12 NOVEMBER 2012

I'M STILL ALIVE!!!

I LEFT MY PHONE IN MY LOCKER AT WORK BEFORE THE LONG WEEKEND, SO NO INTERNET ACCESS :(

WILL ANSWER ALL MESSAGES ETC WHEN I GET HOME.

Please take a moment to read!!!!

ATTENTION!!! I DO NOT have a late swap on my dash! I sent out my 3 envies for 3x3 Friendship Books - #12 on either the day of partner assignment, or the day after and duly marked as sent. All 3 had been received and rated (4th, 7th & 11th September) well before the send by date.

However, after rating the last one today and going to archive the swap; it is showing as "not sent"! I marked as sent as soon as I mailed them ( I do it on my phone as soon as I leave the PO counter, so I don't forget which ones I sent!!) When I noticed this, I tried to mark as sent by clicking on it, but nothing happened! Also, because it is showing "not sent", it won't allow me to unmark then re-mark as sent....

I assume it's just some sort of glitch - maybe I lost internet connection when I originally did it or something?? Anyway, it's stuck on my dashboard as late/unsent when in reality I had been rated for all 3, days before the send by deadline. Any suggestions as to how I can fix it would be greatly appreciated!!

I take pride in my swaps. I enjoy reading your profile and take time trying to create something I hope will please you. I assume everyone feels the same and therefore I rate as soon as I receive, not within a couple of days, not when i get a minute, not next month. I ratew as soon as I open. YOU have gone to the effort and spent time & money sending this to me, it is only common courtesy that I then take the 2 mins to rate, so you know I have received and to say "Thanks". I ask that if I am sending to you, you extend me the same courtesy. Thank You. :D

A word on HEARTS & EXTRAS:

I appreciate each and every heart I have earned. But I want to earn them for THE SWAP ITEM, not any extras I have added. I'd like to believe that I have been awarded a heart because someone opened my parcel and appreciated what I had sent them. Perhaps you noticed that although a swap was senders choice, I had taken the time to read your profile and created something using your favourite colour, or i hunted out some stickers of your favourite animal. If you feel like giving me a heart PLEASE make it because you love the swap part of the package, NOT because I sent you some extras. I often do- i figure if I've got something in my stash that I think you'll like, why not send it. I will NEVER use all the stuff I have, so why not share it? I also work on the principle that if the postage is the same for 60g as it is for 99g, and I've read that you like notecards with pandas on them, I may as well... This may seem a bit strange, but recently I received a message from someone, after I had rated them a 5 and said thank you for the swap item and the extra stickers, asking why I hadn't given them a heart. They asked what inclusions (exact words used) were neccessary to get a heart. That really upset me. I always rate on whether you meet swap requirements, my own personal feelings don't come in to it. If I open the package and it makes me squee, or giggle or takes my breath away - you've earned your heart, simple as that. Hearts are meant to be for special, they are NOT required to be given with every 5.

Jubilee Weekend (erm...more like week :( )

ALL my swaps with a send by up to and including June 4th (plus a few later) HAVE BEEN POSTED. Some went from 1 of 2 different post office, some went in the box. The last to go left my hands around 10am on Sat 2nd June. I have been told that some may not be postmarked until after the holidays. Please be aware of this.

Hi, I'm a crafty paper&fabric-addicted, book-loving, cookery-mad, movie-watching, history-loving, letter-writing 30something mother to 2 teenagers. I originally hail from Glasgow, but lived in Dundee for the last 12 years.

I work part-time as a Catering Assistant in an Education Establishment (that's a school dinnerlady to the rest of us!! :D ) to help pay the bills and make and sell jewellery, minibooks, cards, gifts and decorative items to fund my crafty habits - guess which I spend most on!!

I love all kinds of papercrafts, especially cardmaking, scrapping & creating minibooks. I also enjoy various jewellery-making techniques. I love cooking and baking, and especially like creating handbaked gifts for friends & family.

I don't think i have a particular "style"- i tend to try a bit of everything and love creating pieces tailored to the person who is going to receive it.

I am currently suffering from an extreme fabric flower fetish (who doesn't?!!) and can't resist "putting a bird on it"

When I'm not crafting i enjoy spending time with my special people, movies, reading, history, music and pretty shoes :-D

I enjoy meeting people, and swapping ideas and inspiration.

Although I'm new to Swap-bot, I've swapped other places, and am looking forward to meeting lots of new friends :D

I'm never quite sure what to put on these kinda things, so I guess I'll add to and amend as I find my way around!

Anything else you wanna know - just ask!!

