Looking Back at 2010

Hello All- 
I was just looking at my Ravelry project page, and I realized just how many knitting projects I did in 2010.  Here is a collage of a few...but surely not all.  The mosaic maker only lets me add 36 photos at a time!!  between all of the dishcloths, Barbie clothes and charity projects that aren`t pictured, I made well over 50 things!!  Not too shabby..

Cheers!

Sharon





A Lot of Catching Up to Do

Happy 2011!!!

I realized this morning that I haven't posted in AGES!!!  I was having a hard time thinking of posts since all of my knitting was gift knitting, and then we were out of the country for the holidays.  Needless to say, I'm back, and I have a lot to share. 

Here are some of the holiday gifts I wasn't able to post before...

Here is the winter hat I knit for my Mom.  We went out to Banff for the Christmas Parade, and after a stop in the Jacques Cartier store, I came home with some beautiful yarn.  It is 50% Qiviuk and 50% Wool.  The yarn is thin, but really warm.  I was able to make this cabled hat in a few days, and I gave my Mom the rest of the yarn...one ball made an adult hat with extra repeats and I still had about half leftover!!!  I am really happy with this project, and I think Mom liked it.

Next up, this super cute knitting basket ornament.  A bunch of my knitting buddies came over for a Secret Santa Swap Party right before we left on holiday.  My partner asked for handknit stuff, and mentioned ornaments, so I whipped this little guy up.  The original pattern suggests making mini hanks of yarn, but I made balls instead.  The knitting needles are made with toothpicks and beads.  I may make one for our tree next year!!

This next project involved some design modifications by Hannah.  We went through my yarn stash and she planned out the hair, tights, and shoes.  She even wanted to pick the eye color for each doll.  The blonde doll is made much more like the original pattern.  She has tights that go all the way up to her white bloomers.  The brunette doll (I don't have a good photo of her legs...sorry) has black shoes and white ankle socks.  We then carried the skin color all the way up to her bloomers.  These dolls took a bit of time, since every hair is stitched individually, and the doll is seamed, not done in the round.  I made them for our niece, and despite the effort it took to make them, it was well worth it!!

I had been wanting to try cables, so I found a pattern on Ravelry that everyone claimed was a good starter project.  The hat is based on one of the Harry Potter movies...I'm not a HP fan, so I can't give you much more info than that.  I made these before I made my Mom's hat, and I think that they gave me the courage to try hers.  The gray one was made for a friend of ours who is a huge HP fan (she saw the white one and knew what movie/character the hat was from without me saying anything!), and the white one was for my sister-in-law.  Not too shabby for my first real go at cables!

Finally, I made a bunch of dishcloths and hanging towels for my sister and sister-in-law.  They seemed to like them, and I hope they find them useful. 

Now that Christmas knitting is done, what does 2011 have in store??  Well, you'll notice that my WIP charts in the sidebar are multiplying!  We have several babies on the way amongst our family and friends, so I'm going to be making baby stuff like crazy!!  Two of the babies are due next month, so my needles are on fire!!!  After that, I have a break for a few months, with the next bundle arriving in early May.  So far all of the babies are girls, so the plan is to make a bunch of girly things and then just split them up. 

Wish me luck on getting through the To Do List!!!

Cheers!

Sharon

Barbie is Styling!

Hey Everyone!!

Here's one more Barbie item I finished last night.  It is a knit tunic.  I LOVE it!!!  Hubby and I decided that I need to find a pattern that will fit me!!  The only mods I made to the original pattern are the needle size... I don't have a US 0, so I used a US 1.  I also left the rib at the bottom sides open, since I commonly see that on tunics like this.

I plan on making a pair of capris in either khaki or white to match...goodness, with as fast as these projects are coming off the needles, I might make a pair in each color!!!  My niece will have a well-dressed Barbie this Christmas!!

Cheers!

Sharon

BOO!!!

It's Done! It's Done! I finished the Diva's Trick or Treat bag...and it's actually done BEFORE Halloween!!

My apologies for the crappy photos.  The camera I usually use for projects is in Toronto with my hubby, and I was too lazy to bust out the monster camera last night.  I messed around with the pattern quite a bit.  First, I used a much heavier yarn for the black portion.  Not the best idea.  I think that, along with my inexperience with color work, contributed to the puckering of the "Boo!"  I was able to soak the front of the bag in super hot water and stretch it quite a bit. 

Modification #2 was the addition of stripes to the back.  I was running low on black and decided to add some stripes in the Glow in the Dark yarn to help conserve.  I should have made the stripes wider, because I still ran out of black.  Oh well...

