Back in December when we participated in the ornament swap, Frizz and I agreed to do a personal swap of our own.  She wanted a felt stuffie and I wanted a painting.  We took our own sweet time, but it was sure worth the wait.

I can't even tell you how much I love the painting she created for me.  How can you not love a Salty Pirate Fox?  Perhaps he curses as much as I do.  I *know* the little worm is an ill-mannered curr - just my kind of worm.  On the back of the painting, she inscribed a poem that tells the painting's story.

Every tiny brush stroke is perfect. Even the scales on the smallest mer-fox (bottom right of the bottom right image) are individually painted with what must have been a one bristle brush. The parrot and the jug are both a deep eggplant purple that almost glows against the rich greens.

The photo, which I borrowed from Frizz, is good, but it doesn't even begin to show you the subtle layers of paint that make up the sky and the sea, nor the confident outlines of the characters.  Frizz's unpretentious, innocent graphic style belies the technical expertise of her work.  She is amazingly talented.

I'm totally envious of her packaging genius, too.  Just look at this cute package. I'm so in love with the deer and owl stamp.  The pirate fox stamp is nestled in the hanging bundle.  Can you believe it?  She made me a rubber stamp to match my painting.

In return, Frizz received a squirrel hand sewn by me.  I sent him to her nameless.  She's dubbed him Super Squirrel Sancho - an awesome name for an awesome squirrel. :)  He's very similar to Werner.  I changed the tail* so that it's just the marabou.

There is always that danger when you do a swap that you will either over or under swap ... I've been on both ends.  This time I was definitely the under-swapper.  I don't feel like one tiny cute squirrel is a fair trade for such a great painting and a hand carved stamp.  I've promised to even things out. :)

* Poor Werner's tail weighed more than he did, so if you aren't careful, he tips right over.