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I swap : *Handcrafted items, including, but not limited to... Jewellery Accessories Dotee Dolls Minibooks ATCs Chunkybook / journal pages Things made from fabric or paper

*postcards *quotes- love them!! *used postage stamps *stationery *recipes *stash

*I have recently fallen down the rabbithole of swapbags & books.... I love to see the different variations people come up with and ALWAYS pass them on - feel free to send me any that you are looking to pass on!

AND I'M ALWAYS WILLING TO TRY SOMETHING NEW :D

I rate as soon as I recieve, I believe it's only common courtesy to let someone know that I received the item that they chose to send me, and thank them for it.

I ask that you extend me the same courtesy - let's face it- clicking the ratings box is WAY easier than having me message you everyday to see if it has arrived!!! LOL

For stash swaps, I usually try to send out within 48 hours of partners being assigned

(obviously, long swaps that require personalising crafted items, like journals or sewn pieces etc or profile-based ones will take longer) I try to always send well before the deadline.

I do not flake! If you feel you haven't received from me, please message me.

If something has truly gone missing in the post (it does happen!) I will try to resend)

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I'd also like to say that I craft for pleasure and swap for fun. I don't claim to be a professional at anything, I'd much rather dabble than specialise in one area, however whatever i make is created with love, care and passion, and i hope u can overlook the odd wonky stitch- someone once told me that handcrafted HAD to have a slight imperfection in it, just so it can't be mistaken for perfectly and soulessly machine produced. I like that idea ;)

I've crafted on and off for over 30 years, and in that time I've tried a fair few, but at the moment a few favourites are...

PAPER CRAFTS Anything from cards & scrapbooking to sculpture, I love trying lots of different techniques rather than sticking to one or two.

FABRIC CRAFTS I hand and machine sew, everything from tiny stuffed owls to bags.

MIXED MEDIA/ COLLAGE I'm a bit of a butterfly, and like dipping in to this and that, so this kind of thing pleases me because I can incorporate lots of things I like :) My OH calls me his Thali-girl, cos if theres a choice where you can have a mixture, I ALWAYS take it, rather than choose ;P

ALTERED ART I guess this stems from the point above - chopping & changing & repurposing something with lots of different techniques & embellishments??? Does it sound like something I would like??

I'm also into RECYCLING/UPCYCLING/REPURPOSING: % cos it's environmentally friendly % cos its challenging to see what I can come up with % cos the end product is different & cool & unique % cos I'm too cheap to fork out for a brand new whatever, especially if the hefty pricetag is just cos it is a "designer label" - HELLO!!! I DESIGN AND MAKE AND SELL MY OWN STUFF ALL THE TIME, the fact that I don't label myself as a "designer" brand doesn't mean people are getting anything made with any less time and care and attention, they just get a better bargain from me :D

LIKES

I've noticed some of you have posted a long list of likes/dislikes/would like/can dos, and i'll get round to doing something similar at some point, but in the mean time....

Colours: green & blue & everything in between, browns & earthy tones, purple, red, black, black n white, black n white n a contrast....i'm a bit of a Rainbow Brite!

Patterns: anything goes! but especially like polka dots, stripes & tartany checks. Style-wise I'm a real hodgepodge! Vintage, gothic, anime, cute, kawaii...

Love baking(anything cupcake themed)

shoes(i'm an irregular choice/iron fist girl) so anything funky shoe related

red wine

teaparties!!

BIRDS/birdcages

40s/50s glamour - think pinup meets domestic godeess (of which, sadly, I'm neither!)

black coffee

MATRYOSHKA Russian dolls

corsets

vampires (proper ones - not fairies that sparkle)

STEAMPUNK

chocolate

Hello Kitty

KOKESHI DOLLS

zombies

OWLS

heavy eye makeup

Alice in wonderland

Nightmare before Christmas

Oz

Muppets - esp. Elmo

sushi

spicy food

cartoons

Cherries & strawberries - to eat, to wear, to cut & stick & sew.....

RIBBONS N BIBBINS N BOWS & BUTTONS....

I HATE: Celebrity culture- i have NO interest in who is dating who or people who are "famous" or who is wearing what

Soaps (the Corrie-enders type! I LOVE the yummy smelling kind :D )

OVERLY FAKE PEOPLE. If you feel you need fake hair nails teeth bodies to make urself feel better or to be accepted, thats fair enough, BUT ITS NOT FOR ME! If your entire persona is as fake as your antique pine tan and your ratty hair extensions then I can't be bothered with you!

FLAKERS, DISHONESTY, RUDENESS, THOUGHTLESSNESS

I'm not gonna type a whole list of don't like colours, styles, etc, the reason I signed up to Swap-bot to swap with other people. I WANT to know what you like, what you enjoy doing and making and creating. I want to know about your life, so please, send me what you enjoy making or altering or collecting. If I recieve something that isn't to my taste, I will appreciate the thought behind it, and then pass it on to someone who WILL love it. Who knows - maybe you might even change my mind about something I thought I didn't like!!!

