lavenderspretty

• I wanted to update everyone about my situation. Our family has run into a difficult time financially, and I'm behind on a lot of swaps.Please know that I haven't forgotten you and will mail as soon as I can. Due to this hardship I won't be signing up for future swaps until I'm able to send faithfully and ontime....please accept my appologies and be as patient as you can.Otherwise, I'll have to accept the ratings that come to me.Thanks! * I'm a stay-at-home mommy of 4,all under the age of 7. I have a loving husband of 8 years who is very supportive of my love for art,even when I decided to paint our bedroom pink....a nice sunset shade mind you, not cottoncandy!I love to spend time with my family, they make me so proud and life is so much more enjoyable when you're surrounded by family. ~I enjoy making art of all kinds;atc's, collage on wood, painting, sewing cards and crazy quilties, jewelry, dotees,assemblage....you name it and I've made it! ~In my free time (yes,I do have free time,lol) I enjoy running 2-3 miles, making art, writting in my journal (I'm up to number 40 now), swimming for fun and excercise, going to the beach(we live 15 min, away from the coast in south florida),listening to music, emailing the many friends I've made through swap-bot, posting pic's on flickr, breathing deeply and enjoying nature.I frequently have tea and coffee breaks with friends, play board games with friends and my oldest daughter and try to keep up with folding my laundry,lol!

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I love music,and grew up in a very musical family.I believe myself to be very ecclectic in my adoration of music but do tend to shy away from rap. I enjoy music with a lot of artistic expression, the stuff that makes you think.My absolute fave timeperiod in music would have to be 1940's, then the 50's and 60's.

currently playing in my I-pod: ~ALL Radiohead....I simply adore radiohead, I get chills. ~coldplay ~Ella fitzgerald,billie holliday, dinah washington, duke ellington,louis armstrong, carmen mcrae, ~old jazz, especially female chanteuses, and strictly instrumental improv. ~sixpence none the richer, vineyard,rita springer ~steely dan,all led zepplin(all time fave clasic rock group), ~salsa and cuban afro all stars, victor manuel ~seether,tantric, ~classical concertos, especially ones with violin or cello, as well as all of schubert and debussys works. ~squirrel nut zippers ~beatles(mainly earlier stuff) I could go on and on and on...... ~ ~

I enjoy the classics mostly: ~Jane Austen ~steinbeck ~louisa may alcott ~dickens I do enjoy fiction, mainly lighthearted and easy reading when I read this type....always looking for a book that I can't put down.

I also collect vintage childrens lit. like: ~winnie-the-pooh `Alice in wonderland ~pippi longstocking ~stewart little ~bobbsy twins

I read books on art,like atc's and collage,as well as decorating books(shabby chic and cottage style mostly)

I don't watch much tv,frankly It cuts into my art time,but when I do it's mostly in the fall when footballs on (go colts!), pbs , I really enjoy their documentaries (as well as the 'carrier' series, following servicemen and women on a carrier).Hgtv, food network or the hallmark channel...I love the sappy stuff.

colors: all pastels,especially pink and green combinations, yellow, lavender,blue.....pretty much any color as long as it's pastel.I really like shabby chic design because of the colors. ~I love fabric of all kinds ~bird watching,we have awesome birds year around here in florida! favorites are cardinals, blue jays, hummingbirds, sandhill cranes, wood storks, rosaette spoonbills. ~tea:green, chamomile, herbal ~strong coffee ~chocolate ~fairies(I collect fairy figures) ~anything super sweet and girlie ~teapots( I collect tea pots) ~artist trading cards ~buttons(I collect buttons) ~beads(glass/swarovsky) ~I love flowers! fave.indoor:violet Fave outdoor:bougonvilla, dessert rose fave cut: Iris,hydrangea fave 'smelly':jasmin and gardenia ~I'm really into cosmology;the study of the stars, planets, heavens ~I like kawaii, as well as the whole hello kitty line(sanrio, I guess I should say...), especially Pippo the pig. I have a tattoo of pippo on my left ankle so anything pippo would be truely cool! I followed hello kitty in high school, thus the tat....

My favorite materials for making trading cards are:vintage photos, especilly children,glitter,fabric,buttons...I love BUTTONS, I even collect them just to look at them!!opaque powders added to watered down acrylic paint,paints and glitter paints,stamps,inks,ribbon, textured tape, stickers (especially embossed),pressed flowers, eyelets and brads, poetry, BIRDS...i love birds on cards...always puts a smile on my face,faery wings, rub ons, text and printed papers of all kinds.I'm always open to trying new materials.UPDATE: Lately I've been doing a lot of sewing on my cards,mostly seed beads and other beads, freehand or following the pattern on fabric.This is very time consuming but extremely fun and addictive! I'm into cards with a lot of texture, depth and substance.I put a lot of thought into my cards and really appreciate it when others do as well.I enjoy seeing styles other than mine in a card,I don't however enjoy any anti-christianity themed art since I am a believer.thank you for respecting this.

I'm really in to the dotee doll craze!I've been hand sewing for a long time but just never thought to make a little doll.the attraction really lies in the fact that they remind me of when my babies were newborn, how you swaddle them up to keep them feeling secure.their little arms and legs aren't visible,only their face and it's super sweet.I'd love to recieve a shabby chic inspired dotee.

sommerset studio/life/gallery backissues (magazine)

cloth,paper, scissors (magazines)

perle #8 thread

silk or ribbon thread

glass beads

buttons, buttons, buttons.....did I say buttons?

fabric with birds on it (5x5in. is fine)

junk watches

fibers

"pretty little things" sally jean alexander

quality atc's (made by you)

Tea bags, loose tea,hot chocolate, especially unique brands special to other countries.

mix cds for my kids, from your kids collections (this can be a private swap, I'll send you one, you send me one)

cancelled postage stamps, especially from other countries.

vintage jewelry, to wear or use the parts (ok if it's broken)

paisley pastel fabric (think cute)

unique tea infusers

penpals from japan, germany,Finland, any other french speaking countries

I'm just starting to explore this art form, thanks to my friend malinaplass from Norway. I really appreciate the beauty in this very detailed and personal form of sewing.Hopefully I'll get good at it over time, but any advice, tips, supplies that you can help me with would be cool!I'm currently an officer in the crazy quilties group and really enjoy helping salfra, the founder,run things

I've made several friends here on swap-bot and love to hear from those who share like interests.If you have my name in a swap, or vice versa, please feel free to talk with me.I'm always open to making a new friend.Please know that I ALWAYS rate and would appreciate the same.

PLEASE KNOW:If you ever recieve anything from me that you can't use please feel free to send it to someone who can, as I will do the same...no use letting good things go to waste :)