Yuletide Gift Exchange - anyone interested?

[Elleth]

Happy Autumn, Rangers and other children of Arda!

Once upon a time on a forum far away, we had an annual round robin gift exchange, which was a whole lot of fun.
Anyone care to do the same for Yule this year?

Works like this:
Everyone who opts in, posts in this thread.
Start by saying "I'm in!" and then post your persona (if you have one), crafting skills you're particularly good at, and perhaps a couple gift ideas.

Everyone gets paired with someone they're gifting TO, and someone they'll be getting a gift FROM. They may be the same person, but probably not.
Then we all get a couple months to work on our respective projects and mail them to their recipients by the Yuletide week.

If you and one of your partners are feeling extra excited, post a little story here about the gift (but leave it a surprise!) -
"The weather had turned foul, and the ragged voice of a stranger called from outside... A ranger it was! .. "

Then come Yule week, everyone opens their gift and posts about how wonderful it was.

Only rule: No fair regifting that disappointing knockoff trinket you got off eBay that's been moldering in the junk bin since 2002. This is for something special you make just for your recipient, tailored to their persona (and yours!).

For example - I live on/manage a small farm IRL, and to the extent I have a persona it's "minor lady of a small Dunedain-descended farmhold" so I might tuck some dried spices and herbs from our herb garden into a small hand-carved wooden box we make in our workshop - something akin to Sam's from the Shire but with a more Arnorian decor twist. Alternately I might embroider a piece of elven silk with an old motif.

Someone who knows their partner is fond of a pipe might get some nice pipe tobacco, and send it in a nicely made leather pouch. A metalworker might cast a small pin or hammer out a byknife blade. Think "$30-$50" range, but appropriateness and care matters more than the price it might fetch on Etsy. A gifted bard might record a couple verses about a particular Ranger's exploits, or calligrapher might do a page recording a particular Dunedain's bloodline taken from the archives of Minas Tirith.

Fun, hunh?!

Schedule:

Now - participation window opens: join up by posting "I'm in!" to this thread and your basic info.
Noon Eastern, Oct 12th 2015 - participation entrance window closes.
Noon Eastern,Oct 15th (at latest) 2015 - you will get the names of your "gifting to" and "gifting from" partner. Trade mailing addresses as necessary.
Dec 19th (at latest) - you mail your finished gift to your "gifting to" partner.
Sometime during Yuletide - you open your gift, take a nice picture if you can, and post about how awesome it was!

Who's in?

[Elleth]

So I'll start:

Persona:
"Elleth" - a nickname of frustrated affection bestowed long ago on a young daughter of the Dunedain. In her youth she spent many an hour with bow and flute roaming the forests, exploring abandoned ruins, and imaging the splendor and adventure that once was. Minor nobility of blood and an indulgent father gave her a long enough leash for that in her springtime years - but with those advantages came ties that needed honoring.

Now married and grown, the responsibilities of a lady of an isolated holding preclude her old adventures. Most of her days are spent directing the order of the household, managing the domestic tasks to ensure the larders are full and stockade walls manned come winter - a task all the more worrying as shadows grow and rumors of war fly.

Every now and again however, the air is right, the old songs are on the air.. and Elleth can manage a stolen afternoon in the stirring autumn woods.

Skills: I've very good with historical sewing, and have a fair sized stash of nice linens and woolens - even a few silks - for sewing small projects. I've sewn lots of knapsacks, snapsacks, and the like. I'm also a fair (but far from expert) hand at embroidery, and pretty good at leathercrafting and tooling - I've done a number of nice sheaths and scabbards over the years for people.

Ideas: Flower or berry bush cuttings for the garden. A *small* seax for foraging. A bone or antler needle case for sewing. A small brooch or pendant. A remnant of Arnor found on a Ranger's travels.

[Greg]

I'll bite.

I'm Greg. Until my kit is completed, that's all you're gonna get out of me for a name.

I trek as a Ranger of Arnor, and practice Falconry. I'm a musician as well, and my plan for my persona (in a nutshell, upon kit completion) is to be a homesteader with my wife and two children, in Arnor near Bree, up the Greenway.

I carve scabbards, I am a skilled leather-stitcher, and I'm getting pretty good at stitching linens, oilcloth, and wool.

Ideas: I like surprises, and have simple taste.

[Ringulf]

Count me in too!
I love this kind of thing!

PERSONA:
My name is Ringulf and I am of the Khazad of Erebor originally. My Father Haakon Hammerhand is of the house of Uri and was a shield bearer to King Dain. My Two Elder step brothers: Aribjorn and Heathbjorn are warriors as well. I was a Ravenhill Scout until pressure from the royal court over my maternal lineage forced me to seek my fate elseware. After a short stint in the Upper vales of the Anduin with a Beorning family, I was directed to find the men over the mountains who were called Rangers. It took a while, but upon finding them and showing them what I was capable of, they gave me an interesting assignment. I now roam the shire as an itinerant craftsman, pulling my wagon up to the craft centers of each village by day and staying with a select few Hobbits or Dwarves who know me, or the local Inn in the evenings. I carry mail when needed, know all the Bounders and Sherrifs by name and barter a bit of handywork for my food and lodging from time to time. I am always willing to help and as such have earned the trust and confidence of my Halfling neighbors, in fact they are some of my dearest friends.
I keep my ears and eyes open and keep my finger on the pulse of the Shire. At appointed times I meet with my Ranger Brethren at my hunting lodge on Girdley Island or Rushock bog to share any information.

