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I'm curious about the arts & crafts experiences of others on this site. Have you always enjoyed creating art? Were you a Crayola Diva in elementary school? Did you make every family member an ash tray during your high school years? Did you study various artistic mediums in college?
Me...I was NEVER artistic or creative.
I was the 1st-grader who came home crying because I couldn't color neatly inside the lines. I was the 3rd-grader whose handwriting wasn't "as neat as Nicholas" (I still remember my teacher comparing me to that kid...argh!). I was the middle-school student who wrote an essay instead of creating a poster board project. And in high school, I took auto shop and business machines (ie: typing, 10-key adding machine, etc) to avoid taking art classes. Yeah, I went out of my way to avoid having to create anything that was supposed to resemble "art".
And then, during my pregnancy with my second child, I suddenly developed these weird nesting habits. I wanted to learn how to sew. I made a baby blanket, crib pads, curtains for the nursery. Later I made matching shirts and shorts sets the boys and their dad. Then I tried stamping and scrapbooking for a short time. I wasn't good at any of it. I spent a small fortune on supplies when I could have bought the stuff so much cheaper. But it was fun while it lasted. Then, life got in the way.
More than a decade later, I started scrapbooking again and last year I added cardmaking to my list of things to dabble in. I read more about crafting than actually doing it. But it's fun to be creative again, even though I'm not good at it. Heck, I'm even thinking about pulling out my old sewing machine and making a set of sheer curtains for the craft room.
Your childhood sounds similar to mine - except I did love to color and I did have neat handwriting. But anytime we did art, I was frustrated. I couldn't (and still can't) draw stick figures, I could never paste things on right, and I had no creativity at all. Any good ideas I did have, I never could seem to carry them out the way I wanted. And like you, I took every business and writing class in high school because no way was I going to the art room!
I became interested in scrapbooking about 10 years ago before my kids were in school. My sister-in-law showed me her scrapbooks she'd made, and I thought they looked easy enough to do. I still have trouble sometimes coming up with cute ideas for layout, etc., but I'm nearly always happy with my scrapbook pages and cards I make. I try to keep things simple, I'm not interested in making my colored images look like an artist's work, and I don't embellish my cards much. I just have fun with it.
I have not developed any interest in sewing or knitting, but who knows what the future holds.
__________________ Julie my gallery
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Phillippians 4:13
I loved reading your story, Melissa - I think you should try to WRITE a book!
I can't say I was "artistic" all through childhood. . . I don't remember that much about it. And believe me, cards and pictures we've come across with my name on them from that era would not have been encouraging!
But I did realize in my teens that I had some drawing ability. . enjoyed art. . . then took art in high school and college. . . worked as a technical illustrator for 10 years. . . and continued drawing as a hobby.
I started stamping in 2007 and stamp illustrating a few years ago. I'm pushing myself lately into other media, too.
There was a time I thought stamping was "cheating." BOY! Was I ever wrong!
One of the things I truly love about this hobby is that it's a fabulous outlet for those creative souls who never really thought of themselves as "artists." One look at the gallery here is genuine proof -- stampers are amazingly creative and talented. I'm sure many of those who are wonderfully inspiring would not have thought of themselves as artists prior to learning to stamp.
And I'm also very impressed by those of you who can sew! I do okay with hemming or sewing on a button, but I look longingly at quilters, and knitters, and so many other artists.
The creative process itself, I believe, can be more rewarding than the end result, too . . . at least that's what I'll be telling myself if I ever try sewing or crocheting ;) !
The short answer is Yes! I have always loved to "make things" ever since I can remember. I don't especially like to draw freehand, but I've always loved to color and paint.
I learned to sew and crochet when I was about 10 years old, and still enjoy doing both to this day.
I will have my 70th birthday next month (wow, how'd that happen?) I just recently found a real treasure in a forgotten box in my closet. It is a birthday card that I made for my grandma when I was only 8 years old!
Looks like I have always liked to make cards.
