Heart Swap

I am a regular reader of  Carolyn at Love Stitching Red and although we have never met we have become 'blogpals' and I've very much admired her work.  She suggested a while ago that as we are both slightly partial to hearts of all types, that we have a 'heartswap'.  I agreed straight away, although it was with some apprehension as I worried my work wasn't good enough to take part in a swap with a proper artist.  Anyway, several weeks have past, my stitched hearts and other fripperies were wrapped and posted, and yesterday, just before I left to go to my beading group,  the postman knocked  with a parcel from St Ives.  I was so excited to see what was inside that I nearly forgot to take photographs.  In fact, to be honest, I did have to re-wrap one of them temporarily in order  to take this ....

And inside the purple paper I found not just one heart....

...... but two!  Aren't they beautful?  My photos don't do them justice, but they are exquisitely stitched with all types of thread, and adorned with lace, sequins and beads and shells.  I love them!

The pink parcel contained these beauties ....

I have quite a thing for fingerless gloves, and these are really special with the lacy picot edges.  I'll be the one walking about in the heat wave, wearing sunglasses and  fingerless gloves.  Then in the green parcel was a bundle of all sorts of luscious fabrics, sparkly lace and beads, which I will definitely be putting to good use soon.....

And last, but not least .....

What a fabulous swap!  Aren't bloggers just lovely?

Having opened and delighted over all my parcels, I went off to my Saturday beading group to finish a necklace that I started a while ago at a workshop.  I  like the necklace, although I'm not sure about the colours, I might have to try again, and maybe stick to black and white.  I enjoyed making the embellished rings that sit around the main necklace, and for the toggle fastening.

And, as I still had some time left, I made this bracelet, incorporating some of the beads that had arrived in my gorgeous parcel that very morning! 

See, I told you that this was the year I was going to finish things.