Advent - Day 14 Cracker Swap

My photo for Day 14 of Julie's Scrapbook Advent Calendar is my gorgeous quilted fabric cracker that I received from Suzanne, my swap partner in the Cracker Swap

The stitching detail on the cracker is just lovely and this will become a Christmas Cracker to treasure for years to come.

Inside were lots of wonderful gifts 

including this very sweet pocket charm.

I'd never seen these before and had to look them up on the internet,

 I love the saying on the card just as much as the bird charm.

There was also this mini glass apothecary jar filled will teeny tiny colourful bells 

A cute stocking hanger, I have these for the children with a little fireplace to hang them on and I'm so glad I have one of my very own now.

This heart shaped soap smells divine and I've popped it in my smalls drawer!

Some very tasty chocolate snowballs, which I ate whilst everyone was out and a candy cane that was eaten by Tomas!

We love robins in our house so this painted pebble is just perfect.

I'm looking forward to trying out my new nail varnish although I have hidden it away because I can see it disappearing into my daughter's room if I'm not careful!

And finally this sewing machine charm which I think I might an to add sewing themed embroidery or make into a scissor fob. I shall be scouring Pinterest over the festive break for some ideas.

And here are all my goodies together.

Thank you Suzanne for all my wonderful gifts especially my quilted cracker.

Here is what I sent Suzanne. 

Now Suzanne and I have been emailing each other for a while and I found out that she likes owls, well....

I think I may well have gone a bit overboard with that theme!!!

Caution - Owl heavy photos.....

I found this christmas owl fabric on one of my recent trips to And Sew On fabrics at the Blake Craft Centre, which I used to wrap the cracker in.

I also found this owl button there too. I thought Suzanne could make it into a brooch or add it to one of her makes.

I was lucky on my owl themed hunt at the fabric shop as they also had this owl ribbon.

I love Ebay as if you can't find what you are looking for on there then it probably doesn't exist!

A quick search for owl buttons and I came up trumps.

As most of you know I belong to a swap group on Facebook and as part of a swap with Ems Genuine Gems I received this owl themed kilt pin brooch which was ideal for Suzanne's cracker. 

I picked up these two cheeky chappies on a recent charity shop trip,

and I couldn't believe my luck when I went to my WI meeting the other week and as part of the trading table boxes were these delicious owl chocolates. How do I know they were delicious I hear you ask, well there were more of them in the box but I could only fit six in the cracker tube and......

I ate them!!! Sorry Suzanne!

I cheated a little on my handmade make for Suzanne as I really wanted to make her a bag and the only way to do that and fit it in her cracker was to wrap it around the tube before putting the fabric over it.

I loved the colours of these fabrics as soon as I saw them.

I told you I went a bit mad on the owl them didn't I....

Here is Suzanne's finished cracker

and another lucky find at the charity shop was this bottle gift box which the cracker snuggly fitted into

but I completely forget about how I was going to add the owl themed Christmas card to the tube so I had to put it all in another box!!!

I've really enjoyed this swap again this year and I am always amazed at how much lovely stuff you can cram into a kitchen roll tube. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as me and please add your Cracker Swap blog posts to the linky list below.

Cracker Swap 2015 - Swap Partners

Cracker Swap 2015 Partners List

Kimberley @ Creative Chaos and Glenda

Tracy @ Mad About Bags and Suzanne

Ellie @ Feltabulous and Melanie @ The Patchwork Robin

Maria @ Dotty's Daughter and Debbie @ Busy Little Chicken

Pen @ Rosa Lily and Alison @ Fat Dormouse Getting Thinner

Here is a reminder of the Swap Guidelines 

Each of us will make a fabric Christmas Cracker filled with goodies

1) Take a kitchen roll tube (much roomier and nicer than a toilet roll!)

2) Fill your tube with goodies (you're be surprised how much you can fit in!) I think it would be great to include your favourite Christmas joke or recipe!

3) Wrap you filled tube in some lovely Christmassy fabric and tie the ends with ribbon

4) Send your completed fabric Christmas cracker on it's merry way to your swap partner

5) Receive a gorgeous fabric Christmas cracker stuffed with goodies and a lovely piece of fabric too!

