aonbelay

I'm a southern California girl and I swear I run on solar power. I love a good thunder storm, but since we don't get those out here, the crappy gloomy days bring me down.

I am super sarcastic and love anyone (or anything) with a good sense of humor. My life could be described as eclectic, I love a little bit about everything. Things that might be off putting to some people don't really bother me. Jocks, history buffs, travelers, nerds, geeks, drag queens, punks,homosexuals, artists, actors, you name it I'm friends of them all!

I was laid off from my company and I'm finding that unemployment is hard and trying to find a job is even harder. Right now I'm temping for a company and hopefully they'll hire me on. I'm recently single as my boyfriend moved for his job (long distance isn't realistic so we sadly and mutally cut ties). The good news is that I have tons of interesting friends and a great family (guess I should visit them more huh?).

I love venturing to day festivals. I love the renaissance faire and feel compelled to get a new costume piece every year. I also love red wine and any and all accessories having to deal with the experience.

I love snail mail! I send some of my friends snail mail often and the results are always fantastic. I am so busy these days that I don't often have time to get together with my artsy type people and get inspired. I thought this place would help to give me a boost!

I have always been a scrapbooker (even before it was considered the "in" thing to do) and I spend most of my time nowadays on other people's projects. Most of my art ends up as gifts. I feel weird keeping it all to myself (except for the scrapbooks of my photos). I'm a crafting goddess and love to create! I like doing paper bag albums because they are fun and quick, and this has lead me to do more 8x8 albums. Somehow they are less daunting than the 12x12.

I watercolor, but only when my muse decides to visit (it isn't very often). Anything I create otherwise never seems to turn out right. I have a passion for painting nudes and have kept a few to hang on the walls.

I do a little bit of toll painting (probably not even spelling it right) because it's fun to make pretty gifts. So any paint/paint sets or wooden pieces like: frames, bird houses, boxes etc. would be great!!

I love photography and just about all mediums except rubberstamping. I just never really got into dealing with ink and the mess.

I have done embroidery in the past. Not needlepoint or cross stitch, but more of my own thing. I love making flowers with silk ribbon, but it takes a lot of time and effort and these days that just doesn't sound appealing.

I'm trying my hand at some doll making, and it's all done by hand as I don't own a sewing machine. They don't always come out as planned, but I put a lot of love into them.

I just found out about ATC's (I must have been under a rock) and thought it was such an awesome idea!

LOVE postcards!!! I love naked post cards from your area. I'm planning on creating a scrapbook album that show-cases unique/handmade/beautiful postcards. I would love one in addition to any swap. If you send me one; please tell me about yourself or the area your from (thanks in advance).

My favorite colors (in no order): Rust, blue, turquoise, white, lavender, pink, chocolate and black.

I'm REALLY into MINI albums right now that are 6x6 or smaller. Anything from matchbox albums to little pop out albums (see my blog for examples). I love coordinating paper, flowers, brads and punch-out embellishments to decorate them with so little "kits" of coordinating items is a HUGE favorite of mine.

LOVE matchbox fills!!! I love making them and receiving them!!! I use brads in a ton of projects so the more of them the better, but I love any tiny surprise you can stuff it with!

Favorite Scents: NATURAL (not artificial) Vanilla, violet, rose, peppermint, and lemon (anything other than these sets off my allergies and asthma)

As far as crafting goes: * Mini scrapbook albums * scrap book templates/sketches ect. * 3-D and chipboard embellishments, * Tags * fun stickers * Blank cards (any kind) * blank post cards * book marks * color combos: chocolate brown with baby pink or blue, blue and green * anything: DCWV, basic grey, Jolee's, K & Company * I LOVE coordinating paper and embellishments * bold colors * zig memory system 2 way glue * collage style themes and pieces * geometric stencils * brads (any color or size!) * scrapping flowers * anything Disney * vintage paper dolls * anything mermaid or fairy * My favorite styles: - 1950's or earlier vintage, goth (but not demonic), art nouveau, renaissance, collage (incorporating art mediums with photos) and pinup-cheesecake

I love the outdoors and I'm a sucker for lush gardens. Right now my green thumb is restricted to 3 happy house plants (apartment living can be a bitch eh'?).

Some random stuff: I like Lavender (the plant, color and smell). Lisa Frank, Kawaii, Elephants, owls and bears are my favorite animals, but lobsters & crabs make me laugh. I love flowers, red wine, the renaissance period, the 40's and 50's, swing dancing, pin-ups &/or cheesecake, poetry (all types), fairies/mermaids, fairy tales (my favorites: Cinderella, the little mermaid and sleeping beauty), Disney, bold colors, quizzes, post cards, dark chocolate, tea in any form or flavor (except spice and orange), kit-kat bars, tiny size chicklets (in the yellow packs), and western stuff (cowboy hats, horses & boots etc).

I'm totally into elemental stuff like suns/moons, crystals, and natural woods and stones. My favorites are amethyst, turquoise and rose quartz. I think the mind is a powerful thing and I'm really into "the Secret" right now.

