craftraven

My Mom and I have visited around two dozen quilt shops this summer. It has been delightful meeting so many new, creative people. No two of whom look at a piece of fabric and think of using it for the same project. Immersing yourself in so many creative environments with diverse ideas, you cannot help but feel inspired.

I have, what some might consider, a problem of too many markers. In contrast, I believe this is an issue of inadequate storage for an amount of markers.

Today, while cleaning up my office and craft space, I took a new approach to UFPs (Unfinished Projects). Nearly all artists and crafters have these art or craft ideas that sit unattended for months or years. Our nuggets of shame that we’ve left incomplete for…reasons. Perhaps we lost interest, maybe it wasn’t going the way we wanted it to, or life got busy, and we never went back to what we were working on. Often, in my case, I forgot I was even working on it.

It has been over twenty years since I last regularly worked in a sketchbook. When I have drawn or painted, I have sat down with a clear idea and reference photos to produce a finished piece. Color me curious when I picked up the itch this month. 

As a woman in a world without standardized sizing, I think about fast fashion quite a lot. I have no interest in fashion other than wanting to be comfortable and have appropriately sized pockets. My wardrobe consists almost exclusively of t-shirts and jean pants. So why, with such low standards for my clothing, do I think about fast fashion so much?

Ten or fifteen years ago, I consciously decided to stop saving “the good stuff” for special occasions. We got rid of our Wal-Mart-bought plates and began using my great-grandmother's tableware, which I inherited. We started using the “guest towels” in our everyday lives. We sold our flatware and used great-grandma’s silver instead.

PSA #1. I am not a seamstress, and # 2. This is not a tutorial. I have just enough knowledge about sewing to get into mischief. For some reason, things always work out in the end. Perhaps it’s because I don’t mind the imperfections and am just pleased to have finished. Either way, it all started with a pair of thrifted jeans.

or as long as I can remember, I have tried to draw things the way I see them. I do this nearly always while looking at photographs, which are unchanging images. Photographs allow me to compare my work directly with them, a benchmark for accuracy. I have never looked at art and asked, "What am I trying to say? What does this mean?" For myself, it has solely been a technical ability to draw realistically.

Perfection can be boring and sterile; sometimes, it can feel like the artistic equivalent of everything is a shade of beige. Imperfect art, on the other hand? That’s where the magic lives.

This DIY spring garland will brighten your space and bust some of your crafting stash.

The Mister and I needed a day out, and, as spontaneity sometimes does, it took us five hours away from home.

If you're feeling off track, follow these steps to reflect on what led you astray, realign to your goals, and resume on your path.

This month taught me that working 100% of the days in a month isn't the healthiest of goals. It's much better to find a balance.

I have a big “unachievable” goal. I don’t have the means to throw at it and make it happen right now, so let’s call it an aspiration. 

Sometimes, when we tackle a large project that will take many days or weeks, we can begin to feel burnout.

Sometimes, no matter how much you wish you could, you can’t fix something. But you CAN mend something.