Swap-bot Time: October 7, 2024 7:56 pm
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isabellasnow

isabellasnow
Date Joined: December 26, 2009
Last Online: October 7, 2024
Birthday: December 4
Country: United States
My Flickr Photos

About Me

Hello fellow swappers!

My name is Kristy, crafting is my favorite pastime and I love all things handmade. I love shopping online and although I have more craft supplies than I could ever need, I still love to shop for more ;+)

I have lived in or near the Columbus, Ohio area for most of my life. I lived in Raleigh, North Carolina for three years and in Clifton Park, New York (north of Albany) for 2 years. Ultimately, we moved back to Ohio to be near family. I felt it was important for my 4 children to have an extended support system. While Ohio isn't the MOST exciting place to live, I do love the change of seasons (except summer...I'd gladly skip summer). My husband and I now live in a humble home in Reynoldsburg, a southeast suburb of Columbus. Next to crafting, my favorite thing to do is sit in my recliner with a cup of coffee and look out the patio door at the wildlife and three huge oak trees in our backyard. I love to watch the birds, squirrels, groundhogs, raccoons, possums, and skunks. I feed them all each day. I've got the raccoons eating from my hand. Each spring, the mama animals bring their babies to my deck for snacks. I just love watching them grow--it brings me such joy! Nothing is cuter than wildlife babies.

Tim and I are big baseball fans, especially the Cincinnati Reds! We follow faithfully, even when the Reds' record is not so great ;+)

I absolutely love being a swap-bot member! I've been here for 14 years and have met so many lovely people. Crafting and swapping give me such a lift. When I'm creating, the hours just fly by!

I LOVE

Here are some of my favorite themes:

  • Botanicals and Wildflowers

  • Animals. especially bears, foxes, and other woodland critters (not a fan of monkeys)

  • Nature

  • Trolls & Gnomes

  • Cats

  • Birds

  • Halloween

  • Koi

  • Snails--especially things that say, 'Snail Mail'

  • Vintage Paris & shabby

  • Heart-shaped things

  • Pretty papers

  • Textile snippets

  • Vintage stationery (especially Current!)

I love receiving postcards in any of the themes listed above as well as:

  • Baseball stadiums

  • Bigfoot, Sasquatch or other cryptids

  • Bears, Squirrels, Raccoons, and all other animals

  • Fotofolio cards

  • Inge Look cards

  • Nouvelles Images cards

  • Elephants

  • San Francisco (especially Alcatraz!)

  • Unusual images

  • Zoo and Aquarium cards

  • Map cards

  • Interesting black & white images

  • Sumo wrestlers!

THINGS I DO NOT LOVE

Short and sweet here:

Harry Potter anything. While I appreciate that it got so many kids (and adults) reading, it's just not for me--too whimsical and not enough 'real' danger

Foam crafts or stickers

Color-your-own anything (including postcards)

Scented products (I get a headache!)

Over-long swapper profiles, profiles that read like a hospital chart, and those that make harsh statements like, 'DON'T send me anything ________! or ________! or ________!(fill in the blanks) It really takes the joy and inspiration out of creating something for a partner.

Favorite Movies

Some favorite movies: The ORIGINAL Fright Night, Prometheus, The Talented Mr. Ripley (this is probably my favorite movie of all time), Aliens, Last of the Mohicans, Hocus Pocus, Shawshank Redemption, White Oleander, Terminator series, Blood Creek (LOVE Michael Fassbender), The Thing. I love well-made scary movies! Not a fan of romantic comedies or most comedies, in general. My movie & tv choices might not seem to "fit" with the rest of my profile but I have always loved science fiction and scary movies!

Favorite Television

Enjoying House of Dragons, Gangs of London (I LOVE this show), Succession, The Split, Ted Lasso (my favorite), Better Call Saul (except the sad ending), and my guilty pleasure reality shows: 90-Day Fiance and Married at First Sight. I also love true crime and documentaries.

