Juliajae

• Happy New Year!

• ALL of my swaps marked sent are done, sent, on their way. If you don't get it, you will have to contact me. I'm not going to sweat the non-raters anymore (a New Year resolution). I suspect I have made a couple of swaps twice when the 1st was actually received. But...

• It HAS been determined by our local PO that we do, in fact, have a postal thief/thieves. Grrrrrr. As a result, I've been doing a lot of re-sends lately. I talked to our PO and they know it is a problem. They say they are trying to figure out if it's someone stealing from boxes (no) or a PO person that picks up from boxes (no) or internal at their (main) branch. I live in downtown so, of course, I have to go to the largest PO :( I don't use the boxes. I will be sending through paypal postage service whenever I can as it includes Delivery Confirmation for just an additional 17 cents :) If you get an odd shipping notice from paypal, that's what it is.

Happy New Year to All!

Flickr & Craft Blog = SPOILER Alert!

-I don't send extras. I spend a lot of time and effort on my swaps and that's what I want to be rated on instead of a bunch of extras that are probably something you didn't especially want anyway. That's not to say that I don't occasionally send a little surprise to a swap partner if I have something I think that they would love or to someone that has been especially wonderful in some way.

-I don't expect extras. I rate on the time and effort my swap partner put into their swap, NOT extras that I likely don't need anyway.

I am a collector of art and craft supplies. (ok, I'm a member of "Coping with your craft supply addiction"). Every time I see a new craft I like, I buy supplies and make a few. The arts and crafts medium that has really stuck with me is recycling and reusing. Expected and unexpected items turned into jewelry, collage art, atc's.

I have tried and enjoyed soy candles, mosaics, simple sewing projects, card making, cross stitch, beading, crocheting, watercolors, glass painting, metal soldering and shaping, resin casting, ATC's, Inchies, quilting and more but always seem to come back to collages, altered art, assemblages and recycled jewelry making.

All this supply collecting (hoarding - lol) has led me to open an Art Space type studio. Black Door Studio in Everett, WA. I hold workshops, classes, host groups and have open crafting time that is based on donation of cash or supplies. I think that is the time that's the most fun. Helping people flex their creative muscle and watching them get inspired to keep creating! The Studio website is listed above.

I love ephemera, strange little things, funky and antiquey type things. The stuff you find at the bottom of an old box at the swap meet. Old papers like hand written letters, envelopes labels, ledgers, postcards etc. My favorite styles are; elegance & opulence, crisp and clean, and even a little cottage, shabby chic and girly but I'm really not a fan of cutesy, cartooney or animated things.

My favorite colors are red, red, creamy whites and olive green. Also brown, black, yellow, orange. Oh! And teal, aqua, water colors but monochromatic in any color draws me in. lol Ok. Pretty much every color except purple :) I love, love, love texture! Especially in earth tones. I'm also part bird. If it shines, sparkles or has rust, I'm delighted!

I have very few dislikes; liver, twangy country music, snakes, smoke filled rooms, negative people, whiners, anime/kawaii/sanrio/cartoon themes, stickers and cheap mayo.