Here it is by 8-year-old me:
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
Like Buggainok I've always love to make things, and I'm a year older than she is! As a child, I did stamped embroidery on towels, pot holders on a loom, sewed doll clothes, and learned to knot. In high school I took sewing lessons and from then on made all my clothes, learned to knit socks for my boyfriend, and started upgraded the stamped embroidery from towels to tablecloths. As the years went on, my knitting included cable stitched sweaters and afghans, when my daughter was born I also made all her clothes until her teen years when she only wanted to wear jeans but I still made all her prom dresses. I did crewel embroidery, counted cross stitch, needlepoint, quilting and every type of Christmas ornament known to man! I've probably done every type of craft there is: stained glass, jewelry, beading, macrame, cake decorating, fabric painting, ceramics, and lots more I don't even remember. I've narrowed my interests now, I still do lots of counted cross stitch items making wedding and baby samplers as gifts for family and friends - there are lots of grandbabies now! I do 15 cross stitch ornaments every year as well for family and friends and some charted needlepoint just for me. The rest of my time is spent stamping, card making [I love embossing folders and dies] and doing some scrapbooks. Diane
I got into art when I was a teenager.
Doing colored pencils and painting a lot.
Then I did picture framing at Hobby Lobby when I got out of high school and it was second nature to me.
I had co-workers who were into scrapbooking and always saw these ladies coming in with their scrapbooking totes and going into the class rooms.
I just didn't get it and had no interest in all of that whatsoever.
Then, I had kids and heard about the cricut and I bought that first and made all kinds of cute home decor things.
Then I started getting into making cards and thats when I started stamping.
I am addicted now and am dying to give copics a try.
I did very good at colored pencils when I was younger so I think once I learn them I can do copics no problem.
I have also started making hair clips with flowers and trying to do some bow making since I have 3 girls.
My daughter who is 6 is a fantastic artist.
She saw me stamping and wanted to try and make a card.
I was shocked on how fast she picked it up.
I cut a heart on the big shot and left the room and when I went back in there she was turning the crank and did all by herself and did it right!
She really makes nice cards and I am encouraging her to keep at it.
I have always loved to make things. I also have always been told at school that I don't have any talent or skill. I actually received a failing grade in art class in middle school! And I did all my work, it was just that bad.
My parents always told me to do what I enjoy, but maybe art wouldn't be a career for me. It isn't, but it IS a great source of joy and I'm happy with that.
__________________ My BlogMy GalleryAll dog's feet smell like Fritos. I know you don't believe me, go check... See, I told you so.
I grew up surrounded by artistic and crafty people. My mom is a fine artist (oils, watercolor, etc.), and every other adult woman in my family quilted, sewed, cross-stitched, tole painted, etc. My grandfather worked with his hands his whole life, and when he died, my aunt took over his wood shop and started churning out museum-quality furniture. My younger sister became a professional ballet dancer.
Me? I read. A lot. I also wrote...mostly dry academic stuff, but that's where my talent lay. I got my masters in English. I felt like the freak in the family, the only one who wasn't crafty or artistic.
Then, like the OP, I had a baby at 32 and weird stuff started happening. I started doing calligraphy and illumination, then bookbinding, then rubber stamping and card making, then scrapbooking. Now, I'm completely, totally obsessed. And ever so happy about it!
I have always been crafty but I wouldn't say I am artistic. I struggle with scrapbooking because I have trouble coming up with ideas for pages; I am sort of the same way with cards, except it's a little easier since it's a much smaller scale. Plus I have a short attention span and not much patience, so cards fit my personality better, because I can do them in a fairly short amount of time and feel like I have accomplished something (although I actually haven't stamped for quite a long time now).
Growing up, I did lots of coloring and drawing (though I am not a good drawer). I still love to color sometimes I also at times did counted and stamped cross stitch, plastic canvas/yarn crafts, a bit of sewing, and a few other things. As far as crafting now, I mostly do crocheting and am trying to get back into stamping. I would also like to learn how to knit.
