SilviaSanAntonio

Hello, nice to meet you here on swap-bot! My name is Silvia, I live and love in Texas. I am in that awkward in-between stage of newbie / not-newbie. Now that I have more than a few swaps under my belt, I'm feeling more confident navigating this interesting wormhole.

Oh....my....gosh.........the FASCINATING mail I have received is thrilling!

Hopefully you are reading this because you're about to send a post card or a letter or another cool item that will land in my large, hungry mailbox. Every single item I have received from this community is cherished. Likewise, I enjoy preparing and mailing out cards, letters and packages to places I am compelled to google. Geography is so much more fun than it was in 5th grade. (Sorry, Mrs. Owens: Truth!).

Kenneth hand-cancels my mail. He weighs and measures and asks me if I'm mailing liquids and other required questions in order to ensure that I have placed sufficient postage (I love to use postage stamps), he gives great advice and best of all, he is not irritated by my mail-art.

His attitude towards his postal customers is the gold standard. There have been a couple of instances where items I mailed out were returned to me. I took them to Kenneth and we talked about why they did not make it and we learned a thing or two. So now when I write my return address, I do it in a format that can still be read by a person but probably not by a machine with hopes that it will just be easier to deliver it to the proper destination rather than to sender. I fancy myself to be a clever code-writer... you tell me when you receive something from "Paradise"...I hope that'll be soon!

A Confederacy of Dunces is my all-time favorite book - I've read it at least a dozen times over the past 30 years - the character development, the New Orleans setting and the funny-to-crying humor pleases me to no end. Margaret Atwood, John Updike, Carl Hiaasen are on my list of favorite authors. John Philip Santos wrote Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation, a memoir about a family in San Antonio, Texas....that....book...mesmerized....me..............

A water fountain in my studio provides a naturally melodious wall of sound, but when I need music I turn to a number of mood-appropriate genres: classical, world music, country, Disney, show tunes, 80s rock, punk rock, soundtracks. For a Halloween swap I read my partner's profile prior to creating so that I could incorporate her likes into the project. "The Crow" soundtrack is her favorite album, so I listened to it (several times) while making her flipbook. It was a magical experience; the music perfectly fit the theme, it inspired me to go in different artistic directions.

The music of Sigur Ros is one of my go-to's when I am practicing calligraphy.

Mixed media! Calligraphy, collage, mail art, painting, sewing by hand, jewelry, fairy jars, whimsy. To make a little extra money now and then, I address envelopes for weddings & special events. Engrosser's Script is my favorite style of calligraphy because the letters are elegant and swirly. Although I've been practicing for many years, I learn new things about the art of calligraphy all the time. Social media platforms such as reddit, periscope and Instagram have introduced me to an on-line community of international artists who share my passion for beautiful letters.

My favorite movies include The Fifth Element, Rent, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Til There Was You, Little Miss Sunshine, Selena, Tommy, Titanic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws, Amadeus, In Her Shoes.

Sadly, the Good Will Clearance Outlet close to my day job is moving, so I will no longer be able to shop on my lunch hour for mind-blowing bargains. I have amassed a large collection of arts and crafts supplies & tools as well as old books & letters, framed paintings, drawings and watercolors, small shelves, wood boxes, playing cards, holiday lights & decorations, greeting cards, material, sewing patterns, buttons, fibers, paint, dye, paper punches. Reading the profiles of my swap partners allows me to effectively share the wealth. When I see that a swapper likes or wishes for items in my stash, I pass it along with a happy heart.

Stickers! Washi Tape! Book Pages!

Tourist Brochures! Die Cuts! Brads! Eyelets!

Felt! Cloth!

Postage Stamps! Ephemera: Tickets! Tags! Photos!

Stationery!

Beads! Jewelry Findings!

Fortune Cookie Fortunes!

Beads!