Just a general note - my Flickr & Etsy store will occasionally contain spoilers - so if you are expecting a swap or tag & would like to be surprised, don't look!

February 3rd, 2012
In addition to the swaps mentioned below, I have just joined the new Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends group founded by @fallengeek74 so will probably be hosting a swap or two there over coming months, also.

January 4th, 2012
Merry New Year. :) Just wanted to post a little update for anyone who missed notification of the sad demise of my Once Upon a Time... group, in December (finally deleted after months of inactivity). If you were a member of the group & feel I was a little hasty, don't despair - I am currently hosting a couple of fairy tale themed swaps in @izohgore 's group, Nightmares & Fairy Tales, and may in the future also host something related within my ZMACS group. I'm also still available for private swaps - please see section below.

Things I like to make & do:

I love books and fairy tales (but not fairies).
I love experimenting with crafts , letterfolds, faux postage and mail art.
I can't use a sewing machine, but enjoy occasional small (& simple!) hand-sewing projects.
I used to do a lot of embroidery (& design), and small-scale tapestry weaving, too.
I love to discover new creative obsessions, but can never predict what will
capture my imagination next. I just love to create new things.
I love writing zines about the things I love.

A bit more about me:

I'm very fond of quiet space and time to think.
I'm a very grounded, earth-bound person who nonetheless
spends quite a lot of time in a world that's not quite this one.

I am very happy to live with my husband in a permanent state of 'creative disorder'.

I will always appreciate anything handcrafted, handwritten or (in the case of books)
pre-loved over something storebought. Bookmarks or anything that can be used as such are always very welcome.

Just for the record, and odd though it may seem, I don't collect ephemera.

I like stuff made out of kraft card & paper, simple stylised imagery, hand-printed, hand-drawn etc. I love relief prints & hand-carved stamps. I appreciate functionality (e.g. a card to send, an address book to use) over a purely decorative item. I appreciate multifunctionality even more! I have fondnesses for pockets & secret tucked away surprises, for all things postal, and for stylised bird imagery (not necessarily combined!). I enjoy zines about mail art and upcycled/recycled crafts.

These are some of my Etsy favourites:

I like simple organic motifs such as seed pods and dandelions (see Angie Lewin in 'artist' section below!). I love garish retro wallpaper & curtain patterns from the 70s, like this:

Fairy tales

I also appreciate artwork, stories, or any other imaginative interpretation of classic fairy tales (not Disney versions) such as the Pied Piper, Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin,
Snow White, the Twelve Months, and anything with interesting bird imagery.

Tags I owe:

• Public Forum Things That Go Together Tag - rubber stamp & umber ink pad, to @3goldkeys (tagged Feb 2nd, sent Feb 3rd)
• Public Forum Cheap Postage Tag - Etsy favourite to @Gemini5757 (tagged Feb 7th)
• ZMACS PIF tag - 2 unmounted mail art rubber stamps to @grover38 (tagged Feb 11th)

Tags I'm waiting for:

• Public Forum Things That Go Together Tag - '50 use worldwide stamps and tote bag with stamp on front' from @MichelleWillow - (tagged Jan 29th)
• Public Forum Cheap Postage Tag - from @MichelleWillow (tagged Feb 7th, combining with above)

Flaked swaps & tags:

• Join the Club by @Christie1981
• A Month of Sundays by @halcigone
• Twice Upon a Time by @smilesandsunshine
• A Handcrafted Fairy Tale: Hansel & Gretel by @haveyoumetlisa
• An embroidered fairy tale bookmark (Once Upon a Time PIF tag, December 29th) - @haveyoumetlisa
• Rumpelstiltskin in a 32ct matchbox (Once Upon a Time Boxed fairy tale tag, December 29th) - @haveyoumetlisa - very kindly angelled by @HollyHox - thank you, Holly! :D

Most of the swaps I do are within my groups, especially the one I founded:

Zines, mail art & other cool stuff.

But if you are interested in a private swap, these are some things I may be tempted by:

• Zines about mail art or upcycled/recycled crafts

• I write a semi-regular zine of revised fairy tales & am often seeking artwork & other contributions for the next issue (see my We Make Zines blog for latest details).
  I'm happy to set up private swaps for contributions. At the moment, I'm especially interested in Beauty & the Beast, Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, and the Pied Piper.

• I'm seeking back issues of ReadyMade magazine. I only have 2, so if you can help at all, please send me a PM!

• I have a soft spot for DIY craft kits - simple sewing projects, for example, or maybe a new printmaking technique. I like to experiment with new ideas, but I'm not into scrapbooking, journalling, country or cutesy stuff.

• Although I don't sew much, I do collect cool retro fabrics - anything from (approx.) 4" square up to a fat quarter would find a welcome home with me.

• I like to use re-useable, long-handled fabric totes for shopping, so eco-bags in interesting fabrics or with retro/quirky patterns are always greatly appreciated, handmade or otherwise.

• If you are clever enough to be able to make me a book cover/carrier similar to this,
  I would love to arrange a swap - please get in touch!

Angie Lewin:

Nigel Peake:

Sue Lawty:

Andy Goldsworthy: