Updated 01/09/2012

Until September of 2011, i worked as a beloved nanny for two wonderful children. They both grew-up, as i knew the time would eventually come, and they went off to school. I miss them very much. After a little soul searching to find what would come next, I applied for a job at my LYS (for non-knitters that is local yarn store). I got the job, and it is perhaps one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. The store is called Wabi-Sabi and it's about more than just knitting. yes, i sell yarn, and yes, I teach people to knit. But I also get to teach people about other fiber crafts, and I get to do something I love every day that I work. I work with really great women, they all have their own creative talents they bring to the table, and the people who come in challenge me to think creatively. I love my new job!

I took a hiatus from swap-bot for most of 2011, that had alot to do with trying to figure out what was coming next in my life, after 4 1/2 great years working with one family. my husband and I moved from an apartment to a townhome, we wanted more space for our art and also because we want a family.

I want to get back into the swing at swap-bot, a site i love. I'm committing to coming on here once a week at a minimum, so if it takes me a few days to respond to a message, please don't fret.

Ottawa is where i call home. I've been here for nearly 6 years now and moved by way of New York City (USA). Yup, I like the little city of Ottawa over NYC. Can you believe it? There is something about all the green space and trees and other little gems right in the heart of the city that makes me feel like I'm getting the best of both worlds. City life and country environment. Could it really be?

I'm currently eligible for dual citizenship. It's high on my list of priorities for 2012.

I live with my husband, He's west on here. He's been kinda quiet on the 'bot for a while, but hopefully when he sees my cool mail, he'll get back into it.

West and I share our home with our wonderful fur family.We have a dog and two cats, whom we love! Wylie is 7 year old rescue who is a loving canine and a cross of airedale terrier, afghan hound and bearded collie. Finnigan is our 5 year old male tuxedo cat, and Smee, our 3 year old female tabby. We might be adding a kitten to the mix this year. We both long for a siamese!

This year, we celebrate 10 years together, 4 of which married. 2012 will hopefully hold the happy news we are expecting, but not yet. Family is very important to me, we do our best to keep in touch, but it's difficult seeing as my family is in NYC, and I'm here.

Lately, alot of my free-time is spent knitting, or making fiber-art, but I really want to start writing again. When I was an adolescent i had some really cool penpals. I miss having pen-friends. it was like keeping a journal, but so great to bounce ideas off of another person! Some of my other interests include watching tv, listening to music, armchair traveling, playing board and card games, postcrossingjournaling, cooking and baking, reading, sewing (hand and machine), photography, jewelry & bead making, spending time out in nature, surfing the internet, swap-bot, my pets, swimming and playing video games (computer games - especially the Sims 3 and games for Wii).

Because of Swap-bot I have encountered some terminology and crafts I was previously unfamiliar with - friendship books, Slams, Decos, Lyrix, matchboxes, whimsy jars, dotees, zines and kawaii. Thanks to some generous swappers here on swap-bot, I've seen examples of friendship books, zines and deco tape and kawaii. I'm still curious about slams, decos, lyrix, matchboxes, whimsy jars and dotees though - and would be forever grateful to the someone(s) who send my examples of these. I'd even be willing to do a private swap for them - let me know what you'd like to swap for!

As I mentioned before, I enjoy penpalling very much and am always looking for penpals from around the world, currently looking for penpals outside of north america. I prefer to have a lasting connection with a penpal - think of a quality friendship than tons and tons of penpals. If you are interested in penpalling or setting up a private swap please let me know. My favorite kind of penpal letters are ones that really tell me about the person writing them - tell me a funny story about something that happened to you, or something at work, places you'd love to visit, odd facts about you, hobbies you're interested in that aren't well-known, top 10 lists, what is happening in your life, etc. I'm particularly fond of long letters and handwritten letters - the more things you tell me, the more things I have to write back to you about!

just putting this out there:

I try to re-use packaging whenever possible, so if you receive something in a recycled envelope, please know that I am trying to do my part to reduce what goes into landfills that could be recycled before being disposed of. I am totally ok if you choose to do the same. I don't mind an envelope that has been through the mail a dozen times - to me, it's what's inside the envelope that is the most important part of the swap

I like most music, really. it depends alot on my mood what i'm drawn to, but I've got a little bit of just about everything in my musical repertoire.

