orneryswife

I am an almost 60 yo wife to Ornery (40 years), Mom to Elizabeth (38) and Ryan (33), and Grammie to Micah (9) and Makayla (7) (aka the m&ms).

I am home-bound with an undiagnosed condition that has left me mostly immobile. But, I am grateful to have cheated death twice in two years, and while I am not where I would like to be physically, at least I am on the right side of the dirt! :)

Since my children are grown, it's just Ornery and me in our beautiful home. We live in NE Oklahoma near Tulsa. About 8 months of the year, my yard sports a variety of blooming plants, the more the better as far as I am concerned. One of the hardest things I had to give up when I was no longer able to walk was working in my yard. My daughter is studying horticulture online, and I have the wonderful benefit of her knowledge, and recently the generosity of the landscape architect who has hired her as an intern.

If you look at my Instagram feed, (link above) you will see equal parts garden/yard posts, and whatever odd crafty project I am immersed in at the moment.

SEWING

And I do have wide ranging interests when it comes to crafting. Awhile ago, I got a ton of floss from a garage sale, and I purchased some Aunt Martha's iron on transfers to make some flour sacking dish towels for Christmas gifts. I'm not terribly fast, so I figured I should begin early! :)

I have also made numerous skirts and doll clothes for Makayla, and have made odds and ends for around the house such as pillows, curtains, etc. I recently purchased a new Brother sewing machine but it was around the time I last went to the hospital and I am sorry to say I have yet to learn how to even thread it. It is on my October goals list. I want to create a pattern for bags like the plastic grocery bags, make a few mug rugs, and discover ways to use up some of my scraps ... maybe crazy quilt?

WEAVING

A pen pal recommended that I try some note cards with weaving on the fronts, and I have made several so far. It is an extremely satisfying project, but the cards are bulky so I have started making sturdy envelopes to mail them in. My husband built me a lap loom a few years ago, and I have completed about a dozen wall hangings on it I have more yarn than a body needs, but I do enjoy playing with the beautiful fibers! Sadly, I never could master crochet and knitting doesn't hold my interest.

MIXED MEDIA ART

I am happiest when I am in my studio or playing with color in some fashion. I can't draw anything other than stick figures, but fortunately, I happen to like abstract art better than realism, so it turns out I am okay with that lack. I am not a master at any of the mediums, but I do like to dabble in:

• acrylic paint
• alcohol inks
• art journaling
• collage
• mail art
• pastels
• stamping/embossing
• washi tape
• watercolor
• gelli printing

I have a substantial collection of ATC's and Altered Rolodex cards. I have several binders filled with amazing mail art, which is probably my favorite collection of all. Some of my ATCs are in frames on the wall in my studio, others featuring little houses (my favorite theme) are on the wall in my dining room.

JIGSAW PUZZLES

I am a huge puzzle fan. I have over 100 in my collection, mostly 500 piece, but a few 1000, and several 300 piece, which lately has been more my speed, just because they work up quickly and are easy to handle.

PEN PALS

I have several (10? 15?) fairly regular pen pals, but I am always up for exchanging letters with new friends. I always enjoy receiving mail, which was the reason I joined Swap-Bot all those years ago! I had to take a break from the letters when I was recovering from my illnesses (cellulitis/sepsis) but I am back online with most of them now.

While I really enjoy writing letters, I am not great with sending "extras" because I can't get out to shop. However, I like to think that my letters are worthwhile even without the extras! 😁 If you write to me, I almost always write back.

I am a very reliable swapper. If I don't think I will be able to send, I drop from the swap. Always. Even when I was hospitalized, I managed to send my swaps on time. If you have not received a swap from me, please let me know as soon as possible. I generally mail the day partners are assigned, or at the latest a day or two after.

Likewise, I am a very prompt rater. There is nothing worse than spending time and effort to create a personalized swap only to wonder if it ever arrived. If you are a late rater or non-rater, please do not join my swaps.

If I happen to be hosting a swap, I will always angel if necessary. I tend to swap only within the safety of a group, but things happen and I will always try to make it right for those who join my swaps.

I try to make my swap descriptions as clear as possible, but if you ever have questions, please don't hesitate to direct message me, and I will answer your questions.

I really appreciate you being willing to swap with me. I try very hard to please my partners.

For swaps that require personaliaztion, tuck-ins, gifts, extras, etc., here is a list of my preferences.

HAPPY TO RECEIVE THESE THEMES OR ITEMS

• gardening/flowers/plants
• seeds for flowers, or any type of empty seed packets
• pollinators/bees/butterflies
• birds, especially quirky ones!
• little houses in any form
• washi tape (mt is my favorite, but I like any of it that will stick well!!)
• unused postage any denomination
• bright colors (spring green is my favorite color, but I really like all of them!)
• puzzle themed items
• coffee themed items (but not actual coffee unless it is some instant for dying paper, which I would be delighted to receive!)
• flowers, leaves, or funny stickers for my journal or mail art
• decorated or handmade envies, mail art
• gelli-prints or interesting papers I can use for collage or art journaling
• standard sized altered Rolodex cards (I have a spinner so no larger than 1/2" extra on top and sides)
• unique beads I can use for earrings for my daughter
• copper anything
• Healthy instantpot recipes, well, really any healthy recipes!
• Bible verses or inspirational quotes on cards or paper I can easily paste in my journal
• yarn, especially smaller balls, like the end of a project
• patterns for doll clothes 12" or 18"
• personalized return address labels or swap cards
• any high quality hand-made art
• blank notecards, especially Punch Studio brand
• jokes, preferably clean. I love play on words type jokes.

PREFER NOT TO RECEIVE

• tea of any kind. After drinking so much on diets, now I can't stand the thought of it!
• art with images of people or faces, especially those old time found relative pictures - creepy! I don't use people, dolls, or body parts in my art. The exception is cartoon gnomes.
• scented items
• Halloween anything (although I do love the fall)
• postcards - I don't use them or collect them. If I join a PC swap it is for handmade mailart, which is a different animal altogether, in my opinion.
• coloring pages - I am really bad at coloring inside the lines!
• plastic deco tape