My grandma was always knitting or crocheting, along with doing other crafts. My mom did some, but with 10 kids, she didn't have much extra time or money for stuff. Almost all of the women in my family do some type of craft, whether it's sewing, knitting, or whatever. Most of my nieces have the crafty gene as well.
This is a facinating thread and I'm enjoying everyone's replies. Wanted to add, that in addition to the "crafty" gene, my version includes the "do it yourself" gene.
For all the money I've spent, and continue to spend on cardmaking, there is a plus side to being crafty. Doing it yourself saves tons of money!
I've wallpapered several houses, painted inside and out, installed carpet, and recently laid 1200 sq ft of vinyl plank flooring in my daughter's house. The estimate we got for installation was about $3,000!! That gets me a lot of guilt-free stamping stuff.
In addition, I've always colored and cut my own hair, and my hubby's (just cut, not color on his, lol.) When you add doing your own manicures - Ka-ching, Ka-ching.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
I've always drawn. I guess it was a cheap way for my parents to keep me occupied. They gave me tons of scrap paper and all the pens and pencils they didn't want. I drew so much I ruined my eyesight and had to get glasses. I only ever always did black and white drawings, not really very much colouring. Then I discovered watercolours, and then Copics, and I LOVE colouring! Now that I know what it feels like to LOVE an activity, I think I never really loved drawing - I only liked it.
I took a sewing class, but it was really difficult for me to grasp how 2-D patterns could be manipulated to form-fit curves in 3-D (I sewed a skirt and a lined vest). I could follow the individual directions, but it was sooooooooo hard to string them all together for it to make sense.
My sister showed and taught me how to crochet one strand. It was SO difficult. After immense effort on my part, I turned out a totally crooked strand, and realized it would require another ocean of effort for the strand to turn out straight, like it was supposed to. She can knit and crochet and make her own patterns too! My mom loves to quilt and do ribbon embroidery. Neither one has any interest in card-making though. :( I guess they just prefer fabric and I prefer paper.
I took a sewing class, but it was really difficult for me to grasp how 2-D patterns could be manipulated to form-fit curves in 3-D (I sewed a skirt and a lined vest). I could follow the individual directions, but it was sooooooooo hard to string them all together for it to make sense.
This is a very insightful explaination about how it can be difficult for some to grasp what others find so easy. I just take for granted that I can see someting in 3D and deconstruct it mentallly into it's 2D version. Same with constructing a 2D up into 3D. The more sophisicated things just required a bit of furthur investigating to figure out. I couldn't imagine not being able to do that.
When I went to school art was not considered a real or necessary class. I think I got through 8 grades on one of the smallest boxes of Crayola and a tin of 12 colors of Prange water colors. I don't think the water colors were ever used.
My Mother had no hobbies except embroidering a few dish towels
One summer the school had a free 3-4 week craft class. My dad let me go as long as it didn't cost any money. When I found that we needed to bring some yarn I told the teacher I could not come because my dad would not buy any yarn . He said he wasn't going to waste money on unnecessary junk.
She told me to come anyway and she would give me some yarn. We wove a little purse on a cardboard loom with string as the warp. I had so much fun weaving I finished my purse in a couple of days.
When my children were very young I made a few refrigerator ornaments to sell, but my husband felt if it was for anything that could not be sold he wasn't going to let me buy it.
I was always fascinated with the things in art stores , but felt I had no artist talent.
One day at work I casually mentioned to one of our artists I wish I could draw. She said something I never forgot. She said , "How many times have your really tried to draw something?" She said everyone who can see can draw. They may never be a great artist, but they can draw.
I had to admit I had never really tried, because the people in my life convinced me I could not draw nor do art work.
That weekend I spent most of the time drawing ( and erasing) an ornate incense burner that I have . I used a #2 pencil and some note paper. When I finished I was amazed it looked a lot like my incense burner
I took it to work and showed her.
