A Smaller Place

One thing the internet has done for us is to make our world a smaller place.  Okay, the globe hasn't really changed dramatically in size, lol, but our access to people around the world gives us the chance to be friends with people we'd never have been able to know just a few decades ago...

Two and half years ago I joined a Yahoo! crafting group based in Malaysia, called Needles N Crafts.  This group is quite active with various exchanges throughout the year - birthday, Valentine's Day, Anniversary Meet, Bookmark, Patchwork Block, just to name a few.  I've really enjoyed being part of this group, meeting so many wonderful people who speak a different language, eat strange and exotic (to me) foods, and share the same passion for crafting that I do.

The Anniversary Meet is held each year, sometime in the first three months.  The turnout for the Meet is usually pretty good, about 20 members showing up, which is about a third of the entire membership!  And for those not living in Malaysia, there is still the opportunity to participate.  There is a gift exchange (hantaran balas) of hand-crafted items, as well as the goodie bag (which members contribute items to make it truly a bag full of goodies!).  And MW comes up with an additional requirement of another handmade item to be included.  This year's extra-curricular item was a heart made with gingham fabric.

Although I can't make it to the Meets I still like to participate by contributing to the goodie bag and stitching up a gift for the hantaran balas.  And, although it takes me a couple of weeks after the Meet to receive my package (the wait is excrutiating!!  lol), I do so enjoy ripping open the box and then just savoring each item that I pull out.

Paul made a biscornu, ironically out of silk threads that I'd sent to him for his birthday, and added a couple of stash items, plus his gingham heart which can be used as a small paperweight.

A closeup of the biscornu that Paul stitched, with Rhodes butterflies, satin stitch, and Algerian eyelets...

Well, enough for today...  I've got to go put my craft room back together; hubby added some shelves in the closet for me.  Right now the craft room is a disaster area!

Thanks for dropping by, and have a great day!