. I love everything! Thank you so much!Come see what I got!

Got my package!

2008-04-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

I got a wonderful package last week from "mrsthallium." Three skeins of Sugar 'n Cream in great colors, a hank of knitpicks lace weight, a patterns from "Knitty," knitpicks circular needles, M&Ms, a Starbucks chocolate mocha bar (yuuummmmm!), a hershey bar (which my mom stole), three cute knitted cat toys (one of which my mom stole for her cat), a notebook, notepaper, scrapbook papers and stickers and some foot scrub - all beautifully wrapped.

Thanks Mrs. Thallium - you rock!

Heading south ...

2008-04-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

If you live in Kentucky, and your favorite colors are purple, lavender, and pink, be on the lookout, because I sent this out today:

I don't know how long it will take to get from Philadelphia to Kentucky, but hopefully my swap partner will have it by the middle of next week. I sure hope she enjoys it!

Package recieved

2008-04-11T17:33:00.000-07:00

Chris sent the most amazing things.......... take a look at my blog for details.

Thanks Chris!!!

Package off to Virginia

2008-04-10T19:55:00.001-07:00

Well here they are - my packages awaiting their box and a trip to the post office.

I hope Delirious Rambling enjoys the box as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

my package arrived!!!

2008-04-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

It was so nice to come home to a nice heavy package at my front door! :) My spoiler was MariaBelle. And spoil, she did! Donia, thank you so very much for all the goodies you sent!
Here's what was inside that heavy package. :)Sorry it's not the best of pictures! Donia sent me a Slow Cooker cookbook to add to my ever-growing collection (I can't wait to try out some of the recipes inside it!!), some super cool socks which I will probably wear to work tomorrow! some yummy chocolate from Shakolad Chocolate Factory
which has already been devoured by me, a bag of sour patch kids (which is in the process of being devoured!), a cute notepad that I can carry in my purse, a handmade dishcloth, a book stand (so that I'll quit losing my place while knitting. HA!), some nice yarn, and a beautiful handmade card! :) Thanks again, Donia!!!

Wooo!

2008-04-10T13:03:00.000-07:00

Just returning home from a beautiful Spring day full of yummy Indian food and walks, I was treated to yet another surprise all the way from Australia!
It doesn't get much better than this! Thank you so much, OzKnitter! Blogged about here!

YAY!

2008-04-10T10:21:00.001-07:00

Today I went to the post office and sent out the goodies I collected for my secret pal.

Shortly after getting home, the mail man dropped of a package for me, from my upstream secret pal!

My pal was Jaymiof6 from ravelry, and she totally spoiled me. There are more details on my blog if you want to take a peek.

Thanks Wendy!!

2008-04-09T12:12:00.001-07:00

My package arrived today!! Thanks so much :) details on my blog!!

It's arrived

2008-04-09T03:12:00.001-07:00

I received my pressie in the mail today. I love it, love it, love it. You just have to go and check it out here.

Where oh where are you?..

2008-04-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

To: My Package Sender

I have not heard from you in almost 2 weeks. I am just wondering if everything is okay & to see if you are still having fun shopping & waiting on things for me. I cannot wait to get spoiled. Hope to hear from you soon.

From: Your Package Reciever

Green with Envy?

2008-04-07T18:40:00.001-07:00

I just received a wonderful present in the mail! Behold:

Well, we have a wonderful little tote and some mementos from Italy! What a great town- I'd love to visit there someday. Let's look inside, shall we?

It's all green! Yarn, candy, a cute notebook, pencils, beads and buttons! I was so delighted to keep pulling out treasures! Of course, I was immediately attracted to this:

You can't feel it, but trust me. It is soft and lovely to touch. I think I might make a scarf out of it using these:

Beads in blue and green! The perfect size for using in lace shawls. I've been looking all over for beads that weren't silver lined- I guess I didn't look in Italy!

Thanks, Berni!

Yay!

