Five Dollar Friday- Crafty Hour

Every day is a new chance to choose.
Choose to change your perspective.
Choose to flip the switch in your mind. Turn on the light and stop fretting about with insecurity and doubt.
Choose to do your work and be free of distraction. Choose to see the best in someone, or choose to bring out the worst in them. Choose to be a laser beam, with focused intention, or a scattered ray of light that doesn't do any good. - Ishita Gupta

 Portland, Oregon, the town I live in, is one creative place.  I've lived here for years, and I don't know how or why, but it attracts some very creative people.  I feel luck to have the resources at my fingertips for any sort of crazy creating.  My new favorite place in the the world is Collage.  It's this amazing store with a bit of everything.  Paper, paint, stamps, ribbons, and just tons and tons of cool stuff that as I walk by it on the shelves tugs at my creativity.  They also offer wonderful unique classes.  These classes are taught by wonderful, nurturing and unique teachers.  On Fridays, Collage offers mini crafty/arty classes.  They are only an hour long.  And only cost five dollars.  I've been looking at these for months now.  Last Friday I decided to go to Five Dollar Friday at Collage.  This week's craft- Collage tags dipped in wax.  I had no idea what this was. I do know I like dipping stuff in wax.

The craft tables were packed with women wanting to shed their week, and start their week end.  The teacher was funny and easy to understand.  The process is a simple one...make a collage on a tag and dip it in wax.  I really didn't want to over think this hour. I was there for fun!  I quickly pulled out images I liked and got to work.  I was trying to figure out what people do with the completed tags.  I guess anything.  Come to discover, the teacher loves to dip things in wax as well. So, why not collaged tags?

About 20 minutes into the hour, a woman in a wheelchair showed up with two other women, we all quickly found out, the women, were her caregivers and that the woman in the wheel chair was 96 years old.  This elderly woman was complaining about why she had to come to a craft class.  "No body cares about this shit anyway." (her words not mine).  She bitched and crafted for a good 15 minutes.  Making everyone at the craft tables uncomfortable.  Her caregivers were ignoring her and crafting away.  After what seemed like the 25th time this woman stated. "Nobody cares about me or this crafting shit", at the top of her voice,I looked up at her and said. "I'm very glad you are here. I like what you have created."  She was startled.  Her Caregiver smiled and went right on crafting.  After a very quiet moment at the craft table.  The 96 year old women said. "Thank you."  I smiled at her and said. "You're welcome."  Sighs were heard around the craft table and chatter was picked up again. There was no more bitchin and moanin and at the end of the hour, I overheard my 96 year old friend say. "That was fun."

I was glad that woman had come to Five Dollar Friday.  However, it is my wish for her that if she chooses to come to Five Dollar Friday again, she leaves her bitchin' at the door.  You know we all can leave our bitchin' at the door. We can also choose to bring our best selves as well.  It's all about choice. I think sometimes it is easy to forget to bring our best, life gets to us.  And the bitchin' is always ready to come with us. It's is easy to let our life curcumstances get to us.  As struggle in all the stuff of life that gets heaped on us day to day,  we forget what our best selves really look like. We have a choice to find that or wallow in the negative and make everyone around us uncomfortable. My judgement is that is what might have happened to our 96 year old craft mate, for a moment she maybe forgot her best self.

Are you willing to bring your best self to life? 

Until next week create to feel great!

19 projects complete! 33 to go

 

Love The Crafternoon

Ah! Valentines Day! I love it, I really do.  It's not that I'm married and it's a big deal. In 22 years of marriage, Broadside has never really known what to do with Valentine's Day.  Sometimes I get flowers or some other gift, but that's only some years. We don't go out to dinner that night.  This year I made gluten free heart shaped biscuits to go with pulled pork. Yum! Celebrating the day doesn't matter to me, really.  He shows and tells me he loves me everyday and not just in a "I love you" as I run out the door sort of way, but he'll acknowledge me, and my creative efforts and the joy I bring into the relationship. I do the same for him.  For me that's a Valentine.
Valentine's Day has become this time for me to throw back to my childhood.  To a time when I would spend days and days making Valentine cards to give to all my classmates at school (even the weird-o boys).

