TWO MONTHS OF CLBMX BOOKMARKS!

I found this post I drafted last year which I never posted. So I'm posting it now, a year later!

From March 2011...


I wanted to share with you the two bookmarks that I've received in the past two months.  They're super cool!

This first bookmark was from Maria Lits for the January 2011 CLBMX.  Her first bookmark was lost in the mail or is being enjoyed by someone else, but she said she thinks this second one turned out better.  I don't know if it's "better" or not, but it sure is wonderful!  I love teapots and teacups, and I love the color pink.  And isn't it sweet how she incorporated letter beads to spell out "tea"?

The second bookmark was for the February 2011 CLBMX and was crocheted by Kurt Decker.  Now I haven't swapped with Kurt before this exchange though I've been with the CLBMX for years!  So this was a treat to have a "new" partner.  His contribution left me laughing hard.  First of all, when the mail arrived, I saw this looonnnnggg handmade brown cardboard envelope and it left me asking "What's that?!"  When I saw it was from Kurt, I thought "Cool!  A bookmark!"  Still wondering why the supersized envelope, but hey, I was determined to open it and find out!

I was laughing as I slid out this loonnnggg red thread bookmark.  Seems the pattern Kurt used online called for size 10 thread, but this filet rose pattern is really big!  It could almost be used as a wall decoration!  I LOVE it, though.  It's just the BIGGEST bookmark I've ever received.  And I needed the laugh.  Thank you again, Kurt!

Kurt's going to let me know where he found the pattern online.  I would like to crochet this myself.  But I think I will use Size 20 or Size 30 thread.  ;-)

MORE CROCHET PROJECTS TO SHARE!

Here are photos of the bookmark I made for November's CLBMX. For that month we were to send a bookmark and a little something extra. I chose to make a bookmark similar to one that I had made a previous year for this same exchange. It's a hat and mittens bookmark!

The pattern for the miniature hat and mittens is online here.  After crocheting each individual piece, I created a crocheted band, affixing the hat on one end and the mitten set on the other.




Some of my readers might remember the first one of these bookmarks I created.  I loved adding the snowflakes!  They were crocheted with sewing thread which is how I managed for them to come out small enough to use in a bookmark.  I gave this in a "Christmas in July" exchange back in July 2005...I can't believe that was almost 6 years ago!  It seems like yesterday!







For the "little surprise" part of November's CLBMX, I crocheted another set of the hat and mittens and assembled it into an ornament!  Cool, huh?

Bookmark, Again!

Today's mail brought a lovely package from Sue P. for the Crochet List Bookmark Exchange.



I just LOVE that heart bookmark she crocheted! Isn't it beautiful?! Sue also enclosed some candy hearts, a package of mint-y hot chocolate, a flowered planner book, and two pattern books. The yarn puppy on the cover of that one booklet is too cute. I can't wait to make that!

Here's a close-up of Sue's beautiful bookmark.



Thank you, Sue!

I've made a bookmark for Sue, also, but I'll post a picture later as I don't want to ruin any surprise. But be ready! I'll post soon!

BOOKMARKS!

Hmmm...is it "bookmarks" or "bookmarkERs"? I can see either word used, but which word do you use to describe an item that keeps your place in a book?

I'm a member of a Yahoo Group called Crochet List. I've been a member of it since 1996, I think, or thereabouts. Wow - that's a long time. Within the group, there are exchanges that members can join and one of my long-time favorites is the Bookmark Exchange. I've made a lot of bookmarks over the years and have received a good many, too. I always love to see what kind of bookmark will land in my mailbox each month. Even after all these years, I rarely receive a bookmark just like a previous one. Of course, there have been times that I've received bookmarks made from the same pattern, but everyone lends their own color and style even to those so that each one is still a unique bookmark. It's a really great exchange and if any of you are interested in joining reading more about it, check it out here. I have been reminded, however, that one has to be a member of Crochet List to join any of CL's exchanges, such as this Bookmark Exchange. If you enjoy crocheting and aren't already a member of CL, be sure to read more about it here. It's a great community.

January's exchange found this lovely creation from Joan P. in my mailbox, along with some extra goodies, a pink fuzzy pencil and a sheet of ladybug stickers, along with a sweet note. (Thank you again, Joan!) When I first saw the turquoise bookmark, I thought the style reminded me of a "Sampler", a piece incorporating various stitches like the traditional cross-stitch "Samplers". However, Joan has a cuter name for it and that is "Doodle". She just made it up as she went, like a doodle! Isn't that cute? It turned out very pretty and unique. I can tell you that I won't get another one like this from another exchanger...this is all Joan's creation!


