craftyAnnaLu

I've briefly stepped away from swapping while having trouble with my local post. I recently learned some postcard swaps have not been delivered and I've been receiving back swaps in January that I sent out in September. They are marked as undeliverable for no apparent reason. So if I haven't rated you, know that I won't down rate for not receiving swaps. If you didn't receive a swap from me, I will resend and resend and resend until you get it.

My name is Anna. I live in Eastern Ohio. I am an introvert and a daydreamer. I like cozy days inside when it rains, a good book, a hot cup of tea or coffee, and a cat on my lap. I have two cats: a large brown/grey tabby named Kenzie and a little black medium hair named Cinna. I also have a dog named Chloe. Her dad is part wolf, so she can be a handful. Ha!

If you are sending a profile-based swap, please send items based on my likes list and avoid items on my dislike list.

I consider myself a creative person and I love to learn new skills. I have many hobbies, including crochet, reading, penpaling, Postcrossing, cooking, baking, and watching tv/movies. I also like learning new crafts. Kits are fun because they include everything I need so I don't have a big shopping list. Craft kits of all kinds are welcome!

If you haven't received something from me, let me know. The US Post seems so messed up these days but I'll happily do a resend. The worst that could happen is that you get 2 bits of happy mail, and is that really so bad? 😁

HALLOWEEN SWAPS -- I LOVE Halloween. My favorite motifs are black cats, bats, spiders, haunted, witchy, spooky, creepy, cemeteries, apothecary, etc. My favorite Halloween colors are black with silver/grey and/or purple. I also like blue and green mixed in. Classic monsters are fun, too. I love reading urban fantasy all year so I also enjoy werewolves, vampires, witches, and mythical creatures. I like ghost stories and lore.

ABOUT ME

If you made it for me, I will love it! A handmade notecard, postcard, or gift is always A-Okay! I appreciate you using your time and talents on me. There are so many creative and passionate people on this site! If you are making something for me, and it will take longer than the swap allows, let me know so I don't think you flaked. I don't mind waiting for a handmade item.

If you are sending to me I would really appreciate it if you tell me in your note where you live. I love seeing all the places you all are sending from! And, if possible, if you're going to the post office to mail your swap, could you ask for the round postmark for your postcards and cards? That would be fantastic. Thank you!

A note about local mail service I always send out on time. If you're waiting for something from me and it's taking too long, let me know. I live in a rural area with a small post office with limited hours. Our mail is sent out of the county to be processed. As a result, it could take a day or two before it gets postmarked. I assume it's also sent there before arriving at my local post office. If I haven't rated you, then I most likely haven't received anything. I always try to rate quickly and always appreciate being rated. But I do make mistakes, so let me know if you think I should have received something.

LIKES

• Alice in Wonderland
• Animals
• Art of Van Gogh and Monet
• Books and Reading (and book/reading themed items)
• Cats
• Constellations
• Cool colors (green, teal, blue, and purple)
• Cows
• Craft Kits
• Dogs
• Dotee dolls
• Double sided craft tape (flat or dimensional)
• Edgar Allan Poe
• Fruit themes
• Galaxy
• Games
• Garfield
• Handmade items
• Holiday themed washi tape (Valentine, St. Patrick's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas)
• Hot air balloons
• Letter sets for penpaling
• Mandalas
• 90's nostalgia
• Ombre designs
• Pickles
• Plants and succulents
• Playing cards with designs/illustrations other than traditional red/blue patterns
• Postcards (see postcard note below)
• Pressed Flowers
• Puns (Puns and Dad jokes are the best! I love punny items!)
• Puzzles (I mostly enjoy puzzle boxes that you need to figure out, but also jigsaw and paper puzzles)
• Recipe cards
• Robots
• Rub-ons
• Skeleton keys
• Space themed items
• Stamps (rubber or cling)
• Sticker flakes
• Unused U.S. stamps, especially older stamps
• Warm Spices
• Watercolor images (prints, motifs, or art!)
• Yarn

Some crafts I've dabbled in or would like to try: plastic canvas, embroidery, diamond art, resin, polymer clay, and knitting. But all adult craft kits are welcome.

DISLIKES

• Alphabet stickers
• Calendars/Planners
• Horses
• Kid stickers
• Kid crafting items/kits
• Ladybugs
• Planner stickers
• Stickers with a white or colored border--like you find in kid's stickers
• Reward stickers
• Warm colors (red, orange, and yellow)

I enjoy most teas and I'll try anything once. I prefer black and herbal teas usually, but don't let that stop you from sending something. I'm interested in trying different teas, so feel free to send me your favorites or something unusual! I'd especially like to try teas from out of the U.S.A. but am happy with anything.

If you're sending a blank postcard, please send it in an envelope so I can use it. I love to collect and send postcards around the world.

If you're writing on the postcard, please send it naked. And write a little note--I want to learn about you! Please tell me some interesting facts (about you or the postcard you chose to send), about your favorite things, your community, celebrations, funny or embarrassing stories, or anything else you'd like to share. Please include the date and the weather/temperature if you can.

Postcards I would enjoy (but send what you like!):

• Cats
• Animals
• Artistic
• Geometric shapes
• Funny (clean humor if mailing naked so no one who may see my mail judges me...ha! Anything questionable, please put in an envelope.)
• Local landscapes
• Landmarks
• Puns (I love punny humor)
• Something personal to you
• National, Traditional, or Folk Costumes
• Foreign National Capitals

I have always considered myself a bookworm. I've struggled with depression which sometimes zaps my interest or attention span. I once went over a year without reading a single book. Audiobooks helped bring me back to my passion.

I sometimes get on a kick of reading lots of dark and intense books and have to decompress with lighter cozy mysteries or YA reads.

Some of my favorite authors are Patricia Briggs, Charlaine Harris, Moïra Fowley-Doyle, Kelley Armstrong, and Agatha Christie.

I mostly enjoy reading mysteries and urban fantasy, but I'll read anything that looks good. I'm always looking for book recommendations. So let me know what your favorites are.

I included my Goodreads link above.

I started a reading journal for 2022! I'm not great at keeping up with a journal, but I'm really going to try!

Update for June 2022--I started working at a library! I absolutely enjoy organizing and shelving books or finding them to fulfill library holds. The best part is when a patron comes in asking about a book I've read and I get to gush about it!

I enjoy a little bit of everything. Some of my favorite movies that I like to watch over and over are While You Were Sleeping, Casablanca, Singing in the Rain, Hello Dolly, My Best Friend's Wedding, Knives Out, Encanto, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings, X-Men, and any Marvel movie. I enjoy mystery movies and love Christmas movies. I watch horror sometimes, but I'm not in it for the gore. I prefer supernatural horror to slasher films.

There are too many to list! I tend to start a series and stop watching because I don't want it to end. Or I get distracted by another show that is starting up. So I'm rarely current on any TV program. I prefer mystery, police procedural, dramas, sci-fi, and a few sitcoms. I have recently discovered British crime dramas and am obsessed.

This seriously depends on my mood, but some favorites include Sara Bareilles, Regina Spektor, Ingrid Michaelson, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Adele, Lauren Daigle

Musicals: Rent, In the Heights, Wicked, Hadestown, Dear Evan Hansen, Hello Dolly, Singing in the Rain, Phantom of the Opera