ksimoni

I am married to my soul mate and the mother of 4 great kids. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am a mixed media artist. My focus is on spiritual journeys through art. Art Journals, Spirit Art Dolls, Spiritual art collages and assemblages using vintage photos and ephemera. I like to incorporate meditation and the spiritual element of the journey and express it through my art. I teach classes and workshops with dumpster diverted materials to at-risk youth in my community.

Fabrics and assemblage stuff: I collect silky fabrics, anything glittery or sparkly, velvets, brocades, tapestry, vintage lace and fabrics, glass and bone buttons, old beaded necklaces, cool rusty items, frames, old dolls and doll parts, victorian trade cards, vintage photos, vintage hats with leaves and flowers, old magazines, letters and papers. I love tea and tea parties, chocolate and raspberry anything, velvet leaves and fruit, vintage aprons, vintage clothes patterns, especially kids and doll clothes. I love to travel, so images of the following places are always wanted: My favorite places are water destinations, Hawaii, lakes, rivers, beaches, cities by the sea and Europe, especially Spain and Italy. I love mermaids, meditation, I use the principles of "The Secret" to create my life. I am into Green... the color, and ecology/recycle/green initiative projects like sustainable agriculture, architecture and building, aquaculture. I love anything old or vintage. I love visiting really old places and learning the history of a place. I also collect old jewelry and any altered art/assemblage supplies.

On ATC swaps, I love images with unicorns, fairies, mermaids, moon and stars, trees, flowers. I collect images from old magazines and catalogues, trade cards and postcards, especially ones that have vintage photos or paintings of women or mother and child or children. I usually pick people that have some kind of smile on their face or a slight smirk. I love humor and look for anything representing humor, growth, metaphysics. I like the cartooney graphics in some fashion magazines and us them in collage work a lot. I like dragonflies, fairies, bird and botanical drawings from the edwardian era.

On fabric and textile swaps I prefer either the fabrics listed above, think gawdy, opulent, sumptuous, brocades, tapestries, silks, sheers, metallic trims, things you would make a fancy barbie or porcelain doll dress with, or anything Marie Antoinette would have loved. I am not wild about cottons. I don't quilt, but I do make American Girl Doll clothes for my daughter, so any cotton print I could use for that would be good if you are not a vintage textile collector like me.

Bird nests, vintage hats with lots of flowers and leaves, funky little vintage purses. I love anything heart shaped. Old letters, postcards, playing card decks to alter into ATC's with pretty pictures on the back, old paper of any kind.

I love fruity and food smelling candles, but I really have BOXES of them, so would prefer not to get some in a swap for now... I have one that is my favorite called Chocolate Marble Cake fome Kohls. I could use another one of those if you have one laying around. Makes my house smell like I have been baking all day. I love sweet pea scent, and gardenia is one of my favorites. I am allergic to a lot of perfumes. I like bath salts, sugar scrubs and handmade soaps and bath products made with natural products.

I am not wild about fall colors. Cinnamon or spicy scents, especially cloves. My favorites are Eggplant Purple, or any other shade of purple, foresty greens, or any color green that is earthy. I am more a jewel tone, or spring pallette person. Love Robin's Egg Blue and brown combo, pink & brown or Pink & Black, Sage or celedon green, shades of cream and white pottery. I love old wedding cake tops, and white/shabby chic metal stuff in pale pastel colors, cream or white.

I like a lot of different music, country, metaphysical, spanish guitar, classic rock and celtic. I would love a mixed cd of celtic music with a modern twist. Love the bands Gypsy Soul, Mudmen, Lorena McKennit, The Cure, Simple Minds, The Beatles. I like songs with meanings. Songs about love and the power of love and healing. No angry music. No death metal or things I can't understand. Not really into Rap, but I like some of the milder stuff, like Will Smith, and some of the more mainstream R&B and Alternative R&B. Love bagpipe music with rock bands.

THINGS I DON'T LIKE Not into japanese animation, Hello Kitty, Kawaii or whatever it is called or any cutsey modern stuff. If you are not sure, just think, does it look old, or could it be made to look old with tea or a paint treatment? That is my style, funky junky...

I am a basic all around packrat with a deeply spiritual and loving heart. I am pretty easy to please. If all else fails, you can send me quotes about positive affirmations, success, love, growth and life. I collect positive quotes.