byXanthe

I'm taking a break from swapping and will not sign up for any new swaps.

I live in rural central Wisconsin. Winters are cold and summers are hot. Yes, I do love cheese, brats, and beer!

My background is in metalworking. But I had to stop due to a degenerative problem in my wrists.

I guess it was about 2003, I discovered altered art and I fell in love with collage and mixed media. In 2007, I started in on the local art fair circuit. I'm working hard to make my love of art a full time job.

I also work part time at the local library and as a teachers aide sub at my kids school.

I spend as much time as I can with my husband and my two kids. My daughter is 12 and my son is 9.

Our critter list is longer now, we have 2 dogs, 1 guinea pig, 7 ducks, 2 cats, 1 guinea hen, 4 chickens and 1 parakeet. I know crazy huh!

I love:

*to read, garden, and cook.

*simple natural scents like cut grass, citrus, etc. Nothing too perfumy.

*cheesy 80's music, sour candy, gummi anything, and super dark chocolate.

*magazines!

garage sales and flea markets. Finding a great deal is #1 *grins

*recycled materials -simple things like brown craft paper, crepe paper, and pretty tissue.

*most colors, but greens, blues, and orange are my favs. I'm not of fan of pink though. Think Mediterranean style.

*most of my art is whimsical and cheery but I love the darker side too! Skeletons, zombies, Poe, creepiness of all types

*galvanized metal and rusty metal

*my iPod touch

Christmas is my favorite holiday, but I'm not religious. I stick with Xmas trees and Santa.

Second is Halloween and to some extent Dia de los Muertos. I love funny grinning skulls or skeleton imagery mixed with bright colors. Creepy funny, Tim Burton style

Glitter is always fun

I love to read but lately I have found trouble finding books that are exciting and interesting but not too graphic and full of gore. I do love Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs novels as well as Terry Brooks, James Rollins, Mathew Reilly, and David Gibbons They aren't too yucky for me ;-)

I get most altered art and mixed media books that are published in recent years.

I love working in paper and with found objects. My favorite swaps have been charm, softie or plush, or chunky book swaps.

I'd love to do more chunky book swaps! I've been in 4 Artchix Studio swaps and have been on time and prompt in each. I work hard to make nice, fun, and original pages

I don't watch a lot of network TV, all the shows I like keep getting canceled! I watch Warehouse 13, Masterchef, UK Top Gear, Mythbusters, Bones, Stargate SG1 reruns, new Dr Who, and stuff on the History and Science channels.

Most of my favorite movies are action or scifi.