joyceann888

A sure way to get a heart on a swap is to use one or more 2013 Year of the Snake stamps from any country on the envelope or include used ones inside! I would welcome current and past Chinese (Lunar) New Year stamps from any country! A single playing card with a dragon(s) on it would also guarantee a heart! Actually any dragon item will get you a heart!

Another thing I would love to receive is any GEICO gecko junk mail. I save all envelopes (please open the envelopes carefully so that they are in good shape) and mailers with his picture. Here's a way that junk mail can get you a heart!

I've also started collecting airmail labels, which we no longer use in the U.S. If you get one on an envelope or run across some, I'd love to have them. It's another guaranteed heart!

I always send out my swaps, usually right after the partners are assigned. If you don't get one from me, it's lost in the mail. Please let me know so that I can resend.

Here are some fun, odd, etc. facts about me:

• Travel - we have a travel trailer. The mountains, especially Colorado, are my favorite place. I was born in Colorado, so I love the chance to visit "home" again.

• Reading - anything but bloody stories. Especially books on women in the Old West.

• Letterboxing - see www.atlasquest.com for more info.

• Quilting & crocheting - Hand quilting is my favorite part. I'd rather thread crochet than use yarn.

• Paper crafts - I love working with paper. My favorite paper activities are altered books and rolodex cards, which I totally love creating. I have a rotary file for both sizes of cards, so I like to receive both.

• I love felt and crochet. I really enjoy filet crochet and fun felt projects.

• Junk Journals and Smash Books - I'm loving making and filling these!!! I can finally use all of that stuff I've been hanging on to for years - LOL! I really love using "found" and repurposed papers. I try to use stuff from the mail rather than throw it away.

• Altered Books - I'm hooked!!.

• Altered Rolodex Cards - small, yet so much fun!

• Mail Art is another paper craft that I love!

• Popcorn - the perfect food!

• Bats - I'm a cave fanatic (over 60 caves so far). I collect anything to do with bats.

• Moose - I love these guys. I have lots of moose items, as well.

• Reindeer / Caribou - see moose

• Armadillos - living in Texas, I've come to really like armadillos - postcards, stuffed, etc.

• Owls - owls are a new favorite of mine, especially postcards and pins/pendants.

• Mountains - especially in Colorado. This is my favorite place to be.

• Altered books. Since I enjoy doing these, I'm always looking for goodies to use in them.

• Purple - my favorite color. I also like peach and teal. Really I like almost every shade of purple (lavenders, lilacs, etc., too) and almost every green.

• Tea - I'm a devoted tea drinker. My preference is for black teas, but I do drink green and white teas, especially fruit and minty ones. I don't like coffee flavor in anything. If you have a good licorice tea to share, I'd love to try it!

• Postage Stamps - I would call myself a casual collector. I love postage stamps and keep my favorites. The rest I trade with others. Some of my favorite themes are bats, moose, woodland and mountain animals, teapots, Chinese (Lunar) New Year, Christmas, Colorado, rocks and minerals, and the British Machin series.

• My favorite Christmas themes are reindeer (not big on Santa, though), Christmas trees, and churches.

• I'm a collector at heart. My family says that I have collections of collections. Some of my collections are listed below.

• Yellow is my least favorite color. I'm blond and fair-skinned, so I can't wear it either. My face just disappears.

• I love journals, especially doing altered journals. I tend to prefer ones with blank pages.

• I really like flowers. My favorites are: iris, moss rose, carnations, morning glory, lupine (especially Texas bluebonnets), Indian paintbrush, and columbine (especially blue columbines).

• Forests are a favorite place (especially in the mountains). I love aspen trees!!! Blue spruce is another favorite tree!

• Unfortunately, I'm sensitive to most scents. They give me headaches. I can't do scented candles, bath products or even perfumes. I've only found one perfume in my whole life that I could wear.

Here is a list of the postcard themes that I really like:

• all black "by night" cards
• bats (the flying mammal)
• caribou & reindeer
• aspen trees
• caves
• cows
• gems and jewels
• lava
• map cards
• moose
• mountains
• owls
• rocks and stones
• rubber ducks
• teapots
• volcano (active)
• wild cats
• wildflowers, especially columbines

Here are some of the things I collect: (** - my favorite collections)

• cardboard/paper coffee cuffs*****
• coffee club cards (business card size; buy 10, get one free, etc. Also called "loyalty cards")*****
• bats - anything with bats (the flying mammal). I LOVE bats.*******
• offering/tithe envelopes from churches (vintage or new)******
• single playing cards with a fun/different back. It's extra wonderful if it has bats, owls or dragons on it.****
• ace of spades and jokers from decks of cards****.
• Scratch-off lottery tickets with bats, dragons, moose or any of the things I've mentioned that I like on them (already scratched off)****
• images on paper of the Gieco gecko (like the ones that are on the envelopes they send when trying to get you to buy their products).
• Smokey Bear -- I love all things Smokey!*****
• vintage handkerchiefs with purple flowers on them
• airmail labels****
• miniature perfume bottles (ones specific to a scent)
• moose - small items with moose (stickers, pins, etc.)**
• owls - pins, pendants and on paper****
• teapots by Hall China Company***
• needle threaders
• Christmas tree pins with rhinestones**
• rubber ducks*
• spark plug gappers
• teapot pins
• troll dolls
• postcards (see list above)**