Adventures in Creativity

Tissue Paper Stained Glass

Yesterday I spent the afternoon rummaging through a number of storage tubs, thinning things out, getting rid of things I hadn't looked at in years, etc. Amongst the "debris" I found an old binder thing with clippings in it. I used to subscribe to Family Fun magazine and clip like crazy. Cake ideas, costumes, travel, etc. In the very last section, there were several pages about Passover. Funny, since Passover is next week. There was a recipe for yummy almond matzoh bark and also for creating your very own, custom Elijah and Miriam's cups. 

So, being the ever crafty gal I am, I pulled out tissue paper, modge podge and three glass tumblers that have been taking up space on a shelf in the kitchen. 

I ripped and cut and slathered my way to three custom designs. I thought, hmmm, can't drink out of them now, can I? My awesomely creative husband said, "stick a candle in them." Eureka! 

A fun, easy, impromptu project. No expensive supplies or skills needed. Sparkly threads wrapped around might be cool, too!

Yours in Creativity!

Card Swap2

My cards arrived!! 

What fun to received a delicately wrapped package with such great handmade goodies inside! 

 

 
 

Thank you to Missy Balance at Crafty Carnival for organizing this swap. It was great fun. Looking forward to the next one!

Beaded Cards

A couple of weeks ago, as I was browsing some of the blogs that inspire me, I visited Crafty Carnival and discovered a card swap. I joined up and needed to create 10 handmade cards.

I did it! I finished them and mailed them off yesterday. Personally, I think they look great. They weren't difficult, just very time consuming. Here they are!

 
 








         

Another dip

Hi. My name is Michelle. I am a jewelry designer, crafter, quilting/painting/polymer clay artist-wannabe. 

When I was a kid, I loved to go swimming. I'd head up to the high school where we had a huge pool that was open to the public for "free swim". It wasn't exactly free since you had to pay to get in. But, anyway. I went and I loved jumping off the diving board, lounging on the bottom wearing flippers pretending I was a mermaid, or trying to snag a combination lock on the bottom. 12' deep didn't seem so bad then. Now, a number of years later, I'm much less inclined to swim that deep. 

So what does that have to do with anything? Well, I'm new to this world of blogging, relatively speaking. I've tested the waters at Wordpress and Blogger but haven't been able to find a place that works for me. I want some creative freedom to move things around, change things, customize them. But I'm in no way a techie, therefore, it needs to be a user-friendly platform.  So, I'm taking another dip into a new pool, so to speak. I may be shooting myself in the foot but I don't exactly have an enormous following requiring a delicate leading to a new watering hole. 

I've been reading Tara Frey's book, Blogging for Bliss, and I am truly inspired by what she, and her featured bloggers, have to say. I've book-marked many of their sites for reference and creative inspiration. 

My dream has always been to open up a crafting shop of my own. Someplace where creatives of all kinds could come and connect, shop, teach, explore, laugh, etc. I have big plans in my head and on paper for what I'd like to see happen. My amazing and wonderful husband dreams and plans with me. Whether or not it ends up taking the shapes we envision now is yet to be seen. 

It takes several forms and, for now, it lives as a jewelry business on Etsy, in our gallery here in North Adams and in a local crafty shop downtown. One day, it will plant its roots a little deeper somewhere and evolve.

As part of my journey, I want to experiment with and experience all kinds of crafts and techniques: Polymer clay, Metal working, Quilting, Batik, Papier-mache, Collage, etc. I want to chronicle my achievements as well as my frustrations.I will try things I have never done, expand on things I already know, make some videos, chronicle a long term project with my husband for a show in our gallery, etc.

I welcome your input, your comments, your criticisms, your ideas and your suggestions. Feel free to share your own crafting successes and struggles. My mission is to connect my creative energy with that of the universe, mingling it with all the other creative energies swirling in the mix. 

So, having said all this, here I go again. I am diving in to this blogging sea and seeing where it takes me. I'm hoping some of you will join me.