I think (ok, I know) I watch too much TV but there is a TV in my craft room so I'm not likely to stop any time soon.

Favorite Crafts

Mail art is one of favorites. I love to jazz up all my envies before sending--fun, easy and what's more fun than a colorfully decorated envie in your mailbox? I especially love the postoid rubber stamps--the ones that look liike a postage stamp but say something funny. I have quite a collection!

I love paper of all kinds and, along with the beautiful papers, papercrafts.

ATC's! I used to hate them and be consistently irritated at how many ATC swaps there were here on swap-bot. Now I love them! I love nearly all paper crafts.

Love creating junk journals using vintage ephemera and I'm crazy for using vintage books in all my work.

Reading

I LOVE to read but am super fussy about what I choose to read. If you are an avid reader and read anything in the suspense/thriller/horror genres, please send me a recommendation! With so many book choices available, a recommendation from an avid reader is worth its weight in gold. Presently reading 'Malus Domestica' and love it. It's about a young woman who is a witch hunter and the witches are SCARY! I would sooner die than read 'chick 'lit' -- why is it that a whole genre (chick lit) of mostly fluffy nonsense is defined as reading for women??

ME & MY FAMILY

Hubby and I are retired. I'm trained as a middle school language arts, social studies, and math teacher. Occasionally, I tutor for reading comprehension. Hubby was a park ranger in Kentucky and Ohio.

I am a mom of four grown children and a granny to ten adorable grandchildren (Noelle, Xander, Lucas, Evan, Kristopher, Aaliyah, Londynn, Ciana, Kendrick, and Lyric). Unfortunately, my sweet Noelle and Lucas live in El Dorado Hills, California ;+(--much too far away from their granny.

I spend a fair amount of time in El Dorado Hills with my eldest daughter and her family. They also have two of my granddogs--Dasher and Dancer--East German shepherds. Being there takes me back to the bustling household when MY children were young. We're planning a move to California or New York in the next couple of years.

My hubby is the light of my life. We met on match.com and have been together for 19 years. We are so lucky to be able to spend a lot of time together. I love my life and count my blessings every day.

I am an only child and have always wanted a sister to share with. I love that I have some crafting 'sisters' here on swap-bot!

My indoor four-legged furbaby is Junebug--a VERY large (24 lb) gray tabby. My daughter found Junie abandoned in a cart in a Target parking lot in mid-December. She had a collar mark around her neck, so she was someone's pet and was just dumped. We're in the process of adopting and bringing in an outdoor kitty who adopted us! My daughter has named her Vixen--my daughter is determined that, as a family, we have pets named after each of Santa's reindeer! Vixen is shy with everyone but me, but she loves being indoors, sleeping on her heated blanket, and having plenty of food and snacks. I truly enjoy the company of cats. My sweet cat, Mizzy, passed on June 14, 2022. She was so loved and our home seems much emptier without her. For me, a pet--any pet--makes a house, a home.

THOUGHTS ON SWAPPING. . .

I'm not a stickler about postmarks; in fact, I've never checked a postmark in my life. I do understand the need for rules within this swapping community, but if you're going to be late in sending a swap to me, just be courteous and let me know. Although I take my role as swapper and host very seriously, I will never engage in public shaming of other swappers or have a 'Flaker List' on my profile. Remember . . . life happens.

I'm consistently puzzled when swappers say they 'hate' a specific color. I want you to be inspired to create something special for me, so use whatever color speaks to YOU. It's not my job to ban a color that might spark your creativity. I appreciate anything created with love and inspiration and if it's not one of my favorite colors? It must be one of yours and that's good enough for me.

In a community of inspired, thoughtful, and artistic swappers, I believe we should show each other kindness, grace, and understanding. We all have enough stress in our lives outside of swap-bot--let's not let swap-bot become a source of stress and negativity instead of the joy it is meant to be!

