WoodlandBanshee

Hello! My name is Helene. I live and work on Vancouver Island on the West coast of Canada. I work p/t at an active day program for people living with dementia, and p/t at a pediatric respite care home for kids living with serious medical and/or behavioural issues.

Work/life balance is a big deal for our super active family. We make time for each other and each of our crafts and interests, which is really special because it gives me a lot more time with my family, but also enough alone time with my arts and crafts and time to participate in a lot of swaps here. I am also a nemophilist; I love camping, hiking, and exploring in outdoor landscapes. I just discovered the made up term Werifesteria, which is not an actual word, but it describes what I love so perfectly - ''the impulse to wander the forest longingly in search of magic and mystery''. The Pacific Northwest is the best place for a nemophilist with its mossy evergreen forests and arbutus trees, but you have to be able to live with a lot of rain. The rain puts a sparkle on spider webs and glistens on the tree tops. And it keeps everything green year round. I love all the seasons for the different wonderful things each brings. I find great beauty in darkness and welcome your spooky stories or wiccan art.

I love rich dark opulent colours. I really enjoy the colours of autumn and all metallic tones. I enjoy rusts and golds, turquoises and royal purples.

I make a lot of big canvas and little paper mixed media pieces along with the atcs, inchies and mail art swaps I enjoy here. I really enjoy layering and creating texture. I would love to get more into assemblage, stain glass, and acrylic pouring, but I haven't found the time to start new hobbies.

Some materials I use often in my craft includes but are never limited to:

textured paper and unique fibres

strips of lace and ribbon

metal charms

brads of all shapes, sizes, and colours

leaf skeletons

old keys or key images

die cuts

anything vintage or vintage looking

steampunk, Victorian, and space themes

homesteading images, pictures of tools/items

nature themes and fairies, gnomes, fantasy, forest creatures, and folklore

trees, leaves, plants

dark, Hallowe'en, witchy, and spooky themes

handmade paper

really sparkly paper

rubber stamped paper in all above themes

photography/imagery in all above themes

Woodblock or rubber stamps

Old photography or picture postcards

wood or wood like elements

anything for mixed media art making like artist trading cards, inchies, cards, smash books,paper art on wood/canvas/cardboard etc

Tim Holtz Ideology "Paperie Salvage Stickers", or more high end mixed media use style stickers for craft

nature themes and woodland animals

anything handmade, especially by you

**letter paper, handmade/coloured patterned envelopes

mail art

I love rich colours, deep dark reds, rich browns, oranges, blues, and greens. Mossy and inviting. I also love using silver, gold, and copper tones.

!Some things I would not like. Thank you!

foam shapes or kid crafts

city postcards

dollar store stickers

No religious or holiday stuff please (unless I have specifically joined a swap for it)

I am not a fan of childish stamps or images

No princess or Disney stuff. I will not pass it on either (sorry) I do, however, use crown brads or images on atcs.

I am not interested in your current ephemera like yesterday's bus ticket, receipts, labels etc. It will likely just get recycled. Truly vintage or Tim Holtz style only please.