Okay, so the last two days have been the time crunch from hell for me, as well as having not one but TWO computers crash the same day (which is why my communication has seriously been lacking). I am SO sorry for not making everyone aware that I wasn't able to get my package for justaddcats in the mail yesterday. I am doing my best to get it in the mail before the final pick up at the post office today. Hope that's okay. I'm going to throw in a couple extra goodies for her as an apology/peace offering. Now that I have internet access back, I'll keep in touch.

Oh boy, where to start? ...

A little about me: My name is Jesse and I'm a 21-year-old English Composition major from southern California (near Palm Springs). I'll be 22 on November 26th (Black Friday- oh joy). My family has 2 cats and 3 dogs. My dog is half-coyote and she's a total spaz, but I love her. As far as crafting goes, I mainly do hand-sewn items (like pouches, stuffies, wallets, etc.), wire jewelry, stenciling, art pieces (in mixed medias), and a TON of reclaimed/repurposed projects.

My Wists are a pretty good indication of stuff I like. I'm still adding items to make sure you guys can get a better idea of the range of stuff I like. I often add things because I like the idea of them, not necessarily the exact item, so feel free to take inspiration from them and head in a different direction with it if the mood strikes you.

http://www.wists.com/LadyGrey88

I'm also posting my MySpace as inspiration (be warned I cuss a lot and I'm an eensy bit wild, so please don't be offended if you check out my page): http://www.myspace.com/thecoyotewhisperer

A general list to start from:

*I prefer stuff I can use/wear, as I'm in the middle of moving and I'm trying to de-clutter. Don't get me wrong: I ADORE decorative things and knick-knacks, but I just don't have the space for them. (Plus, that sort of thing is what I usually craft myself- I can't knit, crochet, or machine sew, so clothing and bags and the like are difficult for me to make for myself).
*I'm a writer, so journals, writing utensils, anything related to typewriters, words, calligraphy (although I don't do that last one myself, I just love the look of handwriting) would be a great theme to start with. I'm also an avid reader. Favorites are Stephen King, Harry Potter, Neil Gaiman, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Edgar Allen Poe, Chuck Palahniuk, Hitchhiker's Guide series, Nancy Drew, Agatha Christie, etc. I have a Dark Tower tattoo behind my right ear and I am pretty obsessed with both King and Harry Potter, so those are definitely front-runners. (Alice also holds a special place in my heart because I was born 123 years to the day the book was originally published.)
*I am a massive nerd, so geek/nerd related stuff is always welcome. I love science-fiction, horror, books, cinema, mystery, crime dramas, internet memes, and a whole host of other nerdy stuff, so if you have an idea related to that, run with it.
*The only truly girly thing I'm into are stuffies (baby animals, cute monsters, character plushies, amigurumi, etc.); that's pretty much where it ends (except maybe vintage lace and stuff like that- I love Victorian things). I also hate pink, so if you see anything you wanna make from my Wists that happens to be pink, please change the color.
*Favorite colors are green and black (also red, but definitely not paired with the green, lol).
*Any craft I can't or don't usually make, like soaps, other toiletries, homemade preserves, or anything else exotic (or already listed above) would be great.
*Pin-ups, retro/antique/vintage/reclaimed stuff, punk rock, steampunk, distressed, burlesque/cabaret, all these types of themes/items are right up my alley. However, I still love contemporary stuff (like a lot of the stuff on my wists), so I'd be happy with simple and clean colors, patterns, and themes too.
*Anything related to superstitions (black cats, 4-leaf clover, 13, etc.), which for me, also include my intials (J.K. or J.R.K.), the year I was born (1988), and my astrological symbol (Sagittarius).
*I am a huge sucker for quotes and pop culture references, especially from my areas of interest listed above and below.