From there I went on to pursue other arts and crafts. First I took a class in Calligraphy and again I was amazed that I COULD do it.
I tackled parchment craft and Temari and was pleased with my results there too.
Oh I have had to spend a lot of time practicing, but I found I could do it
It opened a new world for me.
I think this is why I love my Copics. I am seeing shadows and shades of color all around me that I never saw before . Every time I color I learn more.
Did I always love art? I guess I did , but it took me more than half of my life to find the courage to ignore the low opinion of my talents held by others and really try to see what I could do.
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
This is a very insightful explaination about how it can be difficult for some to grasp what others find so easy. I just take for granted that I can see someting in 3D and deconstruct it mentallly into it's 2D version. Same with constructing a 2D up into 3D. The more sophisicated things just required a bit of furthur investigating to figure out. I couldn't imagine not being able to do that.
You are so fortunate that you can take it for granted!! I think if I stuck with it, I would eventually get the hang of seeing how 2D patterns can form itself into 3D shapes. I can easily make rigid boxy shapes from paper without any templates or patterns. But making floppy curvy shapes from floppy fabric is sooooooooo hard for me by comparison!! Even WITH the patterns!
I was always fascinated with the things in art stores , but felt I had no artist talent.
One day at work I casually mentioned to one of our artists I wish I could draw. She said something I never forgot. She said , "How many times have your really tried to draw something?" She said everyone who can see can draw. They may never be a great artist, but they can draw.
Hurray for the artist who said that!! I'm glad you kept trying!
In high school I only picked subjects that fitted in around Art Class. My bestie and I would sit down at the beginning of the school year and fill our timetable based around when the art class was offered. A couple of other useful classes on offer were sacrificed to the all important subject of Art. We couldn't quite phathom those who opted not to do art.
I wasn't particularly good at it, but I didn't think I needed to be either. No one went WOW at my work at school, and I didn't think I was less than the one that did get the attention. I just did it...because I could. I would skip shcool to go to the Art Gallery in the city.
My family always tells me I have been artistic since I was born. I have always created or made something. Not having arts in my life is like not having water.
Such great stories! Since I was a little kid, I was a creative dabbler, doing lots of crafts and music-related things, but never finding my niche. In 8th grade I discovered I could write well and I started taking photos to illustrate my stories. From then on, I through myself into photography, which, eventually, lead me into scrapbooking. My frustration in not being able to draw lead me into rubber stamping. Here I am, all these years later, stamping, scrapping, taking photos, and occasionally dabbling in sewing and music. As a watcher, not a doer, I love dance and skating.
Mary Beth
I was never artistic. I loved coloring books, I liked having the images there, that worked well into stamping many, many years later. I was surprised when my kids were young and had no interest in coloring books. I used to sit in front of the tv and color, they never did.
In my late teens my mom took a theorum course (stencil painting on a tea stained velvet.) I learned from her and loved it. We did that together. I took a refresher course a while back and made her a present. She was much better than me.
Now I love paper, mostly ABC projects although of course I make cards too.
I think I was always a creative person. I enjoyed art, making things and very creative play as a child. I vividly remember my mom bringing home a "Prange" set of crayons that came in a red case that opened up to reveal a neatly lined up set of crayons in every color you could think of. They were an 8 year old version of my now lined up by color Copics! I still have them....that's how much I loved that crayon set.
When I got a little older, my creative outlet became music. I played the oboe, the bass guitar and was a drum major for my HS marching band. After college, I was a raging counted cross stitcher....but once I got into scrapbooking and cardmaking became my passion and I couldn't be happier! And the community of crafters I have found is the icing on the cake!!!
What a great thread, I am taking a break from work and its been lovely to read all the stories.
I have I guess always been crafty and arty, and lucky that is has always been encouraged in our home.
I have fond memories of colouring and practising and practising to colour inside the lines. I remember finally getting the set of 36 markers that I coveted for so long...as I was able to shade.
