ChinaCat

ABOUT ME:

I'm 60 years old with two grown children and three grandsons. I also have a two year old granddaughter. I work with special needs high school students. I live in Arizona where it's very hot in the summer, but really nice in the winter (when it finally decides to cool down).

I'm actually very easy to please - if you make it for me, I'm going to appreciate the effort. I'm thankful when people put time, thought and heart into what they make and send. Hand made items are wonderful, but finding vintage items at a thrift store or yard sale also takes time and energy, so I really appreciate what is required to complete a well done swap.

I won't flake and I will rate. If I should happen to forget to rate a swap, please let me know. I always try to send something my partner will like and I read all profiles, regardless if the swap says "sender's choice". Profiles are fun to read and they help me create a good swap package.

If you don't receive a swap or tag from me, please let me know right away. I have no problem re-sending or doing whatever it takes to fix a problem.

Classic rock: Rolling Stones (best rock & roll band ever!), The Beatles, Van Morrison, Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan...etc.

Country (mostly retro, classics and bluegrass)

Blues

R&B

As far as newer music, I love folk rock and roots music, as well as some of the folky country bands.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

The Godfather

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

Alice in Wonderland

Classic children's literature (including Peter Pan, the Oz books, Winnie the Pooh, Little Women, the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder), beautifully illustrated fairy tales and nursery rhymes, Beatrix Potter's work

Some of my favorite modern book authors and books for children include: Mercer Mayer, Maurice Sendak, Richard Scarry, H.A. Rey's Curious George series, the Amelia Bedelia books, Russell Hoban's Frances series

I love very old, out of print books for children. I would love to collect vintage books, but they are usually too expensive. I do find them sometimes in thrift stores though!

The Wizard of Oz

anything with Johnny Depp

Comedies - especially adult humor. I love Knocked Up, Bridesmaids, etc.

documentaries

Seinfeld

I'm Dyin' Up Here

Anthony Bourdain's shows - I LOVE him!

Modern Family

The Voice

Antiques Roadshow

true crime shows

history, nature, Nova type shows

I DO THESE CRAFTS:

*altered objects - matchboxes, rusty old tins, altoid tins, boxes, dolls, lotsa stuff!

*mixed media - configurations, shadowboxes, etc.

*cardmaking

** I LOVE to make ornaments for different holidays or occasions

I DO NOT sew, nor do I embroider, crochet, knit...but oh how I admire the talents of those who do! Nothing better than receiving something hand crafted that I could never even begin to know how to do myself.

handmade items!!!

original art - I have no talent whatever in the fine arts and I love so very much to receive art made by others. Artists rock! =)

pinup girls and old school tattoo art

art dolls and vintage dolls, even doll parts

wooden boxes, all sizes - I've loved them for years.

yoga

holidays

Day of the Dead ~ Frida Kahlo ~ Loteria

HALLOWEEN!!!! - devils and witches are faves - I especially enjoy vintage Halloween (all eras) and gothic Halloween. Spooky is GOOD! I like ouija boards, spirits, graveyards,Poe, Ravens, mystical, fall colors, scary jack-o-lanterns,apothecary stuff, scary but not too overtly gory (NO slasher movies)

Christmas - I adore retro/kitchy Christmas (think 1950s - ish) - little elves, gnomes, glittery, tinsel, all that fun stuff!

More Christmas - Victorian Christmas images are also a favorite

lowbrow Victorian imagery

Neanderthals - my DNA test results show that I have more Neanderthal DNA than most people have - wow!

vintage circus and vintage magician images

vintage ephemera from all eras

flowers - new or vintage crochet, paper, anything flower related to use for Day of the Dead or Frida projects

MERMAIDS!!!! - yep, even Disney

garden gnomes

weird, wacky, wonderful things

Buddha

items from other countries, cultures and eras

jewelry - love anything handmade

suns and moons (especially the man in the moon), stars, clouds...

I like all colors. It's more about the way different colors are combined that appeals to me rather than one particular color. But I do have to say that I'm always drawn to ocean colors...aqua, turquoise, teal - I call them "mermaid colors"...

rodents, especially rats. I have a bit of a phobia, I guess. Realistic rats and mice freak me out.

scrapbook supplies - I do some scrapbooking once in awhile but I already have a lot of supplies on hand, and I usually need something specific when I do scrapbooking projects. And please, no scrapbook paper scraps. My cup runneth over with paper scraps already.

ATCs ~ Please, don't send me an ATC!! I actually do like making ATCs and I used to make and swap tons of them, but I stopped collecting them years ago.

As I said in my "likes", I LOVE Halloween and Christmas, but not so much the cutesy/kiddish stuff, unless it's vintage style.

Stickers that children would use. I do use stickers on occasion, but not really the flat ones that look obviously like a sticker.

I know that bookmarks are very popular, but I really don't need any. I do most of my reading online. I do enjoy making bookmarks though.

If you are doing a THRIFT STORE SWAP with me, please don't send items that can just as easily have come from a dollar store. Sorry if that seems harsh, but a trinket that originated at Dollar Tree is probably not something that will make me happy if I'm hoping for something thrifted and awesome. A few times, I have received items that I don't even want to pass along to another partner. It's very rare though, I'm happy to say! =)

I don't do stamping so I really have no need for stamps or ink pads. I will gladly pass them on if I receive them though.

weird, funky clay faces - especially painted ones

small Halloween or otherwise spooky things that I can use for Halloween shadowboxes - I like them kind of creepy!

milagros

old keys

old photos, especially of people...the older the photo, the better!

vintage needlework - small doilies, crochet, embroidery, etc.

THRIFT STORE FINDS - small items I can use for shadowbox and assembly pieces, especially items for Halloween, Day of the Dead shrines and retro chic Christmas projects

cool vintage stuff

Vintage Lefton china items ~ especially holiday

handmade items that you LOVE to make!

nautical, ocean, seashell, MERMAID items

Old discarded small doll clothes - Barbie sized or smaller. I don't sew, but I do re-fashion doll clothes for some of my art dolls/altered dolls.

I'm in love with retro Christmas items - kitchy 1950-1960s elves, Lefton china figurines, retro stickers, wrapping paper, cards, etc. These items don't have to be in "like new" condition because they are VINTAGE! I can hide all sorts of flaws and cracks with glue and glitter...=).

I like candy, especially chocolate. I dislike gummy candy. I don't drink herbal teas, but do drink black tea. Spices from other places interest me.

I've recently started drinking coffee! Fifty nine years old and I managed to stay away from it all this time - imagine that! My coffee maker takes Keurig style cups and I'd love to receive and try different flavored coffees - no decaf though.

I like to try unusual (regional) things.

I am a semi-vegetarian and have been for 30 years. (I do eat fish, eggs and cheese.)