Swap-bot Time: December 30, 2024 3:00 pm
www.swap-bot.com

couchart

couchart
Original Member
Last Online: September 15, 2023
Birthday: February 18
Country: United States
Drawn & Painted Artwork
Mixed Media Collage
Blog

About Me

Last Updated on 9/3/2020

Greetings. My name is Cynthia (or Cindy if you prefer) and I live in the U.S.

I retired in 2018 from a job as a legal analyst. I enjoy creating artwork, mostly drawn and painted, although I also play around with collage from time to time. I usually go by the moniker of Ashazart at other trading sites such as ATCsforAll, International Union of Mail Artists (IUOMA), and PostCrossing, just to name a few. Here at Swap-Bot, I enjoy swapping things such as postcards, collage supplies, ephemera and cool papers, and I have found some great pen-pals here as well, both of the electronic and snail mail variety.

For 13 1/2 years, I lived with a wonderful companion named Asha. I really miss Asha. She was the best friend I could ever imagine. Here is a portrait I did of her before she passed away.

asha3

If you are interested in seeing some of my paintings and drawings, you may view them at my WEBSITE and you can see some of my collaged pieces on FLICKR. I generally work in either a pseudo-realistic or surrealistic style. I especially enjoy depicting subjects that are "bent" or unusual, or that view something familiar from a different perspective.

Postcard Preferences

I am not easily offended, so feel free to send me your wild and weird things, the stuff you might hesitate to send someone else. In fact, I really enjoy the odd, rare, out of the normal type of swapping experience, so really, hit me with your best shot!

I like both modern and vintage postcards in all sizes. I don't mind if they are purchased from brick and mortar stores, from online vendors or commercially made via online sites like Zazzle, Redbubble, etc. As long as the quality and content is good, I don't care how it came into being (a rose is a rose is a rose...).

Subject Matter Preferences:

I buy a lot of postcards that depict things that tend towards the surreal or humorously strange. I also go for the downright odd or seriously weird. So, if you have cards like that and you don't know where to send them, I'm your gal! In addition, I love cards showing visually interesting subject matter. I am not offended at all by nudes or subjects some might consider inappropriate. Make my postal carrier's day with something odd or risque! I don't enjoy postcards that are super cute or sweet or religious. If you are looking for specific suggestions, feel free to peruse the list below.

~ subject matter that is surreal, bizarre, strange, weird, off-beat, wild, twisted, odd, humorous, sarcastic, quirky, dark-themed, melancholy, or stark

~ animals (foxes, zebras, rabbits/hares, elephants)

~ unusual birds (flamingos, swans, peacocks)

~ insects

~ reptiles (lizards, snakes, iguanas, alligators, etc.)

~ body-parts (not as in serial killer, just as in the focus is on some part of the body)

~ cactus/succulents

~ nests/eggs/feathers

~ dusk/dawn

~ moon/moonlight

~ clouds (interesting formations)

~ sculpture

~ mannequins

~ buttons

~ book-related

~ postal-related

~ clowns (dark or odd)

~ carnivals/circus

~ pools/fountains

Other Preferences

Ephemera & Paper Goods:

I enjoy vintage and/or interesting ephemera and distressed items can be very cool. I have a big paper fetish and I love really interesting paper, whether it be marbled, paste paper, handmade, fancy decorated or old book liner pages. These types of papers, as well as antique wallpaper, old correspondence, ledger pages, patent book pages, diagrams, black and white illustrations or prints, maps, foreign language in cool fonts, old postage stamps, vintage postcards, etc. are always welcome. If it is smelly, as vintage paper can sometimes be, I'd rather not receive it.

Colors:

I enjoy most colors and color combinations, so make it easy on yourself here; but, if I had to choose one color I could do without, it would probably be pink, especially hot pink.

Prints of My Artwork:

I sometimes make hand-made postcards (both collaged and drawn or painted), which I trade with others privately. I also have postcards and ATC prints made of my artwork to share with friends and trade partners. I have these postcards commercially made, so the quality of the postcards themselves is quite good. The quality of the content I leave for the viewer to decide. :-) They are not made as any sort of advertisement for commercial purposes. If I include one of these postcards or ATC prints in a swap, it will generally be included as an extra gift or a sender's choice item or it is for a swap that would call for such an item. It is meant merely to be something I am sharing of myself and I hope you will accept it in the spirit it is given.

Dislikes

~ cute things (Disney characters, Hello Kitty, Kawaii, etc.)

~ holiday themed items (unless the swap is holiday themed)

~ religious items

~ things containing affirmations or words such as beauty, believe, dream etc.