Other Favorites:
Music- Dresden Dolls, Gorillaz, Queens of the Stone Age
Movies- Grindhouse, Office Space, Fight Club, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, The Boondock Saints
TV- Criminals Minds, House, Supernatural, Adult Swim, Anime (Trigun, FLCL), Psych, Doctor Who
Games- World of Warcraft (I'm a human warlock ), Left 4 Dead (1 & 2), Bioshock, The World Ends With You (NDS)
Other- Bill Hicks, Chuck Norris, Bo Burnham, MC Chris, Graphic novels (Watchmen, Sandman), Boardgames (mainly trivia)

Needed Supplies:
Assorted trims, details, buttons, beads, any mismatched baubles
Scrap fabrics, felt
Embroidery floss (I'm learning), extra hoops
Decorative paper, postcards, loteria cards, anything paper or cardstock that's pretty and usable for crafting/cutting

Specific Ideas:
1. Hip bag, similar to a fanny pack, but doesn't look like one
2. Hoodie/sweater, scarf, fingerless gloves (I don't have a lot of cold weather gear, seeing as I live in the desert)
3. Anything organizational for me to carry- make-up bag, coin purse, etc. I carry my life in my purse and my life is chaos, lol.
4. Rings (metal, knitted, whatever, I love 'em but I can't make 'em myself.)
5. Soaps, cosmetics, etc. (I love citruses, mint and woodsy scents, just nothing too flowery.) Please, no bath bombs though. I don't have the patience for baths.
6. I smoke, so accessories like a bag for my smoking stuff, a decorated refillable lighter, cigarette case/box, etc, would be wonderful.
7. Organizational containers of almost any kind. Like I said, I'm trying to de-clutter and simplify my living space, so these will come in handy (please feel free to go nuts decorating them, of course. )
8. Writing/reading accessories, like journals, a boyfriend-style pillow for reading in bed, bookmarks, etc.
9. A b-day care package with a small assortment of gifts in lieu of a larger gift (this is what I plan on making for my partner and I'd love to have something to sort through and discover the little things you include, so this would be very much appreciated).

Hope that's a comprehensive enough list, ha ha. I also hope I didn't bore any potential swap partners to tears. Let me know if you need any clarification or more info about anything on here. Thanks!

If I'm approved, this'll be my first swap. I'm so excited. I've been looking for an excuse to craft something, lol. I'll update and post my Wists asap. I assume everyone's waiting to see each other's lists before choosing someone?

I am sooooooooo mad at myself for not checking in on my inbox here (I usually never get pm's), otherwise I would have jumped on this swap. I am definitely signing up for round 2 if this works out.

Awesome! The three-eyed guy at the bottom is my favorite, by far. I love how creative you got with your little critters.

Yay! I finally finished one! On to the next...

1. Finish 5 plushies
    -Owl (already started)
    -Narwhal
    -Elephant
    -Mushrooms
    -Undecided plushie for coworker's daughter
2. Make vest from gray scrap fabric and pleather.
3. Finish Konishi cosplay outfit (Technically done before Halloween with some modifications)
4. Handmake a whole set of ceramic dishes by end of ceramics class (Didn't happen and my teacher retired. So... unless I get a kiln of my own, this one's not happening. )
5. "Girly business" mini bag w/rainbow heart fabric
6. Figure out some way to salvage the clock I ripped apart
6.5. Watch-face clock?

The mushrooms are different sizes. (I've only done two of them; one is about 4 in., the other is about 3 in.) The bowl I'm "planting" them in is about 1 ft wide and 5 in. deep.  I should have hollowed them out, but I forgot to before they went in the bisque firing. They might have finally gone into a glaze load at the college last week, so when I get them back, I will post pics. ^_^

That really sucks about your ceramics teacher :-( Good teachers are hard to find, especially ones that inspire you to do such cool things! I'd love to know how to throw a mushroom on the wheel. I'm going to head over to Youtube and maybe there's a demo there.....unless you might want to divulge?? ;-)

It's not as hard as it seems. You just push the clay upwards to make the stem (taper it slightly up from the bottom) and then press down on the top of it with one hand still wrapped around the base (to help the stem keep its shape). When you press down on the top of it the clay there spreads outward to form the cap. Does that make sense? I can do some diagrams or something to clarify.

And thanks for the compliment.

I knew exactly who they were (despite the giveaway in the title), but that fact speaks to how well done the portrait is, not my knowledge of the show, lol. I agree with Len; the self portrait and the eye are my favorites. All of them are incredibly well done, though. I really thought the first one was a photograph when I was looking at the thumbnail. Gorgeous!

Oh, and the expression on your face in the one drawing is priceless. I get so tired of seeing boring, somber self-portraits. Yours is adorable!

Wow, I actually know exactly the episode and scene that pic came from! It was on TV last night, lol. That must have been really painstaking to do, what with all the different shades. It came out beautiful! Great job.