Some Music I love:

Ani Difranco, Bon Iver, P!nk, Neil Young, Talking Heads, Rusted Root, Joshua Radin, Regina Spektor, Chopin, Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, Joss Stone, Adele, Sia, Tegan and Sara, Sigur Ros, Mogwai, dar williams, missy higgins, led zeppelin, metallica, louis armstrong, maceo parker, pink floyd, creedence clearwater revival, rolling stones, tori amos, the new pornographers, teitur, the yeah yeah yeahs among many, many, many others - and always open to new suggestions!

Genres I love:

folk, non-mainstream, dance, trance, pop, hip-hop, 70's, classical, 80's, zydeco, jazz, "mellow".

Recommendations for new music are always welcome!

My favorite book of all time is a tie between Boy's Life by Robert McCammon and the Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

I love the Harry Potter series, anything by Tess Gerritsen, most of Richard Laymon's books, Lovely Bones and Lucky, Jodi Picoult, some of Chuck Palahniuk's Books, Zami, Written on the Body, Jasmine, Winesburg Ohio, Robert Frost's poetry.

genres:

mystery, fiction, new age, classic literature, cookbooks, puzzle books (sudoku, word finds, but not crosswords), art books (how to and about artists), photography (how to and about photographers or styles)

I live for a solid page-turner mystery. Nothing recharges my batteries more than curling up with a good book in comfy spot with a cup of tea and spending hours devouring page after page.

Recommendations of your favorite book (regardless of genre) are always welcome.

I tend to not be a huge fan of biographies, autobiographies, historical fiction and non-fiction, westerns, romance, sci-fi, but if you know of one that is awesome, please tell me about it, I'm always up for a great read!

I own a wide collection of movies and tv shows on dvd. What I watch depends on my mood - but my tastes vary wildly from comedy to drama, to action, to chick flick and some documentary and independent films in between.

Examples:

Comedy:

Very Bad Things, Without a Paddle, American Pie(s), Along Came Polly, knocked up, 40 year-old virgin, juno, empire records

Drama:

The Prestige, Crash, American Beauty, the Beach

Action:

The Rock, Italian Job, The transporter, mr and mrs. smith, kill bill, from dusk till dawn, tremors

Chick flicks/teen movies :

blue crush, 10 things I hate about you, he's just not that into you, the break up, final destination, scream, she's all that

others:

goonies, gremlins, labyrinth, a knight's tale, cheesy horror movies like final destination, psychological thrillers, and my only dislikes are westerns and some horror movies (friday the 13th, freddy, chucky, etc)

Older shows:

that 70's show, 3rd rock from the sun, the x-files, buffy the vampire slayer, dawson's creek, gilmore girls, party of five, fraggle rock, charmed, felicity, i love lucy, roswell, my so called life, csi (las vegas, mostly), the original degrassi high, saved by the bell, and the early 90's tgif's.

more recent:

weeds, big love, true blood, lost, six feet under, dexter, dead like me, nurse jackie, modern family, corner gas, pushing daisies.

not such a huge fan of

family guy, the simpsons, reality tv shows (though, I admit, I'm a sucker for the Real World), talk tv (oprah, dr. phil), the news.

altered art, Atc's, baking, beading & beadmaking, bookmaking, calligraphy, cardmaking, collage, cooking, doodling, domestic crafts (decorating, rearranging furniture, refurbishing, re-modeling, etc) fabric art (dyeing and surface design) friendly plastic, & Felting (needle and wet felting), iris folding, inchies and twinchies, jewellery-making, kirigami, origami, painting, papercrafts, paperweaving, photography, pottery, polymer clay, sculpture, scrapbooking, sewing (by hand and machine), textile-art, quilling, weaving, zentangles and mandalas.