This year I had a good friend invite me over for a Valentine making Crafternoon.  The same friend who, in November, we made decorated boxes together.  Needless to say it was a great afternoon.  Lots of glitter was sprinkled, lots of stories and figuring out the world and many Valentines were created that afternoon.  My friend sets aside one Sunday a month for an open house.   She sent out a notice with her Christmas card.  Some Sundays are Crafternoons, some are folks just hanging out, enjoying a drink and snacks.  Of course, I look forward the Crafternoons.  Most of her friends don't show up for these.  If they do, they seem afraid to jump in.  The beauty of my friend, is that she loves play.  LOVES PLAY!  And her approach to crafting is just that...playful. It's attractive and inviting, she really encourages others to jump right in.  My approach is playful, but I always create like Martha Stewart is going to walk in the room any minute and if she doesn't like my craft, put an X in my permanent record for life, and take away my crafting tools. Though after a short time of creating with my friend, I start channeling my inner six year old.  I feel her reluctant to craft friends are missing out on a good time here.

This year, I got so excited about Valentine's Day Cards, that I went on line looking for ideas and heart templates. I discovered this site called Swap-bot. It's a wonderland of crafty folks swaping crafts and craft materials.  There was a Valentine Card Swap.  I quickly entered.  The swap was to send 3 people a handmade Valentine.  Wow!  I was thrilled at the ones I got and it connected me to just how many wonderful people there are in the world and most of these folks craft from the heart for real.

Now I'm hooked on Swap-bot.com.  I recently did a swap for Random Acts of Kindness.  That was cool. I've done two Ultimate Year of Happy Mail- Sparkles and Paper.  Got glitter and craft paper.
I'm signed up to do 5 more.  I also got invited into a small group who grant each other craft wishes.  I put out my wish list and so do they and if we have something on that list...we send it off to the person!  Amazing.
All this crafting, creating and connection to a bigger world outside my studio has shifted my attitude on life big time.  I realize, once again, there is this whole big world of good thoughts, kind acts, and creating going on out there.  It makes me joyful and happy to know I'm a part of it.
Are you sitting at the crafting table of life reluctant to join in on the play of creating fun and joy in your life?
Come on! Pick up the glitter and glue stick and join in!  There's plenty of room at the table and tons of crafting supplies.
Until next week...create to feel great!
18 projects complete! 34 to go!

P.S. Crafternoon is a term I've used for years, but Crafting Queen Maura Madden, has a new book out titled Crafternoon...it is about how to host a craft get together once month.  Crafty minds, I'll tell ya.

Now We Are Six- A Celebration Of Gus

When I was One,  I had just begun.
When I was Two,  I was nearly new.
When I was Three, I was hardly me.
When I was Four, I was not much more.
When I was Five, I was just alive.
But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever,
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever. ~ From Now We Are Six By A.A. Milne

The wonderful, sweet, bouncy Mr. Gus turned six years old this week.  I met him at the shelter, when he was four.  The day he came into the shelter, was my day to volunteer.  He was like no cat to come into the shelter.  New arrivals at the shelter usually have this look of "what the hell has happened to me?"  They are kept in a cage of a few days to adjust. Gus was a golden bright light shining in his cage.  He looked like he had a smile on his face as he rolled around in his cage and poking his paw out of the cage to grab at me as I passed him.  One of the other volunteers commented that Gus was flirting with me.  He sure was. I couldn't resist opening his cage to pet him.  He crawled up on my shoulders and purred.  Since I was nursing my old man cat, Jack, at the time, I really didn't want to fall in love with Gus.  Weeks and months passed with me going to the shelter every Wednesday afternoon ,sometimes on other days, I got to see Gus, settle in quickly, and soon formed a "gang" of other orange and red boy cats in the main room.  Gus, Little Red Toby, Little Ricky and Thor, spent their days teasing the little kittens, and intimidating the old lady cats.  They were wild and out of control.  Soon Gus found himself in the back room (the shelter directors broke up the gang), and he was the favorite of the volunteers, everyone knew he was a special boy.  Three days after Jack passed, I was at the shelter, cleaning in the back room.  Gus jumped into my arms from the high ledge of the cat tree. I began to cry.  I was still feeling the pain of loosing my Jack.  Gus began to lick my tears, he put his paw on my cheek.
I hugged him and cried in his fur for what seemed like forever.  He was warm, soft and smelt like cinnamon.
I didn't want to fall in love with him, but  I did.  A couple of weeks later, I adopted him.  I had no idea what a remarkable cat he would be.  What a purfect fit he would be for our family.  He's magical, in his soft, bouncy little way.  He has positive cat-attitude.  He brings joy to all who meet him.  Even Mickeygirl loves and adores him.  I'm looking forward to many years with this goofy, silly, loving boy cat.  I really wish he could stay six for ever and ever!
Gus shows me everyday that a sunny outlook is everything, it is key to getting to where and what you want in life. There is no such thing as too much love. Either giving or receiving.  He reminds what great teachers animals are.  And still don't know why his fur smells like cinnamon, but it does.
For his sixth birthday, I made him a tent.  A special place all his own, 'cause now he is six.  Happy Birthday, Mr. Gus.

