twobluecrows

I'm back! I'm just trying things out again a little bit, to be sure I can keep up. I only have one job now, teaching Wilton cake decorating classes at two Michael's stores, so I have a little time for swapping again.

My newest/oldest "Like"--I don't know why I never mentioned it here before, but I'm a Whovian!! I love Doctor Who, so anything, especially the latest (ie: tenth and eleventh Doctors) is Cool! There are some very cute amigurumis I saw on Pinterest tenth Doctor

and 11th doctor

First Swap--August 31, 2006 It's amazing after all these years to go back to the beginning and look at the old swaps! It's like an art journal! ...I want to do them all over again!

I mail from my house before or on the send date, so if the postmark is late, it's because the mail lady didn't turn things in for postmarking in a timely manner--it happens a lot! :(

I'm also making an extra effort to rate as soon as something arrives.

GOT CDs? I STILL need no-good cds for a huge art project--any cd that has a unaltered shiny side is welcome (scratches are just fine)--in any numbers--I'm looking for 3200! I have about 800 so far, having just received a few more from another friend, and some came in a couple of swap packages!!! So PM me for my mailing address if you'd like to contribute and save them from going to the landfill! I will gladly return some postage to you, or trade something else. IF YOU'RE MAILING ME CDS, PLEASE USE MEDIA MAIL--VERY CHEAP, at least here in the US: 1lb=$2.38, 2lb=$2.77, 3lb=$3.16, etc.

TEA SWAPS: I don't drink any mint or spiced teas, and prefer fruity flavors. My absolute favorite is Peach or Mango. If I get ones I can't drink, I will share them with friends or family who will!

I'm sorry, but I have to be very selective/restrictive about joining any more groups at this time--I have too much going on outside of Swap-bot and no time to give it the attention it needs right now. Thanks for asking though!

Collagist, book-alterer, assemblagist and any other art form that catches my fancy! I live in a tiny cottage in northeastern CT ("The Quiet Corner") with my lovely husband Fred.
We have 5 motley chickens, 4 of which lay brown, green, blue and pinkish-brown eggs when and where they feel like it.

...and Pepper and Henry are our two now-grown-up cats

I'm fond of crows, magical elements, celtic knotwork, crows, celestial imagery, maps and old texts, as well as exotic flowers and nature themes, and did I mention crows?

Steampunk is intriguing me, too. Frances Kornbluth, Duane Keiser and Hall Groat II and now Brian Lasaga are my favorite contemporary artists, JohannesVermeer my all time favorite The Girl with the Pearl Earring is my favorite Vermeer. . I'm fond of Mary Engelbreit, too!

My favorite things that I like to see around me at home are all small--our house is really tiny, and not much wall space open for hanging things, lots of built-in furniture takes it up. But I like things with sparkly crystals, like rhinestone brooches (I have a collection of them on wide ribbons on the wall in my office), celtic knot designs, crows, altered/decorated matchboxes, small boxes, postcards and ATCs, small art dolls/goddess dolls, windchimes, crows, and tiny sparkly sun catchers, inchie charms, and other small charms--I have a hand-made wire charm tree hanging from the ceiling in a corner of my studio. And, crows, crows, crows--I love them!

It's been over three years since I had to add these paragraphs, and I just don't feel like deleting them yet.

Thank you all so much for your kind and comforting words on the passing of my son! It is the most terrible thing, and I only hope that you all take your loved ones in your arms, or call them if they are far away, and tell them you love them, show them you love them and don't waste another minute with anything petty! Life is just too short, and we just never know what will be around the next corner.

My only consolation is that he got to go home, in the purest sense of that word, he was with his friends and family, living the life he wanted to live and before he moved back down there, we'd had some time together in which I truly saw that my baby boy had grown into a wonderful caring friend, and loving father.

Matchbox templates for making your own from cardstock: at my blog--see link above.

There are also templates for printing ATC backsides further down on the blog.

DISLIKES... ...may be too harsh a word. I don't care for Kawaii- like things, cartoons, cutsey, baby, kidstuff, Disney, etc. Anime is interesting, but not something I go out of my way for.

Also Christian and other mainstream religious items--I don't have any objection to religious people, just don't need any religious stuff. I'm just a happy plain pagan.

I do like miniatures though--dollhouse 1:12 scale is fascinating in little things, paintings, furniture, Fairy Doors, etc.

Not so fond of cutesy baby pastels or baby colors--I'm a fantasy-loving grown-up with rich taste!

I like rich deep jewel-tone colors, like Purple, Deep Velvet Red, Cozy Russet, Chocolate Brown, Forest Green, Bluegrass Green, the Buttery, almost golden-cream Yellow of a fall sunset...but my biggest real favorite is Blue--Sky blue, Ocean blue, Royal blue, Indigo blue, Bluejeans blue, any rich shade of blue, with white, and/or silver.

PLEASE, NO PINK, ORANGE, YELLOWISH BROWN, AQUA, TEAL OR OTHER WARM COLORS in fabrics for quilt blocks, etc. A teeny bit of them is ok, but not the main or even secondary color, and Please! No Kiddie patterns. I have no little kids around to make things for.

I like some bright primaries and secondaries (remember your color wheel? --blue, red, yellow, green, purple) combined in fabric patterns and prints, but not so fond of yellow-green, orange and avocado for anything. Way too 70s and all that goes with that! LOL

I love sparkly shiny things with all the shiny metallics, especially silver and copper. Rhinestone brooches/pins/earrings (even broken ones or single earrings) are a favorite, I hang them on wide ribbons on the walls in my office.

For jewelry I only wear silver, and very little--mostly just my claddagh and wedding ring (white gold--should last longer than the silver).

I have thousands, literally, since I've been a chef for almost 30 years, and spend a lot of time researching and reading cookbooks and magazines. I do love getting family favorites though, not from cookbooks particularly, but the ones your mom or aunt or grandma have in a little box or clippings or notes stuck in a yellowing book on a shelf.

My favorites are just about anything older than 1930, and as far back as you can possibly go! I have a copy of "The Form of Curye" which is a very early cookbook from the 14th century.

I'd love to receive scratch recipes for charcuterie of any kind, especially Italian Sweet sausage, and any other kind from any country's cuisine--Got a recipe for opossum sausage, or Ostrich or...??

Scratch recipes for anything we have to buy now, too--like pastas, noodles, cakes and baking things. Asian cuisine, especially Korean, any area of China and Japan, or India and the Middle East. Africa and South America as well--and why not Australia, too!? I'd love it all! Recipes for good Breads, Rye or other whole grain, too. Notes and stories about the recipes are welcome, too!! I really love that sort of thing, definite heart winners!.

Please! If you send me recipes, PM me for my e-mail address--I store the majority of my recipes on my computer, and prefer it there-though, if you really have to send recipe cards, I'll share them with others after entering the recipe in my files.

My Amazon Wishlist

I'm always on the lookout for nice colored bias stripe cottons for quilt blocks, like this one: and like this one not necessarily pastels, but thin stripes of different thicknesses, brights, rich colors gold and orange and brown are ok here. :)