Modification #3 I only made one strap and I centered it on the side seams.  I thought I could stretch the black yarn far enough to get two straps, but it wasn't happening.  I also added a Glow in the Dark stripe down the middle...but it still didn't give me enough black.  Thankfully we don't go to too many houses on Halloween, so there shouldn't be too much weight in the bag.  If it works well and the Diva wants to use it again next year, perhaps I'll take off the strap and make new ones that are stronger. 

All in all, I am happy with this bag.  The Diva LOVES it!!!  She thinks the back is so cool!!  Her costume this year is a butterfly, so she likes that her bag looks like a bee.  It's funny, I have made some nice sweaters and hats for her that came out much better, but this seems to be her favorite project so far!!!  That's the sign of a true Diva for you!!

Once I get photos of her in her costume, I'll post some of the bag in action.

Cheers and Happy Crafting!

Sharon

The (Long Awaited) Garden Post

 So, I have been promising for quite a while now to do a post on my gardens.  Hmmm...I'm a slacker and I know it!  I guess I was spending too much time in the garden and not enough time blogging about it!!

Without further ado, here is the summer in review.  This year we decided to try Square Foot Gardening.  What a great concept!!!  We bought some composite board gardens from Costco.ca and went to town.  Hubby made the actual squares out of cedar strips, and we bought the trellis at Home Depot.  I think next year we'll get a second trellis, since the beans were really popular.

What did we plant?  What didn't we plant!  We wanted to try a bunch of different things to see what would 1- grow and 2- get eaten.  We got a late start on some things since we were in Edmonton with the Diva for 3 weeks at the beginning of growing season.  Hopefully we'll get a better start next year. 

Some of the more popular crops were the beans, peas, radishes, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, peppers and chili peppers.  What things will we not grow again?  Well, brussel sprouts weren't a hit, we didn't harvest the lettuce and spinach early enough, so we have to rethink those, and if we want to grow cucumbers again we have to plant them earlier.  Also, we need to find a better spot for the pumpkins and zucchini so they don't take over the garden again.  We also grew oregano, parsley and basil, and of the three, we used the most parsley (I made LOTS of parsley pesto!).

One of the most exciting things was seeing how happy the Diva was in the garden.  She was much more willing to try new veggies if they came from our own garden, and she really took interest in the idea of starting from a seed and ending up with something you can eat!  her favorites were by far the strawberries, radishes, and snap peas.  When she was potty training, she even started asking for peas instead of M&Ms as rewards!!!

What did we do with all of our crops?  Well, along with lots of "off the vine" snacking, we made zucchini muffins and had steamed zucchini and wax beans with several meals.  I was also able to make my own salsa with everything coming from our own garden!  As mentioned before, I made parsley pesto (the basil had caught something before I could use it), and I also made some jalapeno cornbread biscuits that were super yummy!!!!  It was so wonderful knowing that our food had no preservatives and was grown in our own backyard.  I don't know if it was mental or not, but I swear that my veggies tasted better than those from the store!!  Either way, every time I ate one of them, it put a smile on my face!!

I don't have a lot of photos of our side garden and the front garden, simply because I was so busy being proud of my veggies!  Here are a few photos I snapped early in the season out front.  Keep in mind that everything filled in quite a bit shortly after I took the photos.

I really wish that I had photos of my gladiolas in the backyard.  They were so pretty this year!  I bought more bulbs and I was sure to pull out this year's, so hopefully I'll have some nice blooms next year too. 

This year our gardens achieved "survivor" status in my book!!  We got lots of hail storms this summer, but thankfully the worst of them went around us.  What we did get shredded my sunflower, pumpkin and zucchini leaves.  Thankfully I didn't lose any actual plants because of the weather.  Here's a photo of the remnants of one of the crazier ones.

Earlier this week, the Diva and I decided to see if we could harvest some seeds from one of our giant sunflowers.  The birds planted the seeds from the bird feeder, and one of the heads was larger than a dinner plate!!!  That's the one we decided to pull the seeds from. 

 

Can you believe that all of those seeds came from one head??  I soaked them overnight in salt water and roasted them the next day.  Hubby loves them and the Diva had a blast harvesting them, so it was well worth the effort!!!

We had three flowers total that the birds planted, so we decided to use the other two heads and the leftovers from the big one and give them back to the birds.  As you can see, they seem to be enjoying them!!!