Please don't send any of the following: I'm not big into pasty pastels (think 80's) or plaid patterns and I can't stand eyelets!!! Since I LOVE paper, I already have a ton of paper scraps from my own projects and really don't want any more. If you're doing an envie-stuff swap, please find something else to fill it with (thanks). I'm really not into wedding, baby, barn yard animals,religious, crosses, Angels, or anything super goth as far as craft themes/items go. I also can't wear earrings (even gold and silver), I'm super allergic so please don't send me any (love silver rings, chains and pendants though).

I have REALLY bad allergies to smoke (fireplace or cigarettes) and to flowery cheap fragrances. As much as I love homemade soaps/lotions I just can't use them. I turn into a giant hive scary. Candles are ok, but only scents listed above in the favorite's section. I'm not picky, just allergic :(

Clowns and Daddy long legs scare the bejeebers out of me (or anything else with long crawly legs!). White/milk chocolate and gummie candies rank up there with meatloaf and cottage cheese (not that these are things that would be shipped, but still!).

How I rate: I used to give hearts out to everybody, but have since learned better after getting some horrible swaps. I wish could rate lower, but since they meet the swap requirements, I have to use hearts as a gauge.

HEARTS: If you actually read through my profile to find out what I like. If I can tell you put a lot of time/love/money/thought into my swap and maybe threw in a few extra things, you'll get a heart!

NO HEART: If you didn't put any thought or effort into my package. If you send only the bare minimum and didn't even work on the swap. If you send me something that barely met the requirements (example: for a package swap, you found the tinest box possible and only got me dollar store items), you won't be getting a heart. I know everyone is pinching pennies, but that doesn't mean you can't take the time and effort to make something nice. That's what this place is all about anyways.

SHIPPING: I always ship out as soon as possible! If you don't get your item within 2 weeks of the SEND date, please email me ASAP and we'll figure it out.

*Also, I put a lot of love into my packages and usually stuff them with extras. I would hope you would put some time and effort into my swap instead of finding the cheapest dollar store item to fit the bare minium requirements.

I LOVE TO READ!!! My favorite genres are: Mystery, Thriller, Historical fiction (like westerns or Renaissance books), historical romance, comedy and Fantasy. I also love beautifully illustrated childern's books.

I DISLIKE receiving books that are from the middle of a series. If you want me to read a new series, please send me the first book. I'm also not a fan of Stephen King or Nora Roberts (I know that that's totally against most reader's creeds).

Favorite authors: James Rollins, Douglas Preston, Janet Evanovich (plum series only), brothers grim, Karen M. Morning, the Twilight Series and the rift war series by Feist

Books: The time traveler's wife (so good), green darkness, swan song, Linors, The secret, interview with a vampire, the giver, trashy romance novels that take place in the renaissance era, the joy luck club.I also just started reading the fever series by Karen Morning and so far I'm in love!

I love getting mix CD's and listen to a wide selection of tunes. Here's a brief list to give you an idea: Korn, System of a Down, Barenaked Ladies, The Bangles, Animated Disney movie songs, Songs from musicals, Lily Allen, Classical Piano, Just about anything from the 90's.......there's more, but I'm drawing a blank at the moment. The only thing I don't like is Rap. Country is okay, but I can only handle a few songs before I want something else to listen too.

I have a large variety of movies i like: 300!!!!,40 year old virgin, office space, the emperor's new groove, Fried green tomatoes, 50 first dates, the quiet man, the matrix, a tree grows in Brooklyn, joe dirt, the cowboys, Jarhead, The Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty,A League of Their Own, When Harry Met Sally, gone with the wind, Joe vs. the volcano, kung-fu movies, pretty much any thing that has John Wayne in it, the searchers, Anne of green gables (the first 4 tapes), romy and michelle's high school reunion, clueless, euro trip, deep impact, Shakespeare in love, The sound of music, Ever after, The little Mermaid, Beauty and the beast, Cinderella, Sleeping beauty (what can I say? I'm a kid at heart), grapes of wrath, under the Tuscon sun.....

I would like to try dotees. I don't have a sewing machine so sewing crafts are hard, but I think a dotee would be fun. I also haven't tried ATC's and don't even know where to begin. A sample as a gift in any swap would be much appreciated! I do A LOT of scrapbook projects so any new layouts or papercrafts are cool too.

I would love anything homemade from you! If you have a specialty, I would love to see what you create (using cricut, crochet, matchbox shrines etc.)! LOVE postcards SENT THROUGH THE MAIL (complete with message and stamp)! I am hoping to get one from all 50 states and as many countries as I can. I would love to hear about your life (family, job, hobbies etc.). I LOVE to receive items I can't get locally so any fun local things you take for granted, I'd love to get my hands on.

I'm constantly working on various paper crafts from greeting cards to Scrapbooks. When I do albums I typically stay with a specific paper line/theme. That being said I would LOVE any paper/stickers/embellishments within that line. I love getting duplicates as you can never have enough. If you have any of these, I would greatly appreciate receiving them!

On Going Projects:

Camping Album - Colorbok "Friendly Forest" - DCWV "Green" - K&Company "Wild Saffron"

Renaissance Faire Album - DCWV "Once upon a time"

Disneyland Ablum - Jolee Any land/princess/character embellishments

Altered book with the theme "predictions" - Anything dealing with fortune telling like: gypsies, crystal balls, elements: sun/moon/earth/fire/air/water, tarot cards, zodiac, palm reading etc. - I like sepia and bold jewel tones (think Gypsy colors!)