stephiedee

Hello! I’m Steph. I’m a 40-something lady and live in North Florida with my husband, adult daughter and 2 fur babies (Chi mix + Dachshund/Chi mix). I am absolutely obsessed with making things and mostly stick to mail art diddies like ATCs, zines, handmade postcards and decorated envelopes. I also keep a few art journals. And by “few” I mean seven. ;P

Over the last few years, I have come to the very real conclusion that I’ve been unknowingly dealing with ADHD/ASD my entire life. My mental baggage can get a little heavy sometimes. Making things and swapping makes me happy. It's my way of coping with the internal junk and connecting with people. Crafting is the great neutralizer; I'll talk shop with literally anyone, damn the shyness and social anxiety.

I use Instagram to share all of my creative goings-on. I do most things just for the simple fact that I have an idea and want to see it through. I will from time to time sign (or stamp) my stuff "cutpastesteph" because that's the handle I mostly go by now.

If you're interested in a private swap, just holler. :) I always have stuff ready and waiting to trade - ATCs, zines, handmade postcards and other random stuff. My supply stash is pretty "fat & happy" so if it's any sort of paper art type of thing, I've done it/can do it.

I've been making and sending creative mail for a long time, on various sites, from back in the Flickr ATC trading heyday to hosting my own swaps on Instagram. It's really my only form of socializing.

Trixie inspects (blesses) most of my outgoing mail.

Well, this is what I like. It's not everything, but it's a fair amount. If you'd like a visual list, see MY PINTEREST.

Making, sending, receiving and collecting...

• ATCs, altered index cards, little art cards of all kinds.

• mail art; handmade postcards, fully decorated envelopes, naked mail.

• sticker bombed postcards, greeting cards, envelopes.

• artbooks; glue books, art journals, zines.

• paper collage goodie stuffed envelopes (decorated or not), paper/scrap bombs (1 ounce of random collage fodder), painted papers.

• 3D assemblages, wall decor, funky little ornaments, repainted figs, altered wood blocks.

My creative style leans a little eclectic. I love making things in a scrappy, colorful, maximalist collage style. I love quirky/offbeat characters, irreverence, humor and not taking (artsy) things too seriously. I also dabble in the classy vintage styles from time to time to keep things interesting. I mix together any sort of paper things I can get my hands on: office supplies, stationery, gift wrapping stuff, thrifted books/mags, catalogs, scrapbooking supplies, handmade papers, printables. I'm a thrift store stalker and discount department store hunter.

My Craft Cave:

Eye Candy/Squeal Inducers ❤️️❤️️❤️️

―collage/mixed media art with lots of texture/layers
―altered Mona Lisa and other art muses (Lina Cavalieri, Theda Bara)
―cheeseburgers, strawberries, lemons
―tropical flora/fauna; beachy aesthetics; Springtime
―checkerboard patterns (NOT plaid)
―celestial (astronomy) art; Spacecore, sun & moon faces
―60s/70s retro aesthetics; big florals, mustard yellow, groovy hippies, boho style
―Vaporwave, 80s/90s pop culture; cartoons, New Wave, Memphis Design
―Cyberpunk, Retro Futurism, Anime
―Raccoons, squirrels, cockatoos, alligators, frogs
―big boofy flowers; camellia, Persian buttercup, dahlia, peony
―deep sea divers (helmets only or whole suits)
―Zetti, mixed up characters, stripey legs, anthropomorphism
―lava lamps, light bulbs, neon signs, old TV sets
―symbols - peace signs, evil eyes, plus signs++++, hamsa
―Buddha/Budai (the classic one/the fat happy one)
―CLOWNS, mimes, jesters, circus performers
―fantasy creatures, cute monsters, aliens
―VW Buses/Bugs, old rusted out trucks
―mystical/occult imagery; phrenology, palmistry charts, anatomy art, skulls
―creepy, vintage, campy, Gothic Halloween.

My absolute favorite aesthetic is something I call "teenage neon daydream" - it's like, 90s teenage school folder collage, obnoxious colors, TV noise, attitude and grunge all shaken up in a big Slurpee cup. idk

I would say the supplies I use are 70% misfit, upcycled things and 30% legit art/craft supplies. I have a small used bookstore in my craft cave - though I'm trying to pare that down as I find myself more and more relying on printable imagery (it's easier to store 😂).

As of November 2023 I've donated about 90% of my book collection to one of the local art teachers. I'm doing a huge overhaul of my stash.

My Amazon wishlist is shared above just for ideas, not that I expect anyone to shop from it. I like looking at crafty wishlists because it can be difficult searching for cool supplies there...and really, where else are you going to go for things.

Paper supplies I can always use...
―interesting graph/grid papers
―fun, FLAT stickers
―painted papers/palette papers
―vintage yearbook portraits
―city road maps (tightly concentrated road grids)
―text printed tissue paper/napkins
―collage style rubberstamp images (that cut out easily)
―found words from books
―RED ephemera (not just pretty papers)
―any flat embellishment type things
―colorful patterned papers
―images/background patterns from magazines
―funky, interesting, weird collage imagery
―machine stitched strips of paper

Sticker Preferences ✅✅✅

random kawaii characters, doodle style, silly/cute animals, rainbows, stars, unicorns, foods with faces (I love the Fashion Angels line of sticker books, so I have nothing against kid-centric styles of stickers) +++also more adult themes, like botanicals, non silly animals, faux postage, alphas, word stickers, larger vinyl stickers, "happy mail" labels. I'm not picky about where stickers come from, as long as they're sticky.

Please, NO ⚠️⚠️⚠️

plain colored scraps of paper, mass market journal supplies (Tim Holtz people, die-cut images, journal cards, planner specific stickers, sentiments), tiny cards, paint chips, lace/other non-paper supplies, washi stickers, puffy/epoxy stickers.

Themes/Styles I'm Not Into

Victorian vintage, Paris, shabby chic, patriotic, steampunk, no face people, ballerinas, bling, babies, religious, toxic positivity, 420/weed culture, coffee/tea/wine/booze, gender specific...

No offence to anyone, these just don't float my boat. I do respect all sender's choice directives however and appreciate every effort put into handmade creations.

Triggers, allergens, phobias...

• sharks. Pictures, stickers, whatever. I have a phobia and seeing a nasty ol' shark maw kinda ruins the mail.

• religious items; Christian themes, hymnal book pages, spiritual mumbo jumbo, angels.

• food/edibles/potables of any kind or scented/perfumed items. I am highly sensitive to fragrances and have ZERO interest in swapping foodstuffs (including teabags).

• true crime, serial killers, murder mysteries, gore, zombies....I'm not into ANY of that stuff.

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Thank you for coming this far and taking any of these things into consideration.