Roses are red...

And Garnets are too...

My pal Kim and I set up our own Texas PL swapping group and we just finished our first event. The theme was 'Garnet', the beautiful January birthstone. But of course, this was open to interpretation. 

And in true fashion, I went literal!

I had just bought a printer which allowed me to print the fabulous gemstone pictures. I found some awesome red embossed paper too. But what you can't tell from this angle is that I snuck in actual garnets. 

One in each shaker! 

I was so excited to send it off. And what I got in return was just as fabulous!

My partner wrapped my letter in a cute baggie filled with goodies. And the pockets themselves were just as sweet. I adore the little envelopes she put on the bottom left pocket. 

And little did I know, the 2016 pocket was actually a Starbucks Gift Card. Super thoughtful! 

I must say, we've got a very talented group of ladies in our midst! I can't wait until our next swap. 

Until next time,

C.Jackson

First Encounters of the Flaker Kind...

Do you see what I did with the title there? A nice little spin on an old classic movie...

My kiddos finally got me sick! Vomit, fever, sore throat, sinus drainage, the whole nine yards! I'm slowly rebounding but it hasn't been fun let me tell you.

Back in Decemeber I signed up for a swap, entitled 'New Year's Eve Bash'. I had fun making my PL and got assigned a partner, all seemed well with the world. But the deadline came and went, and still no PL. But instead there were more excuses. I waited as long as I could and finally I had to break it off. She eventually sent me something, although, I feel it is not what it could have been. This is not the time nor the place for me to post it or her name. 

Instead I sent my creation to someone I had swapped with before. She'd coveted my New Years creations, and lucky for her, she got one! 

This was my first New Years Creation. Black, Gold, and glittery! I found some awesome Jolee's firework stickers and had some clicks to embellish my shaker pocket with too. I was tickled to send it off to her. 

Knowing full and well I wouldn't get something back. 

Or so I thought. 

Little did I know this was coming in the mail from her as a thanks. And boy was I surprised! Such a sweet and thoughtful thank you indeed! Can you tell Valentine's Day draws near?

It only goes to show you, that even in the midst of disappointment, doing what you love always brings many joys. 

Thanks for the PL Allison!

Until next time,

C.Jackson

The people that are brought into your life...

I've made friends with some wonderful ladies thanks to pocket letter swapping. 

Unfortunately, my student teaching obligations have put my crafting on hold. I had to announce a hiatus, and even talked to a few of my good swapping friends about it. But those ladies didn't just lend me an ear...

Kim sent me this;

A teacher themed PL! Spur the moment. How completely thoughtful was that of her? I loved the name plate in the middle, and the bell. She even sent me some sweet sticker packs. 

I was completely stunned and I thanked her. But these ladies didn't just stop there...

I got this from Sabita a few days ago;

It's a little flip book. Every inch covered with paper and sweet details, and of course goodies too. It's so small, and so perfect all at the same time. 

These sweet surprises came at just the right moments, and on days where my patience had been tried. 

I can't even begin to tell you how special each of these ladies has been to me. Including Kim. And her and I have plans to meet at a scrapping convention soon. And I can't wait!

Until next time,

C.Jackson

My best friend loves sheep...

And playing computer games, and being crafty, and she's a great voice of reason too. 

She follows my blog and my Pinterest, and when I met her a few years ago, I knew she'd been put in my path for a reason. Because there are many moments she's kept me sane. Many times she's listened to me rant endlessly. Many times she has just been there, like a great friend should be. 

She'd been seeing my pocket letters and I finally decided I needed to make her one. And when I sent it, I also sent a blank page so she could make one too. 

Can you tell I was on my black, white, and gold kick? Oh how I loved that deer silhouette. I even put her initial on the gold chevron tag. 

I gave her as much time as she needed. And all the resources I could think of including tips, tricks, and ideas to fill the pockets with. And when she told me she was sending mine, I was so excited. 

