Best swaps ever!!

Wow where do I begin. there is SO much to show and tell!
Lets start with this morning. It was such a beautiful morning that I decided to go for a run. Ahhhh,I guess nobody knew that I'm a keen jogger? Well the jogging trail is so close to my house and it is through beautiful bush lands often filled with birds and wallaby's that scatter into the bush as you approach. Anyway just as I was jogging back I spotted the postal van doing the rounds of our street. It wasn't long after I arrived home when I heard a knock on the door. Hmmm I wonder if it is the post man. AND IT WAS!! Boy it what a big parcel, I wonder who its from!
It's from Barbara! Wow already! Mr Snow man came to take a peek too! Could this really be my Elf swap that Vivian organized. Wow it sure looks big!

IT IS!! WOW LOOK at HER, I can't believe it. She is big and beautiful and I love her!
Look at her face, those gorgeous lashes and her beautifully needle sculpted nose!

She has made many new friends and will most definitely be a much cherished doll in my home!
Barbara also included some beautiful fabrics all in pretty pinks and pastels!
I can't show what I sent Barbara yet as I don't think her parcel has arrived just yet!

But I will show you what arrived yesterday for an Xmas ornament swap I entered with my ADO group. We had to either make a naughty or nice one and get either a naughty or nice one in return. Of course I choose to make and receive a naughty ornament.
My swap partner was Susie McMahon, truly a gifted artist and she lives in Tasmanian!
She teaches doll making not only in Australia but also in the USA, Her Izannah Walker dolls are just exquisite as to are her fantasy dolls. so do you think I was a little perturbed by about making her one of my grungy dolls. Well yes a little, but I also thought it was time to push myself and try something a little different for me.
I went through some of my sketches and some of you may have seen this character before, Wicked William, from a series of black and white illustrations.


I sculpted him out of Supersculpy, painted him with acrylic and pastels. I'm really happy with how he turned out and even more so that Susie really liked him!
But what did I recieve??
'Oooo', said the Snowman. 'It must be from the Queen, Look it is stamped, Royal Post'.



We all gathered round to take a look at what was inside. 'It's a girl' sang all three snowmen!


How lucky can one girl be! This beautiful doll was made by the very talented Yve Hoosen.
Such detail and gorgeous fabrics. And yes she is naughty, but that is between me and Yve:)
Again I'm just over whelmed by the generosity of these artists!
But wait that's not all. A little while back My friend Severina and I decided to do a swap between the two of us. She really like one of my little doll cats and I just adore her jewelry!
If I could I would by every item in her shop and drown myself in her jewels! As it is I wear a piece everyday and two of them are my good luck charms that I wear when I'm out on business or funerals. I've bought a beautiful choker, a pair of earrings and an Edgar Allen Poe mourning brooch. AND I STILL WANT MORE!!
Severina made for me a mourning brooch with one my childhood hero's a person I think who has made me what I am today, Vincent Price!!!
What a great year this has been. Well It's not over yet and there are still so more stories to tell!