thistlecraft

IMPORTANT: For some reason, several packages that I am sending out lately (not just swap-bot packages) are wandering around the postal system for a while (a few days to a few weeks) and then arriving back at my home! I confirm the addresses that I send to and can find no problems or reasons for the returns, and neither can my local Post Office (though it has happened enough now that they are investigating it for me). Soooooo, if you are waiting for a package from me, PLEASE contact me before rating me. I am not a flaker - I am sending out my packages...they are just disappearing (yep, have a few lost in never-never land) or as mentioned here, they are wandering around and then being delivered back to me. PLEASE bear with me while we try to figure out what is going on!

PLEASE NOTE: I do not want to be difficult and I certainly don't mean this as a threat, but if you are my partner in a PROFILE-SPECIFIC swap and you send me items that reek of cigarette smoke, I will rate you a 3 for not following the swap guidelines, regardless of what the items are.

I am VERY ALLERGIC to cigarette smoke and am really tired of getting packages that make me physically ill (I have a couple of chronic illnesses in addition to this allergy, so I get very ill and stay ill for a long time)! And that doesn't even take into account the items I have had to throw away due to their smoke saturation.

Be aware that papers, books, and fabric pick up a lot more transient smoke than many folks realize -- and just tossing a dryer sheet into a package of smoke-saturated items will not get rid of the smell.

I am 41 years old and have a twin sister (nope, not identical), two brothers, two nieces, and one nephew. I live in the same small town I grew up in, just a couple of miles from my parents and my younger brother. Oh, and I have a kitty...a very ACTIVE boy kitty named Bubba, who appeared out of nowhere and adopted me!

I love to go antiquing and yard sale-ing, especially with my parents. I LOVE re-purposing things -- seeing them as what they could be instead of what they were!

Have a couple of chronic and hard-to-manage illnesses, and so am medically disabled. Spend my time crafting and managing an online craft shop, as well as managing a large group of online business owners (other artists & crafters, all who call Texas home, regardless of where they currently live). Oh, and being entertained by Bubba!!!

Country, Oldies (50's & 60's), Contemporary Christian, Enya (!!!), Sarah McLachlin, Celtic Woman, and Christmas music (yes, I have been known to listen to Silent Night or What Child is This in the middle of a hot Texas summer!)

I LOVE to read! These days, I've mostly been reading books on Christian living -- Max Lucado, Rick Warren, Beth Moore, Joyce Meyer, etc.

I also really enjoy the Lists to Live By books, as well as cookbooks, gardening books, and craft books.

I LOVE books about antique Christmas ornaments and decor and antique/vintage glassware. Not just "value guides" but informational books (history, identifying info, etc).

And, yes, I LOVE LOVE LOVE really cool bookmarks!

I love movies even more than I love books!!!

My absolute favorites, though, would have to include the following (in no particular order, of course): Secondhand Lions, Fried Green Tomatoes, Steel Magnolias, Nell, Dirty Dancing, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Legend, Labyrinth, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, Iron Will, A League of Their Own, both Narnia movies, & all the Harry Potter movies

MOST Christmas movies (especially the vintage cartoons & the Santa Clause series!)

OK, you get the idea -- I LOVE movies!!! (Don't care for horror movies or gory movies, though!)

Survivor, CSI (original is my fav, but like all of them), NCIS, 24, The Unit, Numbers, Criminal Mind, 2 1/2 Men, Hell's Kitchen, Iron Chef, Top Chef

MAKING: Glass Painting, Crochet (especially scarves & baby afghans), Decoupage, Collage, Shrink Art, Paper Crafts, Upcycling (creating new crafts using old items, such as game pieces, puzzle pieces, candy/gum/mint tins, unique press-board boxes, vintage greeting cards, etc). Am always trying new crafts or new ways of doing old crafts!

However, due to vision problems, I no longer do any form of needlework other than crochet.

BUYING/RECEIVING: Jewelry (necklaces & bracelets/anklets), ATCs/ACEOs, Photography, Fused Glass, Stained Glass, Softies/Plushies/Amigurumi (have quite the menagerie started, along with a friendly monster collection!), Felted Items, Polymer Clay Items (no beads, please), Quilted Items (or items made from old quilts!)

