kimpe

5-16-2012 Sorry anyone who hasn't gotten a swap from me. I think there are only one or two. I am getting them done. My very best friend went in for a routine check up for headache and found out she has an aggressive, rapid growing tumor on her brain. She has 3 children under the age of 5 and is just frightened to death that she won't wake up from surgery Monday. When she does she has a long road of recovery, Six months minimum, so many restrictions do nothing because it could rupture like an anuerism afterwards in the surgery area. She has been my first thing daily, helping get things at her home in order before she goes in so that things will run smoothly. I haven't forgotten you but she came first.

3-29-12 Thank you to the ladies who are letting me make up the swaps that disappeared when I got really ill. Everyone on here is the best! It saddened me that they got lost but all will be straightened out soon. I'm trying to make the pkgs extra special for them because they are special!!

2-19-2012 I am so excited to be back.

12-25-2011 Wow here it is over a year since I've been on this site. So much has happened but I think I'm on the right path now and things seem to be getting better. Had my 2nd back surgery on December 20th and I feel better already. I sincerly hope to get back on SwapBot and participate. Elli my little friend will be happy to be back Swapbotting again. She just loves it. So here's to a go ladies. Hope to see everyone again. Kim

9-24-10 Realized it's been ages since I've been on here or anywhere actually. Been in for spinal injections twice so I could try and walk again. Back at the pain clinic. It seems I have some lost swaps that need to be resent. I will do this again.

July 8, 2010 - Met with the specialist today. Verdict is - Advanced Osteoarthritis and Acute Fibromyalgia along with the permanent damage from the auto accident. Now the journey to manage this begins. I can do this

Most current medical will be listed here, others are moved to bottom as I don't want it to take up my whole life

** 9-16-09 - We have a beautiful new granddaughter. Ainsley Adelle Petroske, born 9-16 at 11:08 am 7.1 lbs 20.5 inches. She is beautiful. Pics on my facebook photos. Her birth has put such joy in my life and has helped pale the medical crap.**

I'm an empty nester, as my husband says "Just two old people and a dog!". I'm not really THAT old but the kids are gone. I grew up crafting at my grandmums knee. I knew how to cut quilt squares before I even knew it wasn't kid cool. She taught me how to crochet over the old oil heater grate in the co-op they owned. Grandmum did it all and I have had the bug all my life.

I am an avid quilter and papercrafter. My kids grew up amid 'mom's creativity' and still indulge me with gc's everyone once in awhile so I can soothe the itch!

I have a limited budget so my husband says I am and will always be the queen of discount finds. It's amazing what you can find in the discount bins if you're willing to dig. My best has been Anna Griffin stamp pads at JoAnn because they got new stock colors in. Found the best dollar store. Brand new styles of K Company for $1, chipboard, stickers, you name it.

I also am always looking at noncraft things to see how I can use them in my crafts.

Since the kids are gone my husband repurposed our downstairs into my retreat haven. I have one bedroom set-up just for my papercrafting and fabric storage. Another bedroom turned into a reading area with an old couch, my magazines sorted, the TV on a rolling stand so it can travel around down there and my music. The family room he turned into a quilting studio for me with a desk set he found for $25, a 4x8 cutting table he made and a huge design wall. I am blessed with a wonderful hubby who understands my need to be creatively fulfilled. Now that I have more time to indulge I am thirsty for learning new techniques and styles.

I love music! Actually the more of a beat it has the happier I am. I like to bounce a little when listening. I enjoy country and true backwoods blues, etc. Although I do listen to classical and rock. I can't really say I'm a certain genre just love what makes me happy.

I'm an avid reader and am known for always having a book along with a portable craft/quilt item in my tote. I like mystery, scifi, etc. My first love book was 'Christy' which I think I still have. I'm also a technique junkie when it comes to crafting, sewing, quilting, etc. so I'm always reading those. I love going through books on quilting or cool craft ones. I have one on quilling which is just a wonder to look at. someday I'm going to learn how to quill!

TV CSI, Law & Order, SciFi channel series, HOUSE, Mental, The Listener, etc.

Quilting- I love anything to do with it. Someday I want an 'Aunt Becky' tool, they're only $5, to learn how to use it to hand quilt. Big or small, bright or quiet, easy or hard I love them all.

Sewing - I made my childrens clothes until they we're heading into middle school and then even some of those. I did custom wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses and tailored work wear for years as a source of income. I loved the beauty I could create with my own hands. Now I sew for personal satisfaction and enjoyment. My daughter shows horses so I do custom clothing for her and her animals. She's very tall and can't find items that fit her well. Also, I can copy a ready to wear item that looks better, fits better, is custom at a tiny fraction of retail.

Scrapbooking & Paper Crafts I'm addicted to paper and all that goes with it! Scrapbook pages, albums, cards, you name it and I'll try it.

Embroidery by Hand I love to work with my threads by hand. I am amazed at the 3D work like stump work which is something I want to learn or try. The Nordic Needle puts out an amazing catalog. Some day I will go to their store. I'm sure they will have to pull me from the ceiling!!!

Technique New techniques of any kind that incorporate fabric, fiber or paper. Love the new technique stuff. There's so much I haven't tried and want to learn. Jewelry making, clay, ATC, punch needle, etc..

Alcohol Ink & Markers My latest favorite is Tim Holtz for Ranger. He does some amazing things. The markers that are out now by Copic and Ranger and some others highly interest me also and what they do with them.

Parchment Embossing I want to learn to do parchment embossing. What I have seen is absolutely beautiful, embossed, cut, colored. Wow. You tube has some wonderful demos from Australia!!

