blackeyedsusan

About hearts... I give lots of hearts. I rate for the swap itself - not extras. Effort and thoughtfulness makes "an extra special package" in my opinion. If you enjoy sending extras, I'm happy to have them but I don't rate extras.

Life happens so IF YOU CAN'T MEET A SWAP DEADLINE, please PM me. I don't mind waiting for a long while as long as (1) you don't host and/or sign up for ANY type of swaps (e-mail and simple swaps included) after the send-by date and (2) you communicate with me periodically. Otherwise, I feel it's fair to leave a "1" rating until I receive the swap.

If you haven't received a swap I owe you, please contact me before rating. I've never missed a swap deadline. Please PM me and I'll RESEND ASAP. I rate promptly. If you haven't gotten a rating from me, I probably haven't received your swap. Please PM me.

I live in central Maryland with my awesome husband and dad. I have four grown children and one grandbaby. I've been caregiver to my chronically-ill dad the last three years. In nice weather we spend a lot of time on the patio because my dad is homebound. We have lots of bird feeders and also feed deer, squirrels and chipmunks. They give as much as they take because we enjoy watching them. Because deer like plants, I container garden - gerbera daisies seem to thrive on our front steps. I take digital photos of just about anything outside, which provides a lot of inspiration for swaps.

A League of Their Own, When Harry Met Sally, The Right Stuff, Godfather Saga, The English Patient, Out of Africa

Mad Men, Project Runway, Scrapbooking, ER, America's Test Kitchen, Everybody Loves Raymond

I love trying new techniques. Since joining Swap-bot I've tried image transfers, watercolors, hand-carved stamps, pop-ups, Shrinky Dinks and collage. I scrapbook, crochet, arrange flowers and sew from time-to-time. I'd like to try crafting with polymer clay sometime. I love to learn tatting in the near future. This past Christmas I rediscovered my love of thread crochet - especially snowflakes. I also tried making handmade Christmas cards this year. Very rewarding.

I'm always pleased when I receive hand-drawn/hand-painted items. They nearly always get a heart from me. It's always great to get a note telling how the swap was created - inspiration, techniques, materials. I like flowers, deer, backyard birds and farm animals (especially chickens). I enjoy vintage/heritage swaps. I love vibrant colors like the color of sunflowers, gerbera daisies and poppies as well as vintage palettes. I love the smell of lavender, mint and citrus.