Now that we've had our first "kill frost", I have been busy cutting things back and preparing for snow.  We already got some flakes last weekend!!  It has warmed up a lot this week, but we all know that it won't last long.  Thankfully it has given me a few days of sunshine to work in.  maybe I'll even get a late season tan...heehee!!!

With that said, this is what the garden looks like now...

 

All of the veggies are pulled and all that remains are the ones I "hope" will return next year.  the soaker hose is buried now, the squares and trellis are gone (and hopefully will be water sealed before next spring), and the flowers are mostly cut back.  I did so much clipping that I filled my composter!!!

On today's agenda is filling lawn bags with the excess compostable stuff so we can bring it to the dump to be composted.  Then I have to scrub my bird baths and pots, and top off all of the gardens with soil.  Ahhh...it never ends, does it??

So there you have it...my garden.  It's nothing too exciting, but I love it.  Considering that we have a postage stamp sized lot, I am quite excited to have so much space that I call my own.  Next year we're going to plant more of what we ate this year, maybe get the Diva a sandbox, and try to add more flowers to the front and side gardens.  Every year we add and modify...change is good!!

Have a great weekend!!!
Sharon

Summer Knitting Recap

Wow!  We're already into September, and I am just getting around to updating all of my summer knitting!  Time flies when you're having fun!!  We have been out straight this summer, so I apologize at my lack of posting.  Needless to say, my needles have been moving much more than my keyboard. 

So...without further ado...here's what I've been up to...

First up, my "Hugs from Away" shawl.  My Nana's birthday was in early August, and I wanted to make her something nice.  She used to knit quite a bit, so I knew that she would appreciate something handmade.  However, she has been in quite a funk regarding gifts and tends to give them right back to you, so in all honesty, I didn't want to make something that was super time consuming.  So, when I saw the Easy Triangle Shawl pattern on Ravelry and Lion Brand's website, I knew it would be perfect.  I made it out of Bernat Satin yarn in Sapphire.  I ended up doing 12 repeats and barely broke into the second ball of yarn.  The pattern calls for Homespun, but I wanted a lighter weight shawl, as Nana likes to have something on her shoulders, but doesn't like a lot of weight.  Since I don't crochet, my Mom finished off the edges for me...thanks Mom!!!

Before we went East on holidays, I was bound and determined to make myself a sweater.  So, I put all other projects aside and cast on the Mud Season Sweater in Bernat Chunky Solids.  This sweater yelled out at me to make it since we were going to Maine as part of our trip, and the designer lives in Freeport!  It knit up super fast and fits like a glove!!!  Below is a photo of me wearing it at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.  The heavy yarn is great for fall days or photo ops by the breezy water, but I wouldn't suggest wearing it mid-summer...it is a bit too warm for that.  I love the blue-green color of this yarn...it is called Teal, but has lots of variations in the color.  I loved this pattern so much that I am tempted to make another sweater in a different color!

I have lots of friends having babies, so I thought I'd throw together a few bibs...here is one of the finished ones.  It is the Heartbeat pattern by Elaine Fitzpatrick, and I made it in the Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Solids color Hot Pink.  If you're looking for uber cute bib and washcloth patterns, I highly suggest that you take a peak at Fitzpatrick's patterns.  Her stuff is amazing!!!

Next up is a blanket that I made for a good friend in Georgia who just had a beautiful baby boy a few weeks ago.  She and her husband are HUGE UGA fans, so I came up with this UGA themed blanket.  I created the chart for the center square, and the remaining ones are made using a Harris Tweed stitch pattern.  I used Bernat Satin Solids in Snow, Crimson and Ebony.  I have never created my own design before, so I am super pleased with how this turned out.  It was also my first time seaming a blanket like this, so I was able to check off a few boxes on my knitting bucket list.

Since I didn't want my friend's little girl to feel left out, I whipped up these hair ties for her.  I used Susan Anderson's Butterflies pattern and sewed them to some hair elastics.  I think they came out pretty cute.

Finally, here is a report on my Works in Progress (WIPs).  Here is a partially finished bib in the Imp pattern, again by Fitzpatrick.  I put this project down while we traveled, so I need to pick it back up again and finish it.  It shouldn't take long to complete. 

As for WIPs that I don't have photos of, I started a sweater while on vacation.  I am using the Easy Top-Down Raglan pattern by Susan Anderson, and I am working with Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solids & Heathers in the Avocado color.  I seemed to have lots my knitting mojo for a bit during our vacation, so I haven't gotten too far on this one. 

