Friday, August 15, 2014

Closet Crafter

My name is Ellen and I am a closet crafter!
It's true.
Most people probably don't know I am crafty.  
I teach high school math.
I am concrete sequential, an ESTJ, and off-the-chart left brained.

Looking at the picture above, I think my coworkers and acquaintances would agree I am on the left.  But there is a whole other side of me that most people don't get to see.  I like colour.  I like being creative.  I am passionate about things that interest me.  My other teaching major was…*gasp*…a language!  Even as a little girl, I remember the joy and excitement I would get upon seeing construction paper, macaroni, glue, and some paint.  Pompoms made me happy.  Pipe cleaners, don't even go there! Scrap fabric and my mom's pinking shears would result in my own Project runway creation at 6 years old.  
Over the years, my crafting has ebbed and flowed as life as an adult took precedence.  I've done cross stitch, needlepoint, blackwork, felting, etc.  In 2004, during a particularly uneventful spring break, I found card making.  Oh the paper, the pretty paper!  The world of paper crafting unfolded before me and I was hooked.  Over the last 10 years, I have made countless scrapbook pages, mini albums, mixed media projects, cards, et al.  Most of these projects have been for me and I've learned over the years that it is more about the process - learning new things, having a creative outlet, stress relief - than about the finished product.  Not having children, I'm not preserving memories for a future generation.  Being an educator comes with a natural passion for learning.  I craft to learn and grow as a person.

Why blog? Why now?
While my brain does dabble on the right side quite often, I would never call myself an artist.  Artists, to me, see the world differently than I do.  They see colour in black and white.  They get inspired from nature.  They can turn a block of wood, stone, clay, junk into something unique and beautiful.  They look at a square and see a circle or rectangle or box or…  I see a square.  
So…how do I create?  I get inspiration from artists.  I am a great copier.  I can take their circle square and tweak it.  Yes folks, I am a craft-lifter!  I scan the internet and Pinterest (Follow me!) and look for projects that say "Hey you!" to me.  I am not sorry or ashamed.
And so, this blog was born to give back to the crafty community and share some of my creations in the hope to inspire others.  When possible, I will show my project along with the inspiration to give credit where due.  I hope you enjoy the journey.

~E

1 comment: