ATCfan

Hello Everyone!

I am a 41-year-old crafty person who now lives in Monterey, CA with my husband and a crazy 12-pound Chihuahua/Pug mix named Frazier (not after the TV show, but after the boxer Joe Frazier, as my dogs face looks like it’s been punched in).

I am new to this site, but have created ATCs in the past. Life got a little crazy, so I had to cut back on my crafting time, but things are much smoother now, and I am enjoying my crafting (including ATCs) much more! I also enjoy interacting with people from all over the world, so this site is a combination of two of my favorite things. I can’t wait to get started!

I also love history and geography! I've taken several classes online for college credit, and these two subjects are more like play than work. I am also teaching myself Italian for my dream trip to Italy!

I like all kinds of music! I currently listen to country music the most, but I am a huge fan of 80's music, classic rock, pop, classical and everything in between (except for Gangsta Rap)!

A few of my favorites right now are:

• ADELE * U2 * Maroon 5 * Toby Keith * Ray LaMontagne (love his music!!) * Lady Antebellum * Kenny Chesney

I read everything from current bestsellers to the classics. I am currently in a phase where I'm reading detective novels, but I'm up for anything!

• I really enjoyed the Hunger Games, particularly the first book.
• I’m re-reading Jane Austin. I just finished Sense and Sensibility – I find I’m enjoying her books more as I mature! :-)
• Anything by Rosamunde Pilcher
• Griffin & Sabine series - all of you art/art mail fans should really check it out...the books include fantastical postcards and letters that you actually pull out from envelopes. All of which tell an interesting story. I believe there are six or seven books in all.
• Anne McCaffrey’s “Dragonriders of Pern” books
• I’m addicted to magazines, I have at least seven to ten delivered at any one time. I’m trying to move toward digital only for my iPad, but unfortunately there aren’t that many magazines that let you do that without also having a paper subscription. My current faves are: Sunset, Real Simple, Clean Eating, Smithsonian, Cooking Club of America, Sports Illustrated, Whole Living, Family Tree. Quite a mix!

Gosh...where do I begin! I enjoy beading and making jewelry, sewing, painting; basically anything to do with crafting I have tried! I really enjoyed making ATCs a few years ago, and have been thinking about them a lot lately, so here I am! I'm so glad I found this site!

My recent projects are:

• Needlework, such as cross stitch, blackwork, embroidery.
• French-Beaded Flowers
• Painting furniture in fun, funky colors
• Painting with watercolors and acrylics
• Jewelry/Bead Work
• Sewing/Quilting
• I’m all of a sudden obsessed with felt, so I have a feeling that I’ll have a few projects starting soon using this medium. I just saw some really cool felt in a shop in Solvang, CA and can’t wait to get my hands on some. Don’t know what I’m going to make yet, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out! :-)

This is a work in progress...as I think of things, I will add to this list. For now, it is a brief start to my preferences.

POSTCARD LIKES:

Anything that reflects where you are from or your culture. Historic buildings, national parks, traditional costumes, etc. I am also collecting map postcards, so if you have one from your area, that's great. Really, just anything to show where you're from!

GENERAL LIKES: * Frogs * Baby pigs * Owls with big eyes * Día de los Muertos * Asian/Buddhist themed items * Carnivals * Farmer’s Markets * Italy – anything Italian * Anything from another country – history, info, ephemera, coins, etc. * Zentangle * Squished Pennies * Colors: Green, Cobalt Blue * Sea Glass * Addicted to kitchen gadgets! * Holidays, especially Halloween * Mythology and Ancient Imagery, especially Greek, Roman and Egyptian * Pens!!! I love Sharpies, Microns and gel ink pens! My husband has to steer me past the office supply aisle of any store that we visit; he thinks that the hundreds of new pens that I currently have are enough! :-)

DISLIKES:

I don't really DISLIKE anything, however;

• I'm not a big fan of girly-girl things.
• Not really into basic stickers, unless they pertain to something on my "likes" list.

• The Voice * Person of Interest * The Mentalist * House * CSI/CSI: Miami/CSI: New York * NCIS/NCIS: LA * Survivor (I’ve never missed a season) * Project Runway (I can’t design, but I love to watch their creative processes…oh, and the DRAMA!) * Top Chef * Burn Notice * Suits * Big Bang Theory * Modern Family * Friends * Seinfeld * Cougar Town

• I’m learning Italian on my own (I have a dream trip to Italy all planned out, just waiting to find the time/money)
• Genealogy/Family History (new obsession for the past two years)
• Camping – my husband and I recently started camping, and we try to go at least once a month. We tent camp, but we spiff it up a bit with an air mattress, outdoor carpets, shade canopy, anti gravity chairs, etc. Some of the comforts of home, but out in the wilderness. We are lucky enough to live in Monterey, CA, so there are lots of wonderful places to camp very nearby.