user960

Note: I'm so sorry to everyone who hasn't gotten their swaps from me! I haven't forgotten you! I had to move very suddenly, on a week and a half's notice, and all my stuff got stuffed unceremoniously into boxes and is still in a big muddle, especially since the place that was very kindly opened to me on such short notice is rather small. There was no Internet for a long while, hence my immoral lack of updates, and for now I have virtually no arts and crafts space to work in (especially away from the cats ;)). We're working hard to make me a craft space (which involves actually finding my scattered arts and crafts things), between Required Things like earning money to live and going through a badly-needed refinancing adventure that's taken over three months instead of, say ... one. To top it off, I've been inexplicably sick for those three months (am I the only one who has this problem of everything happening at once? ;)), but we finally figured out what was wrong and fixed me and I'm back on the up-swing. Soooo. ;) I know I have all sorts of icky ratings and everyone probably thinks I'm the worst sort of swapper, but you know, even if I'm forced into early swapper retirement by horrific unpopularity, I'm still going to send all my errant swaps out first, because no matter what anyone says, some "flakes" have souls, and use them to care. (Hmph. ;)) I shall send your swaps, and then you may never have to suffer my presence again, so no worries. :D

Swapper Stats!

~Total Swap Ratings: 111~ "1" ratings: 0 "3" ratings: 6 "5" ratings: 104

BIG thank-you to Swap-bot for letting me get rid of that bogus "1" rating from Way Back at the Beginning! You guys are love! :D

The Running Behind update: As horrid as it may seem to some people, I'm behind (...again). I'm going on a swap diet soon, by the way. ;) In any case, if you're supposed to receive something from me, fear not! It shall be sent! :D I'm working on everything, and if it takes me a little longer than it could, that's because I want to make it lovely and wonderful for you, and I hope you love it when it gets there. ;) Thanks, dears. :D

Rating notes: So glad Kiki finally got her Fabric Scrap Craft -- yayyyyy! :D Hope you love it!

On my "3" ratings, four out of five are because the swaps were sent late. One recipient did say it was worth the wait. ;) (And one "3" rated swap was sent a dastardly two days after the deadline! ;)) The remaining "3" is because my funky yarn efforts weren't funky enough, but I did try my best, at least.

On "no-sends" in general: As a kindly note to swap coordinators, the term "no-send" is inaccurate. A "1" rating is really a "no-receive," meaning that what they're really supposed to indicate, as in the Swapbot rating guidelines, is that somebody didn't receive a package. I think enough people on Swap-bot can now guess how one might end up with an inaccurate "1" rating, so I've taken that big long blather out of my profile. Yayyy! ;) If you don't already know how people might get inaccurate "1" ratings, feel free to message me! Being part of the swapping community -- and any community -- is a learning process, after all. :D

A sincere and appreciative thank you, by the way, to you swap coordinators who have allowed me to participate in your swaps despite my previous "no-sends." ;D You are angels in your own right.

Now, on to my swappy info!

I'm a freelance crazy person who crafts, writes, fights (stage combat!), acts, thinks, drinks (mostly tea, but sometimes other things ;)), smokes cigars (usually flavored ones), and is re-learning to live for herself and not for other people's pleasure. My degree is in anthropology, my li'l ol' business is called Star and Crossbones 'cause I'm a Jedi scoundrel, and I love to trade handmade goods and supplies, so give me a holler if you like trading, too, and feel free to check out my online wish list for ideas of what I like: http://www.wists.com/Impstar. Hurrah!

Addictions:

I'm addicted to tea, books, crafts, Yahoogroups, and swaps! (Sometimes I'm addicted to shopping, but ... doesn't everyone get that one from time to time?) My craft addiction includes spinning, knitting, mail art/altered art, jewelrymaking (mostly wire wrap but some beading and polymer clay, too) -- and sewing (mostly clothes and costumes), which I always forget because I've been doing it so long it's more of a habit than a conscious act. ;) I live in (largely) sunny, rather hot Florida and am thus feeding my fiber addiction mostly through online shopping and charitable human beings who are willing to share their fiber stashes with me.

Things I like:

Are you swapping with me? You iz love. I love "exotic" things (think Paris, Spain, Peru, India, Morocco, almost anywhere in Asia -- something with color, culture, class ... and vivacity!), natural things and Zen-ish things, plus Egypt, pirates, fantasy stuff (especially dragons), and tall ships (especially Patrick O'Brian's novels and the British Royal Navy). I love organic, recycled and handcrafted stuff. I like fruity, tropical, spicy, and fresh/oceany smells more than vanilla and flowers, although I do like rose-scented bath items. My favorite fibers are luxury and exotic fibers (see the warning label below, though), and comfy natural fibers, like cotton, linen, bamboo, soft wools, and alpaca. Sending edibles? I prefer dark chocolate, coconut, raspberry, caramel, coffee, tropical flavors, spicy things, and Asian flavors, and chewy sweets more than hard or crunchy. My favorite colors are blue and green (also browns, white, iridescents, and true metallics like silver and gold). Purple amuses me, but I love all colors with personality and balance in context, and green, red, black, pink and ice blue look loverly on me. ;) Interesting journals, beads, fabric, ATCs, and non-paraffin candles make me happy, and I read lots and love bookmarks, 'zines, reading material not in English, and postcards!

