July 25, 2013: my husband surprised me with a pension for divorce. I no longer have the funds to swap. I am so sorry.

I gave birth late January 2013! Baby and I are both doing great so let the swapping resume! Need to edit to reflect the new baby too....

I am willing to private swap! Newbies included! I personally want fabric, 100% quilting cotton or 4 inch by 6 inch recipe cards in any theme (I don't need the whole pack, 2 or 3 would be great!). If you are a newbie, I will host, and you will send 1st and I will send after I receive. I consider a fabric swap to be a type 3 swap and recipe cards to be type 2 unless we are making handmade ones for each other in which case it is a type 3.

My daughter has expressed interest in a pen pal. She would like for this friend to be a girl and want to exchange multiple letters, cards, ect. If you have a little girl in your life around her age, let me know! You can look below, in "the family" section for more about her!

For those who are running swaps: We move quite a bit due to my husbands job, so I always seem to be packing up or settling into a new house. (Been married almost 9 years (August 2004) and had 10 homes, 6 of them in the last 4 years.) I will not be swapping for 6 months before or 3 months after any move so as to not miss deadlines or packages. Thank you for understanding. If I am just coming off a time of inactivity, and you want to know why, you can bet that is the reason!

I do reuse packaging material and will regift things I can not use ( example being something I am allergic to or on my dislike list, like peace sign buttons or spider fabric. If a swap is senders choice I will still give a 5 for sending such things, just be aware I will pass them on!)

For my swap partners: Ever since my 3 rating I have been proactive about my swaps. I will swapbot message you asking if you got my swaps if I am not rated within what I consider a "reasonable" time. This can mean 2 days after I mailed, if I am told at the post office it should arrive in 2 days time. I am not trying to bug you, I am just trying to avoid the snafu that happened that time. This includes email swaps as I know how touchy my spam box is and assume others are about as touchy. I am sorry if I annoy you. Also, I rate within 24 hours of getting mail and within minutes of opening emails. I am on my email daily and the mail-person comes at about 3 pm. I do have 3 kids so I will likely wait until after 7 pm to check mail. Sorry.

Also, I am also perfectly happy getting one package with multiable swaps in it. I am often in swaps with the same theme (fabric) and get the same people sending to me. Just be sure that you write the swaps you a sending in one package so I don't forget to rate!

It has been brought to my attention, more than once, that I can have my "unfair rating" of 3 removed if I donate hats, mittens, or money though swapbot to the Red Cross or other organizations. I normally donate but not through swapbot just because I beleive that it would be dishonest to have the 3 removed. I just see removal as underhanded. You can have your 3 s and 1 s removed and i will not judge you for it. It will not change my stance on me getting a ratting removed though. You see what I have been rated by everyone I have ever swapped with.

Warning: My email address seems to think EVERYTHING is spam so PLEASE contact me via the swap-bot message system because the spam filter doesn't think swap-bot is a spam due to adding it to a safe list. I will also accept email swaps via swap-bot messaging if you want to be sure I don't lose it to spam issues. This is not a requirement but I know in the past that some emails have gotten eaten up by the Internet so I have it as a option. You will still get a 5 from me if it is sent via swap-bot messaging instead of actual email because swap-bot will email me a notification that I got a message, so I do get an email...

My name is Elizabeth May, but I go by Libby and have for years. I am married to the sexiest man in the world. We were married August 2004. We have three soon to be 4 children. N ( girl) is presently 7 (October 2005), G ( boy) is 4 ( May 2008), J (boy) 2 ( April 2010) and B (boy) is new (January 2013). I am a stay at home parent that likes to cook and craft a lot. We are also a Christian household.

When it comes to crafting I am very fiber focused. I crochet (since age 4), knit (5), garment sew (6), weave (8), spin (12), natural dye (14), synthetic dye (16) and now am learning to quilt. My degree in collage was in ceramics arts. I do not like 2D art, I like 3D art. I also do not really like to make art that is has no use other than to look at it. If it is not useable I see it as a waste of time. (Ex: a mug can be piece of art, but it is also a mug for your hot tea or cocoa. A shawl can be a master piece, but is great for keeping the sun off or keeping you warm.... )

Books

Bible, Narnia books, Craft related books. I really love stitch dictionaries for knitting and crochet. I read a lot of child rearing/marriage books from Christian authors and like Bible studies. I recently started quilting so yea quilting books too. I like puzzle books like sudoku puzzles.

