Little Jar of Whimsey Swap

For someone who isn't supposed to be putting any more effort into other things and get on with completing things already on the go I've really messed up this time!!!!

I just LOVED the look of this swap and then was sad when the limit of two per person put a friend out of the running.  Well I don't really know her that well but the dealings I've had with her she seems such a nice person and I really didn't want her to miss out.  So I volunteered to do three for her (one for each of the big kids).  I think this and others inspired the swap organiser to increase the numbers - lucky because I'd already started figuring out what I was going to make for them *rolls eyes*.

I've added to this post over the past six weeks and will publish it when the reveal is done or "E" figures out who sent it - considering I used my own return address I'm pretty sure she'll guess but rather than get creative with who sent it I just wanted to get it in the mail without the risk of it going astray - well without too much risk.  Keeping my fingers crossed that it gets to the South Island intact.

Edited:  I've been shopped - yay I can finally publish this post.

"T's" Cookie Monster Jar

Cookie Monster jar decoration...

First of all is the mini polymer clay cookies...

These fit into the space in the jar lid which I've decorated as.... Cookie Monster.

Gardening...

For 'T" bean seeds and a row marker.  These weren't as easy as I thought they'd be.  First attempt I tried to run the pics AND the lollipop sticks through the laminator and they jammed so I stopped it.  But Logan, sitting nearby decided to turn it back on again and the whole thing jammed.  Had to dismantle and put back together to retrieve it!!  I had to reprint the lot and just laminate the pics and stick on the sticks with glue.  Used two different lots of glue before I found one that stuck.

Milo Mitts...

Dyed the yarn as close to cookie monster blue as I could get.

I actually did two buttons for each glove - the others were Cookie Monster faces - they sucked so the cookies were it.  Looks better with just the one button on each. 

"Theodore Raceway"...
These are "E's" photos - mine sucked!!!  I've cropped the kids out of all the photos she took as I didn't know if she'd be happy with me publishing them here.  But I've saved them in my photo album.  This idea went round and round in my head for ages.  You're supposed to be able to carry the cars in the raceway when it's folded up into a bag - the Sesame Street cars were about twice as big as I thought they'd be but I couldn't bear to give away the swap theme to replace them with Matchbox Cars, which would be a better fit.  The Sesame Street flags are just paper so can be replaced with something else for other cars at a later date.  The flags and start/finish posts are snapped onto the track - I may not make nappies anymore but my snap press will live forever.  The lettering is from a vehicle print (mostly trucks).  It looks pretty bumpy but that's just because I didn't spend the time flattening out which you have to do after it's been "draw-strung" into a bag.



It's supposed to be Big Birds flag - Elmo and Cookie Monster have one as well.



 And this is the whole "T" swap ready to be packed up.  You can see the Raceway drawn up - it has one car in it - all that will fit from these big cars.

And this is how I "cheated" when it wouldn't all fit into the jar!!!!!

"R's" Ballet Fairy Jar

Ballet Jar Decoration...

Polymer Clay Flowers to go in the space in the jar lid.

Beautiful Ballerina

This is my MASTERPIECE.  I am SO happy with the results considering there were problems along the way.  I cut this out and then my machine broke down so I have my neighbour to thank for lending me hers.  Then after sewing it together the bodice shaping didn't look so hot and amazingly (considering how much overlap I'd catered for) the back didn't overlap at all leaving a big space.  But a bit of ingenuity and some satin ribbon and I have "laced" the back.  Lucky for me that I found a bit of pink tulle at an op shop recently and bought it for something for Zoe because I realised later that I didn't have any pink in my stash as I'd previously thought.

A friend has actually suggested I make these up to sell them at local markets.  I'm considering it.

Beaded Milo Mitts...
They're a bit rough unfortunately - I made a few little mistakes and I think the blocking was a bit rough.  I don't know if you can see the beads up the channel - perhaps a little too subtle but it was my first time knitting with beads and I'm pretty proud I worked it out.

Gardening...
Pumpkin Seeds and Seed label.

Headbands and Hairclips...
Located some stashed bright pink acrylic which was just enough to make a knitted cable headband.  Added beads to the "channels" for a bit of bling.  I kept going until I only had enough to cast off and leave a tail to seam - amazed I judged that right but I did.  It gave it a bit more room on the "underband" - about a cm.  And it fits Zoe really well so I'm happy.  Next one I'd do more cabling. This looks good how it is but more cabling would be even better.  The photo shows it prior to blocking and elasticating.  I've since found heaps of better patterns on Ravelry *embarrassed blush* but I do like this one.

Next I put together a fabric headband using a fat quarter I had in my stash.  Add to that some glittered hairclips purchased from the $2 shop with Fabric decorations (thanks to a very recent swap) secured to felt with double sided fusible webbing from stash and embellished with silver embroidery thread and seed beads.  *I did buy the embroidry thread but I'm not counting that as I used it on things not related to the swap as well.

Rose Fairy...
I purchased the flowers from the $2 shop - 6 for $2.  I had the big wooden beads from when I was a kid and spray painted them with paint I had in stash.  The smaller beads, pipe cleaners and embroidery thread were from stash too.

"D's" Rocket Jar

Rocket Jar Decoration...
So far this has been the most creative jar decoration of all three - but it's also been the most frought with problems and possibly the one that didn't turn out quite as I would have hoped.  I had a piece of metallic vinyl I had been trying to sell and eventually gave to Kindy cutting a piece off before this.  It's green but it's still metallic so it looks good as the "wrapping" for the jar.  I've cut six slits top and bottom at intervals of a third of the jar to put the three rocket "legs".  I cut the legs with tabs to slide through the slits and I cut the legs double thickness of cardboard so that the tabs would open out either side of the legs rather than just folding to one side - that way they will be more stable.  Cover the legs with tin foil and the edges with silver ribbon (although I didn't really need to and it was more trouble than it was worth).  I wanted some more support for the rocket other than the legs and thought I could add a booster on the bottom of the jar.  Cardboard tubing wasn't the right size but I found a large jar cork that I covered in tin foil, then made a circle top and bottom out of black felt and three "boosters" from red felt circles.  I've been piling bits of metal stuff in the jar lid but it's just not working and I really needed a nose cone.  In an op shop visit I found what must be a Pokemon ball or something that comes apart for two domes.  They gave it to me for free.  I glittered the inside using nail polish to stick the glitter and in the end attached it with sellotape - not really happy about that but it was a last minute thing.  I carried on with the nuts and bolts in the jar lid space to give it a mechanical effect - it doesn't show up perfectly which actually makes it a bit better.

 The "D" was an afterthought so that the two boys jars were distinguisable.
Gardening...

Sunflower Seeds and Seed Label

Rocket Gloves:
Knitted from a stashed ball of wool with a metallic filament through it and I made the rocket buttons.

The large bag is full of big marbles (I can't remember what we used to call them but they were sought after).  The smaller bag has two magnets.  I felt a bit disappointed about this one.  I felt like I'd missed something and that I should have had more in it. - Sorry D.