My grandmother crocheted 24/7 I dont remember her never sitting in her chair without wool and some doilie or baby jacket on her lap. My mother knitted, crocheted, machine knitted (hmm very dubious christmas sweaters ) and macramed...remember that!lol
My dad dabled in woodwork, one of my sisters sewed and the other was very musical. My brothers...not to sure...does pulling radios eta apart to see how they work and making new things out of them count?
I went on to ceramics, fine art drawing and painting in highschool, and then a Art A level. I dabled in making jewellery and of course friendship braclets!
It is something that my family has always encouraged and appriciated, which is why I am such an advocate of arts and creativity for children. My nephews and nieces have always received something creative for Birthdays and Christmas, at the time they were like 'hey where is the video game?' but it was my gifts that they were still using and enjoying weeks, months and years later and they have told me that!lol.
My greatest pleasure now is watching my SIL - she came from a family where art and creativity was not encouraged "why the heck would you do that"..one day she was talking to me my card making, scrapbooking, drawing etc and said how she would love to make some Jewellery. I went out and bought her a selection of things to get her started, the bead board, some magazines, tools, links etc. She was shocked but I just left with her and said, take a look, try it out...and see how you feel?
10 years on, this Christmas she made me the most amazing dragons scale silver braclet with onyx clasps...it is truly beautiful and something I will always cherish. She has taken her creativity to beyond a hobby, it is so exceptional that she is actually asked by strangers in the street where she got her pieces.
Ladies, I have just LOVED reading all your stories. It has truly warmed my heart to get a little glimpse into your childhood. Some of you (like my oldest son) were born with that artistic gene. Others, like me, have had to work a lot harder to be creative.
I have noticed that my crafting times tends to run in cycles. I tend to do it when I'm not working. I became a stay-at-home mom while pregnant with my second child, which is why I think those nesting habits kicked in so strongly during that time. A dying marriage followed by divorce and returning to the workforce killed my creative spirit.
I picked up scrapbooking again five or six years ago, mostly out of fear that I'd die and my boys would be left without anything resembling a family. I'm SLOWLY working on a scrapbook for each of my boys that features pictures of them growing up. I'm also trying (without much success) to make them each a scrapbook about me and my love for them. (they know about the first, but not the latter)
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Originally Posted by Jaima
Then I started getting into making cards and thats when I started stamping. I am addicted now and am dying to give copics a try. I did very good at colored pencils when I was younger so I think once I learn them I can do copics no problem.
Copics are very, very costly. But they are the only coloring medium I've used that actually gives the appearance of being artistic. I've tried coloring with water-based markers, watercolor pencils, chalks ... and I just can't get the hang of them. Copics have been a Godsend and, for me, well worth the money I paid for them.
I will have my 70th birthday next month (wow, how'd that happen?) I just recently found a real treasure in a forgotten box in my closet. It is a birthday card that I made for my grandma when I was only 8 years old!
Oh, how I loved seeing this card! How wonderful that your grandma saved it and that you've still got it after all these years! What a wonderful, wonderful treasure!
I loved reading your story, Melissa - I think you should try to WRITE a book!
Funny you should say that. Even though I wasn't much of a reader as a child, I have ALWAYS wanted to write fiction. I had a 6th-grade teacher that told me I should be a writer. I had an 8th-grade teacher that complimented my writing. And then, when I was in high school, my read something I wrote. She didn't approve of the subject matter (running away from home) and shamed me so badly that I was afraid to write anything for a very long time.
In my 20s, I wrote but always shredded or burned what I created before I went to bed. I got a little braver in my 30s, using my writing as an escape from real life. But I kept my pieces of short stories buried in a computer file and never let anyone read it.
Then, in my late 30s I divorced and had to find work outside the home. I was lucky enough to land some freelance work for a local weekly newspaper and later blessed to be picked up full time by the parent company, where I worked as a reporter a midsized and well-respected daily newspaper. The bad news is that the daily grind of journalism sapped my desire to write fiction. That is, until I was laid off two years ago.