Just a quick note re ratings: I like to take my time with ratings. Often, the items I'm rating took a long time to create and I want to say more than just, 'thank you.' That said, I often save swaps for up to 10 days before rating. I sit down with a cup of coffee and enjoy rating and doing justice to the senders who put their time and effort into creating a swap for me. If I rated every day, I would end up just saying, 'thank you,' trying to fit rating into each day. Please respect my rating style. Thank you so much.

I appreciate kindness in any form. One of my favorite quotes is from the Dalai Lama: "Be kind whenever possible . . . it is always possible."

Ratings

majewsju rated for PH: Scavenger Hunt for PCs #278 on Oct 7, 2024
5
rating
Comment: Thank you so much for your lovely pcs! I love the butterfly wrapping and the cat postcard is my favorite!! Thank you so much for picking me out wonderful pcs!
5
rating
Comment: No tricks, just treats in this terrific swap. Thank you so much for your thoughtful choices & generous selection, Kristy. Each one is a gem. I'm especially enamored of the trio of musical foxes, the pensive Acona woman & of course, the upside down heads, which have intrigued me since childhood. (Never met a Redstone card I didn't like, but they're hard to come by.) And not one, but 2 special cards celebrating the great Ruth Bader Ginsburg! I love her quote about nine women on the Court! The old gent with the glorious beard is amazing. It makes me want to climb in and settle down for a nap in a nest of his whiskers. I could keep waxing rhapsodic, but another hurricane is bearing down on Florida. I am exhausted from hurricane prep and anxiety but wanted to get this done before a potential power loss. Thank you again, my sweet friend.
5
rating
Comment: Awesome pcs! Thank you!
addieixmarie rated for Vampire on Oct 5, 2024
5
rating
Comment: Kristy, WOW WOW WOW!! Thank you so very much for this amazing vampire journal page!!! It is truly stunning, I adore all of the glitter that you used on it, so gorgeous! May I ask what you used for this effect? I love this journal page so much, the layout is perfect, the images you chose are fantastic, and I love all of the elements that you chose. Everything goes so well together. You truly have so much talent!! I am so excited to add your page into my journal:) I also LOVE how you sent the sheet in the book page with the rose decor and also the envelope. Everything is truly perfect. I am so grateful! Thank you so so much again<3<3
Sequoia183 rated for YTPC: Strip Scrap Tags US on Oct 5, 2024
5
rating
Comment: This turned out to be a challenging swap for me! My strips are all so short, I had to merge them together lol! Thank you I love getting your work it is always so fun. Thank you for all the work you do to host swaps also
Sequoia183 rated for SMSUSA: Scattegories # 19 O on Oct 5, 2024
5
rating
Comment: Love doing this swap, hubby and I come up with the answers together, he is as good as google usually! I remember we had to answers that were the same, but I don't know where he put them! EEEK real world hubby problems.
5
rating
Comment: I love everything about this! Thank you so much. The zine is so cute!
BluGinhm rated for Halloween Zine on Oct 1, 2024
5
rating
Comment: I love this zine! It combines two of my favorite things - Halloween and poetry. And this poem is great! Thanks so much!
5
rating
Comment: 10,000 Hearts! Thank you for the gorgeous swap! I love the envelope you made and how you packaged it all up with extra care! It's always a treat to see your beautiful envelopes and to open them! It's ike a birthday or Christmas present!!! xx Gabi
Saba rated for Halloween Zine on Sep 30, 2024
5
rating
Comment: Loved the zine! Thank you!!
me2az50 rated for USAPC: Index Card Art: Autumn Leaves on Sep 28, 2024
5
rating
Comment: Thank you for the Autumn Leaf Index Card. Thank you also for the stickers and the envelope.
Wanda rated for Halloween Zine on Sep 28, 2024
5
rating
Comment: Thank you so much, Kristy, for a wonderful Swap! The Spooky Poem zine was such an artistic confection! Did you compose the poem? 🖤🧡🖤 The extra touches you added (lively card, little spider tag, ghostly pumpkin packet) elevated the swap to a whole new level. Again, thank you so much! 🎃
5
rating
Comment: Excellent pcs. Thanks too, for the extras.
Jenicat rated for SMSUSA: Simple Scavenger Hunt on Sep 28, 2024
5
rating
Comment: What a wonderful swap as always. I love everything! Thank you!
Eulegirl rated for PS: Scavenger Hunt Postcards #10 on Sep 27, 2024
5
rating
Comment: Thank you for the awesome cards and all the extras! I love the Amish one!
Stampalia rated for PH: Send 4 Postcards #65 on Sep 27, 2024
5
rating
Comment: Thank you again for sending a fantastic swap in a beautifully decorated envelope. You're so generous to send all the extras and I really am overwhelmed by how each one is something I love. Flowers, beautiful art, and the Turkeytail fungus is so cool. My absolute favorite is The Little World of Liz Climo. I adore her cartoon animals. :)
5
rating
Comment: Hi Kristy! Oh my! This little one sheet wonder folder is so darn cute! And the Halloween poem zine - I had no idea you were a poet! It's awesome! The papers you used are so pretty with the metallic touches. Love the little notepad and the cute Halloween mug tag. And just discovered another pocket with a spider web tag and a spooky tree. I love it all, and I always know when I have something in the mail from you, that it will be very special. And thank you for the beautiful lace trim and the pretty flowers! Such a special envie of Halloween goodies!
5
rating
Comment: I just received this, must have taken a long time in the mail since it was postmarked in August! I love everything you sent, thanks so much for the wonderful happy mail :)
5
rating
Comment: Kristy, thank you so much for the lovely journal. I love it. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Thank you again for the lovely journal swap.
marclively rated for PH: Scavenger Hunt for PCs #273 on Sep 21, 2024
5
rating
Comment: Thanks! Marc

