craftseverything

Update May 16th, 2019: I'm still taking a break from swapping and crafting. My mom just completed #5 or 6 chemo rounds. She is doing well, but is weak and wobbly. June 3rd is the 6th and final chemo treatment. She will then have a repeat MRI on June 24th. The plan is to start her on PARP inhibitor to prevent a reoccurrence. Ovarian cancer sucks because it likes to reoccur.

OVARIAN CANCER PSA

This is a message for all the SB swappers that have lady bits. There is no screening test for ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer symptoms mimic other ailments that are easily ignored by women and their doctors. Since the symptoms often mimic other ailments, a large majority of women are diagnosed at a more advanced stage. You can still develop ovarian cancer even if your ovaries or Fallopian tubes have been removed, although removal drastically decreases your chances.The most common form of ovarian cancer is the serous type (abdominal bloating due to ascites fluid).

Common symptoms:

Never ignore these symptoms! If your doctor ignores or mistreats these symptoms, get a new doctor. You should also make an appointment with your GYN, along with a gastroenterologist, and ask for a Ultrasound, and a CA125 blood test. My research has indicated that there is a huge lack of education about ovarian cancer in the medical community. Shameful, because it is one of the most deadly cancers for women.

Find out about your family history. Sit down with your elders and write down the causes of death going back three generations. If you have cancer related deaths, you may start seeing the same cancers over and over again. If you do, seek out a genetic counselor. If your mom or a grandmother has had breast or ovarian cancer, you should consider genetic testing. My mother has tested positive for the BRCA 2 mutation, and its more than likely her mother was positive too, because she died from ovarian cancer. A parent who has the BRCA 2 mutation has a 50% chance of passing the same onto her children. Males are not excluded. A male who has the BRCA 2 mutation can also pass this mutation onto their children, and they are more at risk for developing male breast cancer, prostate cancer, and pancreatic cancer.

Please freely share this information. #teamteal

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Hello everyone. I have swapped off and on since the early 90s. Back then, swapping was done through pre-internet message boards (Prodigy for you youngins, lol) I then graduated to the WWW (AOL anyone?), and my swapping world completely opened up! I mean that was the first time I ever sent anything internationally other than a letter, postcard, or greeting card. Of course it was way cheaper then too. I miss those days. Onward to late 90s, and my swapping was through email based groups and forums. Onelist, then E-groups, then Yahoo groups. Sadly, Yahoo groups have declined and there is literally tumble weeds blowing through the halls of Yahoo High. Sad, sad, very sad. I stopped swapping altogether in 2006 due to life. I went back to graduate school and it completely consumed my entire life. I was also making sure my children graduated from HS. Life was busy. After it calmed down, I found Facebook, and started exploring different art technique and crafting groups. I've been creating solo for the past several years, and only sporadically swapping on Facebook. I do like all the FB groups, but it lacks the organization that I need, and I cannot stand that it dictates what I see in my feed. It's kind of hard to keep up with the happenings in groups when the FB algorithms are hell bent against it. It's also very easy to join like 500,000 groups. I miss the structure of Yahoo groups and online forums, sigh. So, here I am giving SB a try.

I am married, a mom to three adult children, and grand-mom to six grandsons. I am also mom to a snarky beagle, 9 chickens, and 3 ducks. I guess I'm mom to a few stray cats that wander through our outbuildings and property. I am an avid letter writer to my family, and penpals I've had for over 20 yrs.

I wish I could swap internationally again, but the postage rates have gone up considerably over the past decade, and its slower than its ever been. I find myself fretting over slow international mail. So much that I can't enjoy the experience. I'll just stick to letters, PCs, and greeting cards for international.

I check my mail frequently and I always rate on the day that I receive. If you don't receive a rating it's because I didn't receive anything. I will not down rate out of the blue. I will make contact with you to inquire about the swap. I usually do this at the 14 day sent date (domestic swaps), regardless of the swaps send deadline. Basically, if I haven't received something by your 14 day send date, I figure something is amiss and I will let you know.

I also follow up on the swaps that I have sent. If I have not received a rating at or near the 14 day sent date, regardless of the swap deadline date, I will send a message to inquire if the swap has been received. This isn't to hound you into a rating as much as it's to inquire if I need to resend something. Although I do appreciate not having to chase a rating. I do not flake. If something has been misplaced by the postal service, please allow me to correct the matter before down rating me. I will also let you know if something has come up that is going to cause a late send. I will communicate this before I actually send the swap. I also do not hit the send button until I have actually gone to the post office to mail the swap. I leave nothing in my mailbox. All mail from me is either dropped into the blue box at my post office, or is processed at my post office counter.

I don't participate in online drama or bullying. Life is much too short for such nonsense.

Be kind,

Have fun,

Happy Swapping.

.

I'm pretty opened to all music.

I'm an 80s lady, so I always revert back to 80s pop and hair bands.

I also like music from the 60s, because my parents jammed to some of the best music of that time. Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Motown.

I also love country music, because well I'm a country gal. Old school country as well as the new stuff.

I really never grasped 90s music except I will listen to some Goo Goo Dolls, Alanis Morrisette, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice In Chains.

I am also opened to some of the newer alternative groups.

Basically if it's not screaming at me and has as a good beat, I am game. I really love music. I can go from Bach and Gregorian Chant, to metal banging Iron Maiden at the drop of a hat. Add a little bit of whiny Hank Sr., Jennings, and Cash, and well that pretty much sums me up.

What can I say. I love books. I have my Kindle, but there is something about holding a book in your hand, flipping through its pages. While I do love fiction (no chick fiction please), I am currently working my way through the Western Canon and 1001 books to read before you die. I'm not sure that I will ever accomplish that.