Mr. Rubber Rat waits for Gus to come home

Until next week...create to feel great! 
17 projects complete. 35 to go.

The Magical World Of Mrs. Remington

What I'm about to write here may send reader/followers running.  I've never read more than one or two chapters of the first Harry Potter book.  I've watched about ten minutes of one of the movies (please don't ask me which one).  It's just not my style of book.  If I'm going to read, I'll read a craft book or self help or a biography or a classic like The Great Gatsby.  Harry Potter doesn't appeal to me.  Although I like the backstory of J.K Rowling and I admire what she was able to do with her creativity. I have many friends that love them some Harry Potter- book and movies. Recently, one of my friends has ask me to consider making a Luna Lovegood costume for her.
Not knowing the character, I thought. "There are Porn stars in the Harry Potter books?" (Just an odd choice of name).  It was time to hit the Internet and do some research!  What I quickly discovered was this Luna Lovegood is not a Porn Star, but  is a very creative,magical and quirky young girl.  For some H.P followers, she is their favorite character.  As she is described, she's really fits some of the aspects of my friends personality.  Once I discovered more about Luna, I realized that my friend had chosen a great character to want dress up like.  This was going to be fun.

It seems that Luna is know for wear a ButterBeer cork necklace and radish earrings.  Yes radish earrings.
Crafty Harry Potter fans have been crafting and posting the patterns for these earrings on the Internet for years.  From what I could tell, the radish earrings patterns are flat.  Last I looked radishes are round.

Here in was my challenge...how do I make round radish earrings?  Why is this such a challenge?  Well, I'm a lazy person at heart.  I like folks to give me the pattern or idea and I allow me to riff. Do my own thing.  I don't like figuring things out.  I enjoy the doing.  And yet, I accepted this challenge of the round radish earrings.      
Here's what I can up with (after rifting and brainstorming with Broadside for a couple of hours)...make a wool needle felt ball. (Yes, I'm still needle felting)  Cover that with beads strung on wire and glued on to the ball with jewelers glue. Then flat bead green leaves for the top. Magic!  Round radish earrings.  I can't remember when I was so proud of a creation. It was because I was not only rifting, but I was digging deep inside me and being willing to find the answer to make this work.  I could have given up and just beaded flat earrings.
That would have felt as good as I did when I completed this project.  That would not have allowed for some fantastic possibilities to grow for me.
My friend was beyond thrilled with her new earrings and necklace.  I'm thrilled a created something so unique in it's form and materials.  It felt like I created magic.  This magic came from me being willing to step out of my way.  Acknowledging that I'm a crafty rifter.   Instead of allowing that knowledge to stop me, I embraced it and allowed myself to dig deep and go beyond being more that just a crafty rifter.  I got out of my way.  I allowed space and room for something really cool to be created.
Getting out of one's way is just as simple as seeing yourself take one step to the right or left of the issue.  Letting go of the thought that you have to keep standing in the same place to get the issue resolved or project created.  One tiny tiny tiny step, that sometimes clears the way for us to see a huge field of possibilities.
Try it sometime.  Imagine youself taking one tiny tiny tiny step to the right or left.  Now what do you see?

Until next week...create to feel great.  I hope you create some magic with what you are now seeing.
16 projects complete...36 to go