I've got a really varied taste in music, but mostly rock, indie, cheesy stuff to dance to :D

Everything from 30 Seconds to Mars to Jonathon Coulton, via First Aid Kit, and travelling by the Vengabus :D

Coheed & Cambria

Muse

Greenday

80s/90s rock

Tend to prefer thrillers/horror

Zombies Vampires Thrillers but watch all the big blockbusters too :D

I've been off work for the past four months so i've worked my way through a fair few made for tv films in the afternoons. One of the movie channels was doing Disaster Month last month, so I now know how to del with ANY near Apocaliptical event that may befall us!

I also love oldies like The African Queen and The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, and PROPER musicals, like The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins.

Also anything by Tim Burton

Little Shop of Horrors

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW(friends bought me tickets for the stageshow a couple of years back,a minibus of us headed off, fully costumed. It was hilarious. Not least the big burly fireman who borrowed my corset to complete his frankenfurter outfit!)

Studio Ghibli - Japanese animation (My Neighbour Tortoro, spirited away

SCIFI/FANTASY

The Lord of the Rings

Craft books Cookery Thriller/Horror - the goryer, the better! SciFi/Fantasy

Recently enjoyed The Hunger Games trilogy and The House of Night books (pinched off my kids' bookshelves)

TERRY PRATCHETT, DOUGLAS ADAMS, RICHARD LAYMON, TOLKIEN, DEAN KOONTZ, CLIVE CUSSLER, PATRICIA CORNELL

Just now I'm not really watching anything, but awaiting the next series of:

Game of Thrones Grimm Unforgettable Fringe Homeland Walking Dead

I watch pretty much anything on THE HISTORY CHANNEL etc

Ultimately, knowing that someone has spent their time and effort (and hardearned money!) on choosing, creating or selecting items especially for me is what pleases me :) BUT, if you want to make me really happy, taking some inspiration from my likes & dislikes is the way to go. To make me TRULY ECSTATIC, pop in a wee something from my WISHLIST:

Anything STEAMPUNK, KAWAII or 40s/50s

Anything featuring BIRDS/BIRDCAGES, POLKADOTS, OWLS, RUSSIAN DOLLS, STRAWBERRIES, GINGHAM CHECKS, CUTE WOODLAND ANIMAL ILLUSTRATIONS, CUPCAKES or PEACOCK FEATHERS.

USEABLE UK POSTAGE STAMPS!!!! (SERIOUSLY, I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT!!! my mum gave me an awesome birthday present this year - I opened my card and out fluttered the usual £amount but in lots and lots of pretty pictured stamps :D )

STATIONERY- lettersets, pens, stickers, badges, labels. Any of the above themes, plus cute foodstuff, icecream, ladybird, comic book characters.

SMASH* BOOK stuff

DECOPATCH Stuff- papers, glues, blanks

STASH- fabric, paper, embellishments. Ribbons & buttons especially :)

Journalling pens

JEWELLERY FINDINGS, chains, charms, beads

VINTAGE LACE, BUTTONS, BUCKLES ETC

VINTAGE EPHEMERA/ VICTORIANA - postcards, photos, labels, product/shop advertisements etc. anything up to 1950s

HANDMADE CANDLES OR SOAPS - i like vanilla, citrus, woody or candy scent

WASHI TAPE/ DECO TAPE

Interesting "finds"

NOTEBOOKS/JOURNALS (especially handbound or blank pages)

VINTAGE LETTERS & SHEET MUSIC

Dies/embossing folders that would fit BIG SHOT

ALPHABETS- stamps, chipboard, other chunky letters.

RUBBER/CLEAR STAMPS: Tim Holtz, vintage, steampunk or some other theme I like. I'd also love stamped images, preferably on white or almost white card, in black stazon or similar.

CANDY!!! Japanese candy, jelly babies, jelly beans

CHOCOLATE - Dark, milk or white (NOT HERSHEY'S) REECE's cups

Interesting candy from your country

JEWELLERY,( pierced ears, nose, tongue ) long necklaces, hair accessories, bangles

BAGS/PURSES

Socks: Fun, cosy, stripy, ridiculous. UK 6 or 7 for the girls, 5 or 7 for the boys.

eye/lip/nail makeup - maybe a funky brand from your country!

I did wonder what all the fuss was about Celestial Seasonings Tea, but having received some recently - I'd love some more!!! :D

ALTERNATIVELY, YOU MIGHT LIKE TO SEND A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR ONE OF MY SPECIAL PEOPLE INSTEAD :) Some of their likes are listed below....

