Always look forward to this! Been doing it for years. At one point it was a huge swap - one year I think it had 60 - but it's tapered off. This year was only 16 participants but I still enjoy getting and making items. Here's last year's swap and links to others. (* Click photos for full size.)
This year's theme was Holidays, which is nice as I figured there'd be both Halloween and Christmas items. I made a bird feeder stand with a cup/saucer, a small skull candle, and added in a Christmas box printie. It does look better than this photo. The skulls come out really realistic, just a toothpick, puff paint, and a snip of black thread. I thought later I maybe should've added the hill with flowers to the planter but I figured people will put it where they want. It can be "planted" in a small mound of air-dry Crayola Model Magic, paint and cover it with grass and/or moss, and add small impatiens petals. I'm going to use purple for the Lavender Cottage garden.
The Easter items were really neat. Cute little Bunny basket (Paula W), great teensy filled basket and blue bunny (Sydney H), amazing woven baskets (Glenda D), and that incredible egg dying scene (Cyndi M). Great idea using those little beads as cups for this. I have a ton of those and put fake handles on for mugs.
Christmas too! Great flags from Jen W, a tabletop tree (and orange cake in other photo) Adrian C, all kinds of fun ornaments (even a dog bone! Oops that peppermint is actually a "plate", great idea, with a gingerbread cookie on it. I put the wrong side up!) Sharon J, tree in pot, Bea.
Being a Halloween fan, I love this! All kinds of cool signs, jars, a mini table and even a plate of Gingerbread cookies, Gail. The Halloween mat is perfect, and the cool candlestick, great way to make this, Amy H.
Then some fun additions!
A great little flower stand for the porch (Ruth G), that incredible teensy Christmas gnome! (Annilee T), perfect little pies , Mary W, and that darling dollhouse, Peggy F.
Hopefully I didn't miss anyone. All great items that I'll add to my dollhouses. Always so much fun opening the surprise box each year!
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** Update: Yes! The small roofs on the Lavender Cottage are shingled, painted, and done! PIc coming! Working on the top roof. What a job! If you didn't see them, in-between I did make some cute carrot cakes and Easter baskets. (More fun than shingling! haa!)
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