MissJay

I'm no longer going to do swaps trying to wean myself off the Swap-Bot crack.

It was exciting to find this community of crafters and the swaps were fun & inspiring. The reality is that it's not a good use of my time and resources. It's too much time on the computer when I should be crafting for myself or doing something else like housework & cooking. It took all day to make a swap item and then I didn't accomplish anything else.

As much as I like making new friends all over the world, I didn't like the problems with international mail (extra postage, custom forms, mail disappears, longer wait time to send/receive/rate). So I switched to US only swaps.

Then I became paranoid about hurting my good ratings so I tried one-on-one swaps.

A lot of swaps are for things I want to receive or send but not reciprocally.

My ATC's are usually dimensional collages, interactive, or have some kind of interesting twist or new technique -- otherwise, why bother.

Some crafters have binders of received ATC's but I save only my own art. Eventually I donate received ATC's as samples to beginning crafters who want to learn how to make them and to charity organizations for them to enjoy your great art work. So it isn't worth it to me to make ATC's (plus extras for myself) to send and receive just one ATC.

I have the general feeling that I gave more in swaps than I received. I had to give extra to get a good rating. I was in some sticker swaps but didn't get back as much as I gave so didn't have enough do any more of those swaps.

And I'm tired of the DRAMA !

A shout out to my southern Oregon Swap-Bot neighbors. Thanks to SpinJenny who helped me load the picture. I have received help and extra packages from several very generous swappers.

Glue, scissors and my fingers are my favorite tools.

I started out as a scrapbooker, progressed to paper art and now just try to stop me.

ONGOING PROJECT: Hand sewing yo-yo's with the goal of making a 2nd coverlet for my 2 nieces. I dyed some of the "vanilla" yo's with kool aid and jello. I'm always looking for colored embroidery floss for sewing the yo's.

FAVORITE MUSIC is 40s, 50s, 60s & 70s, classical, opera and what I make myself on my piano & accordion. I want to learn to play the recorder.

COLLECTIONS are bird images, buttons, embroidery floss, keys, sheet music, odds & ends saved for their color or shape for crafting, tarot & playing cards, anything heart shaped.

LIKES Caffeine (coffee & diet cola), feng shui (I try to clear the clutter after a project), crafting, white wine, languages (esp. French & Japanese), quilt shows, and traveling (recently went to NYC, DC, Canada, France, England, N. Ireland).

I love cats but don't collect anything cat related because its a cruel reminder that I'm not able to have cats of my own at this time.

DISLIKES Babies, children, candles, chick flicks, chick lit, childish cute, clowns & mimes, Disney, dogs, hazel nuts, horses, jewelry, magic tricks, metallic / glitter, owls, perfume, religion, smoke, tea, & teddy bears. I admire Martha Stewart but kinda like to hate her.

I'm neurotic about meeting deadlines and always sent my swaps ASAP.

The heart rating system: A 5-but-no-heart rating isn't supposed to be a negative but somehow made me feel I failed. Its like a high school clicque of control, reward & punishment. I can't do that to anyone else and also as a protest, I always rated a 5+heart on every received swap and a star to the swap host.

Sending extras seemed like a bribe to get a heart. I tried to give extra stuff on my swaps so the recipient would be happy with some if not all of it.

Sometimes I was disappointed with a swap received but they tried. I would never tell them their swap wasn't good enough or ask them to resend because I didn't like it or slander them to anyone else.

Profile Grab Bag Tag...USA Only. I sent and because she didn't like it, resent on Nov. 27 to @revolutionoise I sent several messages but she never indicated she received or liked it.

I had the misfortune to have 2 flakers and rated them a 1 after they didn't respond to my contacts and they were suspended. FLAKERS
@tamaralouise (Tamara McRae) -- Free Theme ATC swap #10
@bowlofsurreal (Kris Patton) -- Scratcher Addicts Are Us #7