Knifty Knitter Makes a Card; Loves a new book

Happy 2008!

Just enjoying that "its a brand new year" freshness that comes with every January. I love the start of a new year, the new calendar, the renewed sense of purpose, and the chance to reflect on the end of a year and make goals for the coming one.

I always spend the last week of the year and the first week of January in that kind of reflective mood. Did fun things with the kids, went to our most fav place, Strong National Museum of Play, bought our yearly membership as a family present to ourselves. Can't wait to go again with just the little guy.....he wanted to linger and explore things waaaaay deeply....not bad, just that the other two are like butterflies. They flutter from one exhibit to the next with too much speed for a weary mommy. Its definitely a two adult trip. One takes slow and easy guy and the other takes the speedsters.

Wanted to come update the blog but really was liking the break. Towards the middle of December I remember putting alot of little things off until "later" {until January} And now that January is here....well, I felt a bit overwhelmed and needed to regroup my priorities. Kids were home so we had alot of fun-together time. Made a few cards. Went through the stash of craft supplies and found something I hadn't tried out yet. My mom had given us the "knifty knitter" Flower Loom {by provo craft} in a goodie bag for Halloween so we decided to try it out. I made the flower that is on the card with a little bit of yarn and tada a cute embellishment for a card or scrapbook. Okay, so maybe this loom's been around a while but I thought it was a cute idea I hadn't seen anywhere.

I've also been looking over all the photos from the past year, burning them on cds is the next step -- {they number in the thousands!!! OMG!!)but sadly most of my favorites haven't even made it into an album or anything...gotta work on that. It does start to seem overwhelming but I know it doesn't have to be. So many stories, memories and wishes for the coming years......so that will be one of my creative goals in 2008.

One of the Christmas presents I gave to myself was the latest book by Ali Edwards "Life Artist:scrapbooking life's journey" In it a multitude {its brimming} of motivation and inspiration to get working on my creative goal. It was apparent in the first flip through the pages that I had made a great purchase {always love that feeling}. Almost like she could read the mind of this scrapbook challenged mom of three, saying now-what-do-I-do-with-all-these-pictures? I single out the words "huge project" as I randomly stop at page 135 and read these words {regarding a huge project} "....I reminded myself to stick with the basics and focus on the photos and the story." Yes! That is exactly what I needed to hear. This is by far one of the best creative juices book out there. Again, I'm really pleased with this purchase...so happy:)

And Because I usually start reading from the back of books and magazines, this means, really, just a few pages in I was already in love with it :)

when I look out our sliding glass doors

this is what greets me...a whole row of Maple Trees with blazing yellow leaves. There is so much bright yellow you can't help but feel all happy when you look at it.
It catches me by surprise on some days. Like today when I opened the blinds -- it was like a blast of yellow. I hadn't realized how much they had all changed colors already. For the most part of October they were green, or mostly green.


































Another happy sight for me is when I see this particular box waiting in my mail.
Those are some of the newest additions to my library. A very good read, cool projects and simple instructions {just like the title says, go figure!} Good for getting rid of that creative block.

creative block + sewing smallish things

11/9/07 creative block + sewing smallish things

I didn't have time to post on the 9th, but I jotted this down...it goes along with the new craft books that have been making me so happy :)

The dreaded dry spell, the creative slump, the writer’s block. It’s been here. Sitting side-by-side with me. And, what an awful time. Right as I am supposed to be starting those Christmas cards. Right in the middle of trying to get all the projects in my head out of my head. Ahh, I thought the other day, therein lays the problem. Too much planning, not enough doing/creating.

Last time I was not feeling so craft-worthy I dove into other forms of artsy craftsy things like learning about printmaking, screen printing and painting on fabric. Then the block vanished as soon as I was making something again. So this time I turned to something besides card making and scrapbooking or painting.

This time the block led me to ---- Sewing and Needle Felting--- {felting supplies have just been added to the yarn-crafty sections at my AC Moore and JoAnns within the last month} Perfect timing I say.

Needle Felting is so cool - and in the process of finding out more about needle felting I discovered this whole new world {new to me anyway} of felting with wool fabrics. Several cool sites/blogs later and I am hooked -- man!! the amazing things you can do with it!! and it is just so beautiful to create with.

But although I grew up with a seamstress mom {I think one of the original crafty girls} who can make anything out of a piece of fabric, I really haven’t embraced sewing as a form of creativity throughout my life. In fact, I ran from it. Until now…I found some folks that could explain sewing with my attention span in mind. There are several fabulously written books on the whole “simple sewing” theme. Even magazines, I discovered. I’m feeling happy again to have made something. Even if sewing all those little stitches was a pain in the @$*#. It actually was very relaxing. I found that learning something new plus getting the hands working again {even if it was with a sharp needle that tends to draw blood} was just what I needed to help slump girl out of this slump.

Now the problem is, I want to hoard all the pretty fabrics I see. heehee.