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Topaz

Topaz
Date Joined: August 24, 2015
Last Online: October 10, 2017
Birthday: November 27
Country: United States
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About Me

I must take a break from swapping. My husband is ill and I must devote my time and attention to him. I also broke 3 toes and I'm having a heck of a time walking. I am hoping this break from swapping won't last long. I'm hoping I'll be active here by the end of April. In the meantime, my best to everyone and happy swapping.

I am originally from the northeast-born in NYC and educated in Greenwich, Connecticut, Potsdam, NY and Burlington, Vermont. I've been married for over 27 years. My spouse is a disabled Vietnam vet. We are both owned by two miniature dachshunds- both girls. I am very lucky to live in Northern California next to Travis Air Force Base. We are able to use our retired military benefits there. This area is close to many favorite destinations such as San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, the Redwoods, the shores of the Pacific, Yosemite National Park, and the Napa Valley wine country.

My mother was an oil painter. From an early age I was surrounded by artists and frequently visited many art museums and galleries in NYC and the Hudson Valley. My junior and senior year in High School I worked at the Storm King Art Centre in Mountainville, NY. There I met and spoke extensively with modern artists-mostly sculptors. The center is quite well known for its huge sculpture gardens. I took a few art courses in High School. It was a private school that had large, and well endowed art department with two excellent instructors. I was a violinist and played with the Hudson Valley Chamber Music Orchestra in New Paltz. I took violin lessons at Julliard in NYC. I entered SUNY at Potsdam, Crane School of Music, as a music performance and education major but found time to learn quite a lot about film photography. I also took more courses in ceramics. I worked on the wheel and concocted by own glazes from scratch. When we moved to California I continued my education in photography and ceramics and took a course in art history. Then cancer struck and my treatments were difficult to endure, but I'm cancer free now. Then my husband, already disabled with spinal stenosis, was in an accident and came out of it with a brain injury. He has made quite a lot of progress, but he has good days and then bad days with dizziness and memory problems being his biggest issues. So. for quite a while I wasn't able to use my talents in a creative way (short of a few xmas gifts). Recently I had an awakening. Perhaps my worsening depression and anxiety could be helped by changing parts of my life. I need a shake up. I need to go back to the attitude and activities I enjoyed decades ago. With that in mind, I have been rediscovering myself. I am experimenting with different media and having a blast learning more about myself, new media, new techniques, and the creative process. I am soon to start classes again. I have enrolled in a watercolor class, a mixed media class, and a silk painting class. I plan on looking into taking classes at the University of California at Davis. They have a good art department. Financing this is the major obstacle.

I am particularly interested in participating in swaps that involve ACTs, ACEOs, PCs, pocket letters although I am open to other swaps.

Favorite Crafts

Film photography and ceramics, but I'm learning a lot about acrylics. acrylic mediums, and other pigments like Pebeo paints, alcohol inks, fabric paints, watercolors, transfer mediums... and have been having a blast. I might be shifting my favorite medium to acrylics. In the past I have photographed, created pieces of ceramic pottery, made hooked rugs and candles and soap. I have stitched traditional crewel pieces, created wall hangings using macrame, painted in oils and acrylics and alcohol inks and used both chalk and oil pastels. I have made furniture out of recycled materials, decoupaged boxes, constructed simple stained glass window pieces, dabbled in the paper arts like stamping/embossing, origami folding and calligraphy and collage. At the present time I am experimenting with Yupo paper using alcohol inks, watercolors and markers. I'm also experimenting with Pebeo paints called Moon and Prisma with polymer clay, bezels, and also coated in resin. Who knows where my journey of discovery will lead me. The creative process is definitely helping my depression. I'm having more fun than I've had in many years. I'm smiling and laughing again. Life is good.

Favorite Artists/Authors/TV

Georgia O'Keefe, Chagall, Calder, Henry Moore, Monet, Coulton Waugh, Ansel Adams, Richard Misrach

Jane Austen, Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg, Agatha Christie, Mary Higgins Clark, Eleanor Roosevelt

Game of Thrones, Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, Frankie and Grace, Orphan Black, Downton Abbey, Sherlock, Last Tango in Halifax, Call the Midwife, Tree House Masters, streaming mysteries on Acorn TV like Murdoch Mysteries, Rosemary and Thyme, Midsomer Murders, Cadfael, Father Brown, George Gently, Father Lewis, Tommy and Tuppence, Miss Fisher.

Favorite Music

I was a classical violinist and love Baroque music. Vivaldi is my favorite and I adore string quartets and music that features the oboe or cello.
I like to sing to Jason Mraz and Michael Buble. I enjoy Broadway hits as well as songs from my youth in the 60's and 70's.
I like to listen to New Age/Fusion when I am reading, creating or meditating- George Winston, Will Ackerman, Liz Story, many musicians that record under the Windham Hill label.

Always looking for...

