Update March 2021 - I have been away for a while, but I am back.I have mailed out the zine swap I owed to 3 people (rightfully rated "1" by 2 of them). Everyone has received theirs. Link to finished zine on Flickr

I was looking at some of the "top swaps" and noticed that many of them specified "no home made", well, home made is really what I would most like to receive (I can buy things for myself).

I'm older than I've ever been (and now I'm even older, and now I'm even older...I'm older than that still). 2020 was a year of change for me - I retired and moved to the Finger Lakes area of NY. I am still married but my poor little doggy has crossed the rainbow bridge.

I like doll making most of all as that incorporates sculpture, painting, design, fabric, embroidery and beading. I used to be able to draw and paint, but I lost the knack from disuse. Zentangling seemed like a way back, but I like it for itself. I think the gems are really pretty.

I don't really need extras ~~ my ratings are based on the swap itself. That said, I use almost everything as I like junk journaling and such like.

Likes

• Jewel tone colors
• Hand-made/one of a kind
• Wit and Symbolism
• Fish-related (includes cephalopods)
• Insects and Arachnids
• Ooak Art Dolls
• Shiny stuff
• Grungy stuff
• Beads, ribbons, embellishments
• Anything interesting or unusual or personal
• Religious iconography and mythology

Dislikes

• Violence, cruelty and gore
• Saccharin or kawaii
• Passive-aggressive narcissists who can't be bothered to acknowledge they even received the swap for weeks on end because that isn't "fun" for them.

Ambivalences

• Stickers - most, but not all, are uninteresting
• Cartoons (Garfield is hideous, but Mutts is elegant; I do love Lynda Barry)

• It just depends on how well it's done

• Clowns mostly hate, but it could be done well, this one is charming:

• Muddy colors, again, it all depends on how they're used
• I don't mind receiving religious tracts as long as you don't mind how I use them in my work (be forewarned)

I like to do mixed media using jewelry, paper, ceramics - anything that can be altered or repurposed - one man's crap is another man's treasure.

Since I've joined Swap-bot, mail art has become my main creative outlet ~ postcards, ATCs and just starting zines which have challenge of the added elements of time and narrative. I've added gelli printing (lowercase because it's homemade from gelatin and glycerine, remelted after each use, pia) and alcohol inks to my repertoire since being here. I've done a couple of journals, but honestly, they're exhausting.

I also do handmade one of a kind paperclay and polymer clay dolls, so fabrics and embellishments (dangly earrings) are always welcome.