I Heart Swapping

Me in my new Idyll Hands necklace

I've only participated in 3 swaps but it is so much fun and this last one was by far my fave, to make and to receive! It was called Spring Tweets and the challenge was anything with birds. I was thrilled when I learned my fellow swapper would be Erin of Idyll Hands on Etsy, since I had long admired her delicious jewelry. Now I get to strut about in an Idyll Hands creation of my very own! My taking a photo of myself photo just doesn't do her work justice so be sure to head over to her shop, you won't be disappointed! I was so excited when it arrived yesterday and have been wearing it all day today, it's perfection!


I wanted to break away from scrapping a bit with this challenge so I made a shadow box. Erin has another shop on Etsy called Wooly Hands where she sells her hand spun yarns and roving. So I thought it would be appropriate to make her a little knitting birdie, the idea is that the bird is stealing a knitter's yarn to cozy up its nest. I didn't stray far, I used a pattern scrapbook paper background,diecut tree trunks and branch shadow out of black paper and mounted those flat. Then diecut a brown branch that I raised off the surface. When I put the shadow box on my new bookcase to try and get a good photo of it I almost kept it for myself! I will definitely be making one of these I can keep.