Manjigirl

I have not swapped for a while and have really missed the challenge of creating small projects to swap and receiving interesting mail in return.

I have prioritsed my collecting and now only keep items in the themes listed below.

I also reuse, regift, reinvent and recycle. It has been an interesting journey to discover I get more excited over an 80 year old postcard, button, piece of lace or postage stamp than a recently purchased and pristine designer paper!

I have missed the joy of receving decorated envelopes! How much fun are they to receive in the mail?! Thank you so much to all those who make the effort.

Love songs that make me feel.. happy, sad, poignant, reminiscent. All are good.

I work in a primary school library and cannot get enough of the incredible books available for young readers. Wonder, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and The Naming of Tishkin Silk are among my favourites. Mostly though I love to look at the pictures inspirational craft books... I am a visual learner and rarely read the instructions unless forced too!!

I have my favourite comfortable movies - Jane Austen and Harry Potter, generally light hearted escapist stuff!

With TV I like mysteries ie tv with a plot. I love trying to guess who 'dunnit' before all is revealed. I also love shows with aliens in - star trek, stargate, star wars!

Basically you could summarise my interests as anything that uses paper, paint or fabric! Enjoy combining them all in altered books (yep, a librarian who deconstructs, alters, reuses books. Oops)

I love to receive:

1. Vintage or zettied women and children especially altered with wings.

2. Pages from vintage children's books and nursery rhymes.

3. Anything library related such as library and catalogue cards.

4. Vintage christmas - especially Santa and kids.

I enjoy receiving used stamps in the themes of:

1. Festive - covers Christmas, Valentines Day etc.
2. Flora and fauna - who doesn't love nature!
3. Famous - to cover things like Disney and movies / movies stars.

There is not much I don't enjoy receiving really.

• I guess work with little artistic pride invested would be the main one and messy work, you know the type of thing - a sticker on a background picture, copies, crooked cutting and glueing, stuff falling off etc.

• I am not into modern 'cutetsy', spongbob or halloween. I don't do pink often either.

Being in Australia there are certain items that you must not send:

seeds or other plant materials (pressed leaves etc.); shells; soil & sand; tea with fruit pieces; incense; dried/pressed flowers; raw nuts/seeds; any animal products such as raw hide; feathers, etc.; any wooden items This is not as restrictive as you think! I have only had six swaps opened to date and they have all passed quarantine. I fully support our quarantine laws.