I've made leaps and bounds in the last year in knitting, but i love weaving and spinning too.In 2012 i want to spin some fabulous art yarn. I'm even considering opening my own craft based business.

I like/love (my favorites)...

*Anything Handmade - if it comes from the heart, it always has a special place in mine.

*Anything purple (deep royal purple is the best, to me!)

*Non-mainstream music (I think of this as more like what a college radio station is likely to play, over your more popular radio stations that play top 40 music, or the same songs every other radio station plays)

*Elephants – in photographs, or stylized drawings, figurines, charms, beads, on fabric, you name it. If anyone has any elephant sewing patterns and can mail me a copy, I'd really love it.

*I Collect: Postcards, ephemera and unusual papers especially in languages other than english, vintage advertisements, costume jewelry, rubber stamps, art, examples of coins and paper money from other countries, movies, books, magazines about art, bookmarks, artist trading cards, inchies and twinchies, recycled and upcycled materials & handmade pretties, recipes, plastic bags with words/patterns (to make fusible plastic), fabric (particularly greens, purples, brown, and batik), fibers and ribbons, old photographs, buttons, letter n's in any shape color or size, watch & jewelry parts, game pieces, beads, hair wraps & soft headbands, art supplies, jewelry, ear cuffs, postcards (both blank and those written on and sent naked) - handmade or store-bought, photographs (my own, and those taken by others), doilies, wallpaper with great texture, and in fact - anything with great texture!

*Dolls & Toys: Playmobil and vintage toys and any elephants. I don’t really like dolls unless it’s a handmade softie/dotee. Clowns really freak me out.

*Craft Supplies: paintbrushes, paper, ephemera, product packaging in languages other than English, rubber stamps, recycled things, fibers and ribbons, fabric, buttons, old photographs, yarn , game pieces, beads

*Decades/time periods: 1920’s – late 1980’s. renaissance, gothic & steampunk inspired also. big fan of the hippie/bohemian look.

*Colors:

Always Winners: Purple, Avocado or Wasabi Green, teal (deep turquoise) Chocolate Brown, Black

I am always drawn to earthtones (red clay, rusty orange, brown, greens, and jewel tones). I'm a big fan of bold or graphic patterns. My home contains alot of purple, teal, green, aqua, blue and turquoise. The only color I am not so fond of is soft shades of pink ( if forced to pick a shade though, I much prefer magenta!)

*Animals: Elephants, cats, dogs, koalas, birds (especially in silhouette)

*Randomness:

tea, coffee, art journaling, hot chocolate, chocolate, candy in interesting packaging, the smell of the ocean, landscapes of the ocean, thunderstorms, heart shaped rocks, thrift store and flea market finds, tattoos and piercings, dancing in the rain, handmade art, candles, smelly bath products (I love lush & bath and body works and the body shop), dr. bronners soap, thought provoking quotes, jokes, tribal and native art and artifacts, packaged foods (especially tea) and sweets, beads to wear in my dreadlocks (with a hole approximately the size of the top end of a chopstick), chunky or oversized jewelry, the scent of vanilla, the smell of fresh cut grass, diversity and acceptance, equality, dreadlocks, showing one's creative spirit ('originality'), sazon (a goya seasoning commonly found in the states, but I can't find in Canada), natural scents like hemp, patchouli, sandalwood, and mint.

Smee, the youngest of our fur family loves tiny shiny things so please, please, pretty please do not include a tuck-in like confetti or glitter. If you do include any small items, please contain them to an inner envelope or bag so they don't end up being ingested by one of my furry family. Thanks so much!

