Swapping It Up After Vacay

          We've been back from vacation for a little over a week and I must say I miss it. Truman was gone for quite a time as he attended ComiCon in San Diego for the first time ever. I met him up about a week later to spend a few days with him and a friend and family. I was only there for a few days but I had the best time, especially since I didn't have to drive! We went to the Safari Park and Disneyland. The tigers were AMAZING! But then it is my favorite creature in the world so I'm easily fascinated but they were roaming right by the windows and quite enjoying their very large enclosures. The gorillas were also very entertaining thanks to the adolescents and the baby. Then what can I say about Disneyland? It's one of my favorite places in the universe and it was the actual 60th birthday so it was MAGICAL! I really wish I could move in.
           While Truman was away I got to see my cousins who came for a day to attend the University of Arizona kicking camp. I loved having them in my hometown if only for a day. I also am not so secretly hoping that Chandler is recruited by and then attends my most fantastic UofA :-) If it's good enough for Bruschi and Gronk it has to be great, right?!
            Also while the hubby was away I was able to craft my heart out! I have signed up for probably too many swaps considering the retreat is in just a couple months and I really want to focus on prepping for that. I received the Winter in July theme pocket letter from my swap sister and it was so pretty! I finished the August pocket letter for my swap partner and have to say it's one of my favorites because I LOVED the theme. I also did a set of vintage style ATCs and fantasy themed ATCs. Then I made some paper beads, 3X5 tags and a vintage homemade embellishment! I still have one more months pocket letter to do for a swap and maybe a set of pockets for another swap (if that goes through) but I'm closer to being able to start prepping for the retreat in October! Oh and in the middle of that crafting I decided to make a special bookmark to send to a friend in her birthday card. I'll share photos below and I'm going to make you wait a few days for the pictures of the pocket letter swap my sister and I did. Enjoy!

Tigers!

Who doesn't love a lemur?!

Happy Birthday Disneyland!

Kicking camp with amazing people

Bookmark side 1

Bookmark side 2

Vintage ATCs

Fantasy ATCs

Paper beads

Homemade vintage embellishments

Front of Winter in July pocket letter

The goodies I received

The Things With Wings theme pocket letter for my swap sister

The goodies I included

Mail Art FunAll the goodies

Once again it has been over a month since my last entry but in that month I've received lots of art and done quite a bit too.  All of the art activity had to be balanced with family and friend time what with Father's Day and the Fourth of July happening. I had a lot of fun celebrating both of those events and it reminded me how lucky I am to have such a wonderful daddy and live in such an amazing country! Truman is now in San Diego enjoying Comic Con and I will be joining him in a few days to hang out in  Disneyland (so excited) after I visit with my cousin and hang out by the pool with a good friend for her birthday. I must enjoy this summer weather!
But before I leave I will be finishing the next pocket letter for my swap partner and hopefully doing lots of little art projects. I have to enjoy my solitary time right?! In the last month I received the first pocket letter from my swap partner and I LOVE it! She did vintage style and included really beautiful items! I also got my first aid secret sister package and she filled it with all kinds of goodies and in such a cute bag! Then there was one last swap I nearly forgot about because I had been so on top of it and sent it out way early! They were the themed Twinchies that were "Flapper/Jazz Babies", "Dictionary", and "Fairytale" I chose Alice In Wonderland. They were all so cool! Now I need to figure out what to do with them. And lets not forget the last pocket letters my sister and I did for each other! I decided we should so a music themed PL because I had found a cute pin that just fits perfectly for her. We decided to use each others song choices so it was more difficult than we thought but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the one my sister made me! I'll share some pictures below but I must be off to craft while I have no distractions!

Father's Day fun

Independence Day Party

Front of first pocket letter from my swap sister

The Goodies she included

First Aid SS swap fun

The front of the Music PL I did for my sister

All her goodies! The pin in the bottom left pocket spurred this idea!

The BEAUTIFUL journal my sister made for me!!!

The fantastic music PL my sister made for me!

All the goodies

The Flapper Twinchies, the one I made is on the top right

Dictionary Twinchies, the one I made is on bottom right

Fairytale Twinchies

These are the Twinchies I made for the others in the Fairytale group