~ sequins or glitter or items with glitter or sequins on them

~ 3-D craft items

Ratings

I am a very reliable trader/swapper and I have been trading online for 15 years now. It would take a major catastrophe to occur for me not to fulfill any commitments I have made. Typically, I send out my items on the day of, or within a day of, the partner assignments, so if I am your partner in a swap or trade and you have not received the swap item from me as soon as you might expect for it to get from Topeka, Kansas in the U.S. to wherever you live, please be sure to contact me. I've only had a couple of my swap items go AWOL in all the years I've been trading and I have always made it right with a resend.

I also leave a rating for my partners upon receiving my trade/swap items and I appreciate receiving ratings and comments in return. And, as just an optional thing that helps me out, if you are in total love with something I sent you (yay!), I would be delighted if you could briefly describe what the item is in your comments to help jog my poor old memory. It helps me to know what sorts of items are the big hits, but I send out so many things to so many people (which I don't usually log in any really descriptive way because it makes swapping too much of a chore), that I don't always know what I did to earn the love. So, I am glad to know I did something really right, but I'd also like to know exactly what it was! Who knows, maybe I would do it again! :-)

Ratings

5
rating
Comment: I apologize for the unacceptable delay in rating on my part. Thank you for the postcards!
5
rating
Comment: Thanks for the great set! My fave is the gray wolf - my first time encountering it.
Response: I liked the Wolf too! Thanks for the heart!
5
rating
Comment: Thank you for all these fun postcards. I love them all but I think the hamburger is my favourite. I also appreciate the lovely extras. And my apologies for taking longer than I should have to rate.
CHOWEFACE rated for PSH: 5 Card Hunt #1 on Nov 19, 2019
5
rating
Comment: Thank you for all the cards & extras too!
5
rating
Comment: Thanks for all the great cards! I love the Portland doughnut, the maps, and the owl, and the fun car envie!
AmyMarie rated for PH: Scavenger Hunt For PCs #81 on Nov 15, 2019
5
rating
Comment: Thanks for the great postcards!
Response: You are very welcome. Thank you for the heart!
simcoe54 rated for PC Series - October 2019 on Nov 14, 2019
5
rating
Comment: Thanks for resending this swap and for the excellent postcards.
Response: I am glad they arrived undamaged this time and thanks for the heart!
5
rating
Comment: Forgive me if I gush, but you've outdone yourself by spelling not just one but both 6-letter words and topping that off with a Brest Brest Brest card like icing on the double layer cake of your generosity. My fancy has been suited, tickled and struck! Hard to choose favorites, but I'm especially drawn to the Dodo ( who appears to have a foreboding of his future), the Mother Earth landscape, & the Drink Milk ad card. Also love those skeptical twin weirdkins on your envie & your friendly note. Thanks so much, Cynthia.
Response: By all means Linda, do gush away! I am glad my offerings suited, tickled and struck you (in the good way). Google tells me that the poor Dodo became extinct because it had no fear of people and thus too easily became food. How unfortunate for it! It is always a pleasure to partner with you in swaps and I hope your November is proceeding nicely. Cynthia
Eulegirl rated for PH: Spell SCARECROW With Pcs #2 on Nov 9, 2019
5
rating
Comment: Thank you! I love them all! Especially fond of the tortillas, read together, the cats, and my relatives (wolf) :)
Response: So glad you liked the cards and thanks very much for the heart!
Lonestarchild rated for Mix It Up! - October 2019 on Nov 4, 2019
5
rating
Comment: Received a huge stack of lovely cards today! It really was very nice of you to resend -- you most certainly did not have to! The PO damaged the first one -- totally not your fault. Very kind of you to resend. And I love these cards! The ballerina one is just stunning! Thank you so much for such a great swap!
Response: I am very glad this set arrived unscathed and thank you for the heart. I was very happy to resend. I agree, the ballerina card is special. The cards I get from Postallove.com are usually quite exquisite. Enjoy! Cynthia
user6937 rated for Vocabulary Postcard Swap #7 on Nov 1, 2019
5
rating
Comment: Great cards (and a great swap) - I DID have fun searching for just the right ones to send. Please keep these going. I don't know how I could have missed the first 6 of them, lol.
Response: You are very welcome for the cards and thanks for the heart! I am glad you enjoyed the challenge and I will host more of them. I am always testing which groups are more responsive to my swaps, so some of the previous ones were in other groups and that might be why you missed them.
Mamasch rated for WIYM: Me-From A to Z on Oct 31, 2019
5
rating
Comment: Thank you so much!
Response: Thanks for the heart!
simcoe54 rated for Three Postcards in an Envelope #6Y on Oct 29, 2019
5
rating
Comment: Great postcards. Thank you!
Response: You are welcome and thanks for the heart!
shirleyinCA rated for NYUP - vehicles on Oct 29, 2019
5
rating
Comment: 1000 hearts to you if I could -- every card you send me is always wonderful, but oh my, this time . . . I saw the top card in the set, the gondolier on a sea of clouds, and thought, "Best postcard ever." Then I came to card #2, dreamy models in a 50's cutaway car, a stunning b/w photo -- and now you have sent me my two favorite postcards ever! The bicycle and well-chosen extras are quite beautiful keepers also. Thank you, thank you. Cheery striped handmade envie too.
Response: Oh, I am so glad you liked the cards and honored that you consider two of them your favorites of all time! I think the gondolier one is pretty outstanding too. There is a series of these types of cards that I bought from an online store in Russia (I think that is where it is at) and they really are gorgeous. I am glad to have found someone else who appreciates them as much as I do. Thanks for the heart! Cynthia
shirleyinCA rated for Non-Touristy Postcards #9 on Oct 28, 2019
5
rating
Comment: Cute envelope with the dogs and plaid! Thanks for great postcards, too, plus the generous extras of Coke Santa and Pixar! Always a delight to see see one of your swaps in my mailbox!
Response: I am very happy you are pleased with the cards I selected for you and I am always happy to find you are my partner in a swap. It makes me happy to have some swapping BFFs! :) Happy weekend, Cynthia
shirleyinCA rated for It's Time to Relax on Oct 28, 2019
5
rating
Comment: FirstL such a fun polka dot envelope with that classic VW! Then, thanks for sharing great relaxing postcard images and all those classy ledger post-its with phone and typewriter! Thank you also for an extra swap theme card and the extra surfing and NYC pc's - so kind of you to pay so much attention to my profile.
Response: I am tickled that you like the cards I sent. It is always fun to select cards for you Shirley. Thanks very much for the heart! Cynthia
5
rating
Comment: Thank you for the wonderful postcards. Yes, Jetoy is Korean kawaii -- much cherished by people on Postcrossing. I enjoyed participating in the swap too. At first I thought, I don't have enough to make five, and then I started looking for postcards and found many. I have a Pomegranate book of photos from expeditions to Antartica and they all look cold and icebergs for ice.
Response: That is good to know that the Jetoy cards are considered Kawaii. I bought a bunch of them since so many people here have Jetoy on their wish lists, but I really don't know much about them. I think I also have that postcard book of the early expeditions to Antartica. It makes me shiver just to look at them! Have a great week, Cynthia
CHOWEFACE rated for PH: Scavenger Hunt For PCs #79 on Oct 25, 2019
5
rating
Comment: thank you! love the extras as well!
Response: You are very welcome and thanks for the heart!
5
rating
Comment: Thanks for looking at my profile and sending such great cards.
Response: You are very welcome and thanks for the heart!
5
rating
Comment: Great envelope! Great postage stamps! Great postcards! Great extras! Great swap! Thanks so much, Mar/skinny52
Response: I am so happy you liked the cards I sent and thanks very much for the heart!