I LOVE handmade soaps -- lavender, mint, citrus, and spice scents are my favorites! Prefer smooth bar soaps, bubble baths or bath salts in similar scents. And, yes, I love handmade washcloths (especially the really soft ones) to use with my handmade soaps!

...okay, I like pretty much any handmade item!

Colors!!! Red is probably my favorite, but I really like all of them!

Flowers, especially roses, forsythia, and sunflowers.

Cats, suncatchers, windchimes, board games, love stories & fairy tales.

Chocolate, iced coffee, fresh baked cookies, flavored coffees & cocoas, fancy popcorns (you know, the ones coated in chocolate, caramel, and other yummies), dry roasted nuts (any kind of nut, as long as they are dry roasted!).

I am highly addicted to samplers, like The Sampler, The Little Black Box, Out of the Box Sampler, The Spotted Box, Get Eurofied European Sampler, etc. There are also several sellers on Etsy.com that offer samplers (mostly of their own creations). Mostly, though, I prefer samplers from a wide range of folks and a wide variety of arts/crafts. If you know of indie craft samplers other than the ones listed, please let me know about them (link, cost, etc). LOVE grown-up grab bags!!!

Vintage Christmas ornaments & Santas, Vintage Glassware, Thistles (not "real" thistles, but things with thistles on them), Crosses & Angels, Cats

Anything that smells of cigarette smoke -- I'm terribly allergic! And, no, tucking a dryer sheet or other "air freshener" in the box doesn't help -- the smoke is still present and will still make me sick. (refer to note at top of profile)

Cheap "Dollar Store" type stuff (whether purchased at an actual Dollar Store or in the Dollar Bins at any "big box" store) -- have been sent more than enough of this already. The point here is not that I insist on pricey items, but that I really prefer quality items (and there are inexpensive quality items out there!).

Junk/Trash -- if you can't decide whether you should send it to me or throw it away, just save us both the trouble and go ahead and throw it away.

Beads -- I have no use for them!

Needlework kits or supplies -- I don't do any form of needlework other than crochet, and I have plenty of yarn & hooks already.

Fabric -- I don't sew.

Earrings -- my ears aren't pierced and I don't like to wear clip-ons.

Make-up or perfume -- very picky about what I can wear.

Candles, including tealights & wax tarts -- while I love them, if I'm not home when the mail is delivered, they will sit on my front porch and melt (been there, had that happen, had to throw them away!).

Along the same lines, if you are going to include any chocolate or other "meltable" candy, PLEASE put it in a separate ziplock bag so that it won't ruin everything else in the package. It really spoils the fun of getting a package when you have to wash the chocolate off everything (yep, done that twice now!).

Anything with Hello Kitty, Kawaii characters, skulls, nudes, racist images or comments -- simply don't care for these and have no use for them.

Items for children/parents - I have no children!

I really don't want to sound as "picky" as this probably appears. I do give away things that are sent to me that I can't use them, and I "recycle" some items in other swaps (not the junk or trash though -- that's just tacky). Now, if I am signed up for a swap that includes any of the above, obviously it is okay to send it for that swap. These are just guidelines for the majority of swaps in which I participate. Thanks for understanding!!!

I LOVE handmade items!!!

I love upcycling, so if you have any abandoned game pieces, puzzle pieces, or candy/gum/mint tins that you no longer want/need, I would LOVE to receive them! Items should be CLEAN and in GOOD CONDITION -- please don't send me trash.

All the info provided in this profile is simply to help you get to know me a bit -- in no way do I want to appear "greedy"! I promise I will love whatever I am sent (or will find it a new home where it will be loved).

I promise to rate fairly and in a timely manner. If I have any concerns, I will contact you before rating. Again, please note my comments at the top of my profile regarding profile-specific swaps & cigarette smoke.

I strive to get my swaps sent out on time and to create packages that my recipients will be thrilled to receive. If you have any concerns with my swaps, please contact me and give me a chance to resolve your concerns.

Looking forward to becoming a swap-bot addict!!!