Disney related things (unless I specifically join a swap where these are part of the swap)

pudding & Jello

food products containing gelatin or fish ( I am allergic to fish and fish bi-products)

frilly things

floral perfume and or floral smelly things.

anything related to clowns

lace, cherubs and victorian decor (florals, pink and lace - i'm just not that kind of girl)

Please do not send any homemade, raw, or unpackaged/unsealed foods. Canadian customs can seize your package if you include these things. (tea is an exception when it is sealed, please no loose teas or unsealed teabags)

Allergies:

(please note, I have sensitive skin and am asthmatic, so the below trigger allergic reactions in my skin and may also trigger an attack, so please do not send)

base metals in pierced jewelry (silver or surgical steel earwires only please)

latex

all fish and seafood including shellfish

I am sensitive to cat and dog dander (despite having pets of my own).

things smelling strongly of cigarette smoke.

About Swaps:

Mail I send:

Delivery from Canada to elsewhere in North America takes approximately 5 -10 business days for most letters and small packages, so please be sure to allow enough time for delivery. If you are outside North America, please allow sufficient time for delivery for your country (2-6 weeks), and use my "sent" date as an indicator for when to expect your mail.

Items will always be mailed in a timely fashion (sometimes early, but always by the send-by date). I only click "sent" after I have physically dropped your item(s) in a mailbox, or at a post office. For tag items, I will send you a message to let you know it's in the mail. In the event that you do not receive your swap/tag item and the average travel time for your country (from north america) has passed, please let me know so I can send a replacement. If you receive an item from me that you feel does not adequately meet swap requirements, please send me a message. I only send items that are a quality I'd like to receive, however,if you feel differently, I would prefer to attempt to set things right than receive a negative rating. In the event that I would need to be late on a swap, I will communicate this to you, along with a projected send date, as well as a follow-up when it's in the mail. I don't anticipate this being an issue, but I just want to put it out there, how I'd plan to go about it. I expect the same courtesy from my swap partners regarding if they need to mail a swap late or a swap not meeting requirements.

Canada Post does not process mail on weekends - so there is no saturday mail deliveries and no weekend postmarking, so please go by my "sent" date as per the individual swap for an item being sent on time, and not solely on a postmark date. Ie, If I mail something on a sunday and the deadline falls on a sunday, it won't be processed in the mail center until a monday (when it hopefully receives it's postmark) but it was actually mailed on time.

Mail You Send:

My mail slot is fairly small, and if the package you send doesn't fit in it, it goes to my local postal outlet. Sometimes it takes me a few days to get there, so if you haven't received a rating from me, this might be part of the reason.

If you are unfamiliar with the process for sending an item to Canada (ie, filling out a customs declaration form and when you need one), contact your local post-office for instructions ( I can try to help too - but I only really know about the USPS and Canada Post systems).

From time to time we get something in the mail that just doesnt suit us. If it is handmade, I will always keep it. If it is something to craft with, I add it to my stash if it's something I can use, if not, I may re-gift it to another swapper. Please don't be insulted by this practice - I like to share things with others that I know they will enjoy rather than hold on to it forever and it never gets used or just toss it and it could've served a greater purpose.

** Please be sure to include the name of the swap and your swap-bot name in or on your package. It makes rating a whole lot easier! A little note about your experience with the swap, how your day was, a favorite quote, or why you send the items you did is always a nice touch, and never goes un-appreciated**

Ratings & Hearts:

I always try to rate an item within a week after I receive it. My policy regarding ratings is simple - I always rate based on effort put into a swap to have it meet requirements, not on skill or ability for craft based swaps. I also like to send messages when I've received a tag item. I award hearts based on effort (moreover, the "heart" that was put into a swap, it itsn't necessarily based on including "extras" but time and effort put into the swap (including extras does not guaruntee a heart anymore than a heartfelt envelope or package does). To put it simply - It makes my day when I get a piece of mail that shows that my partner has really read my profile and tries to send things I like. Even if the mark is missed, I always appreciate when someone takes the time to send things they think I'll really love. I try to rate fairly and objectively (not based on whether or not I like the item, but that it was sent by the deadline and that it met guidelines) .