A Celebration Of Happy

This last week, was a busy one.  I'm finishing up a costume project on a show that has the quick changes from hell to say the least.  I also have to trash costumes, bloody and dirty them up.  That is one thing I don't like to do with costumes.  Not because I feel every costume has to be clean, pressed and pretty, but because distressing costumes take so much time, and if I do too much, then the costume is ruined and doesn't look right.  Now on top of that, Mr. Gus decide to get a head/chest cold.  So, I've been sitting in the bathroom with steam and him for a week.  I can't tell if he's getting better, but it hurts my heart to see him not being a pest and his old bouncing self.  It's something we'll both have to just ride out. Plus a visit to the dentist in all this.  So, those are the "downsides" of my week.  Not too bad.
Up side I started yoga a week or so ago.  To say that I'm loving it would be an understatement.  A couple of days ago, I really felt my body, mind and spirit  line up.  Amazing stuff!  With this awareness, I'm seeing some really wonderful things in my life.   I had two people this week, take a stand for me and who I am.  Both were completely different situations.  Both times really sent me home a message of how valuable I am. How I treasure all the strong, loving and supportive people in my life- if which I have many.  In the two situations, this week, the friends took risks and went out on a limb for me.  It was a level of friendship and support, that I feel, until now, I've never been able to acknowledge.  I would shut down.  Sort of go out of the moment, so as not to feel the depth and beauty.  I'm glad I stayed in the moment to receive the gifts.
Someone asked me about my blog a couple of weeks ago.  They wanted to know what I'm "getting out of all this creative stuff."  So much.  I'm getting so much.  How?  By being open.  I've had to open myself up to the possibilities to create a project each week.  I'm not only creating stuff, but with a positive attitude. I can not be putting (excuse me here with the language- I'm channeling my Grandma) "God Damn it" energy all over everything and expect a loving or positive out come.  This being open for me, has also created a connection to me the rest of my world and the world at large.  I'm seeing and feeling things at a depth that shutting back down is not an option.  "Yeah, but won't you get hurt? I don't want to feel hurt."  Yes.  That's possible.  And yet it is a small price.  I love feeling alive and energized. Creative and healthy.  Connected and contributing.
I've opened the door.  It would be painful and hurtful to back out now. Again, it is an easy step.  Now, I said easy.  I will acknowledge adopting a positive attitude, allowing oneself to be open to all the good, great and sometime bad and really bad stuff...is a challenge.   I come from living in a place of worry, anger and fear for many years.  I can say now that my shift to the positive and creative and being open feels so so much better than the place I came from.  The first step on the path was easy.  Staying on the path as it unfolds is the challenge.  A worthwhile challenge for me, as I discovered this week the rewards are many and great.

Where are you "shutting down" and not allow life to flow in? It is time to enjoy a Celebration of Happy?
Until next week...create to feel great!
15 projects complete!  37 to go!

Oh, and in all this celebration of life and being open to life...I made Dry Lotion "hand cream" bars.  These are amazing for all the crafting I do.  Not greasy or filled chemicals.  A mix of great rich butters and lavender! Rub on my hands and I'm ready to get back into action! 

Creative Courage

Still going on my Christmas Crafting Creativity Buzz, I finally finished my last project of the holiday season.  I know how late is that?  I'm usually more timely with my gifts.  This year it got away with me.  The gift was for one of me "kids".  Who is not a kid any more but a lovely mature young woman in her twenties and working on a cruise ship that sails the Caribbean seas. Miss D. has had the good fortune to graduate from college and get a job working wardrobe on the ship.  "Working wardrobe" in theater is a difficult job.  I don't do it.  When asked to do wardrobe,  I hate to do it.  Now Miss D is the master of wardrobe.  She makes it an art of doing wardrobe.  It's one of her many talents.   I have been able to talk to her off and on during her contract with the cruise line and I've read her blog.  Even though she is doing what she loves and in an exciting environment, she is facing challenges, and she's doing great, by all accounts.  
What I'm learning from Miss D, is the importance of doing what we love for a living, and the courage it takes to work through the challenges.  I feel it takes a certain type of courage.  A creative courage.  What do I mean by this?  Well, it's the courage to use your creativity to meet challenges.  I think most folks can "stiff up lip" things and just get through.  Sometimes that's all the energy we got for the situation, and yet creative courage means to engage the creative process, not to just get through, but make something better out of the situation.  After all, it is your life.  Why would a person want to just get through?  Even under really adverse, crappy and horrible conditions, I feel the way through it is to engage creative courage.  Be courageous enough, find that creative spark to keep the fire of life burning inside.  Sometimes by not engaging our creativity and just getting through something, we forget how to live, we lose a bit of our soul.  It becomes difficult to recover those lost pieces.  I do believe they can be recovered but it takes a lot of work.  I for one really don't like working that hard.
Creative courage is a strength inside everyone that can not be taken away.  Only I can choose to give it away by choosing not to engage it.  Again, for me, it is looking at a challenge; instead of throwing my hands up in the air and taking a "oh, who cares, nothing can be done here." attitude, I ask how can I meet this challenge with my creativity engaged?
So, I created a pirate doll for Miss D.  The women pirates of old, had to be strong.  I don't know if they engaged their creativity in order to live the lives the chose to live.  I like to think they did.  I'm not trying to glorify pirates either, as they the life they chose was anything to glorify.  Certainly not positive.  And I know that living and working on cruise ship isn't anyone's idea of an adverse situation.  Yet I think it takes creative courage to not only create your life your way, but to follow through and keep on living it.
Where does your creative courage show up in your life?  Are you willing to be more creatively courageous in your life?
Until next week...create to feel great!
14 projects complete! 38 to go!

