Preferrably hand made by me, but I have not been doing much folk art painting lately, so maybe jewellery if it was appropriate! (though not very cookish!) (my third back up would be the same as Ann's)

wow, just one thing....do i hear a swap coming on?

gotta think this one over. this will be tough, but i am leaning towards pottery.

maryanne

I guess it would depend on the person that I would be sending to... hummm, pottery is the first thing that comes to my mind.

I hope this doesn't mean limit 1. I have a hard enough time with the 3 item limit :) Depending who I'm sending too I guess. Diana55 Is a Swap in the air Ann?

Either something I have made, or something locally crafted.

Shelley

YES ANN....I WOULD HAVE TO AGREE....IT'S SO NICE TO HAVE SOMETHING LOCALLY CRAFTED. I WOULD HAVE TO ADMIT, THAT IT'S SO NICE TO RECIEVE SOMETHING THAT WAS HANDMADE. LET'S FACE IT, DOSEN'T IT SEEM SO SPECIAL TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT DIDN'T COME FROM A FACTORY. SOMETHING THAT IS UNIQUE!!! DIANA55

Well, IF I were to enter a swap and IF my partner were SharonCb, I'd send..... ME! LOL

Rita

Good one Rita. LOL!

Diana, What could be easier than choosing one thing that is cooking or somehow "food" related.

Ann

I don't have much access to great swap-worthy home/hand made, but a one item swap doesn't faze me. Hey especally if I can fit it in the USPS flat-rate priority boxes!

Jessica, the single item doesn't have to be homemade. Just one thing, cooking related that you think your partner would like.

Ann

At first I thought no way I can't do this. But I just saw the most wonderful chaffing dish and I thought of our swaps, but the dish was far to expensive. If the swap was just 1 thing, I could do it but I would not enjoy it.

Quite honestly if it's only 1 gift I think you would need to know the person awfully well. I don't think I would feel comfortable getting one gift for someone I only know through the internet.

So would I participate in a 1 gift swap, probably not.

Michelle

I could send you this Michelle, and I really don't even know you......

diana, you crack me up! i said it before, i'll say it again -- i just love your humor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

michelle, i have faith in you, you can do it. it's a challenge -- you're up for it, i can sense it.

maryanne

I would like the skull punch set!!!

Ann, if your looking for categories what about:

Exotic
Pink
Home Grown

or

Polka Dot
Exterior
Wood

or

Fire
Water
Air or Earth

or

Fits in your hand
Local
weather (clouds, rain, hail, snow, sun, blue, stars, moons, black etc)

Michelle

I just thought.....since the Planet is going "Green"...we could focus on that as an item. Something Organic or Enviormentally Friendly. Just an Idea. Diana55

Michelle, I hope you will change your mind about playing.

Diana, I like your idea. It should be easy to pick one item that is environmentally friendly. Maybe you could elaborate a little with some suggestions that would fit this theme.

Ann

Geez Ann....I don't know....what about enviromentally safe Candles, Tea towels, Shopping bags, Food. There's so much now a days. Diana55

I would either send something locally made, or a cookbook of local recipes.

Or perhaps I would send a one-of-a-kind leather-bound blank book for writing down heirloom recipes. I have been taking bookbinding classes and am just beginning to learn to do leather bindings.

Thanks for the heads up Jessy, otherwise I may not have looked over here. A one item swap sounds challenging and fun!

Bwahahahahahhhha see my evil post aka 'how to make sure AnnT does NOT pick you to send to her' pun intended

Here is a link that might be useful: thanks mauren me

Ann,
I like the ideal of sending one item in a swap! I would probably send locally made pottery or a quilted something or other if I knew or could see something about the kitchen decor.
Teresa

Ann, I like the idea of a one item swap. Something unique and made by hand is great. Area artist or yourself. I would make a knitted item or find something nice at an area gallery...-maria

I would get Traceys to send me a jar of Gina's Citrus Cranberry preserves, change the lid so it says it is mine and send it my swap partner.

I agree that it would be helpful to have a theme and to know your partner before deciding. Or maybe a huge box of Tasty Kakes.

LOL! Of all the fruits I canned since I learned canning from EJ, that cranberry citrus marmalade is a favorite. DH's fave is strawberry preserves - which can be heated and poured over ice cream! The strawberry preserves was the most difficult. My favorite is EJ's vanilla fig preserves.

What would I send in a one-item swap? GULP! I would figure it out, and I think it's a good idea. I didn't do the last swap because I'm so busy. One item I could manage!

