goddessrobyn

mine was shipped out Monday... life be life-in so this has been my first chance to check in

I am ALSO finished... and I am all packed up and should mail out Monday...

I'm not sure how I feel about my creation... but I made it with love and it's useful if not perfectly created!

so... as many of you folks know I don't have a "real job" (I freelance work in film/commercials and pet sit and event manage and a million other side hustles but I don't "work" anything akin to normal hours or whatever)... and I just moved... so I spend a LOT of time just chilling at the new house doing new house things...

Today... I was on my porch repotting a bunch of house plants and this lovely stranger walks up my front walk and asks, "Robyn?" 

"uh... yeah...?"

"Um... I was trying to be stealth but this is your art swap.  I live in SA so I was just going to drop it off."

Its so awesome when I get to meet one of you in the flesh!!!!!! Obviously she wasn't plannign on hanging out... but @artisjok and I got to chat for a minute and swap numbers in case we wanted to hang out again in the future...

Oh.... and she handed me a beautiful box...

And when I opened it... inside was this GORGEOUS ornament(?) which is made out of a CAN!!! 

I'm quite in awe and now desperate to figure out how you did this so I might need a lesson 

Also... she included some super yummy chocolate, some smellies - room sprays, BPAL and other oils, and some palo santo - and a gorgous jellyfish card which has all the explanation about the can art, and the fact that the smellies are all good juju for the new house type stuff...

And finally... I will leave yall with the art hanging on the wall by my front door, and Gravy enjoying the box everything came in

ugh so behind on all things... moving and some working (but yay! grateful for it!!) makes Robyn a crazy girl 

anyway:

Would you like hand knit items? Fingerless gloves,  hats, small shawl or neck gaiter? If yes,  please give measurements.

hand knit... sure...

fingerless gloves sure... hat sure (I think my head is like 7 1/4 but please allow extra room or extra "stretchy" for Arrdyth (my hair) 

small shall could be fun but I dislike anything major around my neck (like no turtlenecks or even normal t shirts) so I don't think a neck gaiter would work for me

Let's say I'm going to make something with your favorite non-fantasy animal that comes in multiple colors of coat.  Do you want the "classic" color or would you like one of their lesser depicted colors?  Or a fantasy color like blue or purple?

I mean... n/a, right?  My favorite non fantasy animal is always in fantasy colors... though Gravy and the snakes aren't... but could be for artistic purposes

Would you rather your creation had utility, or was simply aesthetic?

I love a utility object but with the new house that's strictly speaking less important

I have multiple ideas. Would you like to see one idea repeated across two or three... "things", or would you like two or three different ideas manifested?  (Alternatively expressed as matching set vs. unrelated expressions.) that is way too much brain for me.

NEW QUESTION:

What are you hoping "I" will make "you"?? ( I know none of us really go into this with expectations but like... ANYTHING that might help put some inspiration in my path would be helpful here.  I can do a lot of things and I just don't have "it" yet so... I'm virtually looking over my neighbors shoulders to see what I can see and that's not working so now I'm screaming this into the void...)

To answer my own bizarre question...

I definitely could use a bracelet if jewelry crafting were your thing...

or if you're one of the knitters a knitted hat.... it's rare but if its cold I don't have one...

or... I'm really into yard art... I have several statues in the front and back yard... ceramic... bone... metal... whatever... some are also planters... most are just weird.

I just came here to say that this art swap will be my first swap in the new house and that makes me want to run around screaming muppet flail style

I am in!!!  But I'm sad that @twilighteyes isn't playing

we did 5 things... generally "Spring" themed... one thing had to be an actual gnome in whatever form... one thing had to be "shiny" or "golden"... one thing was plant/garden/earth themed... one thing was a written thing (generally speaking a book but didn't specifically have to be)... I can't remember what exactly all else...

but I felt like it was fun and we did it after the first of the year so after all the holidays were done and people were starting to get back to normal life... which seemed to be good timing for random mail joy

Just a note...

I DO plan to host the gnome swap again this year but am not sure how house shopping is going to effect the timing.... might be a little more Spring-y and a little less January LOL

So... I NEVER bother to write reviews but I have a HUGE pile of "to be tested" scents before sending a dozen or so bottles off to sale...

And todays tester was this one... Half Queen of Cigarettes...

so... on me this is a really lovely sexy bonfire full of flowers...

The smoke is super prominent... but I don't hate it (and I am a girl who avoids campfires because I HATE to smell like it...)

As it dries the smoke fades a bit to allow the floral of the tobacco flower to come out... and there's a lovely softness that I attribute to the amber 

This is a really sexy sensual scent and although it was a long shot for me... very outside of the box... I'm definitely keeping it!  This one will get lots of wear!

I'd be up to take on the SW Ringleader mantle again... I was one many many years ago (pre 2010ish) and bringing something more akin to Switch Witch back to our lives was obviously my intention with Swap Sprite back in the fall... at the time I was going through a divorce and career change and had pretty much completely stepped away from The Forum in an attempt to regain control over my real life...

now remarried, though still largely jobless (but this time by choice) I have time to do this stuff again (as evidenced by my perhaps OCD) stalking of the circular swaps threads LOL

I'm 1000% in for Spring Cleaning also.... thanks for putting it together, yall!

