uniqueutopia

NOTE 04/25/2013!!!! IT IS OFFICIALLY SUMMER, THE SNOW IS ALMOST GONE AND i AM GOING UP TO THE CABIN FOR THE SUMMER. ALL MY SWAPS HAVE BEEN SENT OFF AND i WILL BE ON SWAPPER VACATION UNTIL JANUARY 2014. HAVE A LOVELY SUMMER SWAPPERS!!

I craft, weld, make feathered jewelry, paint, make greeting cards/book marks, ceramics and slump glass. I paint with coffee, crochet, embellish with beads/ribbons and am a hot glue gun sharp shooter. If it's crafty, I'll try it.

I am a bargain hunter. If I am at a fun store and find something that I like, but has something small wrong with it, I can usually haggle a good price. I sometimes use these for swapping extras; however, I do not send anything that I would not love to get myself. If you do not like Oops items, just let me know.

I am truely a fan of wild organics. I do forage for food for my family and love to get recipies using wild food. If your profile says vegan or organic, you may recive wild recipies from me. You may even get nonperishables like hazelnuts or butternuts on occasion. By all means, try them! There are wild foods everywhere, even in the city. It's good for you, guaranteed organic, pesticide free and as fresh as you can get. Get back to your roots! Learn, be healthful, help the planet, boost your immune system, be self sufficiant! Who needs a grocery store when God provides for you so plentifully? Again, I will send you homipathic tea and goodies-if you don't want something like this from me, please drop me a email saying so.

I really love flip flops. I'm anti-shoe 90% of the time (I've even been known to make a quick run to the car in the snow with no shoes). Unfortunately, stores prefer you to have shoes, so I rely on my flip flops. I love them. I'm a size 9 wide in the foot, but cheepie flops in a 10 or 11 fit most of the time. Hate shoes, but love socks--go figure. I saw that Converse makes a see-throiugh shoe and I will own a pair one day (shakes fist) to show off my cool socks.

Quite a few of the things I make are out of recycled items, especially glass bottles and old fencing wire. I love recycled things and handmade things over and above anything new. If you made it just for me, for the most part (see dislike section), no matter what it is, I will absolutely love it. I enjoy swapping as a surprise and each little thing is a gift from a perfect stranger and I think that is so awesome. I will give lots of information, but I love everything.

I'm 36 and have 4 adorable kids, 2 boys and 2 girls, married to an awesome man who works as a mechanic. I work for a transcription company. I work from home as well so I can continue to home school my kids. I have 2 dogs, a black lab/German short hair mix named Noodle and a Chihuahua/wiener dog named Comm'ere, a cat named Souie-climb-a-tree and 1 dove named Smoky, a Tarantula named Creepy, and 2 red-eared sliders named Bubble Gum and Snickers.

I like to get craft supplies: (see etsy faves) fat quarters, glass beads, ribbons, old jewelry, pretty bottles, Sea shells of all kinds and sizes, pretty/funky yarn (especially novelty yarns), wire (for making jewelry as well as bigger guages of brass, silver and copper for wire art), jewelry findings, handmade papers, candles, incense, crystals (natural and glass) scrap booking do dads. Tools (like for jewelry making or wire working--round nosed pliers, crimpers, wire cutters, snap setters etc.). I adore coffee and tea.

I like earthy things, and "coffee" themed things as well as shabby chic and nerdy things. I love, love, love sunflowers. They are my favorite flower ever.

Leather is always great to get. Feathers, fur, and animal/nature inspired things are wonderful and welcome. I rely on nature for a lot of my food. That is how we choose to live. I would rather use fur/feathers/leather than to let it rot away like garbage. It is all beautiful and a symbol of our survival and growth as a species. To waste it to keep from offending someone is not my style. If you do not appreciate animal naturals, just say so and I will not send them to you. Please. No big long thing about how cruel it is. I guarantee the animals I get products from do not suffer. If you want to complain, complain to the mass production lines that stun, shock, trap and torture before finally delivering the death blow. I will bet you my steak is much happier than yours.

My favorite color is green. I appreciate scrap booking type stickers as opposed to cutesy sparkle stickers,

Nerd stuff!!! Dr Who, Star Trek, firefly... I like nerd stuff.

I like the smell of sandalwood, linen, cotton, lilac, lavender, chamomile, jasmine, mint, and fresh cut grass. I like organic and glycerin soaps. I do have sensitive skin, glycerin and organic always works well for me. I have plug-in tart warmers and always appreciate scents for those.

I like pretty bottles (like little perfume bottles) and empty wine bottles (with or without labels) are awesome for slumping and making serving trays. Any condition wine bottle is fine. A little chip wont show after it's been fired. Odd colors are the best--bright blue is a rare find around here. Even if the bottle is broken, if it is bright colored, I will certainly use it for something like mosaic or wind chimes.

Herb and vegetable seeds, coffee, tea, honey, pretty rocks, little bits, buttons. Whatever.

I weld mostly. Garden sculpture, sun catchers, general porch dangles.

I have recently taken up making period Victorian jewelry pieces for the Single-Action Shooters group. The group dress in period, late 1800 clothes and target shoot with period authentic weapons. They are very serious about authenticity and I have been having a great time making replica pieces for both the men and women of the group. Stemming from this, I also collect the broken and cracked shell casings left over from the events and make upcycled jewelry from them.

I paint with Coffee--that is, my paint IS coffee. I have a kiln that I slump glass and do some pottery work, I make wooden puzzles, crochet, make crochet things like stitch markers, amirugumi. I make greeting cards and post cards, recycled projects, sometimes toys, key chains, cool home accessories...stuff like that.

I like to share what I make, and put a lot of time and effort into each piece as well as presentation for my swap friends.

• ANYTHING from my Etsy faves. I spend a lot of time on Etsy, especially in terms of supplies. I have an extensive wish list of items under 5$.

-Victorian jewelry findings filagree.

-Peacock feathers, especially white ones.

-Cameos, cabochons, Victorian era, mourning.

-Ostrich feathers.

-Welding cap-handmade is fine, in funky fabric.

-Western/cowboy charms.

-Scraps of leather/buckskin/rawhide/leather thongs. if you see leather furniture at the dump, cut off as much leather as possible and send it to me!!!

-Glass pearls/beads

-I LOVE LOVE LOVE coffee/coffee accessories.

-Fun tea. Any flavor, caffeine or no...it's all good/tea accessories/honey

-E-6000.

-Burlesque themed stuff.

-Broken jewelry, rhinestones.

-Fat quarters.

-Lamp work beads.

-Designer cigarettes. I occasionally enjoy a flavored smoke, like clove.

Return address labels with a sunflower on it.

I love everything I get from my partners; however, due to personal beliefs, I really do not want Ouija boards, tarot cards, horoscope, witchcraft items. I am a Christian and while I am very interested in Victorian mourning, Gothic, burlesque, weird and odd, and love a good ghost story, I am not a fan of witchcraft, pentagrams, satanism, metaphysical and the associated. Please, please respect that as I will do the same for you.