snpyrunner

I have a Masters in Art Edu (graduated in May 2007), just waiting for that perfect teaching job to come around. In the meantime, I am also pursuing a degree in special education online. I live in upstate New York... where it's very cold in the winter, and equally hot in the summer. Besides practicing my art I enjoy just about anything outdoors like running, kayaking, hunting, camping, fishing, all of the above. I LOVE cats and have three named Effie, Lola, and the third we call "Big Kitty" (although she has been nicknamed "Callie" as well). I of course expect to be a cat lady someday, just not the creepy one down the block. I live with my wonderful boyfriend of two years +. He's amazingly optimistic about just about everything and makes me laugh everyday- a rarity in life. We just bought a house and will be closing on September 3rd. It is our first home!

Just a side note: I have a pretty busy hectic life (don't we all?) and sometimes I forget to rate... PLEASE just PM me and let me know! It's no problem and I will rate right away.

Brad Paisley is my all time favorite country artist. Country, the blues, a little alternative. Guitar music is good. I even like some of the pop music renditions that are designed for dance clubs. They are great upbeat tunes I listen to when running. Like Justin Timberlake's "What goes around comes around". Normally I wouldn't blare these on the radio, but they are the right tempo for a run. Brad Paisley, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Reba, Chris Caigle, and the list goes on!~

Author named Sarah Addison Allen, she only has 2 books out, "Sugar Queen" is really great!, Wally Lamb, T. Greenwood, Alice Sebold, James Patterson (only the crime ones), and a new author I have found, A.M. Holmes. Also love how-to books on the arts or anything on art criticism. I subscribe to Art in America and The Artist's Magazine. True Crime like Anne Rule, in search of The Green River Killer if anyone has a copy.

• Die Hard or anything with Bruce Willis
• When Harry Met Sally
• Hostage
• As Good as it Gets
• Blade (I only have the first one)
• Harry Potter
• Kiss the Girls
• Along Came a Spider

All the crime shows, CSI, Bones (my fav.), Cold Case, Medium, Law and Order SVU, Fringe

New and in LOVE with paper-piecing so send any patterns my way! I do a lot of metallurgy and jewelry making, I enjoy welding and forging the most, but of course don't have the tools for the job. I have ceased making beaded jewelry. Too many people out there are doing it and it just doesn't seem to be selling in my area. I find it too tedious. However, I still do include semi-precious stones in my work. I do pen and ink drawings of mostly wildlife. The can be seen on my Etsy shop. I quilt as well. I have 3 quilts going; snoopy, cats, and a burgundy, red, purple quilt. None of which are near started... just collecting. I also have a Harry Potter quilt half done somewhere. I have my own small business where I do craft shows. I'm kind of just getting started but have been selling jewelry and most recently my pen and ink drawings. Used to do ATC's but have branched away from that.

I would love to receive the following:

Working on a baby quilt for a friend, if you have monkey fabric that would be wonderful!

Lemon scented soap- Paper-piecing patterns- I LOVE BIRDS- 100% cotton quilting fabrics - batiks - cat related items (although I only have one cat of the three that will eat treats) - quilt blocks - quilt patterns - slices of geodes- nice stone cabochons - handmade tote bags - art supplies - your old quilting/jewelry making/art magazines - recipes - cooking related items - baking recipes - unique ideas and techniques you want to share - jewelry - art articles - teas (I love fruit teas and the black variety teas, teas with antioxidants, and teas with caffeine) - big coffee drinker! - PrismaColor colored pencils - NuPastels - Art Lessons - love warm socks (my feet are always cold) - earrings are great (no gold), no allergies here, but would appreciate ones that won't blacken my ears (tag sale is fine) - interesting pieces of broken jewelry from tag sales (if you think I can alter it into a piece of artwork) - anything for runners, bikers, kayakers, and even hunters (since I am all of these things!)

Although these things are lovely, I don't really have a use for them:

Scrapbook related items - ATC related items (used to do them, but not so much anymore) - stickers (a few cat ones now and then are nice) - kitschy things - big prints on fabrics - plastic canvas - yarn - plastic jewelry or cheap $1 store jewelry- pins (the kind you wear) unless they are very ornate or made of metal- fun and unique ones that that my younger students might notice are cool too

These are things I wish for!

• Desperately in need of a great baby quilt pattern... something with monkeys
• set of rubber spatulas for baking (mine are cheap and not stiff enough)
• bias maker (size doesn't matter)
• handmade bag with pockets on the inside. I have one that I am using that I love, but the straps always break.
• Weekend Sewing book by Heather Ross
• Quilts, Baby! book by Linda Kopp
• Handmade soap, any scent
• Jar/Canning book
• Great recipe for cheesecake
• cute ceramic container (animal?) for the back of sink to hold a sponge (My grandmother used to have a frog with a big wide open mouth)
• baby clothes or other items with monkeys for boy that is 1-6 months old
• Magazines or books on remodeling, decorating, DIY projects around the house (we just bought our first home!)
• When As Good as it Gets dvd (my VCR ate my videotape and it is my favorite movie)
• New rotary cutter