I’m Steph (anie). I’m a homemaker, artist, crafter, cook, nerd, introvert, humanist & aspiring eccentric old lady. I live in Tallahassee, Florida, with my husband and adult daughter. She and I were born and raised in the Tampa Bay Area (200 miles south of here) and moved here in 2009.

I’m on Swap-bot because I’m obsessed with making things. I’ve been at it for awhile now - crafting for at least 20 years (going back to when I scrapbooked my daughter’s babyhood) and I've tried oodles of things. For the past 12 years I’ve been focused on paper/mixed media art. Right now I’m all about mail art, gluebooks, ATCs, artbooks/zines, and just generally gluing paper to paper. I got myself a Gel Press for my 40th birthday in 2019 and am over the moon about it.

I used to have a blog, but I quit that platform and decided to use Facebook because it seems easier to connect with interested artsy-craftsy people. I semi-blog there and my page is public if you want to follow along (it’s nothing but art crap). I post pretty much everything I create, between all the different media platforms I'm on, so don't go poking around if you're sensitive to "spoilers".

I’m a shy person and struggle with social anxiety, depression, general anxiety and other (fun! ಠ_ಠ) personality issues. I do not people well, but I try, and am grateful for every kind individual who has had patience enough to put up with me and call me ‘friend’. Making art and sharing it has been way more than a hobby for me; it’s been my outlet, my connection and my emotional support for years now.

Beyond art and cleaning up messes, meme, movie and TV references rule my world. I enjoy “airplane naps” on the couch, watching entirely too much TV, road trips, thrifting, exploring historical sites, long walks on the beach, candlelit dinners….oh! Wait.

I really love one-on-one creative exchanges with people; sharing our art, what supplies inspire us and sending creative decorated envelopes. After trying lots of sites and swap pages, I still think SB is the best place for people who like exchanging this type of thoughtful, handmade mail. I think the act of sharing your art and what inspires you is a language in itself - and that's mail art.

I run 3 groups here - Open Mail Art Exchange which is all about informal exchanges through forum tags; Collage Sheet Creations which is all about creating art from digital printables and Art Books which is about creating artfilled books.

What I Like

➔Themes, faves, junk & stuff.

𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡, 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 + 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙---world cultures, anthropology, mythology, folklore, superstitions, Indigenous peoples, foreign languages, ancient Egypt, Japan.

𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚, 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 + 𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙨---raccoons, palm trees, tropical flowers, backyard gardens, cockatoos, alligators, rainforests, crystals, dinosaurs, ravens, emus, gibbons, big trees, wild flowers, toadstools, The Everglades, Spring & Summer.

𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙖𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨---60s/70s/80s, retro futurism, grunge, gothic, bohemian, urban decay, Floridana, kitsch, neon, Mid-Century Modern, celestial, cosmic, psychedelic, whimsical.

𝙋𝙤𝙥 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 + 𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙮---science fiction, web comics, memes, gifs, TV, Netflix, Judge Judy, Star Wars, Discworld, high fantasy, stand-up comedy, cartoons, Adult Swim, heavy metal, Walt Disney World, SpongeBob SquarePants, anime, RuPaul's Drag Race, 80s pro wrestling.

𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨---Nick Bantock, Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, James Jean, Lynne Perrella, Rex Ray, Carrie Ann Baade, Ray Caesar, Mary Jane Chadbourne, Edward Hopper, Kim Collister, Salvador Dali.

𝙎𝙮𝙢𝙗𝙤𝙡𝙨 + 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨---skulls, skeletons, stars, arrows, horseshoes, hands, lucky cats, plus signs, triangles, moon/sun faces, dots, crowns.

𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙨---BRIGHT, bold colors: chartreuse, turquoise, purple, candy apple red, hot pink, NEONS, rainbows. I'm starting to come around to pastel colors - brighter tones, not completely washed out.

𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨---owls, classic Star Wars stuff (esp. Darth Vader), CLOWNS, Buddhas (Gautama & Budai), maneki neko (lucky cats), skulls (calaveras, Grim Reapers).

Most of these things (and more) are represented on my Pinterest boards:
Characters • Art • "Aesthetic" • Misc. • Colors

Supplies

➔Things I'm always wanting/"needing".

• kraft paper envelopes (mailable sizes)
• mulberry papers in light colors
• graph papers (interesting grids/colors a +)
• YOUR gel prints and palette/drop papers
• FUN, flat stickers (no puffy or epoxy)
• funky fibers and yarn for altered tags
• art postcards; free/promo fine as long as the art is cool
• colorful patterned papers
• magazine bits (travel, lifestyle, contemporary art mags)
• die-cut shapes (letters, geometric, symbols, nature)
• collage images from upcycled sources or printables

• any paper thing inspired by my likes that I can add to my annual Favorite Things gluebook (made in November for my birthday)

• REAL ephemera: tags, tickets, maps, Airmail envelopes, yearbook pages, text pages (Spanish, Greek, Arabic), guest checks, ledger papers, anything typewritten, vintage used postage, game pieces, labels.

• Special request: machine stitched scraps of paper. That is: paper with a line or 2 of machine stitching run the length of it. My machine and I are no longer on speaking terms, but I love using the stitched bits as embellishments on journal pages/ATCs.

Like this:

I'm always looking for people who want to trade stuffed envelopes of paper goodies - especially if we share a lot of the same interests. I've got more collage supplies than I reasonably need, so feel free to hit me up if you're interested in sharing.

Other private swaps I'm most definitely interested in:

• blind or MMH ATC swaps (for 1 or up to 9 cards, depending - I'm a fiend when it comes to making ATCs).

• profile-based ART BOOKS. I love making art books and have a lot of fun reading through chewy profiles for inspiration.

• CREATIVE correspondence, e.g., lists, questionnaires, photo diaries...anything with some sort of creative/artsy element to it. I sort of famously do not like to write letters, but I can get on board if it's presented in a unique way.

• STICKERED UP things - "sticker slapping" is frowned upon in this establishment, but it can be fun between 2 consenting adults, lol. I like stickering up envelopes, postcards and note cards - making actual use of all the stickers I've hoarded.

What I Don't Like

➔Please do not send...

• anything with SHARKS on it. ANYTHING.

• alcohol/pro-drinking themed items.

• patriotic, presidential themed items.

• Religious items of any sort.

• true crime, serial killer stuff.

• edibles, tea bags, fragrance sachets, anything with added scents, beauty products, etc. I'm not here to swap these sorts of things and, most importantly, I have hella ridiculous allergies.

• about CLOWNS: I do honestly love all types of clowns, except real life killer clowns (John Wayne Gacy aka Pogo) and Insane Clown Posse. If you have some doubts about something, just message me.