byXanthe

I live in rural central Wisconsin. Winters are cold, summers are hot, and mosquitos are as big as birds! grins

I guess it was about 2003, I discovered altered art and I fell in love with collage and mixed media. In 2007, I started in on the local art fair circuit. I'm working hard to make my love of art a full time job.

I spend as much time as I can with my husband and my two kids. Our critter list is longer now, we have 2 dogs, 2 guinea pigs, 8 ducks, a kitten, and 1 parakeet. I know crazy huh!

I love to read, garden, and cook.

I love cheesy 80's music, sour candy, and super dark chocolate.

I buy way too many magazines!

I love garage sales and flea markets. Finding a great deal is #1 grins

I use recycled materials in my creations whenever I can.

I love most colors, but greens, blues, and orange are my favs. I'm not of fan of pink though.

Christmas is my favorite holiday, but I'm not religious. I stick with Xmas trees and Santa. Second is Halloween and to some extent Dia de los Muertos. I love funny grinning skulls or skeleton imagery mixed with bright colors. Creepy funny, Tim Burton style

I love to read but lately I have found trouble finding books that are exciting and interesting but not too graphic and full of gore. My 11 yr old's enthusiasm has gotten me into reading books she has read. ie...Tunnels, What-the-Dickens, Inkheart, City of Ember, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Mysterious Benedict Society, Looking Glass Wars, Artemis Fowl, The Invention of Hugo Caberet, The Willoughby's, Bartimaeus Trilogy and so on.

Oh and I do love Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs novels as well as Terry Brooks, Mathew Reilly, and David Gibbons They aren't too yucky for me ;-)

I get most altered art and mixed media books that are published in recent years.

I read magazines like Somerset Studio, Cloth Paper Scissors, ME Home Companion, Country Home, and Art Jewelry. I have had one article I wrote published in Somerset Home in 2007 and another this year in Somerset Holidays and Celebrations.

I knit and crochet, but not too well. I love working in paper and with found objects. My favorite swaps have been charm, dotee, or chunky book swaps. I'd love to do more chunky book swaps! I've been in 4 Artchix Studio swaps and have been on time and prompt in each. I work hard to make nice, fun, and original pages

I don't watch a lot of network TV, all the shows I like keep getting canceled! I watch Mythbusters, Dirty Jobs, Survivorman, Stargate SG1 reruns, new Dr Who, the History and Science channels.

Most of my favorite movies are action or scifi.

I just want to be entertained. I like the National Treasure movies, The original Star Wars, LOTR, MST3K, Bruce Campbell flicks, Shawn of the Dead, and Hot Fuzz.