BARFA from Dawn

Every year for the past few years, in mid December, I re-visit the concept of BARFA. I guess it's secret santa with a twist. There is an allusion to Martha Stewart and I perhaps it questions what Christmas is all about.  I think that humour is a big part of BARFA.  But humour is a very personal thing and there's no telling if two people will 'get' the exhange in the intended way. It also comes at what always seems to be the most inopprtune time of the year when there REALLY is no time so even if you have an excellent idea the chances of executing it in the little window of time that you have is almost nil.  So you have to laugh, shrug your shoulders and get in the BARFA spirit. Dawn has done that! 

Beginning on the top left, I will work my way across and down telling you a little more about the detail of Dawn's varied BARFA goodies. As I went through them I noticed that Dawn has sent me lots of protective BARFA gear… a toxis innoculation, of sorts.

Drink up witches:
Paper and wood placard that might be displayed at a halloween event, or possibly to clear the bar for future DKult meet up events.
Joy:
A card wishing me well and hoping that I like the pressies.  I do.  They made me sniff and smile! Thank you!
Rudolf sterile adhesive bandages:
These come in two styles, one pink and one blue for boy and girl boo boos -possibly for potential paper cuts making BARFA gifts?
Earplugs:
(In festive red), to keep out bad BARFA sounds.
REFRESH your car:
(In frosted snow berry), that make my nose run when they are anywhere near me! With 'revolutionary odor eliminating technology' -  a must for Toxis smells.
Shout:
Wipe and go TEXTURED wipes… for those little stains you get during the barfa holiday season…
Puffs plus lotion - tissues:
I took them out of the package and they smell like a pine forest and have a sticky coating. Very barfa, but I like the plastic they come in!
Red and green mini wood clips:
Sparkly, and I suppose anything sparkly is BARFA to some.  
Shaggy white Christmas stocking:
I'm not a fan of white shag carpets, and this furry stocking conjures that up for me, but without a doubt by next Christmas it will be very BARFA because in our 500+ year old house there is a constant patina of dust and that stocking is going to go grey very quickly.
Keychain rattle:
that doesn't make a sound, in Vizma's favourite colour.
Spider clip:
in halloween purple and black, to scare away all but the most intrepid.
mud pac and exfoliator masque:
fabulous photos on packaging but I am trying these on my enemies! They are both cold to the touch and make outrageous claims like all skin types, black lava , dead sea… Will feel very BARFA on someone, not me!
glitter stickers and felt tassels 
will be used next year to make some beautifully barfa earrings or to 'dress our tree'.
Lawbike cupholder
trendy camouflage with embossed contact details for motorcycle accident injury attorney!

Thank you Dawn for an outrageous BARFA surprise!

A year's worth of pleasure in one Barfa box - Mason Keys

In completely random order, here is the contents of the Barf Box from Amazon Slime, courtesy of Mason Keys (with some additions - don't ask me - from Diane Keys). See the video (at end) where my model uses the Dkult playset figurines in the Elgin Mansion.

And the trashpo doodles go round and round DK/RG therapy

Just thought you might like to see how these doodles are progressing… I am totally bummed that DK added vellum to my envelope scrap. I wanted to add vellum to her doodles.  That's what I was thinking about as I walked in a gale force wind and intermittent hale this afternoon, only to return to discover she'd already done that. The other thing I want to say is that my scanner can't read fluorescent orange.  That OOPS sticker is fluorescent orange not some sandy blech colour. Whose lint po?  That looks decidedly Vizma like.  And the final thing I want to say is when the trashpo dooddles go round and round it just means all that trash I'm collecting to send out mounds up.  We could be doing a real disservice to the recycling authorities by being mindful and self-medicaing!

Doodles from Diane to do more with

Our leader (as depicted above by David Stafford) asked for doodles, so I doodled. It did not go unnoticed here at Nayland Farm.  We have a fairly rigorous routine, both working from home, both pulling our oars, so after breakfast had been eaten and when I didn't leap up to replace the homemade passion fruit and apricot jam in the fridge, Patrick leaned over and asked, 'whatcha doing?' in a perplexed and tolerant voice.  My response, 'I'm doodling for Diane' was not entirely appreciated.  

About a week after I sent my doodles (and they were met with enthusiasm in Elgin), mine arrived from DK, at least I think they're DK's doodles. They aren't signed, but it would be a little weird if they were, you don't usually sign doodles do you?

The next step is to doodle til they're done and this gives me something of an existentialist crisis.  Does she mean fill the page with doodles, add colour to the doodles, make them into a doodle book.  I'm not really asking I am trying to reign my over-zealous side in.

Many thanks Diane!  As ever your enthusiasm is infectious and these doodles are mad!

Perhaps the wine would help the doodles?

Bad romance from Elgin

1. according to Vizma, pink mail art is always good, so this is a very conflicted entry.
2. that face is too sweet to be a b@@@@.  DK you are very very bad but I'm not sure this is bad mail art!

Just when you thought Christmas was over….

 It's the report on the Barfa Spewart tacky Christmas gift swap!

Apparently it is a tradition for DK (spiritual and actual leader of DKULT and our own Trashpo queen) to organise an annual Barfa Spewart tacky Christmas gift swap.  I guess it's fair to say that DK has lapsed a bit, but this year it was on.  I'm not sure how I managed it, but somehow I was one of eight, I think, who sent gifts to fellow mail artists, to a vague yet specific tacky brief. I was paired with KDJ. 

Orlando is a long way from Ringshall, so I was fairly careful when choosing gifts.  KDJ took a more reckless approach.  Throwing caution to the wind, she settled on transforming a nutcracker by putting her crafty and (to some) tacky skills to the test. The package was large and expensive and KDJ was a bit worried that the sequins and gems might not make it in transport. KDJ needn't have worried, her glue-gunning held fast, the package wasn't dropped and all arrived safely!  What a wonder to behold!  I named him uncle santa.

 In England we pull those Christmas cracker things to get our jokes.  KDJ made sure I had some to keep me going until then...

And as if that weren't enough, she sent me some very on-trend and highly sought after washi tape for my birthday!  more, weight, more expense but so appreciated!

Another perk of being part of this amazing swap was getting a personalised, albeit gross, card from our leader, DK.

My take on the brief may have been a disappointment to KDJ… she got some dog biscuits with 'ho, ho, ho' on them, a hideous glittery tree ornament, some second hand knitted baubles that I couldn't resist from our local charity shop along with a hand-crafted fused plastic shower cap, that I ironed with KDJ in mind. The photo is KDJ's, unfortunately I deleted all that I took by accident, including a really fetching one of Lyra, my dog, wearing it, unwillingly!