12 Days of Christmas Handmade Gift Swap

Back in November Lorelei Eurto drew 11 names for a 12 Days of Christmas Handmade Gift Swap, and along with herself the artists in the swap were to make 11 Handmade gifts and send them to each person in the swap. The gifts were to be opened, one each day, from the person whose name was assigned to that number. For example, I was assigned to the twelfth spot, so everyone would open my gifts that I sent to them on the twelfth day. We could blog about them each day, or wait until the last day and blog about them all at once. Today, I am going to reveal each of my gifts, beginning with the first day. I just want to say thank you to all of the incredible artists for the wonderful gifts that I received. It was so exciting to open a new present each day. I love them all! Thank you, Lorelei, for choosing my name to participate. I loved this swap! I am also still working on my photography skills, so please bear with me as I keep working to improve!

The first Gift of Christmas, from Lorelei, was a jar of assorted flavored nuts, festively wrapped. These nuts are so delicious, and I so appreciated the hand-written list of ingredients that she included! I was able to share them with my husband without fear that he would have an allergic reaction, since I knew there were no peanuts in the mix! Thank you, Lorelei!

The second Gift of Christmas, from Lisa Johnson, is an ornament with a handmade copper wire hanger and some very colorful beads! Thank you, Lisa! I can think of several ways to use this so I can enjoy it all year and not have to wait for Christmas.

The third Gift of Christmas, from Suzette Bentley ! These earrings are just adorable! I love how the button is used, and the colors remind me of candy. Thank you, Suzette, I will enjoy these and wear them often.

The fourth Gift of Christmas is this little crocheted cuff from Jodie Marshall. I have gotten so many complements on this cuff! Jodie used one of her lampwork beads to embellish this cuff. The colors are perfect for so many outfits, and I absolutely love it. Thank you, Jodie! The chocolate was a sweet surprise and only lasted long enough to take the picture!

The fifth Gift of Christmas from Therese Frank is a gorgeous beaded pendant and necklace, the picture does not do it justice. I so admire Therese's beading skills! Beading is not one of my strong suits, it scares me!!! The colors are perfect, and I know I will find many occasions to wear this necklace. Thank you, Therese!

The sixth Gift of Christmas is from Amy Freeland. This little red, white, and blue key chain/purse jewelry/occupies a spot on my purse at the moment, but I can think of many ways to enjoy it! It is just adorable, with a big white frosted/crackle glass bead, blue cord, and red beads attached to a large copper lobster clasp. It's perfect, thank you so much Amy!

Sadly, there is no gift for Day 7. Andrew Thornton had some technical "explosions" when making his gifts, so when it arrives, I will blog about it then.

The eighth Gift of Christmas were from Erin Prais-Hintz, who made these napkin rings/place-card holders with some beautiful glass pearls and crystals. They are so elegant! Erin's instructions are available at Michaels. Thank you so much, Erin! I can't wait for the opportunity to use them!

The ninth Gift of Christmas came from Melissa Trudinger. The ornament was made from a vintage chandelier crystal! Gorgeous and unique, this ornament will hang  not only on my tree next year, but in my workroom the rest of the year. I can't bear to put it away till next Christmas! Also included was the beautiful blue snowflake from Melissa's mom! Of course, I am partial to snowflakes and will also keep this ornament in my sight all year. The card was so cute, I just had to include it in the picture. Thank you Melissa and Mom, these are true treasures!

The tenth Gift of Christmas was a beautiful beaded ornament and extras sent by Rita, of Toltec Jewels. The package included the beaded crystal ornament, a pair of Christmas potholders/hot pads, the small fabric ornament, a sombrero ornament, and a Ceaseless Light candle from Mexico, as well as a jolly Christmas Card!

The ornament is just too beautiful to put away, and my candle will be lit at the appropriate time. Thank you, Rita, I love the personal nature of your gifts, and know that they are from the heart!

The eleventh Gift of Christmas was sent by Suzanne Reynolds. This lovely notebook and cover was handcrafted by Suzanne, and is so ingenious! The colors are so uplifting, and I will carry it with me every day. Thank you, Suzanne!

The twelfth Gift of Christmas was my gift, so here is a little peek.

I used copper sheeting, cut out ovals, hammered, sanded, patina-ted, riveted and assembled leather, copper, and gemstone beaded bracelets. This item was chosen because of it's versatility and because it would also be fitting for a male recipient! I hope you enjoyed the celebration and the Handmade Gifts. Please visit the other participants blogs and check out all the gifts received. Thank you again, Lorelei!

Lorelei Eurto --http://Lorelei1141.blogspot.com

Lisa Johnson--http://whimsyswonders.blogspot.com/

Suzette Bentley--http://elliesbijoux.blogspot.com/

Jodie Marshall--Marshalljodie.blogspot.com

Therese Frank--http://www.theresestreasures59.blogspot.com

Amy Freeland--copperdiem.blogspot.com

Andrew Thornton--http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/

Erin Prais-Hintz--http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/

Melissa Trudinger--- http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com

Toltec Jewels--www.JewelSchoolFriends.com

Suzanne Reynolds-- suzannereynolds.blogspot.com

Gina Hockett--http://www.freestyleelements.blogspot.com