AmyMarie

I love to travel - domestic and international. I enjoy trying new things, seeing new places, and learning about other cultures and people (even within my own country). I love being in nature and especially water - waterfalls, lakes, oceans.

I enjoy creating art - collages, altered items, rubberstamping, paper arts, ATCs, greeting cards, and I am expanding into more altered art and 3-D items (getting off the paper). I also read quite a bit (see book section below). I try to be organized and love the Container Store but things don't always stay where they belong...

I am married and we have 2 rescued cats. We were married in 2007 and started off with adventure. During our Alaskan cruise honeymoon, the ship hit a rock the 2nd night and we had to be evacuated & rescued. As scary as it was, I realized I made the right choice in a husband! We handled the situation together and he did everything he could to help and comfort me.

Currently I am unemployed. I am hoping to use this temporary "free time" to delve more into my creative side.

I am trying to get back into cooking and baking. I like cooking gadgets and trying recipes that are tasty, easy/quick, and preferably healthy. I want to try different spices & herbs to add flavor without calories. My husband loves to grill & does often (one of our wedding gifts was a new outdoor grill).

anything by Harry Connick, Jr. or by Dar Williams; enjoy music from Bare Naked Ladies, the 80's, top 40, swing; not into rap or most country (some of the cross-over stuff I like)

No Way Out, Shrek, Notting Hill, Ocean's Eleven, You've Got Mail, It's A Wonderful Life, Little Miss Sunshine, movies with twists/endings I don't predict or expect (not the typical Hollywood ending or script...like No Way Out or Sixth Sense), feel-good movies, art/foreign films, and some action films. We don't go to movies very often.

Mythbusters, The Amazing Race, Big Bang Theory, NCIS, Chuck, Survivor, CSI, Cold Case, Star Trek (Next Generation and Voyager), Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Clean Sweep, Clean House, History & Travel channel shows - and anything that is on when I am avoiding housework or procrastinating...

I have always loved reading - typically fiction, mysteries and novels mostly, but am known to pick up the occasional sci fi, history, or non-fiction book and I did read all the Harry Potter books. I do not read horror or romance. I have many books on rubberstamping and some on altered art and ATCs.

Some of my favorite authors are Donald E. Westlake, Rita Mae Brown, Agatha Christie, Isaac Asimov, Robert Fulghum, Barbara Sher, Cheri Huber, Cheryl Richardson, and Malcolm Gladwell.

I get the RubberStampingMadness magazine and read Stampington's (various publications) and Oprah magazines once in a while.

collage, rubberstamping, altered art, ATC's, making greeting cards, and scrapbooking (more simplistic style focused on the photos to remember people, moments, events, and trips than using tons of embellishments).

I have been getting into embossing powders and using them in different ways and combinations. It's great when I can coordinate powders with corresponding inks/ink pads.

I love paper and "collect" more than I use - as is the case with most of my art/craft supplies. I have tons of die cuts that I think are fun but haven't used yet...same with rubber stamps. I joke that I am more of a collector than artist.

traveling, waterfalls, milk chocolate, autumn, trees, nature, connecting with people, learning, other perspectives and cultures, ancient civilizations, playing board & card games, hanging out with friends, antique & vintage items, earth tones and shades of purple and green, rubber stamps, embossing powders, fun pens, interesting blank journals & sketchbooks, small/miniature items, different textures, foreign coins, travel tokens (bus, subway, etc.), foreign or old postage stamps, dragonflies, unique designs, soft/fuzzy items, candles [votive & tealights], books, celestial/astronomy, trying different foods & cuisines

cigarette/cigar/pipe smoke (I am allergic), neon or florescent colors, overly glittered items, black licorice and anise, dill weed, caraway seeds, coffee

Bento boxes - look like fun but haven't found them in my area yet

3-D Collage like shrines and cigar boxes - read about them but haven't seen any in person

I've started carving my own rubber stamps

Friendship books and Decos - heard of them but have never seen one

Decorated Matchboxes - heard of but not seen

Paper Arts and techniques

Whimsy Jars

Altered Art - read books but haven't seen a lot in person

Pagan, earth-based, and Wiccan beliefs and items

PostCrossing.com & collecting postcards

Letterboxing (check out www.AtlasQuest.com or www.letterboxing.org)

Bicycling - hope to try out some rails to trails

The Environment and ways to lessen my "footprint" and save energy (and $$)

Reusable shopping bags

Trying ethnic cuisine from different areas and countries

Antiques: cast-iron trivets, small items, postcards