Since we've been home, I've also started a blanket square for a WCOBBS blanket.  In an attempt to get our members out of a summer knitting slump, I have asked that people make either knit or crochet squares that we can seam together.  In theory, squares take less time than the usual 6-inch stripes, so I was hoping that more members would get involved.  A few ladies have joined in, and we have also been so fortunate to have members of another Ravelry group, the Vanna's Choice Fan Club, pitch in too!!!  One amazing woman even made an entire blanket to donate!!!  Squares are arriving daily in the post box, so I'll be quite busy seaming blankets, and making my own squares to fill in.

So, that's what I have been up to.  My garden is also growing like crazy, and I'll try to put together a post on my veggies soon.

Cheers and happy crafting!

Sharon

Some of the stuff I've been up to...

Hey everyone!!

I am so sorry that I haven't been posting.  We're still trying to get back into a routine with the Diva.  It seems like we are always running to follow-up appointments and bloodwork!!  I promise to post more about these items, but I wanted to show you all a few of the finished items I have been working on.

I showed you all the Purple Princess Sweater a bit ago, but here it is with the ribbon in it.  This one was shipped off to a good friend in PA...it will be a while before Susan's Little Lady will wear it (she hasn't been born yet!!), but I know she will look adorable!!

 This was one of my favorite knits to date...super simple, but a beautiful finished product.  I'm really proud of this one!!!

While in the hospital with the Diva, I wanted to make something special for her.  So, before we headed to Edmonton, we took a ride to Michaels.  The Diva picked out the pink and purple, and I suggested the white yarn.  So, as she was having her third open heart surgery, I cast on this blanket.  Three colors for the three surgeries.  I finished it this past weekend, and as you can see by the second photo, she is a fan!!!

I also started a scarf while we were in Edmonton, using some beautiful yarn a wonderful friend gave me.  I have enough of it done to wear it, but I am going to keep going until the skein is all gone.  It should be done shortly, so photos to come on that one.

Finally, I decided two days ago to start another baby sweater.  I was having a terrible time trying to make gauge, and it shows.  I was aiming for a 6 month size, and it is closer to 18-24 months.  No worries.  I always have little ones to make stuff for!!

I had been wanting to use this pattern for a while, and I loved it so much, I am going to retry making it in a smaller size.  I plan to make a few modifications to it though.  As suggested by other knitters, I am going to add a garter border to the front sides, and instead of doing a picot edge, I am going to do extra rows of garter stitch.  I think that will balance out the other edging, and prevent curling. 

Here are photos of take one...

So, that's what I've been up to...when I'm not carting the Diva to appointments, playing pharmacist, and trying to get back into the groove of things.

Stay tuned for a photo update on the garden...once the rain decides to stop!!

Cheers!

Sharon

Purple Princess Sweater

Hello All-

Well, I had a few spare minutes today, so I took some photos of my latest finished object.  A friend of mine is having a baby girl soon, so I made a sweater to send to her in PA.  I've named this one "Purple Princess".  My friend Susan already has two boys, so I'm sure that this little lady will be treated like a princess!!! 

The pattern is Seamless Kimono Sweater, and I used Patons Decor.  I bought the yarn a while back and hadn't found the right pattern for it...until now!!  Because I used a much thicker yarn, the sizing ended up being closer to a 12 month.  Personally, I'm fine with that, since you always want sweaters to be big, and everyone bombards Moms with small baby stuff...usually around 12 months the gifted clothing runs out, and you're on your own.  I still have to get some ribbon for the eyelets...I decided to skip the I-cord tie.  I also left off the flower detailing...I thought it would make it too bulky, and honestly, I am running out of time to get this mailed before we head off for Hannah's surgery. 

Here are some full shots of the front and back...

I loved this pattern.  The crossover front, the seamless design...it doesn't get any better than this!!!  I was so excited when I saw that I didn't even have to sew up the tiny holes that usually appear under the arms!!!  I look forward to making this sweater again, and I hope that Susan, Roger, and the new Little Lady who is going to bless their lives likes it too!!

I also took some photos today of Hannah's finished Family Book...I'll do another post for that though.

Cheers!

Sharon

They're Done!

Bonjour!!!


Well, I can honestly that I made a pair of socks...and I never plan on making another pair!! I waited and waited for the promised feeling of accomplishment and it never came. Instead, I was thrilled to be done!!! The Diva loves them, and that’s all that matters, I am just praying that she doesn’t ask for another pair!!!

(Sorry for the awful photo!!  I wanted to take another one with my "real" camera, but the socks are currently in the wash!!)

