Is there anybody still out there reading this?

I’ve had a hard time writing blog posts lately because quite frankly my blog and I seem to be having an identity crisis. I’ve been blogging in one place or another since about 2000. I had a Tripod site before that with family pictures and current craft projects and stuff even before that. My earlier blogs were all just personal blogs. This one even started out pretty much as a personal blog with a lot of knitting content. But then I decided to try my hand at running a small business and named it after my blog. Then this became a business blog with a strong focus on crafting. I felt the need to curb a lot of the personal stuff and to stop with the cursing!

But now that I’ve closed the store and just sell fabric on my etsy store there just isn’t much to say in that regard. I haven’t done any sewing since I packed up my machines at the store in April. They are still in boxes in the work room. I started knitting a cardigan sometime in May I think but it just sits in a bag now because I haven’t been back to Friday knitting at Wool & Co. since I started it. (Knitting with a new puppy in the house is next to impossible! She grabs the needles and yarn and my hands….you get the picture.) I’ve all but lost all my crafting mojo.

I read a lot of blogs of all kinds. I still subscribe to a bunch of knitting and crafting blogs but many of them go unread. About a month ago I came to the shocking realization that I may be becoming one of “those” middle age women. You know the ones. The ones that say things like, “I used to do all kind of crafts.” or “I sewed all my own maternity clothes and made so many dresses for my girls when they were little. But now I just don’t do it anymore.” etc. etc. It’s not even like I don’t have the time, I’m just not interested right now. I read craft blogs written by women in their 20s and 30s and see myself at that age. (It wasn’t THAT long ago!) They all have such a fresh and dynamic energy about what they are doing that I seemed to have lost along the way.

I also often have a feeling of “been there, done that” when I’m reading craft blogs. My mom was a very creative woman (still is) and my sisters and I grew up doing every craft under the sun. We were also a big 4H family and every year made all kinds of projects for the county fair. Some years I would have entries in sewing, knitting, cooking, macrame, painting, basket weaving and needlework in addition to showing our horses all week. Like fashion, crafts popularity come around in cycles. So I’ve now been around long enough that everything old is new again. This is why sometimes I have a hard time teaching what I know because it seems like I’ve just always known it. I’ve forgotten what it was like to learn it for the first time and I have a hard time relating to my student in that way. So many of the craft blogs are written by people relatively new to their chosen art form and that is refreshing and exciting. I don’t feel new and excited anymore.

So this will probably go back to being just a personal blog. I’ve been thinking about it and I do realize that I may have a perspective and life that might be a little unique to many of the blogs I’ve been reading. “Mommy blogs” are very popular and I wish that they had been around when my girls were young because I could’ve used the support and the outlet when I was home alone trying to keep it all together. But I did survive it and now I’m a Mom to two wonderful young women. They hate when I blog about them but no one says I can’t blog about my side of things.

So in short, I can’t guarantee a lot of regular craft content and if you subscribed just for that I’m probably talking to thin air anyway because I haven’t offered much in the way of craft stuff in months anyway. Creativity is just part of my DNA so I’m sure I’ll come back to it in some way, shape or form eventually. If you are interested in eavesdropping in on my weird, eclectic, and crazy life, stay tuned. There will probably be a lot more of that coming up. But be warned, I do swear a lot and even though I know my mother reads this on occasion, it is just who I am and I’m bound to drop a shitdamnf*ck when the mood strikes.

I had this idea to put together little mini-classes for the holiday season that sisters, friends, mothers & daughters or other couples could come do together. My first idea was to call the “Crafternoons” but I opted for Craftogethers instead. I guess it is a good thing I did because I’ve since found out that Crafternoons was already taken. Great minds and all that I guess (I think I should just write a book.)

Would you like to make gifts or holiday decorations for yourself and others but just don’t want to bother with getting the supplies, making a mess in your house and then having to clean up that mess? The holidays are hectic enough without the added hassle of all that. Instead, take an afternoon off and join us at My Eclectic Mess in St. Charles for two hours of crafting fun. We’ll provide all the supplies, know-how and best of all, the clean up!

This is the perfect activity to share with your child, sister, mother, best friend or neighbor. You’ll get time together to share in the making of memories as well as the cool crafts you’ll complete.

November 22, 2-4pm: Wool Felt Mitten Ornament

Join us to make a cute wool felt mitten ornament. This ornament makes a great tree decoration or gift tag. It is open on the top so you can fill it with a gift card or monetary gift.
 

December 6, 2-4pm: Home Sweet Homes

In this mini-class we will each make a tiny chipboard and paper “gingerbread” house to hang on our tree or decorate our table top.

December 13, 2-4pm: Stamped Gift Wrap

Make unique, one of a kind wrapping paper using hand carved stamps made from inexpensive materials and techniques.

December 20, 2-4pm: Polymer Clay Votive Holders

Celebrate the winter solstice and help bring some light back into your long winter with this special candle holder. Learn polymer clay cane making techniques in this fun and informative class.
 

Pre-registration required one week in advance of the event. A $10/person non-refundable deposit is required to hold your spot, space is limited. Classes will be cancelled if a minimum number of participants (4 persons) are not registered on week prior to event. Deposits will be refunded in the event of cancellation.
All classes will be held on Saturdays from 2-4pm. Register with a friend and save $30/person or $50/couple.

More information and a sign-up form available: Downloadable Brochure

Here is a quick and inexpensive project for making weather proof Halloween bats.
 
Using the same techniques I used to make Recycled Plastic Totes I bonded layers of black plastic garbage bags together to make a heavier “fabric”. Then I just cut out bat shapes and sewed thread through them to hang them from the front porch.

(Click on any of the thumbnail pictures for a larger view.)
Step 1: 
Fold garbage bag in quarters and smooth out wrinkles.
Step 2: 
Place folded bag between layers of paper. I use a large piece of newsprint.
Step 3: 
Set iron to wool/silk setting with no steam. Iron over paper/garbage bag sandwich. Be careful to keep iron moving and apply pressure to get plastic to melt and flatten out. Keep checking progress and flip plastic over periodically to help bond both sides. If the iron is too hot or left in one place too long it can cause holes in the plastic or make it stick to the paper. Gently peal the paper from the plastic if it starts to stick.
 
The end result will be a textured thick plastic “fabric”.

Step 4:   
Cut rectangle of plastic into two smaller rectangles. Using a paper template, and folding plastic in half, cut bat shape from both plastic rectangles. Download Bat Template PDF

Step 5:
Using mono-filament or black thread sew thread onto bat and hang.
 
On one bat I just sewed through the back of the “head” and on the other I sewed through both wings and connected the threads in the middle.