Karen07

I am a HUGE lover of snail mail and have all kinds of exciting mail stuff going on. I'm active here because I love sending stuff in the mail. I quite like getting mail as well. I was never one for middle school drama, even when I was in middle school. I don't scrutinize postmarks or fret over small failures to "meet swap requirements". The heart thing irritates me a lot because I do rather assume that whatever was sent to me was done with pleasing me in mind and of course it's heart worthy for that reason alone. I think a heart is like saying thanks a lot as opposed to just thanks. Thank you in advance for whatever you send to fill my mailbox. I will appreciate it and if you don't see a heart with my 5 rating please let me know as it could only mean that I failed to click it and I'll be more than happy to do so after the fact. I'm in this to try to brighten people's days not to frustrate or disappoint anyone. This may be a slightly different philosophy than the one held by many swappers. I definitely send out swaps. I have a couple of 1s which are completely unfair and unkind as well. I am certainly not going to chase these people down and beg them to allow me to resend. I would have been glad to do so if they had asked me to. If this keeps me out of a swap, so be it.

I do feel that I need to add that I am currently very frustrated with the US Postal system. A lot of my mail is getting seriously delayed or simply lost. This includes incoming and outgoing. This problem is with all my mail, not just swap-bot swaps. I rate very promptly, and I always send on time. I tend not to request resends as it is really a pain. If I'm sure that the swapper sent it and I don't receive it, I usually just let it go. But I do give 1s when I know the swapper flaked. I think it's important to weed those people out, but I really just want to have fun with the whole thing. The rating thing does let me know that what I sent was received and appreciated. I do wonder sometimes as a very large number of people never rate or rate so long after the fact that it's sort of ridiculous. Whatever. I just send it out and hope that I made someone happy.

My interests are all over the place. I love all art, all history and all science. I think that the three are related to each other. I read a lot and write letters, postcards, send greeting cards and make mail art. I like journals of all kinds.

I like a lot of different kinds of things. I like to see what other people are into. My tastes do tend to be a bit edgy. I love color and abstract paintings. Walls with peeling paint layers fascinate me. I will admit that I have actually made purchases in the grocery store because the packaging is really interesting and I know I can make something out of it later. And I do! I have a hard time throwing things in the trash.

I am pretty enthused about things that cost little or no money. I love pamphlets that explain events at historical sites. Stuff that I find outside like rocks, nests, shells, etc. are definitely treasures. Stationery is cool, but I also like to write letters on the backs of tourist maps and other found ephemera. Makes for an interesting letter. Postcards are one of the coolest things that anyone ever invented.

I am very concerned with the environment and try hard to stick with the reduce , reuse, recycle rule.

I consider myself to be a somewhat spiritual person but I don't like the dogma that is connected with organized religion. I really do like actual churches, synagogues, temples, shrines, mosques, pagan sites. I like sacred spaces.

History is a long, interesting story to me. I like the history of any place. Little museums in tiny towns are great. Interesting things happened everywhere. You just have to discover what those things are.

Science is life. Love marine science, biology, geology, botany, all of it really. As I already said, I think of myself as an environmentalist, and I am a nature lover for sure.

Reading is a passion and I like all kinds of books including books for children and young adults. Reading anything related to any kind of history, science or art is great. I also like literary novels and mysteries. I haven't read a lot of science fiction or fantasy but I 'm open to it. The only things I'm not very interested in are trashy romance and cheap poorly written thriller garbage or religious books.

I am pretty easy to please. I do not expect anyone to create something that is tailor made for me. Express yourself when picking out cards or putting stuff together. I like most things and I am very open to what you want to send me as long as it is not a religious pitch or far right political propaganda.

Postcards I Love-

Art cards of any kind

Artists

Any religious building or sacred space

Children's literature

Anything book related

Funny/bizarre

Map cards

Holiday cards

Botanical prints

Scientific stuff

Historical sites or people

Interiors

Foxes

Marine animals

Anything that you like and want to share is perfect really

A note about postcards- I love postcards but I only really love the "naked" ones. That means NO envelope. They travel naked through the post. I love the stamp on the card and a message and the way they get a little banged up. A postcard comes to life when it has a stamp and a message. Really cool when people decorate them or draw on them. I don't want pristine ones in other words. Blank cards in an envelope are great for those swaps or as extras since I will definitely use them to mail to someone someday.That's what they're for!

One final thing - I've gotten into frankendecks and all playing cards are welcome. :)

Thanks for reading!