QueenQuill

I always wonder what to write in these things. "About Me". But what do they want me to say? And who are "they" anyway? Uhm okay so I'm drifting off course here (I tend to do that...often.) So here I am, and I'm me. Who am I? What a philosophical question! Well, let's start with the basics. My name is Ashley Merrill. I am 32 years old, and currently live in the beautiful mountains of Bountiful, Utah, USA. (Oh good, now you can stalk me! It's been too long since I've had a good stalker.)

I am an unemployed starving artist. I am disabled, but you wouldn't know it by looking at me. I have a bad back, and mental illness (clinical depression, ADD, OCD, and whatever else they like to label me as on any given day...See! There "they" are again! Damn "them"!) My disabilities prevent me from doing some things, but they've taught me a lot, so I don't mind so much that I have them. So enough of the not-so-good stuff. Back to other things.

I'm an artist. Art is my passion, and my life-blood. I love to create. I work in many mediums including (but not limited to) drawing (pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, airbrush, pastels, oil pastels, etc.), painting (watercolor [mostly guache style], oil, acrylic, etc.), sculpting (I've worked in everything from clay to wood and metal), etc. I also dabble a bit in digital artwork; things like photo-manipulation, and other things like banners. I also do print-work; things like font design (not digital), calligraphy, etc. I also love crafting. Name any kind of craft work, and I probably do it. Jewelry making is my favorite, but I also do fiber crafts (sew, needlework, knitting, crochet, doll making, quilting, etc.), polymer clay crafts, ceramics and glass crafts (I'm learning how to make stained glass jewelry right now), a bit of leatherworking, paper crafts (scrapbooking, origami, papier-mâché, etc.), , woodworking (wood turning, whittling, wood carving, wood burning), etc. etc. etc. My favorite new hobby is swapping! I especially love ATCs (Artist Trading Cards). I put a lot of hard work and effort into my ATCs so they will be very special. I think I do a pretty good job, and I hope that those who receive my ATC artwork and enjoy them as much as I enjoy creating them.

Other than handmade things, I'm also a complete geek. I love all things computer, and have worked mostly in the computer industry as a computer technician. I'm a gamer, and my favorite game is World of Warcraft. Yeah I'm a World of Warcrack addict, and proud of it! I'm most often found on my computer doing this, that, or another thing. (i.e. blogging.)

I love all things whimsical and different, weird and odd. Fantasy and sci-fi are my favorite genres when it comes to just about everything. My artwork is especially centered around fantasy themes.

I'm religious and spiritual; I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I also believe in a lot of Zen, Gnostic, Taoist and Buddhist teachings, among others.

If you'd like to keep in touch with me, feel free to look me up on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/ashley.merrill

So that's just a bit about me. If you'd like to know more, just ask!

art, reading, writing, music, crafts, jewelry making, blogging, Burning Man, outdoors, nature, camping, hiking, water sports, building, creating, DIY, film/movies, whimsy, creativity, abbynormal things, cartoons, vanilla, pink, flowers, gaming, horticulture, animals, culture, travel, intelligence, astronomy, creatures, fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk, literature, English, language, artists, artisans, gemstones, fashion, rocks, rockhounding, foodish stuffs, exploring, spirituality, religion, LDS, Mormon, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, dating, humor, comics, life, living, psychology, addiction, weight loss, bariatric surgery, gastric bypass, cat, cats, birds, creations, clothing, fashion, design, large scale art, recycling, Etsy, Deviantart, Elfwood, fairy tales, fiction, space, imagination, dressing up, costumes, color, rainbows, babies, television, martha stewart, friends, family, learning, gemology, history, fun, pursuit of happiness, liberty, conservative, politics, government, environmentalism, hippie, tree hugger, love, humanity, culture, spice, shopping, painting, drawing, sculpting, children, growing, laughing, eternity, white chocolate, lace, flora, fauna, fantasy, sci-fi, gaming, sunset colors (pink, orange, yellow, red, etc)., cosplaying, Comic Con., fairies, mermaids, owls, dragons, etc.

I love books! Reading is one of my favorite things to do. My favorite book genres are: Science Fiction / Fantasy, Biography, Historical Fiction, etc. I read all the time. I am currently reading the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite series of all time! My favorite series of books is probably the Hyperion Chronicles, a sci-fi series by Dan Simmons. You can see more of the books I read by visiting my profile on Goodreads here: http://www.goodreads.com/queenquill

I love music, and listen to most musical genres. I listen to: Mostly: Alternative, Indie, Punk, Rock, Classical, Opera, New Age, Trance, World Music, and Oldies (60's, 70's, and 80's are my fav.) Occasionally: Techno, Folk, Musicals, Religious, and Hard Rock Every Once in a While: Country, Rap, R&B, and Jazz

I love movies and film. I love most movie genres, especially: Action & Adventure, Amateur Film, Animation, Holiday, Classic Hollywood, Comedy, Cult Films, Documentary, Drama, Family, Film Noir, Foreign, Horror, Mockumentary, Musicals, Science Fiction and Fantasy, and Silent Movies. If you'd like to know what movies I like, you may visit my profile on Flixter.com here: http://www.flixster.com/user/queenquill

My favorite television shows are classic 80's cartoons like: Carebears, My Little Pony, Thunder Cats, He-Man and She-ra, Huggabunch, Popples, Rainbow Bright, Snorks, etc. I also love the Smurfs, Jetsons, etc. I love anything on Adult-Swim, especially American Dad, Family Guy, Futurama, and Inuyasha. I also love The Simpsons, Game of Thrones, Vampire Diaries, The Walking Dead (my 2nd favorite), True Blood (my favorite), American Gothic,, Martha Stewart,and pretty much anything on TLC.

I'm a total nerd, and I love PC gaming. My current favorites are World of Warcraft and Diablo 2. I can't wait for the upcoming expansions!

I absolutely adore Swap-Bot, and doing swaps. My favorites are ATC's, and I treasure my collection that I have received, and can't wait to collect more! A note about the mail, and ratings: I understand that there are problems with the postal system (things I've sent have gotten lost more than once), so I'll always contact the sender before leaving a bad review/rating, and ask that you provide the same courtesy for me. I'll always fulfill my swap commitments, so if you don't receive something you should have within a reasonable amount of time (2-3 weeks for USA, 6+ weeks for international), please feel free to contact me here, or via email at: [email protected] Thanks so much, and happy swapping to everyone! I look forward to swapping with you soon!