urbanguerilla

I have been on swap-bot for several years, but haven't participated in a ton of swaps. School and work kept me busy and I didn't feel I had the time needed to keep up with the swaps and make something beautiful someone would enjoy. My lack of participation has been an issue for a couple of swap hosts and I would just like to point out it is better to not be participating than to sign up for swaps and send haphazardly made items. I have a bit more time to dedicate to swapping now and I look forward to getting back into this community.

I currently work as a full-time graphic designer for a local print house, and am nearly done with my cosmetology license. I received a Bachelor of Fine Art degree a few of years ago, with an emphasis in printmaking. Bookmaking, painting, interior design, and woodcuts are my main focus these days, along with graphic design of course.

My favorite time of year is fall, and I especially enjoy Halloween and the Christmas season. There is something freeing about the anonymity of Halloween, and something magical about the lights around Christmas. Both holidays evoke an amazing sense of excitement and playfulness I love.

I promise to rate and send on time. If there is an issue with being late I will communicate and let you know what's up and when I will send. If you don't get a rating from me, please message me and let me know. It doesn't happen very often, but sometimes I forget to click the "save ratings" button.

My musical taste is pretty eclectic (whose isn't, right?) and varies depending on my mood. I enjoy big names and garage bands alike. Some favorites include:

Beyonce, Beta Radio, Rita Ora, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Fences, The Civil Wars, The Wailin' Jennys, The Matches, Barcelona, Florence + The Machine, P!nk, Jimmy Eat World, Harvey Danger, Glen Phillips, etc., and have recently become entranced with blues and what I think of as "Louisiana" music.

I don't have a ton of time for television, but when I do I like to watch Magicians, Supernatural, New Girl, Schitt's Creek, Outlander, Lucifer, Gilmore Girls, Glow Up, Next In Fashion, old episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Grey's Anatomy, The Originals, The Vampire Diaries, Secret Circle, and Revenge. I like magical shows, I guess!

It's hard to pick which movies are my favorite-I like a lot of different genres. A few movies I like include: Amelie; Beasts of the Southern Wild; Me and Earl and the Dying Girl; Captain America; most of the Marvel movies, especially Captain America; Practical Magic; Melancholia; etc.

Books are awesome. I am currently reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert for a book club. Next up is Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. There isn't a ton of time for reading between work and school, but I have a list half a mile long of works I would like to read.

I like fiction as well as non-fiction, again depending on my mood. (Apparently I am quite moody! Haha) Think of the books read in a college English class--those are usually the kind of books I like. Scarlet Letter, Shakespeare, Maya Angelou, Robert Frost--all great. If you have a favorite book, you should let me know!

Interests include:

Printmaking

Textiles

Tactile experiences

Coffee and Teas (any and every tea!)

Stationary

Animals: foxes, elephants, raccoons, birds, dogs, cats

Magic and mysticism--darker themed things

Gypsies and nomads

Mandalas

Trees and nature

Ephemera

Herbs and gardening

Fairy tales

Mer folk

Europe

Traveling

The tiny house movement

Old manuscripts

Mythology/demonology

Light

Book pages, especially in different languages and fonts

Themed postage stamps

Wishlist:

Zines

Washi or deco tape

Embellishments

Sharpie fine point pens

Foreign currency

ATCs

Border/corner punches

Unique buttons

Paper or fabric doilies

Anything that would make a neat stencil for art making

Hand carved stamps

Printmaking supplies

Waxed linen thread

Curved sewing needles

Old metal thimbles

Interesting papers/images for art journaling

Fountain pens and inks

Vintage photos

Handmade or store bought postcards

Dreamcatchers

Sea glass

Essential oils, especially citrus scents

Vintage trinkets (plastic, metal, etc)

Stationary

Fine tip artist pens like Microns. All colors, but especially black.

Little Moleskine notebooks that usually come in a 3 pack, especially when they come in fun colors.

Postcards! Hand made or store bought, I like seeing what images someone wanted other people to see.

Mini artist prints, 3x5 and smaller.

Ephemera, especially tickets and receipts

I love sharing and trying new recipes. Growing up, my mom was an amazing cook--the woman could make the most wonderful meals out of basic ingredients. She taught me a lot about how to be fearless in the kitchen and how to literally throw things together. A literal kitchen witch.

The only food allergy I have is to dairy--yes, even if it is baked. (You wouldn't believe how many people think since it is baked there will be no side effects). When making a recipe calling for dairy, I usually substitute it with a non-dairy substitute, so there isn't really any issue.

If you have dairy free or vegan recipes you would like to share, that would be awesome!