Thursday, May 15, 2008

Swag

Here's the one knock I have against the education blogs that I read: NO SWAG. Craft blogs have contests, "swaps," and give aways. All the time.

Now my friend, Jackie (in Missouri), does lots of swaps. In a swap, a craft blogger throws down a creative challenge of some sort. All the participants create something, and then send it to another participant, selected at random. Kind of like a Secret Santa kind of thing.

Jackie and I did our own little swap. When she posted about these odd pod things, I was fascinated by them. So she offered to send me a few. So I offered to send her some goodies. And then true to our natures, we kept piling it on.

Here's what Jackie sent me:


Actually, the very cool framed quilt pieces are from a contest I won on her blog. (200th comment. Woo hoo!)
The green and black framed piece is a scherenschnitte that she made for me. The seed pods are from water lilies that she and her boys found on a canoe trip. The egg looks like one PapaMark brought into the house the other day, only his was a fragment. And that beetle. Isn't that the coolest looking thing? I am going to keep it on my dresser. (Hey, my friend, JoJo, has a collection of mouse skulls on her kitchen sink window sill......)
Now bugs, bones and rocks may not be your cup of tea, but it is the perfect gift for nature loving blog buddies. Thank you, Miss Jackie!
Maybe education blogs don't really need swag. I love them for what they are. (But if any of my education blog buddies want to send some funky teacher supplies my way, I'm okay with it.)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you got the package, and so glad you like it! I knew you would like the little nature bits. And I think I would like your friend JoJo too. I've always wanted my house to be like a nature center!
I like your idea of the teacher swaps, maybe for those things deemed to frivilous to get for oneself.

mayaluna said...

Love Jackie's package! What great friend. My son found a racoon's skeleton on our land and we have it displayed in the play room with other assorted stones and feather finds. Might not appeal to everyone, but we're proud of it! I'm glad you found my blog, and now I found you...how delightful. I loved traveling through your blog and getting inspired. I also discovered that we share the same birthday, summer is around the corner.

daysease said...

ooh, can i see that paper cut better? how cool! lovin those very cool things. each has such amazing detail and texture, it all has to just be good for all kinds of inspiration of some sort or another. ;-)