Join me for a Handmade Ornament Swap and Hop

Can you believe we're already into the second half of November?  I woke up this morning and couldn't quite believe it!  Made me realize a couple of things, one of which was that if I wanted to participate in an Ornament Swap this year, then it was high time I did something about it before the opportunity slipped by me entirely.

For the past couple of years, one of my favorite 'signs of the season' has been the Ornament Swap and Blog Hop hosted by Sally Russick.   Sally has moved her blog a couple of times over the past year or so, but as far as I can tell, she's not hosting an ornament exchange this year, at least I didn't see anything on her blog.  It may be that I just didn't make it onto her list this time around.   I hate to miss it, so I decided to jump in and host one myself, hoping there might be others like me who waited a little too long to get in on other opportunities.   Here goes:



To Sign Up:  
Email me, including your name, email address and blog URL.   Or leave a comment with your email address on this post, telling me you'd like to join in. If you don't have a blog but would like to participate, let me know - as long as you can email me photos and text, I'll make sure you're included in the hop.  Sign ups are open through this Saturday, November 21st.

Once I know who's participating, I'll send out emails on Monday the 23rd letting you know who your trading partner is.  You'll then be responsible for trading emails and exchanging postal addresses.  Then it's time to make your ornament!

The Ornaments:
All ornaments must be handmade by you.  And since I'm a beady sort of person, they must include at least one bead.   They do not need to include any seed beads (but they certainly can!)  You simply need to make something you'd love to receive, and then mail it to your trading partner.
All packages must be mailed by Saturday, December 5th.  

Remember to take pictures of your ornament before you send it!  And take pictures of the ornament you receive from your trading partner.  But hold off on posting it online - we'll have a Blog Hop and Reveal on Sunday, December 20th.

Blog Hop and Reveal, Sunday December 20th
On the reveal day, post a photo (or photos) of what you made and the ornament you received.  Include a paragraph or two about both pieces. 

Inspiration
Here's a link to my 2014 post with links to all the participants.  If you look through the participants' posts, you'll see the wide range of designs and materials.  Last year, I was paired with the talented Therese Frank, who stitched the ornaments below.

Star Ornament and needle case stitched by Therese Frank

Besides the lovely star ornament, Therese also sent me a beaded needle case that has traveled with me all year.

And here's a link to my blog post from 2013, featuring the lovely ornament I received from Shirley Moore. 

Shirley Moore's beautiful ornament and card from 2013

Here's hoping you'll join me for a little holiday cheer!