DebP

OK. It is the New Year, so I figured I would clean up and redo my profile. Keep some things, delete some things, add some new things.

Just an extra note here. I have been dealing with some health issues with my mom. Her health has deteriorated rapidly the last year and she is now in a nursing home. I have had to make a couple emergency trips to see her due to hospital stays. She is struggling and suffering, and it is hard to watch.

I always send my swaps out right away, but if I get delayed here in the near future it will be because of this issue. Hope everybody understands, and if I am going to be late I will try to remember to post it here. Thanks everybody.

Now, about me. The pic is of me & my husband. I am married (2nd time) with 2 grown children (no grandchildren) and we have a Golden Retriever named Hunter. And we now have a miniature chiuahua named Mattie, that belongs to my mom. My mom obviously can't have her in the nursing home, so now she part of my life. She is absolutely adorable and weighs about 3 lbs.

I love artsy stuff of most any kind. It amazes me the talents that people have and I always enjoy studying other's creativity. If you want to send me something you have made I would love it. I like to think of myself as an artist, but I have so much to learn from all the amazingly talented people out there.

In the past I have painted and drawn and sewn and played piano and written poetry, and probably dabbled a bit in most all arts & crafts stuff. I mostly do quilting and art quilt type stuff now, but am getting into smaller things like ATCs, postcards, journals, dolls, etc. I think I would like to get back into painting again, as I really enjoyed that. I read a lot, and just know I will never get all my books read! I love the theatre and try to go often. I love art galleries and museums too. My husband & I own our own business which keeps us busy and so I don't have as much time as I like to Play, but I try!

I will always send out my swaps. If you don't get it, please contact me first, because we all know how the mail is sometimes! I always rate within a couple days of receiving my swaps. If I don't rate you in a timely manner, please contact me. I believe in communication on swap-bot and hope everybody else does too. If you are mailing your swap late, just let me know. I'm OK with that, as long as you keep me informed.

I have to say I love most books. I don't know if I could live without books in my life. I love Shakespeare (my favorite is Hamlet). But I also love science fiction/fantasy books. Some of my favorite authors are: Clive Barker, Robert Heinlen, Margaret Atwood, Anne Rice, and Charles De Lint. Just to name a few. It always changes depending on what I might be reading these days. I don't really like romance novels, although I used to read them. I like books that make you think! I love large coffee table books and tiny miniature books. I will read most anything, or at least give it a try.

Favorite Movies? I don't really watch a lot of movies. I like The Big Chill, The Way We Were, Lord of the Rings, Paint Your Wagon, Pirates of the Caribbean. Obviously a wide variety. But I would much rather go to live Theatre than go to a movie. The Theatre is way more interesting!!!! We have a couple local theatre groups that always have great productions. I don't get to see everything, but I do go as often as possible.

TV? I really don't like TV, but I do watch more than I should. My husband loves TV and so we watch. We watch a lot of sports. And we like the shows like CSI or Bones or Criminal Minds. That type of thing. I don't really like a lot of situational comedy, and defintely do not watch any of the so-called Reality shows or contests like American Idol.

I love lots of different music also. I guess I am just not able to be put in a box (LOL). Some of my favorite artists are: Elton John, Jimmy Buffet, James Blount, Kenney Chesney, Brandi Carlisle, Loreena McKennit. My son always finds me new music to listen to, which is nice, because he weeds thru all the stuff he knows I Won't like.

I am always trying new arts and crafts. But mostly I like to work with fabric these days. I've been learning about beading, which is fun and addicitive, and doll-making. I've been making ATCs and Postcards, which is fun, and easy to work with small pieces. I like applique, but haven't been working on any lately. I want to explore my creative side more, but don't always have the time to devote to it. One of my goals this year is to work on an art blog. I wish I could make money doing this fun stuff, so I didn't have to work. HaHaHa I love the magazines "Cloth, Paper, Scissors" and "Quiting Arts".

I love the water, the ocean, lakes, rivers, babbling brooks. It just speaks to me. And the colors of water, blues, greens, teals, etc. And mermaids of course, they go along with water don't they? Although I have noticed lately that I have a lot of reds and golds around me. In my furniture and clothing and my new red laptop. So maybe I like Red now? Just a thought!

And fairies & goddesses because they are fun and ethereal. I also love trees. Anything to do with trees is wonderful. I also love paisley, and circles, so anything with that type of design is great. Of course, I love chocolate! and caramel and coffee (especially Starbucks). Any kind of funky fibers or trims or beads or embellishments that I can use in my newly developing addition to fiber art is fabulous.

Let's see....I also love sticky notes and notecards....art books and poetry.... stickers... markers... dolls... coffee mugs... beads & charms...bags... candles... stationery... hummingbirds... peacocks.... bags... magazines... lotion... journals and notebooks.... nature stuff is always cool....I love quotes, so anything with special quotes is nice, like rubber stamps or stickers....I like those little miniature books you find with bits of wisdom or quotes or photos.... I like vintage stuff but also like modern and art-deco stuff....I am really easy to please.

If you send me something that isn't quite me, that's OK. I'll find somebody who does love it and send it on.

I'm not big on "country style" art and design. I don't really like too cutesy stuff or kids related stuff since I don't have any small kids. I don't really like magnets although I have a few. I would rather not receive political stuff or religious stuff. I don't like celebrity gossip stuff, I don't read the gossip mags or watch celebrity stuff on TV. I don't like Spiders! Nasty things! I don't like stupidity!!!!!

I hate to add this category, but maybe it will inspire people to actually participate fully in the swaps. These are people who have flaked on me.

OregonMeadow, dangerouslycrafty, TheCatsMeeeow

I do have some people who have never rated me or responded to my messages. I don't really want to add their names, but it does bother me that they don't care enough to rate.

Also please remember to put the swap name and your user name on what you send? I have had several swaps where I have had to spend lengthy amounts of time trying to track down what swap the item was for. It is usually a postcard or notecard that is hard to figure out, as pkgs you can sometimes tell just by the contents. Anyway, most of the time I can eventually figure it out, but I do still have a couple cards that have no swap names or user names on them. I hope these people eventually contact me to find out if I received it, then I can rate them.