2008-04-07T12:48:00.000-07:00

I just returned from the post office and, hopefully, my partner will have her box by Friday!

Northbound

2008-04-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

My pal's parcel went in the mail yesterday (Friday) and it's winging its way northwards, hopefully arriving very soon.

Package Received! Thanks Ariel:)

2008-03-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

I received my package from Ariel -- pics are on my blog:)

Package received.

2008-03-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

I want to thank my partner dressage57348 for the lovely package she put together for me.

I could not believve how many items were in my box.
She made some great choices, and I love it all.

I am adding a couple of pictures for you all to see.

Red, Pink, and Black!

2008-03-30T14:14:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Ashley, who sent me an AWESOME package! The best part was everything that reminded me of my trip to Hawaii last year - Chocolates, a lei, and even some incredible Hawaiian looking fabric. I am going to have to find the perfect project for that.

I also received yarn, stationery, and just a box full of everything that was very thoughtful and sweet. Thank you so much!

Adelle

Awesome Package!

2008-03-30T11:28:00.001-07:00

Well, it turns out that my Favorite Color Swap 3 spoiler was my dear friend, Sheila, who lives 5 minutes away! LOL! She did a great job of keeping it a secret, including throwing me off by mentioning that it was difficult to shop for something vanilla scented for her swap partner (she knows I don't like vanilla scent). :)

She stopped by the house one day and asked if I'd gotten my mail for the day. I told her that Molly (my 8-year old) had already brought it in. She said that was odd because there was a package leaning against the post. One of the other kids ran out and got it for me. I didn't even notice the oddities in the label, like the fact that my name and address was taped over the name on the label. It appeared to be from someone in CA and the name didn't look familiar. But it was very heavy!!

Here is the whole shebang:

Now, the breakdown~

3 (really 4 as one more pack of black was sent to her late that she's bringing over soon) packages of luscious wool for needle felting. The camera doesn't do justice to the rich berry colored one in front.

A nice kitchen towel with a crocheted topper.

4 beautiful skeins of sock yarn in the most amazing colors. I love the way each pink/blue set complements each other!

Absolutely adorable stitch markers and earrings that look like miniature drop spindles!! She had no way of knowing that I had only recently been looking at those same earrings and considering them as a swap gift for another swap I'm in!! They are so cool!!

For goodies she included WW drink Mix-ins in Peach Ice Tea flavor, some WW dark chocolate raspberry bars (mmmmm) and a TON of Twizzlers. There are well over a hundred and fifty Twizzlers!! That was what made the box so incredibly heavy. LOL! As you would imagine in a house with seven children, it didn't take long for them to find out about my new stash.......

Hee hee....

So, thank you Sheila for a wonderful package. Also, thank you Nichole for hostessing this fun swap! I'm still working on my package, but it will go out on time. :)

** Cross posted on FC3 & Diary of a Mad Crafter

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Earth Hour Challenge

2008-03-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

Last year Sydney turned off it's lights for an hour. This year Earth Hour has gone global. I challenge you all to do it. Here is a You Tube link to the promo video and here is a link to the web site

You can also register for an official count as well.

I'm going to do it

I Got My Package!

2008-03-27T16:37:00.003-07:00

I got my package from Joanna! Beautiful yarn and lots of other fun stuff! Thanks, Joanna!

Waiting is hard..........

2008-03-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

I just put my swap package in the mail and it should be delivered early next week. I sure hope my swap partner likes what I've sent. It was definitely fun looking for colors that I wouldn't ordinarily shop for.

*drumming my nails on my desk waiting impatiently for her box to arrive to her*

Package Away

2008-03-23T10:57:00.001-07:00

My swap partner has their package by now.
I had a blast finding items to fill it with.
I can't wait to see what everyone gets. :)

Gone Overboard contest...?

2008-03-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

Hey swappers! I just realized that not all of you are on Ravelry and therefore you can't comment on my posts there. Doh!

