Brookhouse

I love to craft cards and other paper objects. Right now I am in the throes of moving my 'craft room' from a smaller room to a larger room in my house. WOW I can't believe all of the stuff! Any ideas on organizing papers, stamps, inks, embellishments and all of the other paper paraphinalia would be most welcome! How do you organize your things? I'm open to suggestions!

I'm sorry I even have to have this in here for anyone to read but lately the swaps I have received have been disappointing at best.Believe me, I'm not hard to please and have rated only one 3 on Swap-Bot since starting.

As you will see, I don't join a lot of swaps because I want to put my best effort into them. I just don't see how that is done if you have to worry about putting together and mailing so many swaps.

I don't like to focus on negativitiy but I do focus on reality. Everyone knows (unfortunately) when they have received a swap that was just thrown together, without care or consideration. I know I don't like it and I can't imagine anyone else would either!

I like to send out items that I would want to receive and I read swap requirements carefully! I play by the rules and one of those 'rules' is your profile!

Whether the swap is profile based or not, if you are my swap partner, I am going to read your profile and do my best to send appropriate items to you. If you don't want to receive game-pieces (and I don't) I'm not sending them to you. One recent swap I received had old playing cards and MANY game pieces. Right away I knew this was a 'quick-get-it/something/anything-in-the-mail' swap.

I never hastily shove stuff in a too-small envelope just to get 'something' in the mail to you. How disappointing to get a piece of cardstock in the mail that has been bent and squeezed into a too small envelope! The result? Creases and bends that just lessen the whole effect!

I want you to be delighted with your package. I like an elevated playing field and I hope you do too!

I am a patterned papers and paper dolls addict and like nothing more than to swoon over the different colors and textures of papers!. No one likes to come to a craft store with me anymore because I take wayyyy too long in looking and choosing papers. There are so many great patterns, colors and textures it's hard to choose. I have a cricut machine now and have collected a lot of the cartridges. They have two great paper doll cartridges. .It's so much fun and I feel quite creative while choosing the papers for 'outifts'! I can't quite believe how this pastime for girls has gone by the wayside! My niece had no idea what a 'paperdoll' was! Too me it's a world of imagination and really should be brought back to the forefront! Honestly, (and I'm dating myself here) but do little ones really know how to 'play' anymore? Where did the 'tea-parties', building forts and playing tag/hopscotch etc. go?

I make cards, not so much a scrapbooker but I find the embellishments used, work for both!

My new 'love' is paper toile. It is so professional looking, super easy and looks great on cards.

I love to read and usually have 4 or 5 books going at a time. Animal care and training books, Jewish history during WWII, almost anything pertaining to Victory Gardens of WWII and vintage Scholastics (which I collect). I adore quality,children's books, Laura Ingalls Wilder series, a.a. milne (Winnie's quotes are precious!) Autobiograhies and biographies are another favorite.

I love Madeleine L'engle books,(I had always wanted to meet her but was never that fortunate. I did however go to her funeral service at St. John the Divine in NYC and it was amazing!)

I always loved Trixie Belden, Harriet the Spy, the Meg books, Donna Parker ( when I got older I was able to get all of the books in these series; it is like owning treasure!

I also like May Sarton journals. I guess there are way too many to mention!

I like to escape into a good story when I have time.

Sharpie markers-all sizes all colors,

Paper Toile sheet,

• paper doll books*

*self adhesive ribbons are fantastic *

*any patterned/plain gros-grained ribbon *

*ribbon in hues of burgundy/gold/dark earthy greens/ coppers *

*brads * (always, always need brads!)

*the colors yellow and green, *

*stickers,(just not stickers for children) *

*glitter, *

*glue dots, *

*glue sticks *

*Modge Podge *

*small paint brushes *

*photo edges, *

*nature stamps, *

*Great Dane theme,(my absolute favorite thing-any item of a great dane something guarantees a heart with me!) * * *any pawprint anything * *

color pencils * * *~thin, plain chipboard is fantastic to send (makes great paperdoll forms)

in other words-please do NOT send- Believe me I am not picky-but I have no use for these things and don't want you spending your $ for postage to mail them:

~items that smell of smoke~

~advertisements

~pages from books~

~calendars~

~game pieces(I have no idea what to do with these)~

~playing cards~

~candy-beverages~

~store-bought note cards etc. ..I have a ton of these and since I make my own cards and stationary they are pretty much useless to me.....but if you send a HANDMADE card/postcard, I will love it!~

I really don't like that I even have to have this part on my profile, yet it's certainly not fair to everyone else who plays by the rules! I hope that this list never gets long. If you flake, you will find your name here!

(Presents for our Pets & Profile surprise)

@neverdoubtilove

(this was not an inexpensive swap so this was really disappointing!)

and then the co-ordinator

@denimbaglady

was going to angel it and never did. UGH!

(Theme in a Ziplock You Choose Tag)

@blacvulturetravels