MissJay

Swap-Bot has been inspiring, fun and I made new friends. Thanks to my Swap-Bot neighbors here in southern Oregon. Thanks to SpinJenny who helped me load the picture. I have received help and extra packages from several very generous swappers.

My ATC's are usually dimensional collages, interactive, or have some kind of interesting twist or new technique -- otherwise, why bother. Glue, scissors and my fingers are my favorite tools. I started out as a scrapbooker, progressed to paper art and now just try to stop me.

I save only my own art and eventually donate received ATC's as samples to beginning crafters who want to learn how to make them and to charity organizations for them to enjoy your great art work.

ONGOING PROJECT: Hand sewing yo-yo's with the goal of making coverlets for my 2 nieces. I dyed some of the "vanilla" yo's with kool aid and jello. I would like to receive various colored embroidery floss for sewing the yo's.

FAVORITE MUSIC is 40s, 50s, 60s & 70s, classical, opera and what I make myself on my piano & accordion. I want to learn to play the recorder.

COLLECTIONS are bird images, buttons, embroidery floss, keys, sheet music, stuff for crafting that most people throw away (odds & ends saved for their color or shape), tarot & playing cards, anything heart shaped, black & white and brown/natural stuff for heritage scrapbooking. I seldom use stickers in my crafts but pass them on to other crafters.

LIKES Caffeine (coffee & diet cola), feng shui (I try to clear the clutter after a project), crafting, white wine, languages (esp. French, Japanese & Spanish), quilt shows, and traveling (just got back from NYC & DC).

I love cats but don't collect anything cat related because its a cruel reminder that I'm not able to have cats of my own at this time.

DISLIKES Babies, children, candles, chick flicks, chick lit, clowns & mimes, childish cute, Disney, dogs, hazel nuts, horses, jewelry, magic tricks, metallic / glitter, owls, perfume, religion, smoke, tea, and teddy bears. I admire Martha Stewart but kinda like to hate her.

I'm neurotic about meeting deadlines. When I put a swap on my watchlist, I start working on it. If I complete the project, I join the swap. The part I don't like is lack of instant gratification - waiting to receive a swap/rating I go thru a gamut of emotions. Mail trickles in and excitement level goes back up.

As much as I like making new friends all over the world, I don't like the problems (extra postage, custom forms, mail disappears, longer wait time to send/receive/rate) with international mail and will only do US swaps.

I pledge to rate every swap ASAP. I will rate a 1 on a swap not received and the sender has made no contact or not responded to my contact. I will rate a 3 if I feel the swap didn't meet the requirements and the partner chooses not to correct the swap. I will state facts, not slander when rating. I understand that a 5-but-no-heart rating isn't supposed to be a negative. I vote to abolish the heart rating. In protest, I always rate hearts and a star to the swap host.

MISC. LEARNED SINCE SWAPPING Put swap name & my name somewhere on the package. Mail with real stamps because some people collect them. Send extras (is it a bribe to get a heart or a crafting challenge? lol)

FLAKERS
@tamaralouise (Tamara McRae) -- Free Theme ATC swap #10
@bowlofsurreal (Kris Patton) -- Scratcher Addicts Are Us #7