In the event that I do not receive mail from you and it is atleast 2 weeks past your send by date (and the send-by deadline) I will send you a private message before giving a rating. i like to give people the benefit of the doubt.

I love swap-bot. I take swapping seriously in the sense that I'm accountable for the swaps I am involved in, and at the same time I think it should be fun. I love getting mail (that isn't bills!) so If you feel as though I have rated you unfairly, please send me a message and we can discuss it. I hope swap-partners will afford the same courtesy. I believe that communication is key. I love the wide variety of people on here, various skill levels and talents and truly acknowledge and embrace that variety - so I'm always pleasantly surprised by the things I receive.

I appreciate ratings very much from my partners! I believe the rating system is an essential part of making Swap-bot as a whole and individual swaps successful. It's incentive for people to mail their swaps in a timely fashion, put effort and take pride in the mail they send and most swappers rely on these ratings to join other swaps and groups.

Lateness:

I understand we all have lives outside of time we spend on the computer and sometimes other obligations creep up. If you need to send a swap/tag item late - please PM me BEFORE the swap send by deadline if at all possible. I will weigh this in when completing your rating. I am less lenient if you make no effort to communicate with me, or if you send me a message at the end of the day on the day our swap is to be mailed or after the swap deadline has passed. Obviously, if there are extenuating circumstances, I'll understand, I am human. If you do not let me know that you will be late with a swap, I will rate accordingly. It is my opinion that the person who mails out the swap is responsible for initiating communication.

Flakers/non-senders/non-raters:

I will report flakers (those who flake on swaps I participate in as my partners) and those who flake/don't mark sent on swaps I host will also be banned from future swaps I host. If I am an officer or a member in a group that you flake in, I will report you to the founder. Flaking is something I feel very strongly about - it's no fun to send a package and receive nothing in return - it ruins the fun for the rest of us!

Hosting:

I pledge as a host to take the time to address questions in a timely fashion, and to monitor the swap for suspicious swappers and known flakers. In the event that your partner, in a swap I host, flakes on you, please contact me. I will first try to help you resolve the situation if it's been more than 2 weeks after the send by date (longer if your partner is international) and there is no indication the item has been sent and no communication from the person has been received. If the item was marked sent, I encourage you to wait atleast 2-3 weeks for national mail, or mail on the same continent, and up to 7 weeks for international mail. If at this point, there is still no resolution, I will either help you find someone to angel your swap, or I will angel it myself.

Angeling:

If you stumble upon my profile, and happen to have been flaked on for a particular swap and are looking for an angel, let me know, I might be able to send you a replacement, just send me a message about it, don't be shy! This includes crafty swaps, I'll try just about anything once - if your goal is to get a piece of heartfelt mail in exchange for the one you sent - I'm your gal!

If you angel a swap for me, I will always let you know that I received your angel (by private message). I like to also post your swap-bot name as an angel in my profile, and leave a comment in yours. If you'd rather I not do this, please let me know.

Private messages/e-mails:

I respond to messages in a timely fashion, so send me a message if you have any questions.

Flakers & Angels

MinnieMelissa flaked on me for the Punks with Pens Penpal Swap. A big heartfelt thank you goes out to my two lovely angels for this swap: bblue & flutterby42. You both did such great jobs with your letters and I look forward to corresponding with you both!

AliciaAmy flaked on me for the Tell Me About Your Wedding swap. Item was marked sent. A big thank you (from the bottom of my heart) goes out to CSNYfan, for Angeling this swap and doing an incredible job with it!

AliciaAmy flaked on her partner in the My favorite photo swap that I hosted. Item was marked sent. Angel was sent and received.

Cclibrarian flaked on her partner in the Send me a handmade bookmark swap that I hosted. Item was marked sent. Angel was sent and received.

TheMuseFactory (profile has been deleted) flaked on me for this private swap. She marked it as sent, I never received anything, and she never replied to my messages. she has since deleted her profile :(

Tags: this is where i'll post about pending tags (for my own reference)

no pending tags owing or awaiting as of 1/2012