Music

We listen to lots of pandora radio. Misty Edward, Jennifer Knapp and like artist. They also have comics on pandora now! Larry the cable guy, and anything that come up on his "station" is great!

Movies/Television

We haven't owned a TV in 6 years... I don't follow what is on anymore, I used to watch stuff on Hulu and Netflix but we canceled that stuff because, well I like crafting and other hobbies better!

Non-crafting hobbies

I like to do belly dance, yoga, swimming, scuba diving, and hiking (not mountain climbing type, more they type you can take the kids on!)

WARNING: My kids and I all have the same allergies. We all react the same way to said allergen, so please read my allergy section.

N is my daughter. She is 7 years old (October 2005) and is in first grade. (If you have a girl child in your life that is about her age, she would love to do swaps/pen pal her! Message me, we can either do this as a private swap or not. Especially the pen pal thing as she wants a long term pal, not just a one letter friend!)

Her likes are:

LeapPad 2 (if you REALLY feel like it send a game or gift card)

Hello kitty

Barbie

Princess (Disney and off brand)

Polly pockets

Ballet

Pink!!!

Glitter!!! (Loose and things covered in glitter!)

Hair accessories (she likes to make her own too)

Things to make her own hair accessories. (ribbon, glitter, rhinestone gems or like things, fake flowers, buttons....)

Nail polish (she loves what I think is the obnoxiously glittery, overly shiny and super bright colors the best!)

Nail gems.

Paper dolls

She is also crazy crafty like her mom (more than once has she gotten into my scrapbooking, ribbon, buttons, ect. and "fixed" something "ugly"). She likes hair things and has long hair. She also likes making hair things for herself.

I am teaching her to sew. Most of my pink fabrics are "shared" with her.

She is a super social sort! She likes to be around people all the time! I don't know her learning style as she seems to be a mixed bag!

G is 4 (May 2008) and really is looking forward to kindergarten next year!

Likes:

His LeapPad 2 (gift cards or games welcome)

Zoodles (a FREE educational website, check it out! I love that thing!)

Train things (we own all the track we will ever need! Trains, cars and other things seem to grow feet (or just wheels! LOL!) and travel away from home!)

Cars (matchbox cars or the like, we are not brand name specific)

He likes to look at pictures in technical manuals and have me read them to him. Right now he is really loving carpentry (wood working). The more pictures the better!

Angry birds! (Anything angry birds is awesome as far as this child is concerned!)

G is either a spatial or mathematical learner. I can't tell. He is also prefers to learn intrapersonally (meaning alone).

J is 2 (April 2010) an follows his older brother like a shadow!

Likes

LeapPad 2

Blues clues

Toy planes

Dinosaurs

Winnie the Pooh

Tigger

Anything that G likes J wants to play with! The only exception is the books. J likes more children's type books. He likes to jump, climb and is more active than his brother too. He will play and loose interest in things a lot faster than his brother did at 2. J is a kinesthetic learner, so doing is how he learns things. He is also very social and loves to be around people.

I gave birth late January 2013 to our little boy B.

Well people asked so I am making a wishlist. Feel free to ignore!

I need....

Crib sheets (flannel preferred, but will take standard cotton! I don't care what color they are! I know some of you gals are craft with a sewing machine so handmade are awesome too!)

Warm clothing! (The last 2 kids were born in warm weather areas (Florida and Hawaii) so even though I saved clothing from the boys, well, all of it is summer! We didn't even need socks! And everything I got with our daughters birth was pink and lace covered.... Yea, hubby would LOVE our son to have pink clothing! Not!)

I cloth diaper. I will take any and all cloth diaper supplies. I use all in ones with inserts and pre-folds with a snappi and cover the most. Again, I know some of you are crafty and might want to make something handmade. I just ask that you make them not in newborn size. They only fit for a few days in newborn size and in the case of one kid, never fit in the first place.