In other knitting news, I have picked up her “Something for Spring” sweater and I am going to try to get it done for her birthday. When I decided to work on it again, I had only a few inches of the back done…now I am done the back and one of the front sides. Slowly but surely I will get it done. It is the easiest pattern ever, all knit in stockinette, but the yarn is swingy (perfect for wearing, but drives me nuts when knitting), and that seems to be slowing me down. What do I mean by “swingy”? It isn’t stiff like most of the acrylic I am used to knitting with. This sweater is made with CottonEase, and though I think it will drape beautifully when it is done, it just isn’t my favorite to work with. Oh well…it’s all about the end product. It should only take me a few more days to finish it, so I think I can manage to suck it up!!

I am also planning on starting a few more projects shortly. The Diva has requested a ladybug pillow, and I think I might make a bag for myself. I am still pondering if I should make something for the Western Showcase at Stampede…my problem? I have no clue what to make!! I have people tell me that my stuff is nice, but I’ll be honest, it is FAR from great. I have no intensions of winning anything if I do enter, but I also don’t want to embarrass myself at the same time. If anyone has any ideas for patterns, please let me know…I’m all ears on this one!!!

Well, I’m off to write a post for my family blog, and then to get a few rows done on the sweater. I have a gardening post to prepare for this blog as well, so stay tuned for that.

If I don’t post again before the weekend, have a wonderful Easter!!!

Cheers!
Sharon

She's Finally Done!!!

Hey Everyone!


Well, this pretty lady was done about a month and a half ago; except for one thing…she didn’t have a face! I despise embroidery, so I tend to knit up projects and then sit on them when it comes to stitching on their face. That was the sad story for Lolli, the teddy bear.

Today I finally bit the bullet and stitched on a face. Am I 100% happy with it? Nope. Do I think I could ever achieve 100% happiness? Nope. So, I’ll deal with how she turned out.

I LOVE this pattern! I LOVE this yarn! It is Susan B. Anderson’s Baby Bear pattern, and I used Bernat Baby Jacquards in Berries and Cream. I think it is the perfect color combo for a baby girl, don’t you? And wouldn’t you know it; the hubby’s cousin had a baby girl last week!! WooHoo!!

Tomorrow I will bid adieu to Lolli as she makes a trip East to Boston with the 5-Hour Baby Sweater and Quick and Easy Baby Hat that I made. Safe travels little buddy!!





Cheers!
Sharon

P.S. Stay tuned tomorrow for photos of the "B is for Boy" blanket I finished up last night!!  It's being washed and shaped today!!!

If you craft it, they will love it! (Ummm..Not so Much!)

Let me introduce you to Hannah's Holiday Hat...aka "The Tart Topper." I made this hat last year for the Diva. She helped pick out the yarn, pattern, etc. I busted my hump to get it done in record time, only to find out that the Diva HATED IT!!! To this day, she refuses to wear it!! Her Corduroy Bear was the only thing in this house that would wear it.

Moving right along, I introduce you to BeeBee the Turkey. Poor BeeBee must be a very confused little turkey. Again, Hannah helped me pick out the yarn, she even helped me stitch it up…the…wait for it…SHE HATED IT!!! I told her that I was going to give BeeBee away to a friend’s baby, and she protested, so there may be hope for BeeBee after all.

So, why am I telling you about these poor knit items that are destined for the Land of Misfit Knits? They, along with countless other projects, taught me to have a thicker skin when it comes to crafts. Minds change, styles differ, and there is always a chance that the recipient just might not like what you made.


Here’s the moral of this story…learn from my knitting trials and tribulations. Don’t get too attached to any of your projects and if you think that the person you’re making it for might not like it…don’t waste your time! Find someone else who is either a good liar and tells you that they love it, or make it for yourself!!!


Happy Crafting!

Cheers!

Sharon

Crafting with Toddlers...Valentine's Day Style

Crafting with toddlers is a skill. One that takes, in my opinion, LOTS of practice. The Diva and I recently made my hubby a Valentine’s Day gift. She and I went to Michaels, she picked out the frame, paint, wood shapes, everything. She was so proud of herself for being able to go shopping “like a big girl.”

So, we dug out her painting smock, and got to work. She painted the front of the frame. I offered to paint the back and sides and she said no. She liked them the way they were. Ummmm…okay. She “let” me paint the letters and glue everything, since the letters were so small and I had no intensions of letting her use my glue gun. After all, she is 2.