I'm thinking of holding a contest on my blog for the Spoiler who went over the most. To be fair, I'll ask for entries to tell me what your spending limit was and what you spent. I'll subtract the limit from your overboard total and the one who went overboard the most, will win. To enter, you'll have to post a comment to my blog with the information. The final key is this: Entries would open on the deadline for mailing our swap packages (12 April 2008) and close on 1 May 2008---that will give you two weeks to enter.

Does this sound like fun for all you who spent too much? Can you drop a comment on this post to say you'll likely enter (or not), so I can see if there's enough interest? If there is, I'll announce the contest on my blog on the 12th.

What kind of a prize should I assemble? Suggestions? Hints? Ideas? Not everyone in this swap is a knitter (my main craft), so I'd like some ideas that will cross all craft boundaries, if possible. Maybe I can tailor the winner's package a little too, depending.

Thanks!

Anne.

P.S. No, I won't be allowed to enter my own contest. *sigh*

Starstruck Cat Design

2008-03-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hi, swappers! I thought I'd let you know about the awesome deal that Jill is giving us. She's offered to give all the FCS3 swappers 15% off in her etsy shop! Jill has also kindly donated a prize- a hand poured 19 oz. jar candle, in the winner's choice of scent! You can see all of Jill's great products ate her website, as well. Thanks so much, Jill!

You guys will be able to find all this info, including a link to the website, in the left sidebar.

already got my stuff.................

2008-03-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

owo, can u believe it! tks so much adelle!

HAPPY EASTER

2008-03-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

Way over budget!

2008-03-20T07:31:00.000-07:00

I am glad to see that I am not the only one with budget issues! I have everything but a few small things and I am so over budget but that is ok! I have so much fun spoiling others!

Staying in Budget

2008-03-18T17:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I must be a freak. I, for one, am not having trouble staying in budget, because I happened to find some fabulous yarn at a GREAT price. That means I still have some spoiling to do!

2008-03-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

Wahoo! The fun starts again. Thanks for organising this Nichole. It is a great way to meet new people and I am having a wonderful time coming up with ideas for my secret pal. On the other hand I have not heard from anyone who has me yet but there is still time.

Have a great Easter everyone.

Pins & Needles

2008-03-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hi Miss Nichole, and thanks for the invite.

I agree that staying within budget is going to be difficult.

I am on pins and needles waiting to see if everything I ordered

comes in on time and looks as good in person as it did online.

The colors have been a blast for me as they are sililar to

what I like. This has caused me to buy two of some items.

I can't wit to have it all together so I can mail it out.

Shebear

Going Overboard!

2008-03-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

It looks like going over budget is the theme of the day! It's been so *hard* but I've had so much fun looking at things from a different perspective. I'd love to see some ideas for packaging---how are you all going to incorporate your pal's interests/colors into your package? Obviously, you can't say too much, so post suggestions---or links to any previous swap packages you've assembled! Please! (I'm so pathetic at wrapping presents. I need ideas!)

Anne.

Greetings all!

2008-03-18T10:32:00.001-07:00

Hello and thanks for the invite!

I'm having a blast looking at things for my partner! The colors are completely different than ones I've ever personally shopped for, so it's been an interesting challenge for me! Right now, I'm just getting anxious for the items that I ordered to come in so that I can be sure the colors will work for her. I love shopping for things on the internet, but I hate the waiting!

I'm also having a hard time staying within my budget, but I wanted to buy at least one or two "spoiling" items. Now I just need to find some interesting little extras - the funnest part, for me at least!

Hope everyone else is having a blast!

Hello Everyone

2008-03-18T09:56:00.001-07:00

Thanks Nicole for inviting me to be a part of the blog! This is my first color swap and I also find myself having a nearly impossible time staying within my budget! I'm already over my budget truth be told but I don't mind. I have an only child and I tend to spoil her too.

Good luck everyone I hope you're having fun!