SKILLS:
I am best known for my skill at leather working, and carving wood bone and antler, but I work a bit of metal and clay as well. I make leather armor, gear and simple knives and axes, as well as pipes and some toys.
My Hobbies are hunting, fishing and oddly enough, messing about in boats. I enjoy archery and most of all thrown weapons.

[Udwin]

Ohh, I'm definitely in. Let's see...
Persona:
Aistan, a common Northman member of the Beorning chiefdom. I live with my family on our homestead on the banks of the Great River, west of Mirkwood. Throughout the year I forage and grow food, tan hides, gather and craft with natural materials, and teach these skills to those I meet. I prefer to travel no faster than I can walk or paddle.

Skills:
Leatherwork, handsewing, vegetable dyes, felting, cordage, making Maps, simple blacksmithing, woodcarving (stoppers, figures, spoons, bowls, &c.)... I've been slowly getting into copper & pewter casting.
Ideas:
Most of my gear is unadorned, so decorative motifs are always fancy. A small container for herbs. A simple bone flute/whistle. A nice thread-winder. A blanket/cloak pin.

[Ursus]

Im in

Persona
Ursus is a Dunedain of noble stock and head of his own village. He leads his own free roaming warband that dedicates its time to patrolling the borders of Arnor and other free lands in search of the enemy. Ursus is often found laboring with his folk. Many a messenger has ridden into the village demanding audience with him, only to be directed to what they thought was a large shirtless peasant reaping hay or laboring at a forge. He is most often found in the practice yard drilling the rangers and fyrd or giving instruction on woodcraft. Ursus often spends time in the wild and travels between villages giving free folk instruction on woodcraft and combat skills. When home he delights in spending time doting on his wife and daughter. Ursus is always the first one to see a good time is struck by pouring the first mug of ale, and drinking the last!

Skills:
I'm a decent bladesmith, a wood worker, and leather worker as well as a novice bowmaker. I do fine slat method scabbard cores with hand stitched leather covers, custom grip wraps, small and medium blade lengths of any style, I make pipes, handles/helves, shafts, and many other small accouterments. In short I love to fabricate and do concept design.

Ideas:
I'm a man who loves the giving of gifts but is made awkward at receiving them. Anything given by the hands of my forum friends is a blessing. Even though I'm quite martial I much more prefer simple, beautiful things of practical function.

[wulfgar]

I'm in.

Persona
I haven't really settled on a background yet. I am working on a Woodman and Hobbit impression. I like to keep my impressions in the middle ground, nothing fancy.

Skills
Simple but functional leather work like pouches, bags, sheaths, and belts.
Sewing, I make pretty much all of my own reenacting clothing.

Ideas
I like surprises too.

[Greg]

Sooo, question. Do we know who has drawn our own name, or is that kept a surprise until the end? Could be fun.

[Udwin]

I'm with you, Greg, I'd like to maintain the surprise.
But won't each person have to give the person who got their name their address? I'm trying to figure out how it could still work. Which brings up my question of how will recipients/givers be picked? Names from a hat?
Maybe we all submit our addresses to Elleth (or whoever is determining givers&receivers) and she distributes them appropriately?

[Ringulf]

I'm with you, Greg, I'd like to maintain the surprise.
But won't each person have to give the person who got their name their address? I'm trying to figure out how it could still work. Which brings up my question of how will recipients/givers be picked? Names from a hat?
Maybe we all submit our addresses to Elleth (or whoever is determining givers&receivers) and she distributes them appropriately?

That sounds good to me!

[Elleth]

Well that's a neat idea!

Before we had just posted a list, but I'm happy to just notify senders if that's what everyone wants.

[Greg]

Yeah, I'd say we trust Elleth to randomly assign everyone a person to craft for, and send us their name and address. Which means, in short, that we should all PM her a full name and mailing address.

[Eric C]

I'd love to get involved, but I need to see what I can do. My skill takes some time for me to produce anything. Besides.... I owe a few people here some blades.

[Manveruon]

I love this idea, and I'd love to be involved! I don't have a lot of time just now to post all the info you wanted, and I'm getting married on Saturday, so I likely won't for a few more days, but after that I can come back and take a closer look at this again. Any chance you could maybe stretch those deadlines you mentioned out, say, a week?

[Elleth]

Manveruon - love to have you!

Knowing you're in is the important part.

If you could possibly post at least what you're good at doing and some gift ideas if any by the 15th, that would be ideal.

Wooo!