Newleaf

Living on Vancouver Island, Canada with dogs, cats & chickens. I grew up in one of the largest cities in the US of A, though I spent most of my summers in Ohio on my grandfather's farm. Moved to a log cabin in the mountains of British Columbia, then to a small city in different mountains of British Columbia, and then to the the south west tip of Vancouver Island. I live on a farm in the country and raise chickens and eggs and do photography which I market through various on line sites and local galleries.

Interests: Books, Dogs, Quilting, Old buildings, Chickens, Good Food, Good Friends. I like to stay at home and read - but I love to travel to exotic/ off the beaten track locations. I don't like package tours and have traveled to many out of the way places on my own. When I travel I like to experience what is unique about that place- food, culture, history, etc.

I like working with my hands and one of my degrees is in ceramics with a minor in fibre arts. My main degrees are related to History in Art and Heritage Preservation. newmaillists@telus.net

I like almost all kinds of music, but don't go to live performances all that often. Last club thing I went to was a few years ago to hear Ellen McIllwaine. Heard Ruthie Foster at the Conservatory last year and went to Rigoletto in the spring. I grew up back east in a city which had lots of Broadway openings and I love musical theatre and operetta. Took my kids to see the Mikado when they were 4 & 8 and took my son to see the Eurythmics when he was 14.
Fav Music: Billie Holiday, Beatles, Sarah MacLaughlin, Lyle Lovett, Operatic tenors, Stan Rogers, Patsy Cline, Annie Lennox, Blues, Country, popular, r & b, rock and roll, jazz but not modern. Not rap.

"Cousin, Cousine" (the French one), "Bull Durham", "Long Riders", "Star Wars-1", "Rear Window", Bridget Jones' Diary (that last scene with Colin Firth just makes me melt!) Adventure, documentary, chick flicks, adult not slapstick comedies, most any- once!

Most mystery, detective, cop, lawyer shows. Ugly Betty, Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money.

quilting, knitting, constructing, sewing, photography, ceramics, painting

I like most kinds of food except fast or bananas.

Almonds.

Real teas & coffees, not instant.

Vanilla and coconut scents and flavours- real, not fake.

Dalmatians, not cutesy.

Kitsch.

I like deco and moderne- fifties colours and design- but no tv stuff.

Colour-wise- I like most, just not muddy or acidic.

Almost all good music from the 1920s to present, but no modern jazz or rap. Also a dash of classical and operatic tenors. Old time rock and roll. 70-80's rock, 50's-60's rock, 20's jazz and swing, blue-grass/folk and country.

Good quality fabric-100% cotton for quilting.

On quilting fabrics, I love dots, realistic food, Kaffe Fassett, Amy Butler Fabrics and Rowan Fabrics. Batiks are nice. Stripes are okay too.

Knitting fibres: pure anything: wool, wool/alpaca, wool/cashmere, etc. Some synthetic fibres, but not cheap ones like phentex. More the synthetic ones used for effect like the eyelash wools, etc.

Animal prints on quality goods or fabrics.

Realistic chickens on fabrics, not cutesy.

Vargas style, Bettie Page like female designs from the 40s & 50s.

Oriental design - fabric, photography, gardens, furniture

Silver

I don't do "cute." No puppies, kitties, teddy bears, etc. If a swap calls for cute, please send clean design instead.

Cheap synthetic anything.

On quilting fabrics,please nothing cute like flowery little flowers, little dogs and kitties, kids, baby pink or baby blue.

Plastic.

Stickers

Plastic jewelry or cheap $1 store jewelry

Pins (the kind you wear)

Chocolate with fake flavours added.

Oh- and don't like alcohol or the flavour of, so no Irish Cream cocoa or filled chocolates.

Fruit "flavours"

BANANAS!- not in mixes, yuch, yuch on all levels.

Religious things, unless they have an element of kitsch to them like prayer cards, etc.

Fake smells.

Kids stuff- this probably goes back to the cute stuff, but I'm in my 50s and don't like Holly Hobby, or cutesy animals, or Disney stuff, girly stuff, etc.

Faux country themes. I live on a farm. I don't need to fantasize about cutesy chickens and cows.

No modern jazz or rap.

Cheap cr*p sent just to satisfy a swap theme- I'll just throw it out so don't waste your $ sending it.

Good mysteries- Elizabeth George, Dashiell Hammett, John Lescroart, Michael Connelly, Carol O'Connell, Minette Walters, Laurie R. King, Martha Grimes, etc., Historical fiction, biographies. Some cook books, though I have tons, so ask before you send. Interesting books about quilting, but again, ask. Books about chickens and how to build coops and barns, green building books- high level as I am in construction. Books or anything about Heinrich Hundertwasser.

I always send my swaps, though because I live out in the country it often takes longer to get to you. Please be patient and if you have not received something - please contact me so we can figure out what is going on! Please don't leave me a bad rating. Give me a chance to make it right.

I ALWAYS rate my partner for every swap, usually the day I receive it. I hope you will do the same for me!