I wrote a first draft of a cheesy mystery and have several more ideas knocking around in my brain. I need to pick up the story and brush it off. And I really should write another as long as I'm not working. But being long-term unemployed kind of makes a person feel empty. These days, I spend most of my time rewriting my resume and writing fresh cover letters.
I think I was always a creative person. I enjoyed art, making things and very creative play as a child. I vividly remember my mom bringing home a "Prange" set of crayons that came in a red case that opened up to reveal a neatly lined up set of crayons in every color you could think of. They were an 8 year old version of my now lined up by color Copics! I still have them....that's how much I loved that crayon set.
When I got a little older, my creative outlet became music. I played the oboe, the bass guitar and was a drum major for my HS marching band. After college, I was a raging counted cross stitcher....but once I got into scrapbooking and cardmaking became my passion and I couldn't be happier! And the community of crafters I have found is the icing on the cake!!!
Your Prang story reminded me of a long-ago memory. I was the oldest of 3 kids, and we were pretty poor for the most part. A new box of crayons was a real treat, and usually a small box at that. It had to be shared with my sister and brother who were younger, and of course, broke them pretty quickly.
We went to visit somewhere, and their daughter was about my age, probably 10 or so. She was an only child. I still remember how enthralled I was that she had a big box of the 64-piece Crayolas, and they all had their papers still on, and NONE of them were broken. I was so envious!
That's probably how I justify some of my purchases now - trying to take care of that little-girl me who didn't have very much. But I've been told by mental health professionals that it's healthy within reason, so it's all good.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
This thread is such great reading, ladies. I always was crafty and artistic, but as the oldest of 10 children didn't have many resources or encouragement from the parents. But, I still asked for crayons, colored pencils and paints every Christmas. I was self-taught but was working on oil paintings in the 4th grade. Never got too much skill but I still remember how I loved the smell of linseed oil.
Being practical, I chanelled my artistic leanings towards crafty things for the house or family. Whenever I visit my Mom I am taken back to when I did paint, crewel work, counted cross stitch, etc. as she still has all my gifts displayed throughout the house. By high school I got the chance to enroll in classes that provided some theory and technique. I clearly understood that I had some talent, but not as much as my friends who were the budding art majors. I have always done some sort of crafting or artistic activity throughout my life as it just makes me feel so good. The last 5 years, it's been stamping and I get such great joy from my stamping and the many friends associated with this wonderful hobby.
@buggainok - your story about the box o 64 Crayolas made me smile. I'm the oldest of 3 and my mother wouldn't buy me any size larger than the 16 box of Crayolas and I really wanted that 64 size. When my daughter was 3, I bought us each a box of 64 and matching coloring books and we would color together for hours - and she never broke her crayons either!
I've never had what I considered to be "artistic talent" - painting, drawing, etc, but have always loved crafty activities. My mom has always been a crafter, and has done some painting as well, and my dad was a talented woodworker.
Mom started doing craft projects with me when I was very young. I remember painting the earliest Mrs. Butterworth bottles. We painted my younger sister's baby food jars with aquarium paint and glued seashells on top, and we made cracked marble jewelry. In school I loved pottery, weaving, jewelry and other art classes. Since then I have done a ton of counted cross stitch, ceramics and porcelain dolls, and dabbled with a few other crafts here and there.
About 16 or 17 years ago I did a lot of rubber stamping, then quit and focused on just jewelry for many years. A couple of years ago I started stamping and card making again, and love it. I especially love all the die cutting and embossing tools that are available now, and the patterened papers, different inks and embellishments that weren't around 17 years ago.
I always find it interesting to see that despite our different backgrounds and experiences, we kind of ended up in a similar place!
I'm not an artist and never have been. But I have always been a crafter. Always. My Mom and Grandma passed this on to me. I used to collect sea glass and driftwood as a young child and make collages with it. Once my Grandma bought me a hideous painting at an auction because the frame was so cool, and she had thought my collage would look really cool glued over this hideous painting!