The Hunt Begins

2008-03-18T08:26:00.001-07:00

Thanks, Nichole, for inviting me to contribute to your blog. I have done dozens of scrapbooking swaps but this is one of my first yarn-related swaps. So far I'm having a lot of fun picking out things for my swap partner. The hardest part is trying to stay within my budget - if I were to buy everything I want to buy, I'd have to skip my mortgage payment this month.

I can't wait to see what I get in the mail, and I hope I can assemble a package for my partner that she will love. This is so much fun!

HELLO FCS3 PALS

2008-03-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks Nichole for the invite to the blog - I'm here and racking my brains for how to please my color-swap-pal. I have to say, some of the ideas on the message board have been eye-openers for me - some folk are just so inventive!

Yarnzie

Swapping Time!

2008-03-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

Alright everyone! All the matches have been sent, as well as the questionnaires. If you still haven't gotten a match from me, please email me right away! I think most of the little issues starting out have been smoothed out.

Everyone should have done these things by now:

1. Contacted the person you are sending to using your SECRET email (if you need help with this, see the FAQs) and say hi.

2. Heard from the person sending to you.

3. Completed the questionnaire and either posted it on your blog or emailed it directly to your upstream (sending to you) pal.

If you haven't done one of these things, go do it NOW! Communication is important in a swap- how would you feel if your upstream pal never emailed to say hi?

"On that note, a few people were late in getting matches and emails, so have a little bit of patience. People who haven't made any contact with their pal at all and have not responded to my emails by FRIDAY will be promptly replaced.

Please, folks, check your spam folders, too! If my or your pal's emails go to your spam, add the email to your address book. This should keep them from ending up as spam.

Happy swapping! I'm going to go do blog invites right now!

Matches

2008-03-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Life has been a bit hectic here, and matches are almost done. All the matches will be sent out tomorrow, Thursday, March 13th. Promise! thanks for being patient with me.

Sign-Ups Are Closed

2008-03-09T07:22:00.000-07:00

Sign-ups are now closed! I'll be getting the rest of participants entered and listed on the blog, weeding out any flakers from past swaps, and starting to make matches. In a few days, you should have your match, and an invite to this blog. You'll also be getting a questionnaire to post on your blog.

I'm excited to be swapping again! Since I like to play, too, I would love someone to volunteer to send me a package for the swap! You'll still have a secret pal sending to you, and I'll be secretly sending to someone, as well. The first person to volunteer that matches me (price range, etc.) gets the job! just email me at favoritecolorswap(AT)gmail(DOT)com, and put "volunteer" in the subject line.

If anyone has any questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to email me, as well. I want everyone to have a great swap experience!

See you soon!

Rules, Guidelines, and Signing Up

2008-02-20T16:14:00.000-08:00

Hi there, and welcome to the third Favorite Color Swap! Here are the rules and general info. There is also a post for frequently asked questions. If you have a question that isn't answered here or there, please feel free to email me at favoritecolorswapATgmailDOTcom. Thanks, and have fun!

The general basis of the Favorite Color Swap is that you will get a package of goodies, all in one of your favorite colors! You will also be secretly putting together and sending a package to a pal in their favorite colors. This swap is open to everyone who wants to participate, as long as you can meet the guidelines listed below. Please read all the rules and things below before signing up.

After matches have been made, a questionnaire will be emailed to everyone to fill out. please fill it out ASAP and post it on your blog. This is how your pal is going to know what to get for you, so be thorough!

Timeline

- Sign-ups close on Friday, March 8th, 2008.
- Matches will be made and sent by Wednesday, March 12th, 2008.
- Packages must be sent by April 12th.

General Rules

1. Please, do not sign up if you think that you may not be able to complete the swap for any reason. I do understand life happens unexpectedly, but if you think money may be tight, or that you're going to be too busy, please pass this time around.

2. If you flaked in one of the previous Favorite Color Swaps, you will not be allowed to play in this one. Yes, I will be checking. Flakers suck.

3. No Flaking!

4. You must have a established blog, and post at least once a week. I know this wasn't a requirement for past FCS', but I think it's a good idea. That way you're pal can get to know you a bit better!

