Banchomarba1

I am addicted to crafting. I love texture, color, the repetition of embroidery, the risk of tearing paper. I love making things for other people. I treasure the things that others have made for me. I am craft.

I am very interested in Medieval and Dark Ages art and I find that Celtic motifs work their way into a lot of what I do. I am a big fan of the Pre-Raphaelite Painters and I dig the shabby chic motif- with a bit of a goth tinge. Halloween is my FAVE holiday, but I also take a lot of direction from the change of seasons. I have a slightly acerbic wit that comes out in my artwork and that I appreciate in the work of others. I do everything that I can to avoid the "bunny/chickie/ Wal Mart" aesthetic. I am a coffee addict. I am a not so closeted devotee of Martha Stewart, but don't hold it against me.

PLEASE- ONLY DECAFF COFFEE AND SPLENDA BASED SWEETS if you are thinking if sending that kind oif thing. Thank you. DISLIKES: angels, snowmen, Disney, clowns, crosses,frogs, house cats, broccoli, Lima beans, yellow as a color to wear, teddy bears, Victorian children motifs

Almost all music except for Modern Christian Arena Pop. Especially fond of soundtracks to movies. I like also Led Zeppelin, Gypsy Kings, Peter Gabriel, Loreena McKinnet, Ramones, Clash, Amy Winehouse, Lady Sovereign, etc.

LOTR, Local Hero, The Red Violin, Auntie Mame w/Rosalind Russel, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Shaun of the Dead,Adventures of Baron von Munchausen, historical epics/dramas, Merchant Ivory productions, gangster movies, horror movies, ghost stories, etc.

CSI, Bones, House, Project Runway, any organizational show, Creative Juice, Rescue Me, Nip Tuck, BSG, Rome, Ghost Hunters, Alton Brown, Anthony Bourdain

Embroidery, ATCs, paper crafts, cross stitch, sewing My favorite color is green, but I love most jewel and autumn tones. Love late 19th/early 20th century artists like Klimt, Mucha, etc. Fond of Chihuly glass work

Things I love but don't have a lot of: Martha Stewart Glitter, craft punches, cupcake papers, etc. from the new line at Michael's, gourmet coffee, Celtic Motif paper and fabric, Craft magazine, vintage cup cake toppers, rubber stamps: wolf, grizzly bear, sparrow in flight, raven, Norse Runes

In our house, we celebrate many things- any excuse for a bunch of cupcakes! Our love of history has made days like Charlemagne's Birthday (4/2) and Repeal of Prohibition Day (12/5) days for fun. And there is always the Derby Day BBQ and the Oktoberfest Brat-a-thon. We also celebrate Solstices and Equinoxes as days of the wonder of nature. Halloween is both fun (the night of endless possibility)and somber ( the night we nod to loved ones past)and we oberve Dia de los Muertos on 11/2. We observe modern/traditional holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas within the spectrum of the change of seasons. Specifically Christian oberservances are not part of what we do, but we do celebrate days like St. Patrick's and St. Nicholas' because of the cultural signifigance they have for our families and our ancestors. And of course, we decorate at the drop of a hat!