The Magical Blessing Of The Day!

I like making connections with things, events, ideas, people, etc.  It happens all the time with this Campaign.  A lot folks know I'm doing this.  A lot of folks send me ideas for projects.  "'Cause I was thinking of you and your blog." I like that.  I have a good friend, who lives in Colorado.  We speak on an almost weekly basis.  We've never met in person and yet the connection and friendship is amazing.  It's like we have been through years and years of stuff.  And yet we have never met.  We will some day and for the time, it doesn't stop us from building a sisterhood and a tight bond.  I have a few friends like that.  Old School Pen Pals have been replaced with telephone, email and text buddies.  The miles that separate- really don't.

My friend and I have been sending each other email links to these massive Internet sites with massive amounts of craft ideas.  I have to confess, I think I started it with the help of Martha Stewart.  This week my friend sent me a Quick Crafting link.  And from there my brain went into over load. (I think I'm still a little amp-ed up from all the holiday crafting I did. It's sort like eating too much sugar or a really great coffee buzz.)   One project struck me...quick fingerless gloves, well mitts!  Crotchet with big yarn.  This project struck me as a "want to make this." I have another friend. who is homeless and camps on the parking lot of the office I work at, he was saying, that same morning I got linked the pattern, that his hands are so wrecked by years of outdoor living.  It hurts to wear regular gloves. He has been looking for big fingerless gloves at the places that give out clothing.  Fingerless gloves are a much wanted item in his community and very hard to get.  I figure these aren't really a glove, but more like a mitt.  I think they might do until the real thing come along.  So, that connection between my friend in Colorado and my friend in the parking lot and this craft site...almost made me giddy with joy as I created.  Now maybe some of you are thinking. "Why doesn't she just go buy a pair of fingerless gloves?"  I could.  I could, and yet I keep thinking to myself. "What fun is that? Where's the joy and love in that?"  Besides the fact that I really hate to shop. Everyone would be advised to know, I love making things and giving them to folks.  With this "connection" I've created in my mind between a friend miles away and a friend locally in need and Internet designer and my stash of yarns and my creativity and my love of making things- running to the local store didn't seem as joyful.  So, I created.  The mitts were easy, yes they took time to make, an evening with stupid TV. I had a joyful time with them.  As I was making them, I also figured out a way to make them into real fingerless gloves.  The yarn I used was a blend of wool/acrylic and nylon. They will hold up to whatever Capt. Mark tosses at them.  The best part was giving Capt. Mark the gloves the following morning, after watching him struggle the previous morning with cold fingers.  They fit, they were comfortable on his fingers and hands.  He danced around for joy, showing them off to his friends as they passed by his campsite.  He thanked me for what he called "the magical blessing of the day."  He has no idea I'm focusing on bringing the magic this year.  I guess he knows now.  I didn't really realize I was bringing the magic to the situation when I was creating the gloves.  I guess I know now, as well.

I'm not posting this to brag.  I'm posting this to show how a very simple act can bring joy all around and touch more than one person.  I would have never thought of doing this or felt frustrated at how to do this, if my long distant friend had not sent me a craft link and I was in the moment enough to make the connection to making the gloves that became "the magical blessing of the day".  That for me is one of the greatest gifts of being in the moment and the creative flow.  Why I feel so blessed everyday. Using my blessings, my talents and gifts in a positive way can only bring about a positive outlook in me. It does. I like taking this outlook into the world.  It feels healthier, more productive.  And I feel closer to the people.  I certainly feel closer to my friends who are connected in this situation. More and more Magical Blessings of the day!
We all have blessings, gift, talents.  It's about being quiet long enough and strong enough in ourselves to bring them out and show them to the world.  Again, it's simple. I'll knowledge it sometimes takes practice here, and yet I like to say. "What else have I got to do with my time?"
The Magical Blessing Of The Day is now.  Right now.  How are you going to bring that into realization in your life? Right now?

Until next week...create to feel great!
13 projects complete. 39 to go!