midsummermuse

I have a job, health insurance, and I'm buying a house--such an adult, weird... I haven't been swapping for a while (since I started the job, really) but I'm going to set up an excellent craft rooms in the new house and hopefully that will jump start my creative drive again. ^_^

My trip to the UK with my Mom two years ago was AMAZING. Got to go to England, Wales and Scotland. Ireland still waits for me.

Check out my flickr page for pictures of me, my family, my crafts and thrift finds!

I try to rate when I receive, I would appreciate the same courtesy from others. But life happens--I know, I'm certainly not perfect either--if you think it's been too long please send me a poke via PM and I'll do the same for you!

I love to use recycled packaging for my swaps whenever I can, though I do look in profiles in case of allergies or if you feel squicky about that sort of thing. I recycle A LOT--I love to use old ads, magazines, catalogs, calenders, wrapping paper, etc. for all sorts of paper crafts. I do send out recycled ATC back too where appropriate but try to check profile in case you're not into that kinda thing.

I love to reduce, reuse and recycle! I love thrift stores and garage sales. Please don't be afraid to send me gently used items that you think I will love.

I love to read, craft, cook and snuggle with my husband and my cat. I am crafty, frugal, a bit crazy and definately a neo-hippy of sorts, without going so far as to be able to give up on bacon or the dollar stores. ^_^

Beading/Jewelry

Collage/paper craft (ATCs!)

Painting, doodling

Sewing and Embroidery

Favorite Colors: PURPLE!, silver, gold (also almost any metallic toned stuff), green, blue, black and white, but no neon colors please. (except if it's in some crazy retro pattern from the 60s or 70s) sepia tones too

The Royal Tennenbaums, Army of Darkness, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Princess Bride, Night of the Living Dead (original and 1991 remake), Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Shaun of the Dead, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory(original), 28 Days Later, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Vanilla Sky, Eyes Wide Shut, Once Upon A Time in Mexico, Apocalypse NOW, Secretary, Brain Candy, Sin City, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (remake), The Evil Dead, The Big Lebowsky, Young Frankenstein, The Maltese Falcon, Land of the Dead, Star Wars 3, 4, 5 and 6 , The Departed, Pulp Fiction, The Fountain, No Country For Old Men, Pan's Labyrith, Yojimbo and Sanjuro, Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, The Petrified Forest, (Almost anything with Humphrey Bogart!), True Grit (2010)

Justin Townes Earle, Old Crow Medicine Show, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Radiohead, Weezer, Baroque Classical Music, Sigur Ros, The Mars Volta, Redman and Method Man, Interpol, Pink Floyd, Wilco, The Strokes!, Wu-Tang Clan, The Beatles, The Flaming Lips, Billy Holiday, Buddy Holly, The Moldy Peaches, David Bowie ... I've really been diggin bluegrass, blues, and oldies lately, and have been listening to a lot of NPR and A Prairie Home Companion too.

Kushiel's Legacy series By Jacqueline Carey, Exterminator by William S. Burroughs, A Wrinkle in Time - Madeline L'Engle, Animal Farm - By Orwell, The Inferno by Dante, Siddhartha - Herman Hesse, An Alternate Reality by Castanada, Pedro Paramo by Juan Rulfo, The Things They Carried (Tim O'Brian), A Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood), 1984 (George Orwell), A Brave New World (Aldous Huxley), Macbeth, The Road (Cormac McCarthy), The Earthsea Series (Ursula K. Le Guin), The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix, Alice in Wonderland, Shakespeare!!!

Video Games: The Elder Scrolls Series (Morrowind, Oblivion), Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Both the first and second one), Mass Effect 1 and 2, Left 4 Dead 1 and 2, Final Fantasy Series (especially XII), Time Splitters 2, Halo series, Gears of War series (I play as Dom) and others. More recent games: Plants VS Zombies, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (also Persona 3), Resident Evil 5, love to play Singstar and Rockband: Beatles after a few drinks... (I like RPGs by myself, and 2 player shooters to play with my husband)

I love small pouches to hold jewelry and other treasures. I love handmade plushies! Some of my favorite creatures are: Moths, Cats, Beetles, Dragonflies, Octopuses, Cute Owls, generally all cute baby animals are appreciated as well. :-) Let's see, I really love beads and lace and trims and pretty variegated threads. I would love to try working with wool felt as I never have before! I love odd bits of stuff from your junk drawer and love second hand stuff from thrift stores and garage sales.

I love fantasy, beautiful realistic looking ethereal fairies, dryads, witches, gory zombies (any type of zombie really)... I love mythology (especially from Ancient Egypt). I love word play and etymology. Send me your favorite poem written in caligraphy or fancy script or even your best handwriting. Send me a spell or a story you wrote that you think I would enjoy. I love bookmarks (would love a ribbon one with beads or felt shapes on the ends), magnetic ones are fun too!! Send me a list of your favorite tutorials you've found online (easier ones are most appreciated!).

I love pretty note cards, delicious tea, a good tried and true recipe, old children's books (or any that have really wonderful illustrations), VINTAGE--I would love to receive vintage linens, fabrics, doilies, kitschy decorations or kitchen items, vintage jewelry, hand knitted dish cloths or face scrubbies, wonderful handmade soap or candles... I am OK with most religious stuff, I believe in God and I am spiritual--but in general I would prefer it to be non-denominational type stuff.

But honestly, I'm sure I would appreciate any small piece of art you've created, be it written, drawn, painted, scupted in clay or felted, crocheted or sewn(or anything else I forgot!).

I'm sure I'll think of more to add here in the future!