TerryF

Today (June 18. 20130) I will be on my way here to spend a week with my dear friend, @LahDeeDah , and to meet the lovely @spotteddogs :

I may not be online as much as usual until I return home June 26.

All of my swaps are open to all skill levels. We all had to start somewhere. (";)

~Member of Swap-bot since October 2006~

~Completed 23 swaps with 47 partners before the hearts system was implemented on January 27, 2007~

KINDNESS RULES!

Please read this thread about swapping postcards - it has information everyone should know, and applies to all kinds of swaps!

I live in Canada's cold capital city, Ottawa, and am retired. I love to cook and craft and read and listen to music and ride my trike. I recently donated my huge collection of cookbooks (about 3000), craft/sewing books (about 2000) and fridge magnets (about 300), but am still hanging onto my handmade Christmas ornaments (about 300). I no longer collect anything though - no room! lol

I am a contradiction: quiet yet love to laugh, shy yet outspoken, quick to react yet calm, selfish yet thoughtful. A homebody and a loner, my close friends are few but very special to me and I would do anything for them. My DH is absolutely wonderful and I count my blessings every day.

I like:

Colours: pretty much all, but especially blues, blue-greens (aqua, turquoise, teal), purples, black, lime green, darker reds, soft pinks, soft yellows, taupe

Nature: animals (especially cats, whales, fish, squirrels, mice, polar bears), birds (especially owls, crows, ravens, robins, peacocks, penguins, pelicans), trees (especially palms, willows, red maples), beaches, flowers (especially gerberas, tulips, peonies), insects such as butterflies, dragonflies and bees, oceans, lakes, rivers, sky, sun, moon, stars, sunsets, breezes, storms, mountains, fields, green spaces

Fragrances: fresh, clean scents like Yankee Candles ocean scents, Method Sweet Water hand soap

Places: Florida, the Caribbean, New York City, Vancouver, Toronto

Entertainment: theatre, music, choral performances, movies (on the big screen)

Hobbies: reading (cookbooks, sewing/crafting books, non-fiction), writing, cooking, bicycling, walking

Styles/Themes: Christmas, Victorian, retro, art nouveau, art deco, shabby chic, European, Asian themes/styles, prim (all types), clean lines, contrast, bright colours with black, polkadots, fun, funky, quirky things (like spider brooches, irreverent stationery, wild sox, etc.), fairies, dragons, gnomes, glitter

Things: handmade stationery (postcards, note cards, postalettes, etc.)

Paper Postcards: I prefer funny, quirky, unusual, colourful, artwork, text; not so keen on the traditional touristy photos of scenery or places or maps unless there is an unusual element to them, or you have taken the photo yourself. (Please see more detailed list below.)

Supplies: anything that can be used for paper crafting (except paper - I have lots of that)

People: kids, family, girlfriends

Food: Italian, Asian, Mexican, vegan and vegetarian, popcorn, prime rib, potatoes and pasta in any form, home baked bread, desserts with fruit and real whipped cream

I'm not so crazy about:
1) candy, chocolate, sugar, caffeine
2) perfume, cosmetics, lotions
3) sports or politics
4) pushy religion
5) cartoon stuff like Disney
6) plaids, checks, stripes and diamonds (unless unusual or appropriate to the item)
7) anything that smacks of "old lady", like those awful assorted floral notecards that come in boxed sets

PLEASE NOTE: I LIVE IN CANADA WHERE WE HAVE A REALLY SLOW POSTAL SERVICE - IT CAN TAKE 3-4 WEEKS FOR MAIL JUST TO GET TO THE U.S. AND IT IS WAY TOO EXPENSIVE TO AIRMAIL ALL OF MY SWAPS. I WOULD ASK ANYONE NOT RECEIVING THEIR SWAP WITHIN A MONTH OF THE SEND BY DATE TO CONTACT ME SO THAT I CAN RESOLVE THE SITUATION.

ALSO, MY MAIL BOX AT THE CORNER IS ONLY EMPTIED AT 10 A.M., MONDAY - FRIDAY. IF I MAIL ANYTHING AFTER 10 A.M., IT WILL NOT BE POSTMARKED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY (ON FRIDAY, IT WILL NOT BE POSTMARKED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MONDAY).

THX!

I like just about any kind of music if it's live. At home, I listen to everything from classic choral music to pop to country to Sarah Brightman to Neil Young. My favourite songs are The Dance and The River by Garth Brooks, and Babylon by David Gray.

I tend not to have favourite authors as I read mostly non-fiction. I always have at least 3 books on the go: a serious one, a cookbook, and a craft book. (";)

However, I do make an exception for fiction when it comes to children's books because of their wonderful illustrations! Some of my favourite authors and illustrators are:

• Lucy Cousins
• Roald Dahl
• Eric Carle
• Shel Silverstein
• Laura Numeroff
• Robert Munsch
• Theodor Geisel
• Beatrix Potter
• Tomie DiPaola
• Louisa May Alcott
• Anna Grossnickle Hines
• Margaret Wise Brown
• Robert Louis Stevenson

I am in heaven whenever I find a new thrift shop with a children's book section!

Parrotss and octopuses? So cute!

It's the dragon here that I love!

While I'm partial to creating in fabric (quilting, sewing, postcards) and thread (embroidery, cross stitch), I cannot do this anymore due to deteriorating vision.

I have started playing with paper crafts as they are much easier on the eyes. (";)

I don't knit/crochet/tat or scrapbook, although I love getting these types of items handmade by others.

I love receiving ANYTHING homemade/handmade!

I love Christmas and glitter! From 1984 until 2010, I made about 200 ornaments every Christmas.

My crafting style tends to be minimalist as I just cannot keep adding on - I am amazed at those who can do this and end up with something totally beautiful because all I ever end up with is something that looks like it was sucked on by the cat - and this before my eyes started going. lol

Since I am participating in more PC swaps now, here is a list of my preferences:

I do not care for:
1. The usual, generic tourist type PCs - unless they are made of photographs you took yourself, or have an artistic/unusual look
2. Ad PCs - unless they are related to the arts or food

I like just about everything else (not easily offended) but especially:
1. Altered and handmade (including digitally made by you - I think people are missing out on fun PCs because they don't believe these are acceptable as "handmade")
2. Quirky, funny, unusual, sarcastic, dark, twisted, etc.
3. B&W and sepia photos of people, famous or not
4. Anything related to music, theatre, literature, art, books, etc.
5. Mythical creatures like fairies, unicorns, dragons, witches, gnomes, elves, etc.
6. Christmas (not religious though)
7. Food
8. Quotes, poems, etc.
9. Houses
10. Water
11. Trees
12. Birds

Since I can no longer see well enough to handwrite narrative very legibly, I type almost all of my notes, letter and PCs. (";)

I have sub-normal vision that cannot be corrected with glasses, so usually type my PCs, notes, letters, etc., but I always sign in my own hand. And I am able to read really tiny type/handwriting with the use of a magnifier.

(Info on Macular Degeneration)

Markdown

Resizing huge pictures (from @MichelleWillow ) :

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fz2KkVDdFCI/UJKtLWe-1LI/AAAAAAAAQgQ/ebxaNtGUj0w/s1600/Pepe+and+Senoritas+front+cover.jpg

See the part where it says s1600? Change it to s500.