HIM: My Other Half is a games programmer, tech geek, biker. He's addicted to Battlefield 3, Halo, jelly babies, LAZERS and Zombies. He likes 80s electronic music like THE THE and DEPECHE MODE, MC Frontalot, folky stuff and various stuff he stumbles over on Spotify :) His favourite colour is blue. He is currently working on a prototype for his first ATC - it has flashing lights, and brings a whole new meaning to the term "Interactive" !

THEM: I have 2 kids. They both enjoy swapping, and would also be interested in taking part in the 'for kids' swaps on here too. They both love Studio Ghibli anime, Harry Potter, Narnia and Lord of the Rings. My 16yo daughter (AKA The Teen) plans to study History at University. She likes crafting, and has recently discovered "proper" sewing after designing & making herself a skirt to complete a design project at school. She enjoys making cards and recently made her first DIY Smash book. She loves all things Tatty Teddy (Me to You bears) and Gorguss. Her Disney favourites are Piglet & Roo, Mulan(especially mushuu), Pocahontas, Hercules. She appreciates stationery, notebooks & pens etc. She also likes movies and reading. Her favourite authors are Garth Nix and Phillip Pullman. Her favourite colours are black, purple, blue. Red. Brick/rust. She is hooked on ATCs and is always up for a swap. She is also looking for penpals.

Her 13yo brother (The Kid) is obsessed with internet memes, minecraft, PS3/X-Box360. Favourite games are skyrim, little big planet. Anything with skulls. He is very musical -plays piano, guitar, cello & euphonium. ZOMBIES!!! He also likes action comedy movies. And is a complete bookworm. Favourite books/authors are Hunger Games, Skullduggery Pleasant, Darren Shan, Anthony Horowitz. Favourite colours are BRIGHT orange and yellow, or blue. He's obsessed with LISTS and Useless Trivia & funny quotes. Collects pressed pennies. He also loves making (& swapping!) ATCs, bookmarks, magnets etc. He loves postcards and pictures of funny/cute cats. Like the rest of the family, he HAS NO INTEREST in football etc - so keep anything sport related for someone who would appreciate it! :)

My Mum is lovely :) She knits us all sorts of amazing stuff and any knitting related stash would be greatly appreciated.

This is really just to help me keep track of what & who I've tagged! You can also check to see when I posted out. (list was getting to long, so edited to ONLY show those where receipt has still to be confirmed)

Newspaper snippets to CarrieLynn (sent 22 May)

Make an ATC for my favourite theme:

I tagged darkshines (I sent 18/05/12)

Tag You're It! :

leashingfear tagged me (sent)

Thrift Store Tag:

Scarf to Misha852456

Music Themed Envies to:

curlysue (plus ATC papers etc), whit763 (sent)

Example FB and DIY kit to Artdragon (sent)

Pick 2 Tag:

Foreign text pages & 3 random PCs to Draco (sent)

cheap postage - pay it back:

to @devilyn , from @FifisHQ2012

Group Tags I'm in

Craftaholics : JULY WTA - Red, White & Blue to @BennysMumma - confirmed received

Paper Cutz : July WTA - Vacation Extravaganza to ME!! ALL RECEIVED

Hosting August WTA: Put A Bird (In) It! :D - winner to be drawn 1 Sept : Winner is @wickedred

SENG: WTA 9# July-August to be drawn 31 Aug €3 profile surprise :winner is @rhynah

Rainbows & Rainclouds August WTA 28/08/12 @littlepinkflamingo4 $8 sweet girlie & pampering

SAD AS IT IS, I HAVE BEEN FLAKED ON

This is a reminder to myself NOT to swap with these people again:

@Majannaise for Three Favorite Tracks

@yencow for Foodie Mail Swap #1 - Bakeries/dessert theme (Newb

LATE BUT PROMISED IT WILL COME (Not Flaked): @MadameCupcake for ATC Crafting...That Goes Over the Edge!

NON-RATERS - These swappers are all at least partially suspended, so I don't hold out much hope...

@HisuiHaru for 6 pencils

@marxxiana for Gift Tags Swap

@Ingelill for Alice in Wonderland themed ATC

AS YET UNRATED-AWAITING CONFIRMATION OF RECEIPT

(The ones I think SHOULD have arrived)

Vintage Circus ATC to @Artbysonya - originally sent 9 July, returned to sender 18 July, resent 20 July

Cupcake ATC Series - #2 Chocolate to @leighthalzombie - sent 6 July

Sticker Books and Bags! to @autumnbreezzz - sent 28 June

Fill it! A minizine project : Issue 4 to @papercaper - sent 30 June