Watercoloring I see beautiful cards that are done with watercoloring techniques.

• I can believe I almost forgot this one and had to put it at the top!!! I love my chickens! We've had chickens for so many years, in fact my Mother's Day present this year was a new batch of baby chicks! I remember my Moms chicken statues growing up and Granmums too. I like chicken notepads, etc. If it's chicken related I willl probably love it!!

• I also love ribbons.

• Handmade soaps! I absolutely love and so does my husband. He loves the lye process with peppermint!!

• I love my quilting, scrapbooking, cardmaking and trying new crafts.

• I also LOVE my pens! I love to doddle on things to decorate them up a bit. I'm really into the Sakura Gelly Roll Star pens right now.

• I like ephemera, charms, things to decorate stuff up with.

• Dark Chocolate. I am in love with Hershey Nuggets Double Chocolate!! I have discoverd Gummi Bears! Woo hoo.

• Patterns, ideas, I'm easy.

• I love anything to do with vintage sewing items. I love it when I'm out and about and find some cool old sewing item. I have sock darners, metal needle cases, old buttons still on the cards, ricrac, stuff like that. It all reminds me of happy times with Grandmum.

• Pansies, flowers

• The scent of Almond! mmmmm Musk is good also. Floral scents make me sick.

• Colors - pink, purple, black, white, yellow, turquoise, you know I think I love them all

• sparkle.

• I'm very eclectic. To me a room done as a theme is nothing compared to a room that tells a story. Old things have stories and man some of them are great.

• Warm rich colors have become my favorite lately when looking at fabrics for quilting.

• Glass christmas ornaments. I love and collect blown glass ornaments. I have some extrordianary ones from all over the world to some simple cute and even antique. I had some from Germany where I was born but they have slowly disinegrated over the years, losing their shine and sparkle. I do a tree with only these ornaments each year.

• Cartridges for the Cricut Expressions my husband bought for my birthday, anniversay and christmas present for this year. I was so excited. The kids think it's neat because there is a never ending list of things for gifting now. I don't care if they are used. The kids gave me 'Sure Cut's Alot 2' for my birthday. Now I'm learning how I can import the files and save them as another to use later and share. Also, there are tons of wonderful files for free on the internet.

• SVG files to cut on my Cricut with my new SCAL software!

*New ideas, thoughts, challenges, inspiration

After reading other profiles I discovered this could be crucial.

Dislikes: * INCHIES - every swap I've done of these I've gotten basically bad stuff. I don't know how a piece of a cereal box with some glitter glue smeared and I mean smeared on it with a teacher reward sticker works but I guess for some it does, just not me. I try and put a lot of thought and care into what I send out.

*I dont really care for this Hello Kitty type stuff that is going around It's not my thing.

• Anything floral smelling although I love my flower garden. I love the smell of my flowers also. Don't get me wrong, it's just that some of the scents can actually make me physically sick.

• Animi type stuff, Hello Kitty and stuff like that just doesn't do it for me

• don't send yarn to knit or crochet as I do these but not anymore. It will just visit with the killer dust bunnies or get recycled to the senior center.

• I don't drink. Not because I'm antialcohol but after growing up in that kind of household I've just chosen not to.

• I'm not a candy eater other than dark chocolate and gummi bears. Any of the dark chocolates are good. They don't have to be sweet.

• I don't do tea or coffee. Once in awhile I'll enjoy a cappucino or a hot chocolate.

• No craft sticks please. I can build a house with what I have!! Anybody have ideas on how to use these up?

• I'm not interested in postcards,. Just have never gotten into it. Although vintage ones are cool for my journals and altered items.

Right now a lot of my inspiration comes from Elli. She's my8 yo BFF. We quilt together, craft together, get crazy, whatever we do it. She comes to Nanna Kim's once a week for a sleepover and a day with me. We have such fun. She loves to help put swap packages together and go to the post office with me. I save packages for when she comes so we can share in the excitement together!! I'm training up another in the fun and addiction! She has her own papercrafting bucket. Her sewing bucket has now expanded to her own table, along with a featherweight I got an exceptional deal on (otherwise I never could of afforded it, but the lady knew what it was for) and her notions. She has confiscated a corner of my homemade design wall as her own.

This seems to be an important one when I'm reading profiles looking for ideas. So here goes and I'll update as things pop into my head:

• Parchment Embossing (I seriously want to try this. It looks so beautiful!)
• Alcohol Inks and supplies
• Bling
• Dark Chocolate - only in cold weather though!!
• Embellishment pens
• Glimmer mists or equivalent or the micas to make my own.
• Pearl powders
• Tim Holtz/Ranger products (or like items)
• Embellishment markers
• Crocheted or knitted cotton dish clothes
• Anything you make let's talk
• Old quilts and/or quilt related items
• Unusual crafting papers
• Old jewelry especially pins for some altered items I do, altered journals, etc and homemade purses.

It seems we all end up with to much of some things or something we thought we were going to love only to discover we didn't. So I'm thinking why not trade them out for things I do want or maybe I have something someone else could use or needs and vice versa.

• Die Cuts
• Altered Journals - your choice of style
• Quilt block(s) It seems I always have extras
• Quilt fabric
• Astrobrights cardstock
• Used cd's for making cool scrapbooks out of.
• Quilt patterns
• Quilting magazines
• Card making magazines
• Scrapbooking magazines
• Yarn
• Cross stitch patterns
• Leisure Arts cross stitch books
• Beanie Babies - have tons of these