I love the True Crime genre and I dearly love Detective Fiction.

I'm a short story and novella junkie. I usually read a Gothic short story a day during the month of October to bring in the Halloween spirit. I also belong to a reading group on Good Reads where we have been completing different short story anthologies for years. The anthology stories are alternated with a short story that can be read online. Sometimes shorts are all that I have time to read. Book recommendations are always appreciated. I have a Good Reads account, but it's very neglected. However, I do belong to some of the reading groups on the website and participate in some of the monthly reads. I really need to read more. I used to read a book a week. Now I'm lucky to read one a month. I'm working on this. I also need to revisit my bookish blog that I've had for years. It's also very neglected.

On writing: I've secretly wanted to be a writer for at least two decades. The problem I have has always been getting those first few paragraphs down, so I just put it aside and quit. I also have forgotten some basic grammar and creative writing skills, because I always seem to be writing an APA style formatted paper for work or school. I lack the confidence I need to pursue this dream.

Some creative writing areas I would like to pursue:

1. I want to write for greeting card companies (yes, really, lol)

2. I would like to start writing some short stories for publication in women's magazines.

3. I really want to write about faith based subjects for a couple of Catholic publications.

I love to journal and have been doing so since I was a child. I always have several journals going on at the same time. I love journal prompts.

I don't really watch a lot of movies. I would rather be reading or making something. When I do watch a movie it usually gravitates to the drama genre. I actually get bored watching movies sometimes.

I am also a seasonal viewer of movies during the holiday season. I love the countdown to Halloween movies, and I really love the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies.

I don't really watch a lot of TV, but I did love the Sopranos, Bones, SOA, Downton Abbey, and the GIlmore Girls.

I have a membership to both Amazon Prime and Netflix. I'm catching up on some series when I have time.

I'm currently catching up on American Horror Story and Call the Midwife.

I love anything to do with repurposing items into something new. I love to paint, tear apart, etc.

Papercrafts hold my interest as well. I don't really scrapbook. however I use all of the supplies to make cards, altered art, collage, junk journals, ATCs. I love to die cut using either my Silhouette Cameo, or Big Shot Plus dies.

Woodcrafts, nothing more pleasing than using your power tools to make a knock off table, shelf, etc. I like the smell of saw dust :)

I knit and crochet. I can sew somewhat, but I don't consider myself a seamstress. I'm working on increasing my sewing skills. I want to sew clothing from a pattern.

I consider gardening a craft. I love to design a new garden space. I also make a ton of whimsical garden art by repurposing thrift store finds.

I also make homemade soaps, toiletries, and perfumes.

Decorating for Christmas, Halloween, Easter, St. Patrick's Day, Autumn.

Baking confections. Trying out a new recipe.

Scrapbook paper and embellishments

Ephemera

Old books

Blank greeting cards

Catholic icons, art, and spirituality

Ribbons and trim

Hens and roosters (I currently have 9 hens and 3 ducks, they are the new family pets)

Cardinal birds

Shabby chick, industrial farmhouse, vintage

Blues and greens, the colors of fall aren't too bad either.

Tea- I like both herbal and nonherbal. My favorite non herbal is English breakfast. I'm also a huge fan of bergamot. I like teas that have cinnamon and other spicy notes. My favorite nighttime tea is a blend of peppermint and lavender. If anyone would ever like to swap loose tea I could make you a herbal blend with some of the herbs I grow and harvest each growing season.

Coffee- Please do not send me decaf. I don't understand the concept and to me it tastes horribly flat. I'm opened to most flavored coffees. I trust your choices.

Chocolate, the more the merrie, but please no coconut or maple

Candy- I confess I am a junkie. My favorites are gummies and laffy taffy. No banana flavored please.

Playing cards and game pieces

Journaling and planner supplies (pens, markers, stickers, disc-bound discs, bookmarks, paper clips, rubber stamps, ink pads, dividers, dashboards)

Postage stamps and postcards

Eclectic fibers, hand dyed fibers, non synthetic fibers.

Fabric flowers

Die cuts

Art supplies, acrylics, alcohol inks, rubber stamps, etc.

Dried herbs, lavender and mints are my favorites.

Kawaii

Kiddie stickers or teacher stickers.

Anything sugar-free.

Do not send anything related to politics or social movements. This has nothing to do with any particular political or social movement or leaning, I'm just exhausted by it all.

I am a Catholic Christian. That said, I am open to learning about other religions, and do so on my own quite frequently, but I would rather not receive something that mocks my faith or the Christian God. I would never do that to someone of a different faith. Again, be kind.

I am always open to private swaps.

I would love to privately swap new art techniques, especially those that you are afraid to try in open swaps. If that is you hit me up, I'm always opened for new techniques.

Other art techniques I would love to privately swap:

Inchies, Twinchies, and Moos

Altered Dominos, puzzle pieces, poker chips ATC & Coins

Handmade PC (open to pretty much all themes, although nudity probably wouldn't work because I live in a very small town and the P.O. staff know me and then I would blush, and well, UNCOMFORTABLE, lol)

Mixed media journal spreads instead of sending an entire journal book (although I don't mind sending an entire book, it can be costly though. Zetti inspired (I'm new to this technique)

I'm now into acrylic pours. This is a lot of fun. Where else can you play with acrylic paint, resin, and fire all at the same time? I am currently pouring a lot of mini canvases in my garage. If you are also into this, I would love to swap these with you, or something else like maybe you are in to Encaustic?

I would like to try my hand at a zine. So if you are new to zines and would like a newbie swap partner hit me up.

I'm always open to handmade cards. I've been a card maker for two decades.