skybridgestudios

If you are reading my profile to find out what I might like... yippeeee! I love you for it.

I'm a collector of bits and pieces of Antique, Unusual or Vintage items.

• Antique
• GLASS BEADS in all shapes!
• Vintage
• OLD!!!

I'd rather receive One Nice or Thoughtful Thing than 1,000 pieces or things just tossed together!

...and I want to send You something remarkable!

Extraordinary. Interesting! Something you'll remember as your best swap on the Bot! Just be sure to mark the name of the swap and your name (and swap-bot name) on the envelope so I can complete ratings accurately!

I once purchased over 300 pounds of buttons at an auction. It's been several years since and I've traded, crafted, sold, and swapped well over 200 pounds of them, but I still have a remarkable stash to share. Recently purchased about 20 pounds of Mississippi River MOP buttons.

My favorite things to collect are Vintage/Antique paintsets, paintbrushes of all types (not plastic handles) and antique writing tools: dip pens, nibs, blotters, ink bottles, sealing wax and seals.

• Squished pennies
• Beads! Especially Czech glass blue, red, gold, turquoise glass
• Vintage crocheted potholders
• Curious antique hand tools
• Antique or Vintage photographs, cabinet cards, tintypes (especially of animals)
• Victorian or Edwardian calling cards, especially calligraphy samples or old calligraphy books
• Antique or vintage paper, trade cards, or old books about calligraphy, typesetting, bookbinding etc.
• Vintage photography, letters, old fashioned recipe booklets, blueprints, and drawings
• Vintage and antique perfumes and incense
• Antique incense burners
• Vintage and antique rubberstamps
• Vintage Paint boxes and pencil boxes
• Origami
• Zines
• Handmade Paper
• Old fashioned dip pens and nibs
• Magazines from the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s

Beads - Vintage. I'd rather have fewer super nice beads than half a pound of cheap glass. Always a heart rating when I receive a few nice beads! I love Czech and/or Venetian glass, German sugar beads, French vintage, and Chinese enamel, or cloisonne. Any Asian, Indonesian, Scandinavian, Mideastern, Nepali or other "Eye" beads, or Ethnic unusual are greatly appreciated... but I already have lots of African sand beads.

Stone beads, especially moss agate, picture rock, or natural items like coral, pearl, shells like operculum (as opposed to puka or heishi!). I like a lot different kinds of beads, and appreciate their rich history and try to use them appropriately in my craft/artworks.

Handmade beads, Venetian glass, Czech glass, Wedding Cake beads, Native trade beads, etc. It's easiest to say no plastic, unless it's bakelite or something remarkable. I like good lampwork and dichroic beads.

Antique Buttons - I collect antique and vintage beads, buttons, lace, tatting, and trims, so you will always get something nice from me if I can figure out what to send you by reading your profile.

And I do read profiles before swaps.

Not so interested in dolls, toys, or licensed things like Disney, Sesame Street, Kawaii, etc.

But! I will not allow my personal likes/dislikes to color my rating of your swap, and will pass along these objects.

I'd never damage or trash anything that's obviously been carefully selected, thoughtfully packaged and sent to me.

Final thoughts: First impressions are important!

So, when I'm leaving a comment on Your Profile for a Swap, I won't leave lame messages like: "...we have nothing in common, so have a nice day." I have enough dignity to treat you the way I would want to be treated, and will make an effort to find an uplifting message, quote, or think about you and your profile long enough to visualize you as a person and say something more intelligent and interesting than "we have nothing in common."

I'll leave these thoughtless little droppings on my page so others will know in advance what they can expect from swapping with you.

You'll get a 5 for completing the Swap, but not my respect. ;)

I try to read everyones profile in a swap before the signup deadline, just so I know who my the swap participants are. It's interesting reading, too. There are some very talented people here!

• Mail Art
• Artistamps
• Zines
• Etegami
• Book making
• Calligraphy, hand lettering
• Painting
• Collage

I like fiber hand crafts and have learned a few crazy quilt and embroidery stitches. This will never be my strong suit though I give it my best shot.

There are so many crafts I'd like to try, and I've made lampwork beads, tried ceramics, origami, papermaking, marbling, gilding, kitemaking, but there's always something new and interesting.

ARE YOU A QUILTER/TEXTILE CRAFTER? If you're interested take a look at my blog for a Textile Mail Art call to see the artwork I've received, or better yet, send something for the exhibit: Textile Mail Art

Anything that is done well or with passion.

MUSIC - Don Cherry - Waterboys - Yann Tiersen (he did soundtrack for Amélie) - Paolo Conti - Billie Holiday, Victoria Spivey, Ma Rainey - Angelo Badalamenti (he did soundtrack for Twin Peaks) - Ken Nordine (word jazz, yes I like poetry of all kinds) - Sigur Rós - Leonard Cohen - Phillip Glass - Pat Methaney - Wims Merten - October Project - Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings - Eric Clapton - Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, Mozart - More! more! more...

TELEVISION

House, Dexter, Carnivale, Antiques Roadshow, most PBS/History Channel. I tend to watch films and not television (mostly for news/weather and even that I find I get better information from the internet), but that said I still enjoy watching the Simpsons.

BOOKS

Favorites are Gulliver's Travels, The Lost Domaine (Le Grande Meaulnes) anything by Rikki Ducornet, Henry James. I'll read just about anything, though. Popular Mysteries, science fiction, fables and fairy tales. Poetry, books about Language, Typography, and Art. Books about food... Brillat-Savarin, MFK Fisher, historic books about cooking, especially ethnic or first nation, enjoy Alton Brown but can do without the pop-cooks (except Anthony Bourdain and Jamie Oliver).

MAGAZINES

I love Found Magazine, Fortean Times, Communication Arts, HOW Magazine, or Arts magazines in general.

POETRY

Haiku, Spoken Word, Visual. One of my favorite books as a kid was Louis Untermeyers Book of Verses, I loved the combination of illustration/words.

I'm always willing to rerate after receiving the swap, and appreciate direct communication because it's respectful and heads off unnecessary confusion and drama.

I understand Swapbot is not, nor should it be, the primary focus of our lives. There is Never an Excuse to not let your swap partner or coordinator know you're in over your head. Let there be no shame in your game!

It's A Flakey Cryin' Shame...

Don't let your name show up here! (I will re-rate as soon as I receive MIA swaps).