Joined Swap-bot 05/21/2007

grumpy rengawk is grumpy

Note to swappers, my mail-lady will jam anything she can into our little cube of a mail box, so if something needs to remain flat, please give it plenty of support, thanks!

Regarding send-by dates; I except of you what you'd except of me! If I am unable to mail by the appropriate date, I'll send you a PM to let you know - I'd appreciate the same courtesy. I won't be upset if its running behind, I just want to know! Life happens; even if you're just being an air-head and missed the deadline for no good reason (I totally understand that too), a note is all it takes...deal?

Are you waiting for a rating from me? Please let me know - a PM is all you need! I try to rate as soon as the package arrives, but I may miss something, don't be shy, you deserve your rating!

If I can use it, I'll love it!

I love enjoying your art, but I also really appreciate something functional, ranging from a little kitchen tool, to something pretty that is useful too! See how you can surprise me! =)

I am a firm believer in quality over quantity! If a swap description is for a set number of items, but you find something that blows the budget and you know I will love and bounce around the room for; go for it! As long as you explain, I could never be disappointed by your thoughtfulness.

I do my best to stick with handmade swaps, as my income does not allow for the 'search out and buy on a theme' type. I love making crochet stuffies though, and most of my partners are thrilled to share in my love of yarn! Say it like a pirate, yarrrrrrn.

I'm pretty complex in what I enjoy in relation to themes, so my best adjective for what I enjoy is 'eclectic.' I really enjoy learning new things, especially from different parts of the world, which is pretty much anywhere that isn't here where I am sitting. So what can I learn today? =)

We are currently living in an apartment, so I don't have a lot of room to complete projects. Some of my limitations include the ability to work on long-term things that require stretching out over an area, spraypaint, have a hose, dye fabric, have a pet, bake anything that makes caustic smelling odors (no polymer clay or melting pony beads in the oven.) I just thought I'd share some of the limitations in case you wanted to send me a crafty kit of some sort (‘cause crafty kits would be really awesome!)

Alton brown, amigurumi, anything small & cute, Asian art and design, baking, buttons, Cadbury chocolate, candy, candy canes, cats, Charmmy kitty, Chick-fil-a, Chococat, clownfish, coconut, cooking, crafts, crochet, cupcakes, dichroic glass, Food Network, fortune cookies & fortunes, gerbera daisies, Good Eats, graphic design, Holst, House M.D., Japanese craft, Japanese culture, kanji, kawaii, koi fish, koosh balls, kuromi, LED technology, LEDs (light emitting diodes), making gifts, Mamegoma, manatees, maple syrup, marshmallow peeps, music, nature, Nyanko, orchids, organizing, photography, pie, plush, red foxes, salt pickles, sleeping, socks, soda, softies, string cheese, strong/interesting magnets, Tchaikovsky, tea, theatre lighting design, theatre production, theatre sound design, trombone, ultra-fine point writing implements, yarrrrrn.

Blue! No...Purple! Arggg... (think Monty Python & the Holy Grail)

Generally I gravitate toward saturated hues in the ‘cool’ family. Ultramarine blue, indigo, violet, raspberry! I also love metallics in any shade. Yup, one of those “oohh, shiny… kind of people.

I do not have a 'most hated' color. Well I do, but the pallet I don't like would be more for painting walls, not so much objects - I need to learn to expand my color horizons anyway! In case you are in dire need to know, its what I call the "70s classics" - olive green, mustard yellow, burnt orange, white and medium brown all together, ick (but like I said, I will deal as long as its not my wall painted in that group!) Hehe that kinda sounds like a challenge to send me your art of 70s wallpaper styles to make me change my mind. ^^

Crochet! Stop by my flickr photos to check out my Amigurumi-style crochet! Plastic canvas (3D projects), working with clay (I love creating with clay!), basic beading, anything that lets me be creative and have fun!

Do you know how to make a biscornu? I've received one in a swap, and its wonderful - I can't wait to make my own! ^^

I have a sewing machine, but I have limited experience in using it successfully. =/

I love to bake and cook, it makes me happy to create something delicious, even if it isn't for me to enjoy!

I love all scrapbooking embellishments and paper, but I don’t really have a use for them. I have this little problem where I want them to be all pretty in their packaging and not be disturbed.

Like most people, I love sweets and snacks and candy and chocolate. I'm a milk chocolate fan, and I love Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate especially (also recently Hershey's 35% Cacao reserve products are really nice too) I'd rather spend the money to get a nice bar for myself than suffer through bad chocolate, but I don’t seem to follow through with that statement very well!