As I grew older I learned needlepoint, plastic canvas, cross-stitch, knitting, scrapbooking, rubber stamping. I dabbled in candle making (mostly beeswax), tatting, quilling, sewing, and beading. I've often joked that if it's a craft, I probably at least tried it!
I have always been creative. I actually have a crayon drawing of circles I made when I was about 3 (according to my sisters-they were teenagers when I was born so have clearer memories). There are several different contrasting colors in the drawing. To this day my eye is drawn to sharply contrasting colors more than anything else.
I still have an eggshell art project from art class in elementary school. My grandmother was a crocheter and I have several things that she made for me. My favorite of which is a white, yellow and turquoise scarf and hat. I remember when she gave them to me (I was 5-WOW! that was 40 years ago) the scarf seemed enormous. I used it during the cold winters well into my teen years then it got put away. I've taken to using it again on occasion and it's not nearly as long as I remember it being.
I'm not sure where I got my love of creativity from. My sister's dabbled with arts and crafts some but it wasn't a prevalent thing in their lives. I didn't live with my mom but she wasn't really crafty anyway.
I LOVED coloring! I was one of those kids that didn't like the "grain" of the coloring so I always used a blunt crayon so that when a person looked at my picture you couldn't tell which direction I colored. I also always outlined the lines of the coloring book with the appropriate colored crayon. I still love to color and I have myself a box of Crayola crayons but I really need to get another coloring book :-)
My all time FAVORITE school projects were the ones where I had to make a diorama or draw/color. In the 5th grade I was the "craft coordinator". My teacher assigned me to come of with different seasonal crafts for students to do during free time. Do any of you remember when we had a free time in class? Those were the days!
Over the years I've dabbled in all kinds of mediums. In high school it was ceramics and sewing. I continued on with sewing and then got into counted cross-stitch. I kept those two things and then got bitten by recycled crafts bug (before recycling things became cool in the crafty world). After that I got bit by beads. All kinds of beads but especially seed beads. Somewhere in my love affair with beads i was introduced to rubber stamping and crocheting. Both took a little time to grow on me but are in the top three of my creative list. I'd be perfectly happy if all I ever had to do all day was bead, stamp and crochet. Although my ginormous stash of cross-stitching supplies have been calling to me lately.....so I might start yet another project.
I also love to paint. Not art. Rooms :-) One of the best things about buying our first house was going in and painting the walls. IMO, white walls need to be considered a horror story. I love color too much to put up with too much white. In the last house we owned the master bedroom was painted turquoise. All 4 walls. People either loved it or hated it :rolleyes:. DH didn't mind at all. We were trying to go for a bright Indonesian look (think sari's). It never did completely come together :-(
Now we are renting but much to my delight the landlord let us paint. We haven't done much the walls were already painted nice colors but I have to say the olive green in both the living room and dining room is just too much so I'll be painting the dining room soon.
So yeah, craftsy, artsy....whatever you want to call it, I've been it for most of my life :-)
shellie
__________________ Shellie G
Aspire to be a better person than you were yesterday
I also love to paint. Not art. Rooms :-) One of the best things about buying our first house was going in and painting the walls. IMO, white walls need to be considered a horror story. I love color too much to put up with too much white.
Shellie...this part of your story made me laugh! Only because my ex-husband hated color and wanted every wall white in our house. Well, just to be onery, I not only painted but put up wallpaper...very girly wallpaper, which he has never removed because he is so lazy. He just complains about it every time I go to pick up our son after a weekend. It's my revenge! he he
I just LOVE reading everyone's stories about whether they thought they were artistic or not and how our love of all things crafty have developed! It's been one of the best reads I have had in a long time and it has made me happy reading all of these wonderful stories and shared memories.
I grew up artsy, crafty, with a grandma who sewed and made quilts and knitted and crocheted and an older sister who, God Bless Her!, taught this lefty to crochet.