I need a diaper bag, a heavy duty, with at least 10 pockets inside diaper bag. I always end up sewing my own because I can never find one that can carry all the mommy stuff!

My like list:

I love handmade quilts and blankets. I have made each child a handmade wool blanket (it doesn't keep the pee smell like acrylic, and I am willing to hand wash!)

I orginize my recipes on 4 by 6 index card. I personally like to collect and use pretty index cards. If you happen to have pretty index cards I would love the recipe you send to be on it! It will help me remember you!

Also my kids refuse to eat pork (except for bacon) So yea, recipes that have pork in it are a no go. We also have family that are avid hunters and I really don't know what to cook with things like rabbit and venison. Recipes that involve wild game are always welcome. (Yes, my kids eat wild game but not pork... Go figure.). We also buy a whole cow every year. That means we get odd cuts like cow heart, liver, and tongue. I always welcome recipes that use these parts well.

Crock pot recipes always welcome! I love, love LOVE, my crockpot!

The only allergy we have in my house is to aloe. (In only mention this because we lived in Hawaii and they EAT aloe there... To each their own I guess!) Please read the allergy section near the bottom for more info or if you are sending an extra.

Tea/coffee/hot cider/hot chocolate: I am not picky in my hot or cold beverage department other than I am allergic to Aloe Vera (read allergies near the bottom). I drink both caffeinated and decaffeinated teas. I have yet to find a flavor I dislike. Coffee wise I only drink caffeinated. I like flavored creamers along with flavored coffees. Hot cider/choloate wise, I have not found a brand that I do not like.

YARN

I use natural fibers for the most part: cottons, flax, silk, wool, ect. If it comes from a plant or animal I am golden. If it is mostly from a plant or animal it is usually all good. I am am an experienced dyer and spinner so spinning fiber is great and any color so long as it isn't acrylic (the stuff to dye that is so deadly I will not touch it!). I do not consider rayon a natural fiber because though it is made from wood pulp, it is then added to a plastic like binder simular to acylic and extruded to make "fibers" that can be spun into yarn. (I may or may not be a yarn snob for all of the above.... You decide.)

I really am good with all colors. I personally wear jewel tones and bright tones of violet, blue, green and magentas.

I like wild variegations, subtle variegations and even solids so anything works.

Please read allergies!!!

GRANNY SQUARES

I prefer traditional granny squares with every round a different color (or at least a different shade/tint/hue) of yarn. I would like them in worsted weight cottons or acrylic (please make the whole square in either cotton or acrylic.) I would like them in 12 inches or smaller (can always add another round or two myself) and want them as vomit inducing in color combinations as possible!

Please read allergies! Some acrylic yarns are actually coated in what I am allergic to! If in doubt please rinse the square and let dry!

I am open to basically anything 100% cotton quilting weight fabric. It can be any colors or designs. I just recently got into quilting and am right now working on my very first quilt (postage stamp).

I really don't have a "stash" of fabrics yet so I am trying to do swaps to get that jump started. The only thing I don't like is Halloween fabrics. I like all other holidays. I just get creeped out by Halloween (though if you send it to me and the swap is a senders choice, you will still get a 5!). I also have kids so cuties girl stuff is a go (ballerinas, princesses, tea party, glittery pink and the like) as is boy themes (trains, planes, cars and the like). I like words on fabric too, it doesn't have to be English either. As I said before I don't have a stash yet so I am open to all hues, tints, shades and tones. I don't have brands or designers I prefer yet, so send whatever fits the swap criteria.

Here is the quilts I want to make, just in case anyone wants to send extras or wants to know what I am looking for:

(1) Jeans quilt: faux cathedral window pattern, with flannel squares inside. For this project I wouldn't mind getting jeans pockets about 6 inches wide and tall (I love pockets!) and flannel in reds, blues and greens in four inch squares.

(2) I got a book on quilting tessellations for Xmas and am now obsessed! I am in a stash builder swap to collect fabrics for this. I would prefer tiny prints, tone on tone, white or black on tone, and other stash basics. I need a minimum of 10 inch square of a single fabric for this. I don't want too busy of a fabric. I kinda like more modern fabrics for this, stripes, dots, and the like.