I wish the US sold candies/snacks with little toys (like Kinder Eggs, or Asian snacks) along with the treat, I love those kind of snacks - or do I love the tiny toys and charms? Definitely both!

I like tea in my tea, and do not enjoy herbal blends. I tried, I really did! I drink my hot tea straight with probably too much sugar, and I like the scent of a nice tea before it is brewed as much as I like to drink it; long sniff ahhh. A swapper sent me a box of oolong tea, and its definitely my favorite tea flavor! Yum!

Some food themes I do not enjoy are dark or white chocolate (but I like the in-between!), artificial cinnamon flavor, fake grape flavor, black licorice/anise, and anything spicy (hot, burning, ouchie type) in general. I don't enjoy tea with dominant cinnamon notes, or herbal blends.

I think I hate banana chips too, but maybe its the preservatives stuck in them, I bet natural ones are wonderful. ^^

I also can not use items with Splenda (sucralose) as an ingredient, especially for drink mixes. This and most other sugar substitutes do not agree with my stomach! It seems to be okay for most mints though.

I don't brew coffee at home, as I'd be the only one to drink it (with too much sugar and cream to call it coffee anymore!); so if you send some, I'll have to swap it forward, or pass it on at work. Same applies to anything else in this section, if I'm not into it, I'll pass it in, so don't sweat it!

For themes, I'm not interested in 'country-style' with geese and ribbons, or Victorian-themed imagery.

I do not wear makeup, but lip gloss/balm is wonderful, even with a tint of color. ;)

Currently I cannot use any candles, so save your money, they're heavy to ship!

I love relaxation stuff, but generally do not take baths. I'm a shower kind of gal! ;)

My sweetie is extremely sensitive to eucalyptus scents, and I do not enjoy patchouli, sandalwood, musk, or cedar scented items.

I love cats, but I'm a bit allergic to them! Nothing severe, but if fabric or fiber is going into a project that may be near my face, just drop me some washing instructions! This also applies to items coming from households with smokers - washing instructions should be sufficient, I have a schensitive schniffer to such things! =)

Also I have a serious creepy-crawlie aversion; although I really enjoy learning about other cultures and customs, I can't deal with bugs or arachnids or worms or anything in that creepy-crawlie category. ew.

• I'm always interested in learning about other cultures and customs; which doesn't have to mean a remote African tribe like that statement sounds to me, it can be regional even to US states! I've never been to Europe, so I love learning about the countries many of our ancestors traveled from to begin a new life. Just think, the US is only over 200 years old as a country...

• Knit creations (I don't knit so it intrigues me!) For great example check out the knit stuff mentioned here.

• I love little magnets! Bonus points for altered/ones you've created. Marble magnets rock; make me some! Okay okay I love magnets in general, even if they're made from taking apart a hard drive (ohh that's not one I'd recommend mailing, it'd never arrive!)

• Asian themed snacks and goodies (no spicy please?)

• Biscornu!

• Felt Food, or any felt project, when I work with felt it always looks so sloppy! How do you make it so neat and clean? Maybe I need felt other than coming from walmart huh.

• I ♡ Morsbags and reusable shopping bags. I think I'm addicted to getting the reusable ones from every place that sells them...or at least considering getting one! I like different colored ones (mostly dark green and black around here), and one grocery store here gives you 3 cents back for each one you use on each trip. We also use them for gear and audio cables so I can always use more. My goal is to bring in as few plastic bags into this apartment as possible.

(This is where I stick forum tag info)

Completed: (outgoing data)

• forum RAK for TheLisaBeast
• Who likes...tag cupcake pincushion for ladyb
• cupcake project for Lilybugsgrandma
• peacock amigurumi for blissful_mama
• Yarn for shecooks, who is bored in the mountains (I added in an amigurumi to make her smile!)
• RobertaJ, is such a sweetie, so this went her way!
• Cheap Postage Tag - little food ami project for tsampa
• Ami cupcake project for sugareyes
• Crafty PIB cupcake-themed for thefruid
• Ami Owl for Lily Lemon
• Amigurumi examples - Amy
• Seed Beads - Mrs. D
• HP Printer Supplies - em (thank goodness someone needed that stuff!)
• Fabric - Nathalie for some awesome yarn
• Crafty Pay It Back - Amigurumi to Garagebandfan