Things I don't usually use:

Anything predominantly pastel, lotions, nail polish, or anything too warm (because I live in Florida), including scarves and winter hats. I love handcrafted soap, but I have tons right now, so feel free to send it if you like, but it may be a while before I get to it. ;) Likewise with small scrapbooking embellishments and paper scraps, which will probably get used someday, just not immediately. I don't wear much small or delicate jewelry (I suppose my style's not very quiet ;)). I said above that I like candles, but candles shaped like nice things (a.k.a. decorative candles) probably won't get burned because they're too pretty to melt. ;)

Things that will definitely get used:

Natural-fiber yarn, spinning fiber, beach stuff (sun hats, beach towels and blankets, cover-ups, sunglasses), sturdy tote bags (the more pockets and flaps and things, the better), pretty coffee mugs, summer tops, wrap-around pants, cruelty-free natural-ingredient body wash, polymer clay, rubber stamps, card stock, metallic paint pens, knitting books, knitting needles, stitch markers, pens, Sharpies, note cards (especially mini ones), natural-ingredient tube lip balm (not mint!), bath confetti, Jo-Ann gift cards, Tyvek envelopes, sugar-free Kool-Aid packets (with food coloring, for dyeing), and Revlon Colorstay eyeliner in "Vixen/Blackberry."

Size information:

I'm usually a size small or extra small in any clothing, since I'm a little half-Asian chick. According to Lands' End I'm a size 14 ... on the Girls Regular chart. ;) Actual measurements: 31.5 bust, 26 waist, 33 hips. And I'm short: five feet or a tiny bit over, maybe...) I generally wear size 6 1/2 shoes, and love boots and sandals. If you want to send me rings, I can wear size 6 rings and pretty much anything smaller...

Affiliated parties who wouldn't mind some stuff:

If you're feeling strange and generous, I also have a little black kitty and a big orange kitty, so feel free to send cat toys, hand-made or otherwise ;D, and kitty treats (especially anti-hairball ones ;)). My Significant Other is a golden-haired darling who likes tea, coffee, good chocolate (including white chocolate), spicy foods, Guinness, beaches, cooking, sunshine, horror movies, video games, humorous nonfiction, a super-wide range of music (the more obscure, the better) which disincludes only crappy music, cigars, linen clothing, and Hawaiian shirts.

The warning label:

I'm mildly allergic to angora (that's bunnies, not goats) and for some reason some natural lip balms, like Burt's Bees, make my lips itch. (Yardenxanthe on Etsy's lip balm does not, however. ;)). Body sprays with alcohol in them smell like alcohol on me so I love oil-based (especially non-synthetic) scents. My ears eat base metal and plated metals, so sterling and up earrings only, if you please (and base metals tend to turn green on me anyway although I like the look of copper). I'm semi-vegetarian, which means no silk (because they kill the silkworms to make it) unless it's recycled (like from an old blouse or skirt), wild silk like Tussah, muga, Eri, or pongee, or Peace silk. I don't throw synthetic materials in the fire and dance on the ashes, but I love natural materials, so the more synthetic the material, the less likely I am to use whatever the item is. ;)

Whew! Yes. I'm done now. Hope that helps someone. ;)

Movie soundtracks (mostly instrumental), World music, not-too-synthesizeful New Age, Celtic, reggae, steel drum, Caribbean, most 80's and some pop 90's, classic old school jazz and singers like Sinatra and Dean Martin, some pop and some alternative. Some specific artists/musicians I like are Cheb Mami, Shakira, Jimmy Buffett, *NSync (don't shoot me! But they actually sing, really), Thievery Corporation, Silly Wizard (Scottish people!), and Keane in small amounts (they're a bit angsty at times, but I like them anyway ;)). I'm open to new music as long as it's on pitch, has rhythm and style, isn't wimpy (note: Enya is not wimpy, but Josh Groban is -- at least to my ears ;)), and involves real talent of some kind.

Star Wars, the Back to the Future movies, the 1973 Three Musketeers (with Oliver Reed! Love!), anything Stephen Sommers directed (including and especially The Mummy and The Mummy Returns), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Sense and Sensibility, and a bunch of other things I can't remember right now.

British Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Space: Above and Beyond, Red Dwarf, and Strange Luck; plus food and travel networks and Animal Planet, and sometimes stuff like Discovery Channel (or what are they calling it now?)

Spinning, knitting, crocheting, sewing/costuming, making jewelry, altered and mail art! I'm also just getting into weaving, dyeing, and reconstruction (especially of t-shirts with fun and funky designs on them, but I'll do skirts and dresses and jackets and anything else that comes my way, too!). I've been mostly knitting and spinning lately, and just learning to felt (felting knitting, not needle felting), but I love learning new crafts, too, so feel free to make me a craft kit ... ;)