5. This is a secret pal swap, and you must have a "secret" email. Please see the FAQ 's for more on this.

Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Swapping

I've taken into account that lots of people like to participate in swaps, but not all have the funds to do a big, expensive one. For that reason, there are three price group choices- $10-$20, $21-$30, and $31-$40. These prices do not include shipping costs. Here are some tips on picking the right price group for you:

- Figure out what you think is reasonable to spend.

- Aim for the middle of a group- for example, $15 spending for the lowest price range.

- If you're on the fence with two price groups (for example, you want to spend $30), go for the lower of the two. This way, someone will possibly get a little more than they expected, instead of someone feeling a little short-changed.

Everyone will be matched within their own price group, so (hopefully) everyone gets a package pretty equal to the one they sent out.

Also, this swap is open to all kinds of crafters and non-crafters alike! You'll have a choice as to what group you are in, and I do my best to match people with similar interests.

Contacting Your Pal

I definitely encourage good communication with your pal, and require it to a point. Please feel free to contact them more than you are required! This will make it a happy swap experience all around.

- You must contact your downstream pal (the one you're sending to) with three days of receiving their information. After that, you should contact them at least once a week. This can be an email, an anonymous comment on their blog, or a postcard.

-When your upstream pal (the one you're receiving from) contacts you, please respond! Even if it's a simple "hi" or "thanks for the ___".

- It is up to you if you want to let your downstream pal know when their package is on the way. however, I do recommend it, so they can keep an eye out for it.

Packages

-Packages must be sent by April 12th, 2008.

- The package you send should be at least the minimum requirement for your swap group. As stated earlier, I recommend aiming for in the middle of the price range.

- Be creative! there are so many things you can find for this. Beads, stitch markers (for knitters), pens, post-it notes, candy wrapped in their favorite color (or that is their favorite color!), soap or candles. Use ideas from their questionnaire, wish lists, and blog.

-Package should be at least 75% in one of their favorite colors. If you want to include goodies that aren't in their favorite color (like candy, for example), that's fine- just try to limit these.

- You must reveal yourself in your package! include a little card or note that includes your name, blog, and email address. This is half the fun of the secret swap, is finding out your secret pal!

- If you choose to include something handmade, please limit the cost to materials when thinking about your budget.

Other Stuff

-Please add my email address (favoritecolorswapAtgmailDOTcom) to your address book to prevent messages from me going to your spam folder. Additionally, if you miss a message from me, check there first!

-Everyone will be invited to blog here about packages, questions, etc. Once you've signed up, you will get an invite to join this blog. If you are not already a Blogger member, you will be prompted to create a free account. You can also use a Google account.

- For those of us knitters, crocheters, and spinners lucky enough to be in Ravelry, I've created a group for us there, too. You can find it here.

-If you are interested in donating a prize or providing a discount or special just for FCS3 participants, please contact me at favoritecolorswapATgmailDOTcom.

Frequently Asked Questions

2008-02-20T15:15:00.001-08:00

Here are some frequently asked questions. Please feel free to contact me at favoritecolorswapATgmailDOTcom if you have a question that isn't answered here or in the rules.

What is this "secret email" deal?

A secret email is an email address that isn't associated with you, and doesn't give away who you are. You can easily create one using a free email client such as Yahoo!, or I can send you an invite for a Google email address. If you are unsure whether or not your email is truly secret, feel free to send me a test message to check!

Help! I haven't heard from my pal, and it's been __ days!

If you do not hear from your pal at all in the first week after matches have been made, please let me know right away! Otherwise, try to send them an email, and see if you get a response. Sometimes it happens, and most of the time it isn't cause for alarm. People get busy sometimes! If your pal truly has flaked out on you, then we'll find you a nice angel to get you some good swap lovin'.

What do I do if I haven't gotten my match from you/lost their address/forgot what price range I'm in?

Please just let me know. I have all that information stored, and can send it to you again.