And it was worth the wait! The handmade penguin is my favorite thing about it, besides the fact it was her first PL, which always makes it special. She used some gorgeous wrapping paper as her backgrounds and the beaded C in the center pocket was so thoughtful. 

It was so fun doing this with her. We've swapped books before, and mailed each other cards and drawings too. But out of all the things we've done together, this has been my favorite. 

Thanks for being a great friend Chris! I would be lost some days if it weren't for you, and the Babaas too. 

Until next time, 

C.Jackson

Time flys...

I can't believe it's a new year, and I can't believe how fast January has gone by. 

I've begun my student teaching, and so far, it's been an absolute joy. But it doesn't leave me much time for Pocket Letters. So I've had to take a brief hiatus from creating. This hiatus does not include monthly swaps that I've signed up for with my friends like June and Kim. This also doesn't include my Texas swappers group! 

But in the mean time, here are some swaps I've done...

I sent this one to Lorrie, as she was absolutely coveting it. I must say, I was on a kick with the black and gold, and I loved all of the PLs I made with this scheme. 

She sent this one back! It's my only New Years PL and I absolutely love it! Every time I look at it I find something else I love. It has my initials, and a sweet working pinwheel, & sequins and sparkle galore! Just the other day I found a little note she left on it with Sharpie. 

I sent this one to June for our monthly swap. Black and Gold again, and starts galore! I loved making the banners, such a fun and easy idea. 

I got this one in return from June. She's made several in this style, but you know what? This one is mine, and that's what makes it so special! I love the Owls at the bottom, and the feathers are so fun too! 

I've made two swaps that are on their way to new homes, and I have one more in progress. 

Any wait to share them!

Until next time,

C.Jackson

Just for you...

Happy New Year followers!

My winter break is now over and my last semester of college is fast approaching! I start my student teaching on Thursday...talk about nerves and a wild mix of other emotions. 

But onto craftier things...

Once again Kim and I were up to our side swap antics! 

We had decided to do an "initial" theme this time. She designed a PL using 'C' things for me, and I made a 'K' PL for her. She had sent me mine before the new year, and I opted to not open it until she got hers. I must admit, I felt bad for taking so long. But I was struggling! I finally faced my fears and jumped right in. And I wasn't really a fan of my creation until the very end. It suddenly all came together and became so very special. I was mighty proud of it:

K is for...Kites, Kitties, Keys, Knots, Kris Kringle, Kettle, Kind Hearted, K-9 (shout out to all the Whovians!) and last but not least Kaleidoscope! But most importantly, K is for Kim. 

I added loads of K's, and even threw in some K words that I thought fit her. Of course I doubled up on decorations and did my best to make it as cohesive as I could (I like it when things just work together).

And after much waiting (talk about self control) I got to open mine:

C is for Coffee, Creative, Cupcake, Cute, Confetti, Crabby, Crosses, Cookies and of course CATS! C is for Cassandra!

I loved how the little tabs were hand written, and the 'Creative' pocket was especially genius. And of course, CATS! She sent goodies too including a sweet Rhinestone C and a Cherry Jolly Rancher candy (I LOVE JOLLY RANCHERS!). 

What a great way to start the new year! I'm looking forward to our next swap, and in the mean time we'll have to put our heads together to start swap events in our Texas Swap Group!

Until next time,

C.Jackson

C is for...

My last swap of the year...

I had signed up for the C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S. Swap a bit ago. The theme was, each pocket decoration had to correspond the letter of Christmas. For example... C for Candy Canes!

You can't see the candy canes here because the tassel was covering it up here. This was my most simple PL, but one of my favorites!

And finally, the PL from my partner arrived today! 

Allison makes her PLs extra special by decorating the back. She makes little doors and sneaks in extra decoration underneath! Many of our pocket decorations were the same too! 

This was such a great way to end the year! An amazing PL to fit in the last spot in my binder! Here's to 2016!

Until next time,

C.Jackson