Match Boxes Complete and in the Mail

Today I packaged up all of my 25 little match boxes and mailed them off to Linda for our Countdown to Christmas Match Box Swap.  Here are the last of the boxes and some pictures of the name cards that went into each baggy

Here are some of the my identification cards that had to go in each baggie.

This is what the baggie looked like after wrapping the box with tissue paper, tying a ribbon around it, adding some red and green squiggles, and putting in the ID card...

...and here they all are before I put them all into one 1-gallon ziplock bag, put that bag into a large bubble wrap lined brown mailer, addressed it to Linda, drove it to the post office in town, and sent it off. I was a bit sad to see them go, but I felt so good that I had finished them a month before the deadline.  This was one time I did NOT want to be late!

M.E. Monday from Our FR at the Beach

It is M.E. Monday again sponsored by our little Miss Vicki, the Cherry Chick.  Stop by her blog, check out those of us that post our little bits of M.E. each Monday, and come along and join in with us if you haven’t already.Here is my first attempt at decorating a matchbox and my first time participating in a Matchbox Christmas Swap.  Before starting to make the 25 boxes for real, I felt I needed to do a dry run and try to come up with a prototype of what I was setting out to do.  I used an M.E. Christmas card envelope, cut out strips of the red with white polka dots and then glued them to the boxes top and bottom.  Next I added the black and white borders. Finally, I cut the out some of the little presents from the same envelope and adhered them both to the top and the bottom of the box. Once all of this was done I covered it all with a coating of Modge Podge to give it more of a shine and make the box a bit stronger. On the inside of the box itself, I used some red ribbon with a pearl button. I still have to make the hanger, make the goodie,  add its number (i.e. #1, #2, etc.) on a little tag, and then I will be ready to start the 25 little boxes for real.

This is the front...but the green bow will be replaced with the number of the box...

    

This is the back...

This is the inside where each little “goodie” will go...one in each the 25 boxes...

As always.....Happy M.E.Monday to all of you....but this time from our FR!

Countdown to Christmas Match Box Swap 2010

My daughter has been participating in ATC (Artist Trading Card) swaps and other swaps for quite a while now, but I was always afraid to try.  Then this precious "Countdown to Christmas Match Box Swap" showed its shining, smiling face to me, and I could not resist.  Since I had never taken part in one, I had to get a reference. My pal, Vicki, over at Cherry Chick did the honors.  I am so excited and cannot wait to begin my little creations.  Christmas is such a wonderful time, and this year it is going to be even more festive than usual.  Thanks, Vicki, for standing up for me, and thank you, Linda, for doing all the hard work involved in sponsoring this swap.