I loved art and took any art class I could in school, all thru high school. I remember one of my ink and watercolor paintings got selected to go to a state-wide competition and I was so excited!! It was a highlight of my junior high career. LOL I still have the colored pencil set I bought from Dick Blick Art Shop with my own money....they are SpectraColors and I still use them to this day.
I love papercrafting and just making things in general. I am getting back in to sewing and planning on making things for my new craft room from vintage chenille bedspreads I am buying on eBay...then I will make other stuff with the leftovers. I think it is so wonderful just to be able to create and be free...whether its with words, ink or markers, paper and scissors, needle and thread or whatever our medium we chose!
Sophie...I believe she is referring to Anything But a Card....boxes, 3-D items, etc. This is me to a T also....love to do "other" but also enjoy making cards.
Location: along the bluffs of the Upper Mississippi River
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Just dabbled. Spent many, many hours coloring as a child-does that count? ;) That box of 64 Crayola crayons is the best (don't they have 72 now?). Took art through high school. Enjoyed embroidery art, candle making, calligraphy, and batik for awhile. Not much else until card making.
__________________ All I want is the chance to prove money won't make me happy!
Last edited by Allistamps123; 03-07-2012 at 03:25 PM..
Loving all of your stories...too much fun! Misstreez, I have made a few quilts, I've done sewing projects here and there, curtains, pillow covers, receiving blankets, but I don't see that way either. My teenage son had to sow me how to do the pillow cover, that's when I realized I didn't see things that way, I had it all turned inside out and backwards-YIKES!!
I believe ART SAVES ME!! A friend posted that, I do believe that!! It has always been part of my defense mechanism I believe.
My favorite memory of Kindergarten was painting. We were able to paint with what I remembered as "HUGE" sheets of paper on easles with roll-on paints. Holy Cow, that was the coolest thing in the entire world!! My Grandma was the artist, but I remember my Grandpa teaching me to blend my colors together in color books! HA!! My Grandma could draw the best stick figures EVER!!! She did an "Old School" Scrapbook of her bowling league and had drawn the cutest figures throughout the whole book. (Stampin Bella would be proud!!
I took every ART class available to me in High School as well and our teacher taught every medium possible. As a Freshman my silkscreens won 1st place ribbons in a couple Art Contest, and I remember I won against a couple seniors that entered Oil Paintings...I was scared to death they were going to make me pay for that! LOL They never did! PHEW! But I never felt that I was that great either, and that Art teacher helped build my self confidence in a way that she will never know! I desinged logos for T-shirts etc. throughout high school.
Soon after High School I got a job as an Artist for a local lapel pin shop. The pay wasn't great, but it was a great start. It was so cool to see my art made into pins~WOW!! I was the year book photographer in High School as well, but I was able to utilize my Dark Room experience with this job. Too Cool!!
I've done tons of ceramics and taught classes for several years, I crochet some and have made afgans over the years as gifts. I've been a Scrapbooker/Stamper for about 12 yrs. and recently have decided that after doing some acrylic paintings in HS that I wanted to try Oil Painting. It's been tons of fun, but my pictures take me FOREVER!!!! I paint a little thick I think, but that's okay, I like that look! I have always done a lot of writing, and notice that with computers/FB I do much less, so I've been trying to write again.
This has been a fun thread~ thanks!!
Have a great night!!
__________________ The way to knowLIFEis to LOVEmany things!- Vincent Van Gogh
I've always been crafty, thanks to my Mom. She was always creating something, whether sewing, knitting, or crocheting. She taught me to sew by the time I was 7. She could knit, watch tv and read a book all at the same time. LOL! I inherited that gene from her. I remember one Christmastime...my Dad was working in Canada, so it was just she and I at home. We lived in a small town where everybody knew everybody. So, she and I crafted all sorts of things and had a Christmas craft sale at our house. We set up the dining room with all the things we created and had so much fun.
I think I've cycled through just about every craft there is, with the exception of stain glass. I'd love to learn that some day!
Have you always enjoyed "the arts"?
