Sunday, August 19, 2007

Vegan Pal Swap Questionairre for Christel Weixelman

  1. What is/are your craft(s), & how long have you been doing it/them?

I have been painting actively for a little over two years now, though I have pretty much always done art in some medium. I did woodblock printing for a little while, then 3D computer modeling and rendering, but I was never really good at that. I paint on canvas and also like to paint functional objects like boxes, photo frames, even shoes. I do a small amount of collage as well, but not to sell, more just for swaps and personal enjoyment. I also have been crocheting since I was about 8, and have done a small amount of knitting but I'm very limited in my skill in that area. I've never been able to follow patterns. I just make it up as I go along. I like to sew a little too. I don't have a machine, I just hand sew. Mostly little dolls and stuffies.

2. Are you a vegan, vegetarian, veg-curious, veg-friendly or other? I'm veg-friendly I guess. I have multiple food sensitivities which make it difficult to eat out (can't have dairy as I am lactose intolerant, anything but very lean meat, egg yolks, fried food, caffeine, or too much fat) so I tend to look for vegan restaurants as I can usually eat almost anything they serve. I have to watch the amount of whole grains, raw vegetables, dried fruits, and beans I eat, but I can have all of them in limited quantities. I have found that if I don't eat them at all it really messes with my digestion, but so does eating a ton of them.

I'm also allergic to wool and other animal fibers, so my yarn generally has to be vegan.

3. Is this your first swap, or have you done previous swaps before? What makes a swap enjoyable for you?

I have done lots of swaps before, including the first Vegan Pal one. I love shopping for other people, and making things for people, so swaps give me a great excuse to do that.


4. What is/are your favorite color(s)? Do you particularly dislike any color(s)?

My favorite colors are hot pink and bright orange. I like any colors that are bright, icy pastels, black and white. The only colors I don't like as much are dark colors like burgundy, navy blue, forest green. I wear a lot more colors than just bright ones though. I wear a lot of brown and, tan, avocado green even though I don't use those colors much for other things.


5. Do you have any allergies (such as pets, foods, fibers or cigarette smoke)?

I'm allergic to wool, mohair, cashmere, angora, down, most other animal hair or feathers. I'm also allergic to cats and dogs, but to a lesser degree. If a stray dog or cat hair makes it into a box it is no big deal. I am pretty much fine unless there is a cat on my lap rubbing it's head under my nostrils. I'm allergic to cilantro but I eat it anyway. I have to eat a half a pound before it really does anything.


6. Do you have any companion animals? If so, name(s) and type(s)?*

I have a blood parrot cichlid (fish) named Boo Boo, and my boyfriend has a pleco. I used ot have a lot more fish but I left them in Anchorage when I moved to Seattle. I just brought Boo Boo with me. He's a big boy, about a year and a half old, but he'll be as big as my hand (and twice as fat) in a couple more years.


7. Do you collect anything?

I collect art, mostly originals but I have a few prints. I buy art from etsy and artbyus mainly. Mostly small pieces because I have a small apartment and don't have a lot of space so I hang up small pieces in groupings. I also collect vintage stuff from the 50's though 70's. Nothing in particular, just things I like, and I especially go for orange or hot pink things.


8. Do you have a favorite vegan food, snack or dish? If no fav that's vegan (for those who aren't vegan), what's your favorite food? (Hopefully your pal can find a vegan version!)

I love gardenburger riblets, soy ice cream, chocolate and other flavors of soy milk but not vanilla so much, dried fruit, nuts, I like the carageenan based gel desserts but strangely I don't like Jell-O (the texture is different), and there is a pizza place a few blocks down that has vegan pizza by the slice and it really really good. I missed pizza a lot when I had to stop eating dairy. I also love all kinds of candy, but I can only eat very small amounts of dark chocolate because of the fat and caffeine (like peppermint patties). Fruity candies are my favorite. I love caffeine free tea and soy cocoa.


9. What are some of your favorite/least favorite tastes/flavors? (e.g. sweet, salty, chocolate, crunchy, smooth, tart, sour, spicy, thai, whatever - Help your pal get a feel for what kind of recipes you might like and/or never ever make.)

I don't like tamarind, chutney, not overly fond of indian or korean food, don't like hot and sour soup or anything that is really vinegary, and I'm kind of a wuss when it comes to spicy food. I like it but can only handle a small amount of heat. I love anything sweet. Love fruit. Salty and crunchy is good. I like thai food. I hate nori. Durian is nasty.

10. What tools/supplies/accessories for your craft(s) are you wishing you had but don't? Also, what do you have TOO many of? (basically a wish and anti-wish list)

I can always use more paintbrushes because I'm hard on them and have to replace them often. I use up yarn fast and always can use more. Wrapped canvases and wooden things to paint always get used up quickly. I use a lot of those little round magnets too when I make painted magnets. Wooden light switch covers I use a lot. I don't use ribbons and beads as much, but I like interesting ones. I'm kind of wanting to get back into polymer clay and soapmaking, and I always like trying out new crafts. I am not opposed to acrylic yarn, especially ones that are very soft, and I like to try out novelty yarns. I use craft paints for painting rather than traditional acrylic. I like the Apple Barrel and Folk Art brands.

11. Are you on Ravelry? What's your handle?

I don't know what that is so I guess not.


12. Is there anything else you would like your pal to know about you?

Um. I like true crime novels and art books. :)

13. What scents do you like/dislike?

I don't like vanilla or bubblegum scents, or very strong florals (like Chanel no. 5). I like almost any kinds of fruity scents, baked goods and sweets, root beer, chocolate, LOVE citrus and lemongrass, spicy scents and sandalwood, mint, green scents, woodsy scents. I like unconventional ones like Demeter makes, grass, tomato leaf, play-doh, dirt... lol.


14. Do you prefer fall or Halloween or some other Autumn theme?

I am partial to Halloween just for the candy aspect. Plus the colors are more in line with what I like. Purple, green, orange, yellow, black and white. :)

15. Just for fun - tell your favorite Halloween or Autumn related memory.

When I was in the tenth grade I was a Christmas tree for Halloween. I hot glued tons of pine garland to a t-shirt and it had battery operated lights and ornaments and everything. It was very bulky and awkward. I even stuck a pine tree air freshener inside my shirt. My mom made me an appointment with the dentist for right after school that day so I had to go to the dentist in my costume.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Ooo, woodblock printing - supercool. Thanks for joining the swap!