Hannah finished the whole project by selecting a photo to display. She originally picked one of the cats, but I told her that Daddy would much rather see her pretty face than our furry monsters. I must say, I am very proud of her crafting and the fact that she kept the whole thing a secret for a week or so!!!

While working on the frame with the Diva, I was reminded of some of the Rules of Toddler Crafting.

Rule #1: Put away your inner OCD crafter. It took a lot out of me to not paint the sides and back of the frame. I had to count to 10 and take some deep breaths (okay, not really, but it still irks me a bit)

Rule #2: Let go of the dollar signs. My little one was so excited to be making something all on her own for Daddy that I didn’t care what it cost. Granted, I wasn’t about to spend a small fortune on supplies, but I wasn’t counting pennies either. The same goes for supplies you already have at home. If you don’t want your toddler to use up all of the $15 glitter, don’t even show it to them. There is an unwritten rule in the heads of toddlers everywhere…they MUST use/dump/even eat all of the most expensive supplies you have! You’ve been warned!!!

Rule #3: You must act as the mediator. Unless you enjoy getting dirty looks from your significant other, don’t set them up for failure. As soon as the craft is seen, kindly say, “Honey, isn’t that the most beautiful (fill in the blank), you’ve ever seen?” This not only strokes the ego of your child, but it also tips off your significant other as to what the item is.

Rule #4: Let loose!! Who cares if you need to vacuum an extra time this week or if you need to throw your kid in the bath after a craft session? Being creative helps everyone involved grow and express themselves. Have fun and your child will too!!!

What are some of your favorite toddler crafts?? I’d love to hear about them!!

Cheers!
Sharon

Hello...I'm a Dabbler, Die-Hard, Spectator...you??

If you read my last post, you’d know that I am planning on revamping the blog a bit. I am still in the process of finding a new layout that I like, so bear with me on that. While thinking about what kind of craft blog I wanted to have, I was forced to think about what kind of crafter I am. Here are some of the possible categories I came up with…

- The Ultimate Crafter…aka My Mom. This is the crafter who can go to Michaels, buy $10 of goodies, and as Tim Gunn would say, “make it work.” This crafter is not only good at crafts, but can also rival Julia in the kitchen, turn a dead plant into a prize winning roses, decorate a room better than the HGTV folks…oh, and did I mention…they make it look effortless!! This is the crafter that everyone hates, but strives to be. They are their own biggest critic, but deep down they know (or should know), that they kick butt!

- The Dabbler. A little of this…a little of that. This is your ADD crafter. Be careful if you are friends with this person…they will (and have) bought the supplies to make every end cap displayed craft at the store. They love to try new things, but hate to commit to any of them. One year you might get a knit scarf for Christmas, the next year you’ll get an oil painting. There is never a dull moment with this crafty person.

- “A” for Effort. This not-so-crafty person deserves a medal for their hard work-albeit, it won’t be a gold medal. They try hard and every once in a while have a successful crafting project. In my opinion, most crafters fall into this category. With a bit more confidence and practice, the “A” for Effort crafter can easily become one of the other types of crafters, yet very few stick around long enough to find out.

- The Spectator. We all know this person. They frequent craft fairs, they have a frequent buyer card on Etsy, and they love walking the aisles of craft stores. This person loves the look, feel and smell (Yes, I said smell…have you ever shoved your nose into a bouquet of dried flowers??) of handmade things, but they have no intentions of ever making their own crafts. This same person can sometimes be referred to as the Rip-off Artist, as from time to time, they may claim purchased items as their own handiwork.

- The Die-Hard. Have you ever been to a craft store and seen the person in the checkout line with their shopping cart filled to the top with “stuff”? Chances are you have encountered The Die-Hard. This individual jumps head first into a craft, all while buying the entire aisle at the craft store that is dedicated to said craft. They may or may not use their “stuff” more than once, but they consider themselves an expert. After all, they have every related goodie in their stash…some of that product knowledge had to have rub off at one point or another.

These are just a few of the types of crafter that I could think of…I’m sure there are many, many more out there.

As for me, I think that I am a Crafting Mutt. I have been known to dabble (someday let me tell you about the cross stitch blanket that has been sitting in my craft bin for YEARS); I have had a few successes, so I guess I deserve the occasional “A” for Effort; I have been to craft fairs before, though I cannot think of anything that I have actually purchased at one; and you should see my random collection of books, materials, and miscellaneous “stuff” that I have at one point or another filled my shopping cart with!!


I’d love to hear what your crafting style is…feel free to comment and share!!!

Cheers!
Sharon