(3) I spy based quilt for my daughter. I want ONLY girly fabrics for her... She wants paper pieced teacups with the cup being the I spy fabric. I need 5 inch girl fabrics.

(4) I spy based quilts for my soon to be 3 sons! Yes I need boy fabrics! 5 inch ones... One boy says he wants jars. I don't know what I will do for the others yet.

I am actively swapping for quilts 3 and 4 in my ispy 10 inch swap. I am open to ispy based fabrics in at least 5 inch squares.

(5) a "60 degrees quilt" out of batiks. I am in a batik stash builder swap to collect fabrics for this. I also would love 5 inch charms of batiks and at least 2.5 inch strips too!

(6) a stacked coin quilt in 1 inch by 2 inch charm fabrics! Talk about crazy! But I will try it! I am not actively swapping for this one either, but if you want to send extras, that is cool.

(7) I am also starting to want to make a postage stamp quilt. I am actively swapping for this at the moment, but you can send extras if you so desire. (Stamps are 2.5 inches)

I will use anything I don't want for one of the above quilts it will go into 6 or 7. Don't worry too much about it!

I have physically started sewing the postage stamps quilt, and the jeans quilt. All others are being collected for...

Read allergies if sending other stuff too.

LOVES

Yankee candles, all scents, every scent! Even those little pucks! (other brands are ok too, but I love Yankee.)

100% beeswax. (I make my own candles with this... It smells like honey!, it can be just little chips of it! Also it gets REALLY hot in my location during the summer (100 plus!) so don't send this during the summer months unless you are going to seal it up in an airtight container!)

Unsweetened koolaid packets/ Easter egg dye pellets (you can use it to dye yarn, off brand ones are nice too! Must not have sweetener though as sweetener will leave sugar crystals in the yarn and encourage bugs to eat my yarn!)

Coffee, tea, instant ciders and hot chocolate drinks (single servings are great!)

Fabric scraps (100% cotton, this is includes fat quarters, fat eighths, and random unloved by you jelly roll strips, I prewash all fabric before quilting so if it is washed that is not a problem! All colors are loved! I personally save any scrap that is at least 1 inch by 2 inches wide (that is 2.54 cm by 5.08 cm for those in metric)... Yes, I will use it! I am planning on making a stacked coin quilt with 1 inch by 2 inch scraps....)

Recipe cards (I like 4 inch by 6 inch size, any theme that is not in my dislikes is acceptable! Hand made is also acceptable, prefer it to be on card stock)

Nail polish (all colors! And glittery is welcome too! Same goes for crackles or other fun stuff!)

Fun socks (this is for me or the kids; daughter wears a size 13 in kids, older son wears a size 11)

Chocolate!! (Yes, I love it all)

Scrap book stuff (I like almost anything from the scrap booking area. Brads, tags, flowers, sticky gems, stamps that are gently used, inks, embossing stuff, extra fine glitters.... Everything but stickers... Read on for more details.)

scrapbook paper and origami paper (I have started scrapbooking again. I usually scrapbook in 12 by 12 books, just so you know. I also like card making.)

Alphabet/number scrapbooking stickers and stamps (I love different archival safe scrapbooking lettering and numbering. I like bold blocks to flowery scroll. I like Roman numeral and normal numbers as well! I don't use other stickers. I will take partially used alphabets, as I mix and match my lettering and numbering.)

Misc. stamps (I am Christian, so any Christian holiday/ symbol welcome, it does not have to be the actual stamp, it can be pieces of paper you have stamped.)

Buttons (I sew garment and now quilting... I always need matching buttons... Prefer 6 to 8 of the same type, but will happily take as few as 4 of the same type of buttons) I prefer buttons that two or four holes though the front, not the loop behind type, for garments. Wood, plastic, metal or anything that take a beating from kids! For some reason I never buy garment buttons until I have already finished the project! I don't know why! My daughter likes shiny and glittery buttons to make hair accessories out of and I also embelish scrapbooks with buttons too! I don't scrapbook as much as I used to, so I don't use "fun" buttons as much... Sadly.... Still I am collecting them!)

Ribbon/laces (because they are just fun to embelish with. I would prefer a 1/2 yard min, more is preferable.)

zippers ( like buttons, I forget to buy these things! Why?, I usually need at least 12 inches. Colors are welcome!)

