Gifts

A couple of friends gave me handmade gifts this week. 

One set of gifts was from a hospital volunteer who does paper craft (for the hospital).  I had brought her back some acrylic Christmas balls to embellish for the hospital and she sent me some of her handwork.

Even this lady's packaging is pretty!  She makes her own wrapping paper and bags too by using a copier and scattering paper shapes and the left-over paper scraps onto colored construction paper.

Inside the bag was this pretty decoration board and stand.  She knows how much I like swing and she used Japanese papers to cut out shapes.  The little white boards come in many sizes in Japan and are usually used by charcoal ink calligraphers.  There was even a wooden stand with just the right degree of slant to the groove to show off the board.

There was also a paper embellished cup that I will use to hold thread ends and fabric snippets.  (Oops... in that picture I had the decoration board facing the wrong direction.  That little red mark on the bottom corner is a chop of the crafter's Japanese initial.  I had it sideways in this photo.)

This friend also sent me a beautiful crochet make-up bag!  I had no idea that she crocheted!  It is too pretty to stuff in my handbag!

Another friend made me darling beaded elephant.  She beaded on red felt (red for my 60th year).  I hadn't known that this friend did beading either and I'm going to get out my bead box and have her give me a beading lesson!

All these hidden talents in my friends!