January

Teacher, 4th grade ELA.

I started my "art journey" as a quilter. When I took a journal quilting class and learned about art journaling, I was hooked immediately. Then I began to start exploring mixed media and here I am. I haven't quilted in years but I still sew things from time to time; recently, masks which I donated to various places in need.

I took advantage of last spring's quarantine at home to open an Etsy shop - see link above. I don't have many listings yet but I am adding to them. And I have made some sales which was exciting!

Married for 28 years with two adult sons who live in different cities from each other and from us.

Broadway musicals are my favorites. Old and contemporary.

Also like folk and contemporary music, such as - The Decemberists, John Mayer, James Taylor, Paul Simon, Gregory Porter, Billy Joel. Plus our son is a musician so we listen to his music ;) (one of his songs recently reached 1 million streams on Spotify... PM me if you are interested in listening ;)

In addition to music, I also listen to podcasts (This American Life, Ask Me Another, Wait Wait..., The Moth, Selected Shorts and my new favorite, Everything is Alive.

I read as much as I can - books, magazines, newspapers.

My favorite thing to read is contemporary literary fiction, and I have a special interest in reading about Indian families and culture. I also love to read short stories.

Art journaling

Gelli printing, especially with deli paper

Mixed media

Making my own junk journals

Faces, especially odd ones

Stencils

Collage

Stamp carving

Art foamies

Paper marbling (Turkish water bath marbling, with water thickened by carageenan)

Book binding (trying to teach myself from videos)

Rolodex cards (mine are mini - 2 by 4 inches)

My current influences/artists I follow:

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Dina Wakley, Seth Apter, and Wanda Hanson, a quilter whose blog is called Exuberant Color

I love bright colors (but not neon) and really, I like all colors.

I love folk art - outsider art - primitive art

I gravitate towards modern and contemporary art.

I like the quilts and color combinations of Kaffe Fassett.

I like explosions of colors and patterns.

I am drawn to faces. I cannot really draw well but I am trying to learn how to draw faces. If they come out odd, it's fine.

I also like vintage style (though not steampunk) - old postage stamps, vintage office papers, library cards, ledgers, maps, receipts, travel tickets and other tickets.

If you are a "maker", I like receiving hand-carved stamps, your painted papers, altered tags, handmade journals, homemade washi tape, elegant or modern looking return address labels

Washi tape - I like vintage-looking washi or watercolor-y washi

Pens and paint markers

Paper ephemera - such as maps, sheet music, art-y magazines, colorful papers, old ledgers

Journals - I like to make my own junk journals

Tags - my own or others' - all kept on a big book ring, fun to flip through

Smoke smell. Please please don't send anything that smells like smoke. I am highly sensitive to it and will not be able to appreciate, or even keep, what you send.

Holiday-related items - sorry but I just don't have use for or like receiving items for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, etc....so please do not send that type of item

No glitter please, if possible; thanks.

Steampunk style Kawai style "Cutesy" stuff

Animals - except I do like birds

Tea - I do not drink tea