Crafting for life

I have enjoyed crafting for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I was always asking my mother for empty coffee cans, egg cartons, and cereal boxes from which I would construct various pieces of artwork, homemade toys, and who-knows-what. (See - I had a passion for recycling and upcycling from a very young age.) The Childcraft "Make and Do" book was among my favorite books, though I enjoyed "designing" my own projects as well.

As a sidenote, I was thrilled to find an entire set of used Childcraft Books at this gem of a book shop a few years ago. I was so excited thinking that my son could grow to love and enjoy the same books that I did as a kid. But between you and me, I may keep them for myself because it makes me happy and nostalgic every time I glance at them all lined up on my shelf.

I'm happy to say that my passion for crafting has stayed with me as an adult. Over the years, I have dabbled in many different crafty projects...sewing, painting, drawing, cross stitch, knitting. Some have been successful, and some haven't. Some, like sewing, will go by the wayside for many months, until an idea pops into my head, forcing me to turn my dining room back into a sewing room for a few weeks. My latest whim has been jewelry. I started making jewelry right before Christmas last year when I needed some gift ideas for the women in my life. I discovered that I really, really enjoy it. I started off with simple bead stringing, like this:

I recently started to experiment with wire wrapping, and I'm finding that this could be my favorite design medium. I can (and sometimes do) spend hours looking at beads, wire, and jewelry supplies at the bead store. The possibilities are endlesss.

I purchased a bunch of supplies the other day, and they are calling to me. I have had a busy week and haven't been able to work on any designs, but I'm itching to get started.