If you wish to know what I'd love to receive or generally what I am interested in- I love Dachshunds and Puffins **not Penguins laser cut paper and wood. washi tape scraps of denim and wool felt buttons, especially fancy buttons cloth bandanas stamps/stencils of nature like trees/birds/bugs and for backgrounds archival stamp pads opalescent and mica powder a circular and a star punch acrylic and alcohol inks markers, ephemera-especially travel related die cut chipboard vintage photographs art postcards, travel postcards anything related to New York City or San Francisco or US National Parks or camping maps and travel brochures museum/gallery brochures brochures/programs from musicals/plays used travel tickets used theatre/movie tickets playing cards dichroic glass gift bags, gift tags scrapbook paper vellum, acetate sheets and shrinky dink plastic sheets tea/coffee stained paper handmade paper stickers (to pass onto others) wallpaper samples itsy bitsy tiny toys, tiny books bottle caps bezels for resin jewelry adhesive tape. adhesive foam dots adult coloring pages-not folded tiny frames to fit ATC's for table tops/walls refrigerator magnets anything to use to make an outdoor fairy garden polymer clays ceramic tile past issues of art or craft magazines art education books/magazines

Likes and Dislikes

Favorite foods cinnamon, yellow curry, dark chocolate, mint, peach, raspberry (especially raspberry with dark chocolate), UNflavored coffees, very sharp cheddar cheese

Dislikes Any popular cartoon related items, little kid stickers, puffy stickers, green tea, chai, walnuts, licorice, religious quotes, religious images and symbols, rap music, porn, images that portray violence, loose glitter, sequins,base metal jewelry that touches the skin, Japanese anime, MLP, items related to cats

Ratings

Fabriqueen rated for Blind PC Swap #3 on Feb 24, 2016
5
rating
Comment: Thank you for the great sea turtle postcard. I love it! Hugs, Diane
judee0624 rated for Blind PC Swap #3 on Feb 21, 2016
5
rating
Comment: Thanks for the pretty card. I agree we surely need lots more rain. Don't forget the swap name on your cards.
texasangel rated for "I remember" Letter Swap on Feb 18, 2016
5
rating
Comment: Ty for your letter I really enjoyed your I remember answers have a great day
Fry rated for Blind PC Swap #3 on Feb 18, 2016
5
rating
Comment: There is a bit of green here... but in the valley it really is a kind of a desert. Glad to hear that you will be passing through, Yellowstone is beautiful! Love the PC that you sent, just be sure to mark which swap you are sending for...
Creativechaos1 rated for Show your bookshelf! on Feb 16, 2016
5
rating
 
HelloWheeze rated for Show your bookshelf! on Feb 13, 2016
5
rating
Comment: Thank you! So pretty :)
user4532 rated for Show your bookshelf! on Feb 12, 2016
5
rating
Comment: Beautiful bookshelf! Thanks for sharing!!!!
Johanna51 rated for Show your bookshelf! on Feb 9, 2016
5
rating
Comment: Thank you
CraftyMommaonaBUDGET rated for Show your bookshelf! on Feb 8, 2016
5
rating
Comment: NICE! great idea, really different
Response: Thanks
biasbabe rated for Valentines day E-card on Feb 8, 2016
5
rating
Comment: That was a very lovely e- card that you sent. Very pretty. Thank You. Robin
5
rating
Comment: Thank you and happy early Valentines day!!!
honey2bee rated for Pinterest: All Things Valentines on Feb 7, 2016
5
rating
 
rarjones rated for Pinterest: All Things Valentines on Feb 5, 2016
5
rating
Comment: thanks for sharing you board. I pinned some ideas :) Happy Valentines Day to you!
theevidenceisme rated for Send 1 Christmas Card on Jan 16, 2016
5
rating
Comment: Lovely card and sentiment. Thanks so much also for the note cards!
5
rating
Comment: Thank you!
bluecrayons rated for Christmas Card E-swap on Dec 27, 2015
5
rating
 
KateKintail rated for Fill My Stocking - December on Dec 26, 2015
5
rating
Comment: I'm just now opening my stocking gifts. First off, the washi tap decorating it was awesome--I sometimes dogsit for three dachshunds. Second, yikes, this puzzle's going to take some time to solve! heehee. Thanks!
Response: 3 doxies? They're like Lay's potato chips-you can't have just one. hehehe
mchesser12 rated for Pinterest - Christmas Season on Dec 24, 2015
5
rating
Comment: Thanks for sharing. I'll have to show this to my mom. She has a dachshund named Copper. He's spoiled rotten😄 Merry Christmas!
Response: what a great name for a red doxie.
widelo123 rated for Christmas Card E-swap on Dec 20, 2015
5
rating
Comment: Laurie, thank you for the Jacquie Lawson e-card. Shirley
rguldy rated for Christmas Card E-swap on Dec 19, 2015
5
rating
Comment: Thank you for the Christmas card with the dog through out the scenes.

Rating Overview

Overall Hearts Stars Hosted
5.0000 45 0 0
Completed Fives Threes Ones
31 53 0 0
Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Uncategorized
6 17 8 0
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Comments

Apelser on Jan 16, 2017:

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