Sewing thread (I love multicolored, shiny, wild, colorful, and "normal" colors as well. It can be partially used but needs to have a spool, I don't so hand sewing! Machine sewing all the way!)

Embroidery floss/ribbon (I have gotten back into this again. I love any color. I am teaching my daughter counted cross stitch and I like to do ribbon embroidery. I also like to do smocking.)

Christian themed things ( I love bible verses and stylized crosses. I am not so much into angels. I don't care which version of the Bible you use. They can even be in Hebrew and Greek! I am not a Mormon, so no book of Mormon verses.)

Hair things (My daughter and I share all our hair things. I have classic lenght hair (google it, there are lots of pictures of examples!) and my daughter has hair that is almost waist lenght. I love doing hair! I do my daughters hair every morning. I usually just live in a bun or French braid my hair but do like to have fun on special occasions! I love glittery, shiny, whimsical, and flowery hair things. I prefer violets, greens, grays, blacks, pinks, and blues. Metal holds up better than plastic as my hair is a almost 3 pounds total and most plastic can't handle over half a pound!)

Postal stamps (I love real stamps on my mail. Both domestic and international! Used and unused if you are going to add them inside the envie.)

Granny squares (I am making a granny square blanket. One in cotton and one in acrylic. All sizes of squares welcome, same goes for colors! In fact I kinda prefer bright, obnoxious and with each row a different color! Please keep them in one fiber though, either cotton or acrylic, for the whole block. Fiber consistency is more important than randomness in colors.)

Colors:

I love to wear the colors violet, periwinkle, green, blue, silver, gold and black. Vivid and bright is always better!

I decorate my home in all shades and hues of green and blue. I use ox blood red/wine as an accent along with warm browns.

My style: I am VERY bohemian. I am almost always wearing a shawl! I love shawls! I prefer to wear natural fibers (cotton, silk, wool, linen or a mix of natural fibers.... I do not consider rayon a natural fiber because though it is made from wood pulp, it is then added to a plastic like binder and extruded to make "fibers" that can be spun into yarn so as to be woven or knit.)

DISLIKES

Halloween (I am ok with some Halloween stuff, but don't like creepy things like spiders, witches, blood, zombies, and the like. I actually DO LIKE the colors, so something that is Halloween colors but say stars is fine.)

Peace signs (we have lots of military in the family and the historical signigance makes it unappealing.)

Stickers (except for lettering I don't like them. Sorry.)

Decaffeinated coffee (I like my buzz in the morning....)

I am highly allergic to: Aloe Vera (Scientific Name: Aloe barbadensis) also known as just Aloe!

It will give me a rash that caused my skin to look like I have boils that will eventually burst and ooze blood (sorry to be graphic but people need to know or they think "oh it can't be that bad"). It then takes 2 or 3 painful weeks to heal. Please read all labels to make sure what you are sending me does not have this. It can be found in: teas, candles, lotions, bugspray, sunscreens, soaps, body scrubs, some bottled drinks, shampoos, conditioners, makeup, wetwipes, facial tissues, lipbalms, lipsticks, and sometimes is even used to coat yarns to make them feel softer (usually acrylics but other things as well). It doesn't have to be in labels so if the product doesn't say what it has in it... well, contact the company or by pass it. I will check before useing all products and will pass on/regift it if it has aloe in it. Don't worry, I am too green to just trash things.

It is usually in hypoallergenic products so PLEASE read labels.

Thank you.

Well, if you can't find enough to fit into a box from all the above information.. I'll give you some more...

I decorate my house in all shades of blue and greens (esp, love blue greens, green blues and gray green or gray blue colors). Also use brown as my preferred neutral.

My kitchen is decorated in coffee/tea theme, with the whole house decorated in a Bible verse/Christian theme. I like fancy tea cups and tea pots and unique coffee mugs.

Awaiting ratings from

(I add people to here sometimes as soon as I hit the send button and sometimes after I have gotten all my swaps and want to archive the swap.... And anywhere in between. This way I can archive a swap and no longer have to keep track of who I have gotten ratings from.)

April 26, 2013:

@jessiemarie for the stashbuilder swap - April