Autumn Swap

[Marsha Cassada]

I am part of a group of women who meet nearly every week to explore local areas. We also have a mutual attraction to antiques, though our tastes vary. About 4 times a year we have a swap amongst ourselves. Usually it is handmade. We're having an autumn swap today. I'll try to take a picture of our treasures after the swap.

A swap is a good way to get creative ideas stimulated. Rather like writers sometimes needing to get past a block.

 

[atotton]

Sounds interesting.

 

[Charley]

Sounds fun!

 

[lucky seven]

What a fun way to get together and trade ideas. Very interesting.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Well it was a little disappointing as two could not come due to unexpected illness. Boo!! The hostess had a cinammon craft for us to make and we cut out ornaments to take home. She thought we would all do turkeys, but we chose stars and trees. She had a nice lunch and a mock cherry pie for dessert--it looks like cherry pie but is made with cranberries and raisins. Her house is decorated over the top for each season/holiday so we enjoyed browsing in her home at all the new things to see. One member chose not to swap, so she brought us all home made relish. The gifts were supposed to be natural/handmade. I was #1 and picked a large ornately wrapped one and it was a Frankoma leaf-shaped dish full of home-made autumn potpourri. #2 stole it immediately. I next chose the package with the burlap sunflower on it and it turned out to be a frame with burlap and acorns on it. #3 was mine: I covered a box with fabric and did an iron-on transfer of an old postcard. Lined the box with pages from a 1909 magazine. The gift was an ornament made of dried oranges, apples, and sage leaves. #4 was a giant pomegranate and 2 hedge apples. We had fun. Next week we are meeting at my house to make the apple/orange/sage ornament.

My gift was wrapped in brown kraft paper with roadside grasses and soapberries on it, plus some peppers and dried okra pods from the garden.

www.cassphoto.com/fallswap4.jpg

After our get together we went downtown to go through a couple of shops. Everything was elaborately done up for Christmas. The only thing I bought was some fabric to make my grand daughter a cow. I'm planning to use the raggedy ann pattern, but make it a cow. She is only 3 but cow-crazy.

The Christmas extravaganza overwhelmed me and actually depressed me.

 

[jacks'thunder]

Well it was a little disappointing as two could not come due to unexpected illness. Boo!! The hostess had a cinammon craft for us to make and we cut out ornaments to take home. She thought we would all do turkeys, but we chose stars and trees. She had a nice lunch and a mock cherry pie for dessert--it looks like cherry pie but is made with cranberries and raisins. Her house is decorated over the top for each season/holiday so we enjoyed browsing in her home at all the new things to see. One member chose not to swap, so she brought us all home made relish. The gifts were supposed to be natural/handmade. I was #1 and picked a large ornately wrapped one and it was a Frankoma leaf-shaped dish full of home-made autumn potpourri. #2 stole it immediately. I next chose the package with the burlap sunflower on it and it turned out to be a frame with burlap and acorns on it. #3 was mine: I covered a box with fabric and did an iron-on transfer of an old postcard. Lined the box with pages from a 1909 magazine. The gift was an ornament made of dried oranges, apples, and sage leaves. #4 was a giant pomegranate and 2 hedge apples. We had fun. Next week we are meeting at my house to make the apple/orange/sage ornament.

My gift was wrapped in brown kraft paper with roadside grasses and soapberries on it, plus some peppers and dried okra pods from the garden.

www.cassphoto.com/fallswap4.jpg

After our get together we went downtown to go through a couple of shops. Everything was elaborately done up for Christmas. The only thing I bought was some fabric to make my grand daughter a cow. I'm planning to use the raggedy ann pattern, but make it a cow. She is only 3 but cow-crazy.

The Christmas extravaganza overwhelmed me and actually depressed me.

It sounded like a lot of fun! I love the way your gift was wrapped! Actually all the gifts were lovely!!! My favorite thing about the holidays is wrapping gifts! The more unique the better on the wrap job, and those all looked so beautiful! I'd love to know the secret of making that ornament too! "wink wink" That's totally my cup of tea!

I'm a huge fan of homemade, and keep trying to get my hubby to make me two small barn quilts for Christmas. I don't want store bought, I'm perfectly happy with homemade anything! LOL! But who knows... lol!

ETA Those wrap jobs are so inspiring! I'm doing some running around today and I'm going to get my behind in gear, get out of my funk and do some creative searching for wrappings!

 

[Charley]

Wow, what fun! You all are very lucky to have your group. Love the description of the day and the photos. You are all very creative!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

For the ornament: You can order the sage leaves in bulk from Penzey Spices. I used to order them from my son who owned a restaurant--he got them from the wholesaler. He doesn't have the restaurant any more so I had to look elsewhere. While in NM, I could buy them from Wild Oats food market. They had fresh herbs/spices in bulk there.

I dry the orange/apple slices in the dehydrator then use crochet thread to string. A cinammon stick, with a hole drilled, at the top and bottom of the string keeps everything together. A fabric tie and wire hanging loop. I have a very long one in the kitchen, about 3 feet long. I have to take it apart and redo the apple and orange slices every couple of years, but I reuse the dried artichokes and pomegranates every time. Sometimes I freshen up the bay leaves too. You can put it in the sink of soapy water and wash it when it gets dusty and just air dry it. If you see any little webs, put it in the freezer for a couple of days to kill the little moths.

I think it is a nice gift for someone you just need to give something small. They are fragrant.

We are also planning to get together and make Dresden-style ornaments again. We use paper scraps and whatever seems fun and pretty.

This is a terrible picture, as I did not take a closeup individual picture of the sage ornament. But maybe you can tell how it's made. Hope you can see the cinammon sticks at top and bottom. We'll probably try incorporating okra pods or crab apples, or other natural things when we get together next week. If anyone decides to make one of these, I hope you'll let me know how it turns out. Love to see other versions!

www.cassphoto.com/sageornament.jpg

 

[Debby - LB]

That sounds like so much fun! I love the way the gifts are wrapped too! I don't know why I can't get the hang of decorative wrapping. In my family people know which is my gift by the crappy wrap job.

My tree every year is decorated with all the hand made ornaments I made years ago. I wish I had saved more of them and really wish I could get motivated to make more especially the hand painted magnolia leaves, I didn't keep any of those.

I dried a lot of stuff to make my ornaments and have cute little Santas made out of Okra pods, Angles made of shells and also some made with hickory nuts and pine cones, Reindeer made out of peanuts... some of those didn't make it though all the years when a mouse got in the closet.lol. I've not used Sage that is a good idea! I adore the smell of sage and dry a lot of it from my herb garden. I have a lot of dried bay leaves too I suppose could be used to make something.

I'm ready to lug all the stuff out and get my decorations up! last year I made a half hearted attempt at decorating, the two years before I didn't at all but this year I'm back Jack LOL.