I would love a *huge* box of Tasty Kakes! ha! And a jar of Gina's cranberry citrus marmalade, too.

hmmmmmmm. I don't check over here in between swaps much.

But for some reason I did today. Are you doing this?

I'd do it!

Stacy

Gina, TraceyS gave that to me when we met for our Philadelphia get-together. I had a few jars of nice preserves already, so I worked my way through them before opening Tracey's gift. What a mistake! It is fabulous. Bright and tangy. I am down to about half an inch of it and savoring every bit. Maybe I will polish it off this Sunday morning, on an english muffin.

OT -- sorry -- but I had to mention it. I would love the recipe.

I was hoping this was a hypothetical thing just for fun and not the theme of the next swap. I don't think I'd be creative enough to feel good about giving only one item. Some great ideas here though!

I might send some local citrus, since that's what growing best around here these days. I live across from the beach, so maybe I'd send some sand and seashells too:-) Or a tourist with a bright pink sunburn - would that fit in the standard overnight Fed-Ex box?
DONNA

A hand-cut crystal vase, cake stand, or decanter might be nice. I recently worked on some new crystal decanter designs, but they won't be available for a while. We did get one sample in already, however. I might send a nice tablecloth, if I knew what size dining table the partner has and if I knew that he/she used cloths. I asked about this on one previous swap, and my swap partner ignored the question, which was okay since she doesn't use tablecloths, and I made a couple of placemats instead, although those would not qualify as a single item gift.

Lars

For the 1 item swap, I thought of a chaffing dish, saw a beauty a few weeks ago, a nice, big stock pot, maybe a waffle iron, an expresso machine. I bought Joe a new roaster right after Christmas marked down from $89 to $35 which would be another great gift for someone.

For someone wanting to can, the Ball Canning Set would be perfect and it has everything you need except the jars!

Michelle

Lars: placemats make a 'set' of one item, so that would qualify! Its when you start adding plates and cups that the rules get blurred.

I meant that placemats were too insignificant to quality as one item - unless I wove the fabric myself! A set of eight might be significant enough, however. I really don't know how many people use placemats, although I use them every day and even requested that my sister buy me some on her last trip to Italy -- she didn't! She did buy me some Italian linen, and I made a shirt for me and a blouse for her. As it turned out, Italian linen was no cheaper in Italy than it was here, but she may have gone to the wrong shops. Venetian glass is always nice, however!

Lars

Here you go Carol:

Cranberry Citrus Marmalade
==========================================
Ingredients:
1 grapefruit
1 orange
2 1/2 cups water
3 cups fresh cranberries
1 3/4 oz powdered fruit pectin
6 1/2 cup sugar (I only used 4 1/2 cups - that's plenty sweet for me - what say ye Tracey?)

Method:
Remove peel from 1 grapefruit and 1 orange; scrape excess white membrane from peel. Cut peel into thin strips. In large kettle, combine peel and 2 1/2 cups water; cook, covered, over low heat until tender, 20 minutes.

Section grapefruit and orange; chop fruit. Add with 3 cups fresh cranberries to peel; simmer 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in powdered fruit pectin. Bring to boil; stir in sugar. Bring to full rolling boil; boil hard 1 minute stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and skim foam. (I didn't do that). Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle into hot sterilized jars. Seal. Boil in hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Yield: 4 pints

Hmmmm. I wonder if my fence jumping steer would fit in the standard Fed Ex box? That bad boy has got to go SOMEWHERE.....

Annie

Don't even think about it Annie! I know you know I have a barn but I love my fence(s) and my gates too!

Michelle

I-hope-to-get-to-know-my-swap-partner-and-her-likes-..that-will-make-it-easier.

Barb

Ummm...Lars? I want you to know I still have, like, AND USE those placemats. :D

They have, however, been repurposed; they matched my former kitchen perfectly whereas nothing matches this kitchen. So now I use them in the bedroom on the nightstands under the lamps.

I remember that swap well. You also sent furikake which I quickly became hooked on for seasoning rice!

Jessy and Maureen me - the mucous-out-of-the-nose egg separator is about the funniest gadget I have seen! The kids must absolutely love it ! -maria

LOL Maria I think I'd only send it to someone who had kids. Boys.

How interesting that you found a new use for those placemats! I have fabric on my nightstand also - a chenille runner that I made from fabric left over from when I made a bedspread. The bedspread is in storage because I discovered that I'm allergic to chenille - at least the heavy chenille that I used for my bedspread, which weighs 35 pounds, BTW. I've found creative uses for other placemats that I has as well, since they are good for protecting surfaces.

Lars