Joan was the partner to whom I was assigned to send, and after reading that one of her favorite colors is yellow, I made a bookmark from one of my favorite patterns and in yellow thread. I'd love to share the pattern link with you all, but unfortunately I cannot find it online anymore. It was from the magazine "Fast and Fun Crochet", the Spring 2002 issue, but I understand from my searching on the internet that the magazine's last issue was the Fall 2002 issue. Thankfully, I had printed out a paper copy of the pattern back when it was easily available online. It really is one of my favorite bookmarks. So much so that I made another one at the end of January!



With bookmarks on the mind, here is a collage of bookmarks I've made over the years. Not all of them, of course, but some that were lucky enough to get their picture taken before I mailed them off. (Hover your cursor over the picture to read about the picture. Also click on it for a closer look.)




And here is a collage of some bookmarks sent to me through the years.



I hope you enjoyed that Bookmark Extravaganza! I did. It brought back fond memories pulling together pictures of past exchanges. And through the photo journey I realized that Joan P. and I have swapped several times over the years. Did you notice that YELLOW Butterfly bookmark up there? Yep, that was one I crocheted for her. Her color preferences haven't changed I see.

For this month's exchange I've been paired with a lady I've not exchanged with ever before! Won't that be a sweet treat! Get ready Sue P.!

FINALLY! MY BIRTHDAY POST!

Ok, readers, my birthday post! I know some of you have said I have been keeping you in suspense, but I promise it wasn't intentional! It takes time to sit down and make a post and spare time has been fleeting for me since the week of my birthday. But without further ado...

Thursday, January 25th, was my 39th birthday. I opened my presents soon after midnight! ha ha! Well, I was up and hubby had come home after being out late taking care of our friend, and my daughter Kelley had been pushing me to open my presents for days! So I told her I'd open them after midnight after she was in bed! And I did!



SP9 REVEALED!

First, my SP9 was revealed. Judy in Cleveland, Ohio sent me this great book "Just Scarves" by LionBrand. I've been wanting this book and am now the proud owner. Thank you, Judy, for a wonderful birthday present, beautiful birthday card (I loved the watercolor phlox), and for a wonderful SP round! You know, I had JUST visited your blog from the SP9 blog (I was blog hopping among the participants blogs) and when I saw your blog, I had the thought that you might be my secret pal just because of your location. You used your return address and your blog indicated the same area of the country so it left me wondering. I'm happy to know that it was you!


CLBFX!

Next were three packages from my partners in the Crochet List Birthday Fun Exchange!

This package arrived a few weeks before my birthday and I had to WAIT for DAYS before I could open it. Janet S. decided to send me something from Maggie's Crochet and I was so excited at the prospect of opening that! I've wanted to order from Maggie's Crochet in the past, but I never have. So I was anxious to discover what Janet had sent to me. Well here it is!

In this package were 4 skeins of TLC Cotton Plus in Lavender, a free pattern sheet for a scarf and hat made with this yarn, a set of 4 Boye hooks and traveling scissors, a kit to make Victorian ornaments, a pattern sheet for coasters, and a beautiful birthday card. This package could not have arrived (or rather been opened) at such a perfect time. The evening of my birthday, I was planning on attending our town's Red Hat Ladies' gathering at a local restaurant. Being a lady under 50, I wear the group's red and purple subdued colors which are pink and lavender. Well, during the month of our birthday, the birthday lady(s) have to wear their colors in reverse when we gather. So I needed to wear a lavender hat instead of a pink hat. Unfortunately I had no lavender hat! Not to despair, though. I'm crafty! I can probably whip one up....Only I never could find the right yarn in my stash to create a hat. I settled on making a headband in lavender and found something in my stash. But when I saw this TLC Cotton Plus that Janet sent, I knew it was PERFECT! So I grabbed one of the new hooks and a skein of the cotton and settled down to whip up a headband. I did whip one up, but wasn't totally satisfied with it, and wanted to make one that had more of a solid stitch, like sc or sl st. So I began another one. A few rounds and I knew I'd never get it over my head! ha ha! So I set it aside to finish for my daughter later and began another one in a bigger hook and more chains. But because I was making sl st and sc's, it was taking much longer to get a headband made. So I stuck with my first creation and wore it to dinner with the ladies!