*****

Suggestions to fill your kitchen roll

sewing and crafting goodies in the way of buttons, ribbons and threads, needles and pins, stickers, beads, charms and lots more

Christmas chocolates, sweets etc

Pampering goodies like nail varnishes, bath bombs, soaps etc

Something handmade (as long as it fits in the tube! 

Although it could also be wrapped around the tube underneath the fabric too!)

Key rings, brooches, earrings etc

A favourite Christmas joke

A favourite Christmas recipe

*****

Your cracker needs to arrive in time for Christmas so post in plenty of time please.

Pinch, Punch, First of the Month.....

....and no returns

(I did start writing this post at about 9am this morning but have only just got around to finishing it off! So apologies for it being past the midday cutoff)

November is here!

I love the beginning of the month, it heralds a fresh start, new beginnings

and, as we start counting down towards December, this month is going to be super busy.

I feel a list coming on!

I have blog swaps to start and finish,  as well as a few makes that I would like to start just for me. I also take part in craft swaps over on Facebook, trading talents with others, it's a great way to add handmade gifts that you don't make yourself to your Christmas Lists or, as I do, to decorate our home.

If any of you would ever like to trade talents with me then just let me know as I think I love swapping more than I do selling my makes!

I'll be posting the Cracker Swap partners tomorrow so there is still a little time to join in, 

please feel free to add the button below to your blog and share the swap amongst your friends.

We are back to school tomorrow and our week and a bit of the half term break has been a mix of lazy days and family fun.

We have enjoyed a trip to the Sealife Centre in  London.

Pumpkin Carving in our local country park.

Building a Lancaster Bomber!

 Finishing off the week with a Light Party at our daughter's church.

As well as watching movies, playing board games and some much needed rest and relaxation.

Phew! I'm exhausted after all that lot but I am also excited for what the month of November is going to bring.

Cracker Swap 2015

It's Cracker Swap time again, I know many of you look forward to this swap as much as I do but if you are new to swapping then this is a lovely simple swap designed to get you in a christmassy mood!

So this is how it works......

Each of us will make a fabric Christmas Cracker filled with goodies

1) Take a kitchen roll tube (much roomier and nicer than a toilet roll!)

2) Fill your tube with goodies (you're be surprised how much you can fit in!) I think it would be great to include your favourite Christmas joke or recipe!

3) Wrap you filled tube in some lovely Christmassy fabric and tie the ends with ribbon

4) Send your completed fabric Christmas cracker on it's merry way to your swap partner

5) Receive a gorgeous fabric Christmas cracker stuffed with goodies and a lovely piece of fabric too!

*****

Suggestions to fill your kitchen roll

sewing and crafting goodies in the way of buttons, ribbons and threads, needles and pins, stickers, beads, charms and lots more

Christmas chocolates, sweets etc

pampering goodies like nail varnishes, bath bombs, soaps etc

something handmade (as long as it fits in the tube! Although it could also be wrapped around the tube underneath the fabric too!)

key rings, brooches, earrings etc

A favourite Christmas joke

A favourite Christmas recipe

*****

Here is a snippet of what I have sent and received over the past few years

What I received - Cracker Swap 2013 

and this was what was inside my cracker last year.

SWAP RULES

This swap is open to UK and overseas bloggers and non bloggers as long as you have a contact email.

Last posting date for your Christmas cracker will be 15th December (before if you are posting overseas) - if for any reason you can't make that deadline please let your partner know.

Blog about what you receive and what you have sent so we can all see your wonderful goodies.

Right, I think that's everything, if you have any problems during the swap then please let me know, but bear in mind that I am only the organiser of this swap it is up to you and your partner to swap details, likes and dislikes etc and to arrange a time to swap (by the deadline hopefully). I do understand that sometimes things happen and if for whatever reason you can't take part in the swap and need to pull out then please let me and your partner know, it's so disappointing not to receive anything!

Edited to add, please sign up by the 31st October and swap partners will be posted on 1st November.