HippieChick

I have been here on the Bot for some time now. I still feel like a 'Newbie' at times. This just means I still have more growing to do. I have grown as both a person and an artist during my time here, and I am very grateful to those that have helped me along this journey. Some of ya'll are like a second family to me. :) Thank you for the encouragement and challenges these past years. I look forward to the next ones...

I really am a hippie soul deep down. My mom used to always say I was born in the wrong era because I have always been fascinated with other decades (not so much the actual history but design, culture, attitudes, beliefs,etc) I LOVE the Art Deco period, some of the most beautiful architecture and design elements came out of that time period. I embrace the fact that Vancouver has many Deco Era buildings that survived all the fires over the years. And then of course the 60's-70's Hippie Era. The colours, the designs, the attitudes. Sigh

Detail image of one of my favourite buildings- the Marine Building We are a relatively young city, so our history is still developing.

Mail art has become a love over the last few years. I really enjoy making/decorating my own envelopes and postcards. I am usually up for private mail art swaps. Let me know if you are interested. I try to photograph and post my creations to my Instagram (linked above). I forget a lot of the time, haha. Please avoid putting tape over handmade postcards and mail art sent to me. I really dislike this and would prefer the art to travel naked through the system. Thank you for considering this.

I may have an addiction to my gelli plates. I have a few. And yes, I use them. I love to hit up my local Re-Use store (check if your town has one!) and pick up fun things like transfer foils and Braille paper for mixed media work. Ever gel print on Braille before? It is fun and interesting! It both pulls and leaves behind a wonderful texture. Music sheets, book text, and atlas pages are other favourites to work on. I like the idea that I am reducing waste, not creating more when I use re-purposed items.

I do sometimes make ATCs but only if the theme/subject is one I resonate with. And sometimes just because. Mostly I like to dabble in different media and am always doing something.

I have crocheted since childhood. I don't work the yarn as much these days but still pick up the hook every once in a while. I like to design my own intarsia designs for patches, blankets, and scarves. I also occasionally make amigarimi critters but not very often as they are tiny and drive me insane! So consider yourself special if you get one! Every once in a while I feel the urge to start a small stitching or embroidery project. Living so close to Dressew (our local everything sewing/crafts/costume shop) is a bit of temptation that is really hard to resist!

I am doing more painting projects as well as a few smaller scale assemblage pieces. I have chosen to throw caution to the wind and fully embrace the chaos of creation. I am working on silencing the little voices that critique every move. Learning to look at my art with an un-attached eye has been difficult but so very helpful. I now like more of what I create and am able to sit with it in joy. This has been a huge step for me and I look forward to the ones still ahead. This year I am trying very hard to embrace the label of Artist, but I still feel as though Creative is more me.

I love to read but don't as often these days. I have been saddened by the death of Sir Terry Pratchett in 2015 and hence the lack of Discworld books. Perhaps it is time to re-read the series again... That being said, I have found a few more worthy authors over the last while.

I love a good heavy Sci -fi, anything with great scope that covers the tough stuff (Vernor Vinge is awesome for this, IMO).

Others I happily read:

• Neil Gaiman

• Warren Ellis

• Douglas Adams

• John Barnes

• Orson Scott Card

• Paolo Bacigalupi

• Stephanie Plum series

• Hunger Games trilogy

• Gaiman's Sandman comics

• Transmetropolitan series

  And I am in love with The Bloggess, Jenny Lawson ! She makes me laugh, cry, snort, and believe that I am not as crazy as the mean portion of my brain tries to insist I am! If you haven't read her blog or books, do yourself a favour and give her a try.

My music tastes are all over the place! I love rock, 80's, dance, techno, jazz, classical, swing, industrial, some country, some Top 40 and most anything in between.. I am always looking for new stuff to listen to. If you have a suggestion, send it my way. I grew up in the era of mix tapes...

I love a good rhythm, fierce female vocalists, good lyrics, slide guitar, banjo, fiddle, etc...

I haven't had a TV or cable for a few years now. And I don't miss it. I watch shows/movies online when I feel the need. Mostly I watch Youtube videos. Or listen to music.

I have a weakness for internet cartoons. Foamy the Squirrel (WARNING: this may offend many people!) is my absolute fave!

I loved Coraline (both movie and book), but anything by Neil Gaiman is pretty good. I am eagerly awaiting the release of Good Omens and can't wait for them to finish filming!

Being in Vancouver we get a lot of movies and shows filmed here. That being said, I usually don't watch most of them.

Themes and imagery I enjoy:

• Gudetama! That little egg butt makes me smile!

• sticker flakes

• Trees/branches/leaves

• spirals

• mushrooms

• Goddesses

• Green Man

• Steampunk

• goth

• Gothic-Lolita

• Alphonse Mucha - I love his Nouveau ladies!

• Salvador Dali

• Takashi Murakami

  *Ken Foster - a local Vancouver artist

• Art Deco

• Art Nouveau

• Bettie Page/pin-up/burlesque/vaudeville

• vintage circus/freak-show

• hippies (colours/patterns/design/etc)

• fairies

• dragons

• some gnomes

• skulls/skeletons/anatomy

• tarot

• anything Halloween

• Moon/Stars/Galaxy

• underwater/JELLYFISH!/ Octopus/ coral/ etc

• CAULDRONS! and witch hats, really anything 'witchy'

• broken/mismatched jewellery

• Keys - I have collected interesting and odd keys my whole life. I just love to think of the stories behind them.

• Your art! - This means I am not easily offended. Nipples don't scare me, and we all are nude under our clothes! If it is edgy, I'll probably love it. Art should create strong emotions, this includes love and hate. Please don't ever fear sending me something you think is 'risqué'.

I pretty much enjoy playing around with new to me items. If I can't make it work for me I never hesitate to find someone that loves it! I will re-gift if something isn't to my taste or I can't alter it to be.

Postcards: I love to receive postcards. Touristy are not my favourite if they are blank or not sent from the place but I will not rate down for them as long as they meet swap requirements. Otherwise, I am happy with most anything you choose to send. I am not picky as I like the messages you write and the images that I really like get put up as wall decoration. The others get stored in my received postcard collection. I like to flip through them every once in a while.

I love die-cuts in most any shapes. I do not have a die-cut or embossing machine. If you do and wish to share some die-cuts I would love it. My favourite is re-cycled materials such as food boxes and plastic containers. The plastic makes for great masks/stencils. Thank you.

This is a pretty short list, I think.

Please note my household chooses to not celebrate Christmas. I appreciate Winter themes over Holiday themes. Thank you for understanding.

Packing tape on mail art.

I am not into Harry Potter. I appreciate that many people do but I just can't.

Disney - there are a few Disney movies I enjoy but as a whole, no thanks.

SCENTS: Patchouli, sandalwood, lavender, frankincense, rose, vanilla and anything really 'sweet' smelling.

I am also allergic to apples. Strange, I know.

I have recently developed a slight (?) allergy to wheat.