Rating Overview

Overall Hearts Stars Hosted
5.0000 562 30 31
Completed Fives Threes Ones
430 628 0 0
Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Uncategorized
6 381 42 1
View all

Currently In

  • the user is not currently in any swaps :(

Currently Hosting

  • the user is not hosting any current swaps

Comments

thriftymermaid on Feb 4, 2023:

Happy Birthday Month from all of your swapping friends at the WIYM Group!! We hope you enjoy your special day. May all of your Birthday wishes come true and your New Year be all you hope it will be and more!! 🎂🎂🎂💌🎂🎂🎂

Poohtat on Nov 22, 2020:

Oct RAKS USA only tourist postcards: Thank you of the postcards and love the frog stickers on the envelope!

Kirkdebb on Sep 29, 2020:

Thank you for the postcard RAK! I'll definitely put these to good use on a swap!!

colleenbUSA on Sep 16, 2020:

Thank you for the thank you note & postcard for sending your mom a b-day card!

ittybittykitty on Sep 8, 2020:

Welcome to Weirder Every Day!

Heirloom on Sep 1, 2020:


** USA Happy Mail group! **

Highlander18 on Aug 26, 2020:

Thank you very much for the August RAK #2 ~ 5 Random Postcards ~ 8/21 Great cards to add to my collection.

ginny19590 on Aug 24, 2020:

Thank you for the awesome animal PCs I can put them to good use. Thank you my friend......=)

thisismeAXiD on Feb 1, 2020:

Happy birthday

glennasgarden on Jan 7, 2020:

Thanks so much for the bits and pieces of paper. I am going to have fun using them in my mixed media.

Login to leave a comment now!