TaraInColorado

Coming back to swap-bot after a hiatus. cleaning up the aftermath and fallout of a divorce, dealing with the death of my step-dad in the past 4 years, and some swaps got lost in the chaos of too many moves during that time. I've contacted all still active members in order to make things right, so please bear with me!!!

Postcard swaps are my favorite, I enjoy the tactile act of writing. When I hold a postcard in my hands, I love to think about the journey this little piece of cardboard is going make. What a seriously cool connection! My words travel from my hands, cross the globe, to your eyes and hands. And hopefully, they will make you smile.

I am super eclectic, and passionate about many things that may seem contradictory. I try to be balanced. :)

random smattering of stuff I love:

obeying the spirit of the law and not the letter
fountain pens, yummy paper
rainbow colors, iridescent things, beads
nearly any kind of music
poetry
!!quotes!!
earthships, gardening, sustainable agriculture
people who seek to know the truth about themselves
space exploration and pondering the nature of the cosmos languages, logic puzzles

I thrive on learning about the diversity of culture, opinion, and thought over the globe. I am fascinated with the beauty of humankind, especially our capability to empathize and find pattern and similarity with others even in the midst of personal fear and external chaos.

I am not what I'd call rabidly eco-conscious, but I LOVE the outdoors and nature in all and any seasons and rampant consumerism really turns my stomach. Recycling, up-cycling, re-purposing material goods comes naturally to me, so please feel free to use these techniques in anything you send; I will more than appreciate it.

Compassion rocks my world.

SWAP PREFERENCES

I am very easy going and love to see what people come up with (I also love being introduced to new things) so don't feel like you have to stick to what I like.

Vintage Hawaiian Shirts
Wow, has this turned into an obsession. Anything from 1970 and before. The textiles just blow me away.

Fabric
Any well-done novelty print. Don't like "country" (ducks/hearts/cows) or contemporary (sports teams, teddy bears, Disney, commercial) very much. Love any Asian, space-themed, fruit/veggie/food, or scenic. LOVE true vintage, especially post WWII British stuff like Lucienne Day.

Kawaii
You can pretty much do no wrong by sending me anything in this category. Memo pads and activity sheets especially. Not super fond of black & white, skulls or run-of-the-mill hello kitty.

Yarn and fibers of most any sort
I can find a use for nearly any weight and/or fiber content of good quality. My fiance is a knot-tying fiend, and so parachute cord (gotta love the army surplus) of any color is always welcome. I knit and crochet things ranging in scale from itty bitty (single strands of silk embroidery thread crocheted on a hook made from guitar wire for doll house afghans) to pretty-darn chunky (rugs and reusable grocery bags made out of strips of plastic grocery bags)

Absolute favorites: self-patterning sock yarn in rainbow (bright, clear) colors, Noro (silk garden, kureyon, really anything--brighter colors), koigu!!!!, lorna's laces, and I'm especially fond of baby alpaca.

If it is yarn you have spun/dyed yourself, I will love it. Especially if it is navajo-plied and variegated (think twisted sisters sock book).

Jewelry making
any glass bead with an aurora borealis finish, fruits!!!, ceramic animals, Asian-themed, any sterling wire, small beads or findings.

Paper goods
Interestingly enough, I do not scrapbook. I love true vintage ephemera (old ads from 1890-1970), old sheet music, old photos, etc. I have a ton of this stuff and love to share, so if you alter books or scrapbook or collage and need something in a particular theme/era, find me in a swap and I'll hook you up!

I appreciate all the neat scrapbooking papers available but when it comes to "vintage", I have to admit that computer-generated "vintage style" ephemera is something I never use. Though I will happily pass it on to others.

Postcards
In this area, what I value above anything is that you express your personality. Postcards give a glimpse of time, person and place. I just love seeing people's handwriting. Neat stamps are always great, but obviously not a requirement.

Flamenco (my father is teacher of Flamenco guitar and performer of traditional Flamenco)

Tool, Silly Wizard, Ossian, Tori Amos, Stevie Ray Vaughn, most classical (Chopin, Beethoven, J.S. Bach are favorites), Sufjan Stevens, Dave Matthews, Great Big Sea, Stan Rogers,Tom Waits, Ani DiFranco, Ella Fitzgerald, Eminem, Johnny Cash, Pink, Lady Gaga, Sublime, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon

...so, basically, most anything!! if it's well done, iconic, and/or interesting.

I've played the flute for about 30 years, and love to play in groups.

Never Cry Wolf, The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, Witness, A Fish Called Wanda, Ghostbusters, The Boondock Saints, Memento, Dead Man Walking, Mo' Better Blues, The Fugitive, Star Wars (not the newer ones, particularly) Spirited Away (I'm a fan of Hayao Miyazaki but not much anime...my first husband watched Akira so many times it nearly drove me to brink of insanity, lol) Monty Python and Holy Grail Most Pixar movies (I have young kids in the house, enuff said) Sherlock Holmes

The Daily Show, Star Trek Voyager & TNG, Dead Like Me, Six Feet Under, Millenium, The Simpsons, Law & Order, Frontline, My Name is Earl, Good Eats, Top Chef, Iron Chef, Dirty Jobs, Sex and the City.

Do not like Friends-type shows, most sitcoms, soaps.

I find TV to be a comfort--familiar sound, noise and light from a box--but it does not absorb me unless it's very intense.

I am always doing something else when the TV is on--knitting, crochet, calligraphy, etc.

MULTITUDE :)

Knit (lotsa hats), crochet (flowers, amigurumi).

I recycle goodwill sweaters for the yarn: I hand-paint them with fabric dyes, and then dismantle, straighten, wash and skein the yarn.

If you have any knitting or crochet questions or are stuck on a pattern, let me know! I've quite a few years of experience and in a past life I was a business process analyst so I love to help solve problems, and also love seeing what people are into making.

Cross-stitch, embroidery (I collect and sell out-of-print embroidery kits)

BEADS! I can completely see why they've been used as currency throughout history. I make some small jewelry things which are always given away as gifts, and beaded creatures out of wire and good seed beads.

I love to sculpt miniature dolls out of polymer clay--mostly fairies and babies.

I am a constant doodler and writer. I copy and re-copy favorite poems and quotes to practice my handwriting. This has occasionally evolved into calligraphy and copperplate. And also Henna...

A favorite mindless (and extremely portable) craft is making friendship bracelets (holy stash of embroidery floss, batman).

And...doll houses and miniatures in 1:12 scale. Dollhouses are great because they allow you to work in ANY media that exists, just in hand-held form. Think about it. Needlework. Quilting. Painting. Sculpting. Carpentry. Stained glass. Flower arranging. Knitting. Crochet. Ceramics.