This festively wrapped present was from Roberta S. I loved having a present to "unwrap". Inside I found a plastic zipper bag full of goodies. There were 2 skeins of Knit Picks wool (looks perfect for felted flowers!), a package of alphabet stampers, a sheet of large and FUN alphabet stickers, a sheet of stationery with matching envelope, a blank card with matching envelope, a birthday card just for me, and 3 blank postcards. It did not go unnoticed, Roberta, that you sent postcards depicting things I like...waterfalls, green frogs, and the hats...that made me chuckle. It reminded me of the RED HAT LADIES I belong to! My PINK hat is even pictured. That was great, Roberta. As I pulled each of these items out, I thought to myself how you really picked out things that were ME! Thank you, Roberta. All these goodies made me smile big.

Alicia drew out my birthday as her package came on Friday, the day after my birthday. I loved having ANOTHER package to open. Enclosed I found two skeins of RH yarn in beautiful variegated jewel tones, a crocheted granny square, a birthday card that tells me that it's my birthday "so get wild" (notice the totally hairless dog who did the wild thing and left the hair on his head long...or is that a toupe?), and STICKERS! She knows that I love DRAGONFLIES! And I can always use Alphabet stickers! Thank you, Alicia. I loved everything!

So that was my 3 gifts for the CLBFX. But my birthday did not end there!

I received this RAK in the mail before my birthday from a fellow scrapper in ScrappinStars. Nancy S. sent this package of 3D stickers that "change" their picture as you move them. Thank you again, Nancy! What a nice surprise.


My sweet neighbor Dale, a Red Hatter, presented me with a gift bag on our way to the restaurant for our groups gathering. I read a beautiful birthday card first. Then I pulled out this very cute PINK purse. I don't think she had known that I'd seen these little purses in the stores and just fell in love with them. I never bought one for myself, so I was very happy to accept this one! Inside the purse was a pink tissue wrapped present...it was a charm bracelet like the one I had been admiring on her own wrist a few days before! It is so cute with little children charms and sunshine, and smiles. She said since I liked hers so much she bought one for me, too. I love it!

And we can't forget the birthday gift from Juli which I opened BEFORE my birthday...well, hey! It was included in the Tote and goodies she sent to me for the Fall Tote Swap, so I HAD to open it. I didn't want to open it (not), but I had no choice! Thank you again, Juli! I loved the yarn, thread and the beautiful birthday card you enclosed, too!

From my hubby, I found a Gift Certificate for a manicure and pedicure at a local salon. Now this is nice as I've never had a pedicure before. I'd love to be pampered a little with a manicure and pedicure. Thank you, Honey!

I can't end this post without including an unexpected gift from a partner over at Swap-bot. I received a puffy envelope in the mail on Thursday, a week after my birthday, from the "Make a Friend" Letter Swap over at Swap-bot. In this swap, we were simply to write a letter and include a little something we made to our assigned partner. When I opened Brenda C.'s puffy envelope, I simply found an orange envelope inside with my name on it that looked like it might have a card inside. And there was...a fun Birthday card picturing a woman on the front saying: "Your Birthday isn't over until the last card is opened...(and inside) Now it's over! Happy Belated Birthday!" I laughed out loud when I read it and it was really just a sweet surprise. There was also a separate handwritten letter enclosed within the card and two beautifully crocheted bookmarks which Brenda tells me is the beginning to her comeback to crochet. What a wonderful start, Brenda! I absolutely love them both, the simple elegance of the cross bookmark and the bright festive colors of the bookmark strip. Thank you for a wonderful ending to my birthday!

And since I'm on the subject of bookmarks, let me go ahead and show you the bookmark that my partner in the CLBMX sent to me. I've been in this monthly exchange for over 2 years now, I believe, and I find it has a strong pull on me to remain. I love to read and love to receive a new bookmark every month, and make one for someone else. For the month of January, Theresa G. sent this gorgeously crocheted Snowflake bookmark in addition to a blank notecard and envelope, free pattern sheets, a recipe for snake cookies and a letter telling me about herself. Theresa and I have partnered before in this exchange and I always love to receive her bookmarks. Isn't this one beautiful!