ridamera

Hi all, my name is Lisa and I've just joined swap-bot after seeing a lot of people posting pics on Instagram of swaps they were doing, and thinking, "What is that? Can I play too?"

I live in Melbourne, Australia with my husband and two teenagers. My 16 year old son is 6ft 2 and hates school but loves sport. He plays cricket and Aussie Rules Football (AFL) and is really good at both, but is leaning towards cricket. I think he would be quite happy to play cricket professionally, so who knows what will happen in the future? In the meantime he is trying to get an apprenticeship as a carpenter. My daughter is 14 and I'm pleased to say is a budding artist too. I'm the Registrar for my son's footy club, plus the Team Manager, and I help coach at my daughter's netball club, and have just joined the committee there too.

I work part time in a Bank doing home and personal loans, and have been in banking since I was 16 (long time ago!). Whilst I enjoy my job most of the time, what I would really love to do is... art. Teaching kids art would be fantastic. I got back into my art a few years ago and have vowed that this year I will ramp it up to see what happens. Who knows!

My husband works as a fencer and handyman, and he loves to make beautiful furniture out of recycled timber. Would be nice if we could both leave our jobs and do what we love! May have to start buying lottery tickets...

Late last year we had our first holiday overseas as a family, and went to Vietnam for 4 weeks. What an amazing place - we just loved it and will definitely go back again. Scott organised it all through Trip Advisor and we saved so much money not using a travel agent or guided tour (and saw so much more!?

I don't really have a favourite genre. I love to read and usually read every day! If I would be pressed to give my favourite book, I'd have to say Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta (Australian author) - it's the first book in a brilliant trilogy and I can't recommend them all enough!

I like to read REAL books, and have resisted getting an e-reader or kindle. I like to hold my books; I like to lend them to other people; and I like to re-read them! I have a big collection that every now and then I have to cull to make more room.

I like to collect authors. If I like a book I'll try and read everything that person has written! I have most of Stephen King's books; ALL of Diana Gabaldon's books which I absolutely love, and hate waiting for the next one; all of Marian Keyes (love Irish writers); and 24 Trixie Belden books from when I was about 12. I loved the Game of Thrones books but have yet to see the TV series! I also love YA books and have all of the Harry Potter series and all of the Twilight books too.

I love doing ATCS and postcards, I think they're the perfect size for my art. I've tried art journalling, and whilst I really admire and love other people's work, I struggle to put such personal stuff in my art. I love using watercolour and would really like to improve my sketching. I love acrylics too, and really enjoy stamp carving - it's so great to be able to make something that you will use, rather than trying to buy something!

I sent off my first swap-bot ATC last week - hopefully the recipient gets it soon - always the problem with overseas mail! I also participate in a few Facebook and IG ATC swaps, and I'm doing a Facebook 52 week Illustration Challenge (which is very challenging!)

I got myself a gelli plate for Christmas and am having fun experimenting with it, and trying to make prints that don't look like mud (:

Craft wise I'm hopeless at knitting and crochet, but okay at sewing - I've hand made and painted a few shoulder bags and small bags (struggled with zippers though!) I used to do a lot of scrapbooking but found it difficult to keep up with.

We're lucky that we have a separate parents' room in our house with a great bar table (made by Scott!) that I do my art at. I don't think he likes it at all (don't get paint on my table!) but at least we're together... (:

Also in our room are 7 beer taps in a fantastic bar - Scott brews beer from scratch (grain, yeast, hops & water) and is pretty much a beer connoisseur. It also makes him very popular with some of his mates...

I'm an 80s girl so any music from that era is great! My first concert I went to was either INXS or AC/DC - both great Aussie bands. Australian music, especially from the 80s, is really iconic.

My three songs I want at my funeral? Flame Trees by Cold Chisel, The Day You Went Away by Wendy Matthews, and I Wanna Know What Love is by Foreigner.

Music I hate? The Doors. Can't stand them; not really sure why. Led Zeppelin - my brother played their stuff really loud at 3am when we rented a place together... House music (or doof doof). Too old for that crap. Majority of Rap music (though I don't mind some of Eminem's stuff, and I like 360, who is an Aussie...).

I also think it's important to keep up with the times so I listen to whatever the kids are too. I love Ed Sheeran and Justin Timberlake, like Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, don't mind One Direction. Other favourite artists are Melissa Etheridge, Dido, Pink, and The Script. I love to sing, especially in the car along with the radio - but the kids don't like my singing for some reason...! I'm really good with lyrics and should have been on one of those 'guess the lyrics' game shows when they were all the rage a few years ago...

Scott and I both love Survivor. Don't think we've missed a season (except one they didn't show in Australia for some reason?). Have contemplated whether I could do it, but I think I'd struggle with the eating of live spiders and grubs etc. Otherwise, wouldn't mind doing it to lose some weight... (:

Also love the Amazing Race. Again would like to do this! Though Scott and I would probably kill each other after a few days. Maybe could partner my dad instead; he's a bushwalker and great navigator, but crap at niceties...

I also enjoy watching home makeover shows - my home styling skills are non-existent.

I think, like my books, I don't have a favourite genre with movies. When I was a teen I loved horror movies but now they creep me out too much. I love watching girly love movies that have a happy ending. I also love action movies like the Bourne series and James Bond. LOVED all of the Harry Potter movies and also Twilight.

Some of my favourite actors are Brad Pitt (sigh), Matt Damon (drool), Tom Cruise (despite the Scientology thing. Just deviating from the subject, L Ron Hubbard's book Battlefield Earth was amazing!) Ed Norton (sigh), George Clooney (sigh) Clint Eastwood (masterful). Sandra Bullock (despite Scott thinking she's "wooden") and Jennifer Lopez. Not a fan of Jim Carrey.

I love social media! Scott hates it! I use Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Flickr. I haven't ventured into Twitter because I don't think people would be interested in my life in 140 characters...

I love it when people put a lot of effort into their art, because I do too. I get disappointed receiving something that's just been glued onto a photo or print.

I love cats... but Scott hates them. One of his favourite sayings is "just like patting a cat" - meaning, why bother? He's more of a dog person. We only have a small backyard, so don't have any pets.

I love Christmas! Every year since 1999 I've made a tree decoration for all of the family - our tree is basically covered with my decorations, which makes me really happy. Last year's decoration was a Vietnamese non-la or leaf hat, since we went to Vietnam last year.

I'm not religious at all. I believe in being a good person. I have no problem with anyone else's religious beliefs, as long as they don't try to convert me!