My Easter cake box swap has arrived

And was it ever packed w/ goodies! Bryanna @ The Canary's Cupcake was my partner & we clicked w/ each other from the get-go. She seems to have already "gotten" me & we've only known each other for a month. The cake boxes we made, & even the contents, were very similiar. Although she's a much better cake decorator than I & I'm afraid, she was a bit more generous as well. I don't know whether to feel bad or good about that. ;o) But thank you for everything Bry...you were too, too good to me!

Isn't her cake beautiful? She's a very talented cake decorator! Looks real doesn't it?

Look at how perfect her tiny roses are!

As you can see...she packaged the contents beautifully.

Look at all she managed to pack in that little box! Vintage book pages, vintage sheet music, little vintage greeting cards, wish tickets (been wanting some!), silk roses, lots of lace & trims, wallpaper scraps & vintage hankie...

See the little Queen Bee card she sent. My grands call me Honey so how appropriate, huh?

She sent a bag of what she called "mermaid trinkets". Not knowing that I have plans to make an altered mermaid doll. These baubles will the perfect adornment for it!

She also sent a bag of miscellaneous "bits". Love the empty watch face...it'll be really cool as a minitaure shadow box, won't it? And the little crystal charms are destined for the necklace I am making out of the metal roses Karen Valentine sent. And notice that tiny little bottle?

It's full of the teensiest, tiniest little rhinestones you have ever seen! Aren't they too cool? They'll never leave this bottle. I'll probably use the bottle in some altered art project but the rhinestones will stay inside...LOVE it!

But the Pièce de résistance was this absolutely charming charm bracelet she made out of vintage buttons. I adore it Bry!!!! Absolutely adore it!

Look at how she layered buttons & beads...tres' chic!

Bry also didn't know that I collect cameos but included this cameo button on my charm bracelet. I'm telling ya... the girl gets me!

I treasure my bracelet Bry....& I am very appreciative of the time & effort (& buttons LOL) you put into this lovely bracelet. You were too, too good to me!

I thought I went all out but I guess I have a lot to learn about swapping. ;o) Here's the cake box I made. See how similiar our cakes were?



Our contents were similiar also. I sent vintage seam bindings, blingy cross, an old baby shoe, paper roses, lace scraps, vintage button cards, chocolates, etc. And notice that I lined it w/ a vintage hankie? It's really weird how much our boxes looked alike & how similiar most of the contents were.

I included this fairy paper doll, I made from Sandra Evertson's book Fanciful Paper Projects. If you like paper crafts...you'll love this book! It doesn't show in the picture very well, but the body is made of lace, I glued onto card stock. Although Sandra's book includes all the elements needed (except glue) to complete each project, I like to use real accents to add a bit of dimension.

And isn't this little pipe cleaner doll I made (also from Fanciful Paper Projects) cute? Although, frankly...she looks pretty meager compared to the gorgeous charm bracelet Bry sent. Oh well! Maybe next time I'll get a crappy swap partner & won't feel so bad. LOL

You know I'm only kidding w/ ya Bry (sorta!)...I LOVED having you for a swap partner!!

Sandra shared a neat idea of gluing a paper face onto a wooden bead & I used cotton batting for "hair".

Partners like Bry sure make swapping a lot of fun!