The craft swap goodies that I made

Hannah - if you don't want to know what I sent (and hopefully one day you will receive) then avert your eyes now!

I think I posted most of the photo's before of these in the middle of being made - I think I tried to take them at various points so that it was not too obvious what anything was. Here's the finished items:

I made one of the recipe books that I had done for my friends and family after the Bake Off that we did. I just took out all of the pictures of my friends as this might have been slightly strange for someone who doesn't know them to receive!

I crocheted a tortoise - I know that she didn't specifically say that she liked tortoises in the brief that I got before the swap but she did say that she loves animals and I love my Henlow so I thought she would still like it.

I knitted some snowmen and attached them to a ribbon - as this was supposed to reach Hannah way before Christmas then this wouldn't have been quite as weird as if it does arrive now!

As this was a craft swap on the theme of "Home" then I thought - what could possibly be any more homely than tea. I cross-stitched a tea pot and made this into a card to send with the gifts. I had thought of sending a mug and a couple of tea bags as the bought gift with the swap but decided that this would probably end up weighing too much to post. Hannah, when this does arrive (see the optimism!!!) I suggest you settle down with a nice cup of tea and beginning unwrapping everything.

My bought gift ended up being the little cross stitch kits on a  Christmassy theme. I thought that these should be little enough for her to attempt is she hasn't cross-stitched before and they're always really good and relatively simple ways of making nice home-made cards for people at Christmas. Hopefully she can have a go for next year.

Once I had everything finished I wrapped them all up in little parcels - you all know how much I love the aspect of un-wrapping presents almost as much as what you receive inside them.

Tissue paper has to be the most exciting way of protecting things on their journey.

Must be multi-coloured - card added on top

Sides of the box folded in - sorry it is an old paper box!

And finally the whole parcel was wrapped in paper for posting and the address added. I have a really horrible feeling that the choice of wrapping paper and the fact that it wasn't plain brown may have been the downfall in the delivery of the box :-( I received a parcel this way once - something that I had bought on eBay and wondered why not everyone used colourful paper when wrapping parcels and why most use brown. I might have found out the answer the hard way but I tried to make it exciting!

Hannah - if you have read this I hope it doesn't ruin the gifts too much for you. And I really really hope that you receive it soon.