craftraven

I know why I've been experiencing big emotions over the last few weeks. I understand why they crop up at moments that seem too small for them to be an appropriate response. I know why they catch me off guard when I am unprepared. What I have been trying to tease out is why I haven’t processed or managed them more effectively yet.

The first month after losing my sister was black. Thankfully, it has become a blur overall with time, and I don’t remember it as specifically as I used to. I have the impression of the pain, but I can no longer recall the sensation in my body. I am grateful for this beyond measure. 

Life is full of people who talk at us, expecting us to be an open vessel for their monologues. They might ask how we are, but it seems as though they aren't listening to our response. It often feels like they're just waiting for us to finish so they can express what they wanted to share before they asked, rather than genuinely caring about our answer.

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.

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.

June was a little bit different from the previous five months of this year. Having spent six months building craftraven, designing the website, working on blog posts, Pinterest pins, craft projects, shop items, and numerous small details, I realized I had accomplished my 2025 goal. I decided that my goal for June would be to determine how this business would operate on a day-to-day basis. 

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?

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.

My long-term goal for May was to polish some final pieces of the website, prepare it for the shop launch, and launch it. Goal accomplished! Thank you to all who visited and checked out the blog, especially those lovely individuals who made a purchase! You all warmed my heart <3

Sometimes, when I sit down at my computer in the morning, I feel like there is too much information and too many ideas, and I begin to feel frozen as to what to do next. Here is how I process, organize, and move past that sensation.

A very good friend of mine pointed out that I have been remiss in not sharing one of the highlights of my journey of seeking joy and spreading kindness over the last few years: Organizing a group litter pick up.

Today, I hit the mid-month loss of pep. There appears to be a pattern where I’m full of zest for my new goals and projects for the first part of the month, and then my energy begins to drop off.

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.

Even when it feels like you didn’t accomplish much each day, over the long term, it adds up! It’s the end of the day and the last day of April. I have been considering how to justify my time over the previous 30 days. I’ve been feeling as though I haven’t done enough.

Anxiety has become a common struggle for many people. Adult coloring books are an unexpected yet effective tool in this quest for calm.

Different genres of music can elicit a range of responses—they can help regulate emotions, reduce anxiety, and even alleviate depression.

I didn’t have much interest in Leena's previous book, “Bargin Bin Rom-Com,” but “Half Arse Human” sounded right up my alley.

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