Rating Overview

Overall Hearts Stars Hosted
5.0000 5753 2808 2843
Completed Fives Threes Ones
5142 5985 0 0
Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Uncategorized
33 1487 3622 0
View all

Comments

debbiespoms on Sep 6, 2024:

Thanks so much Kristy, for the AATW RAK wish from Amazon for Pumpkin Spice candle set. I love them more than you know! I'm not sure which this gift is for, Aug. or Sept. ?

debbiespoms on Aug 21, 2024:

I thank you so much Kristy, for the AATW August 2nd wish for Fall washi tape rolls from Amazon! I truly love them very much and will proudly use them!

debbiespoms on Aug 15, 2024:

Oops, I'm so sorry, I forgot the happy Mail stickers you sent to, with AATW Aug. wish. I love these very much and will proudly use them!

debbiespoms on Aug 15, 2024:

As always my dear friend Kristy, you send me too much and spoil me too much! But thank you so much for granting my stamp wish in AATW August! I love them all!

Oneartcookie5 on Aug 10, 2024:

AATW July Hi I just returned from vacation and received your Happy Mail. The nature and butterfly themed ephemera fit perfectly with a floral butterfly journal I have just started. The ladybug stickers are super cute. Thank you so much for granting my wishes.

Poohtat on Jul 30, 2024:

Thank you for the fun happy mail for my AATW July wish. I did have a big smile while looking through all the goodies you sent. Thank you 😊

Robinarie on Jul 25, 2024:

Kristy! Thank you for the July AATW Etsy Favorite. I love Papercatz's shop too! Robin

yvonne401 on Jul 19, 2024:

Hi Kristy! Thank you for my July wishes from AATW! I loved the memo sheets and the bumblebee stickers! Thanks so much for thinking if me.

Blessings,

Yvonne

Courtney on Jul 14, 2024:

Thank you for the adorable and thoughtful labels! aatw July 2024

Mystyne on Jul 11, 2024:

AATW July 2024 - Thank you for the Chai Tea. It was an amazing surprise.

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