I would LOVE a Spring Cleaning Swap... I have a bunch of things I think would be awesome and will likely never use up myself.

Haven't heard anything about Switch Witch in forever but would love to see that come back...

All I know is I just packed up my easter basket so someone needs to organize SOMETHING because I don't have anything to shop for 

FYI... I'm plotting a gnome themed swap for after the first of the year... probably start sign ups right around that big fat holiday (which I hate!) that takes up the entire last 3-4 months of our year... to give folx something to look forward to...

thinking matches happen early January and packages arriving late Feb-early March... smaller in scope... 5-6 "things" type swap..

( eta: ) @twilighteyes has graciously volunteered to CoHost this with me... so...  

LMK if any of this sounds interesting to anyone....

On 5/26/2022 at 1:10 AM, twilighteyes said:

yep, 13 nights usually starts opening sooner that that I think, so sending is much earlier.  I think last switch witch we didn't have to send final until movember??

Also... seems like the SW Ringleaders have sort of had their hands full with life the last year plus so... who even knows if they will be bringing that back for us this year.

I say go for it... people can always do multiple swaps AND I've heard people say that both SW and 13 nights can sometimes be "too much" because you have to have multiple things for each (well, SW I guess you don't have to but I've never seen a SW box that's just one thing LOL) so someone might like the ability to JUST focus on ONE gift for someone...

Personally, I am a MORE SWAPS kinda girl!!!  so I say go for it!!!!!

2 minutes ago, twilighteyes said:

yes, but now it is posted!  Not just pending posting!     Don't make me get out the red heart whip.

 

Of course we are still pending approval....

 

But I did PM @Em-

don't threaten me with a good time... 

6 minutes ago, twilighteyes said:

Summer Swap Sprite is posted, pending approval.

Isn't that what I JUST vaguely alluded to???

so... pending Mod approval... there should be a longer format summer swap being posted imminently...  generically "summer" themed and a longer more in depth "spoil" period...

38 minutes ago, twilighteyes said:

 

I might be able to do something ... I have to go back to Seattle twice more in the next month and then surgery two months from my last visit (or longer, depending on their schedule) so I’ll be twiddling my thumbs a lot.

well... I would be down to organize/co-organize something with someone... 

am much bored LOL

is anyone planning anything over the summer??

Solstice/Litha?  Lug??  Summer Vacation/tourist??  ANYTHING???

I definitely need a new swap to happen LOL. package mailed out 2 days ago and I'm already having withdrawals LOL

10 hours ago, doublehelix said:

I've finally got forum access restored!! Yippee!!

 

Would anyone be up to co host a Book, Sock, Soap Valentine's swap with me? 🖤

I was totally just thinking about doing some sort of "BPAL-entines" swap... was thinking more along the lines of the ones which have been run in the past in which there are a certain few "categories" of things to include so certainly there could be a Book/Sock/Soap requirement LOL.  But YES... definitely down to co host something!

I'm down to play and down to help if the organizers need another helper... 

I *think* I remember how to ringleader 🤪

I received bottles 3 & 12. Have not tried 3 yet because 12 is my favorite number and I started there....

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

a very very sexy floral for a woman who doesn't like florals... feminine for sure... but a sexy woman of 35-55... not something brash and juvenile, or innocent and youthful... and neither is this the bouquet of an old lady... no mildewy roses or lilies or whatever scent it is that old women like to wear to make themselves smell like old women.

waaaaay underneath there is a spice... like someone sliced fresh, green jalapeños

I'm seriously in love. This blend is near perfect, while smelling like absolutely nothing I own. I cannot stop huffing my wrists.

I wish I could buy another bottle of it!!!!!!!!!

I'll report on 3 later when I've had time to test it.

ETA: Gods this is good!!!!!!!

sooooooooooooooooo good

this is what a floral perfume should be.

I wish sex was this amazing.

My fairy package arrived today!!!

to my nose this is all oudh...

i was REALLY hoping for more of the leather and vanilla but I only get the faintest whiff of leather, and only if I inhale deeply very close to my skin... and pretty much zero vanilla or cinnamon (and zero cinnamon style BURN on application, too... so the cinnamon sensitive needn't worry overly much)

that said... it's lovely...

sophisticated and elegant... (possibly a little too much for me LOL)

but not terribly FEMININE in that overly floral way...

in fact, I think it smells more like a typical MEN's scent without actually BEING masculine... which is a beautiful interpretation of an enterprising young lady.

not 100% sure this will get enough wear to necessitate both of the bottles I bought... but it is lovely and I'm so glad I have it.

I'm having a really hard time with this one. Again, I tried it on at a MnS at Schackjj's place and its night and day from bottle to skin. In the bottle, its totally foody... warm cookies, probably of the chocolate chip variety as there's definitely chocolate in there

The instant it touches my skin all food disappears and it turns to Pledge Furniture Polish (if pledge were orange and not lemon)

Then... it becomes a light orange floral (not a strong floral as I didn't run to wash it off... and I HATE florals)

It was pretty but not my thing...