Ooki

Sewing, paper, beading, and mosaic. I have more fabric than I could ever use, and I just keep getting more. I love to make bags and toys, but it's gotta be pretty fast and easy. I'm currently exploring embroidery. I try to make my own greeting cards, and have made all my Christmas cards for the last couple years. I like affixing paper to stuff to make keychains, switchplates, magnets and jewelry. I wish I could crochet. My Grandma does, but I've never gotten past a simple chain. I love to do random mosaic, and have a nice collection of tiles, broken and whole, but just don't find enough time to do it. Time really is the main obstacle to all my crafting. I want to be able to do so much more of what I already know, and to learn so much more than I already do, but I just can't seem to find the time.

Princess Bride, anything filmed in NY or SF, Dr. Detroit, Iron Giant. I like better drama and run-of-the-mill comedy, old-time psychological thrillers (The Excorcist, The Omen), independant and quirky (Running With Scissors, Royal Tannenbaums, Science of Sleep, Amalie). The only westerns I can say I like is The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, and Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. A good old kung-foo or crazy horror/sci-fi movie can crack me up. I am my own Mystery Science Theater.

30 Rock, Heroes, Ghost Whisperer (for the sappy cheeseball and paranormal factors), PBS - Antiques Roadshow and History Detectives, Nova specials, travel and cooking shows.

I'm a mom, wife, daughter, sister, granddaughter and aunt originally from Buffalo NY area, now living in Portland, OR, via San Francisco, CA. I can't stop crafting, it's kind of a problem organizationally (is that even a word?), but I can't turn down a new craft idea. I went to college way too long and never got my degree, but I studied broadcasting and journalism. I took a ceramics class and loved it, but haven't revisted that craft since then. I'm mostly inspired by the materials I find - I frequent thrift stores and estate sales - I couldn't afford to keep crafting if I shopped exclusively at craft and fabric stores.

I never found a color I didn't like, and I fluctuate between earthy and girly, urban and country. My home would be much more chaotic looking if it weren't for my husband's more defined tastes, and it's still a bit of a challenge... We have a craftsman style home and I love the stylized images from nature found in the stencils and on the textiles. (I'm currently looking for a book about Arts & Crafts textiles...).

Musically, I hardly got past the 90's, but have ecclectic taste for music up until... Red Hot Chile Peppers, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Van Morrison, Dave Matthews, Depeche Mode, U2, Annie Lennox, David Bowie, older Genesis, I'll sing along to most 70's pop (I can't help it), The The, Smashing Pumpkins, Fiona Apple, Beck. Newer stuff (or maybe just newer to me) - Death Cab for Cutie, Feist, Coldplay, The Moaners, Zap Mama...

The Fall. Love to wear sweaters and boots. Love skirts in the summer. Matching handbags to every outfit. Warm socks, fun and bright socks. Rings. Earrings. Hats. Collecting seeds from flowers and plants. Seeds and pods, acorns and pinecones, twigs and leaves, pebbles and rocks, (there are usually small piles of these things scattered around the house). Pottery in matte glazes. Heath china. Edith Heath (she rocks). All things handmade. Wool - blankets, sweaters, toys, jackets. Hair in buns, (I'm growing mine out again, I miss the bun). Beads, all materials (but not so much the Swaroski crystal-type). Creatures great and small, insects fascinate me, and only black beetles sort of give me pause. Antique and vintage stuff - just in general. More specifically, I like furniture from the early 1900's, practical housewares from all eras, textiles and fabric from the 60's/70's, stylized kitchenware from the 70's. Vera and her scarves and napkins. I have lot's of her scarves.

Yes, I have a dog, a little chihuahua, but as my husband is allergic, the little pooch doesn't come into the main house. We also have a hamster and a fish.