Why Did YOU Start Crafting?

[CraftedRoots]

Hey everyone! I know I posted this before, but we have so many new members, I thought I would spark up this topic again.

How did you get into your craft? What inspired you to try it? Where did you learn it? Do you have a special, heart-warming story, or did you simply buy some craft supplies on impulse and haven't stopped creating since? Let's discuss!!

[Larissa]

Which one?  My mother was an art minor in college, so I had art supplies waiting for me at birth. 

I always had drawers filled with construction paper, pastels, crayons, paints, pipe cleaners, pompoms, yarn, rickrack, markers, silk flowers, a zillion kinds of glue, etc.  She bought me all sorts of kits too, coloring books, latch hook, stuff to make picture frames, and a zillion other things.

When I was in grammar school, I'd "play school" with my sister, who's 7 years younger, and teach her whatever art projects we were doing in class - weaving, clay pottery, origami, drawing, mosaics, papier mache, whatever.

I learned how to knit (just a bit, I want to go a lot further with it) because I act in community theater and played a character who needed to be knitting on stage.

I've always made things.  I bought myself a pattern & a bunch of felt, and made myself a poodle skirt by hand when I wanted one in '98 or '99.



I save everything - bits and pieces from other projects, stuff I pick up at yard sales, whatever - "just in case" they'll come in handy later.  They have been with the shirt revamping contest, you'll see how when you read my impending blog post about it.

As for soaping, that happened because Eric and I decided to try it when we ordered stuff to make candles and some of it was on backorder.  So we were jonesing to make something, didn't have the candle supplies, and made soap instead.  We've been expanding from there.

[MakinTheBestOfIt]

Love that skirt!

I lived with my grandmother off and on while growing up and she was old school, do it yourself.  She was one of those annoying people that would pick something up and announce that we could make this ourselves.  She cooked, canned, master seamstress, painting, gardened, woodworking, etc.  From this time the stool could reach the counter, my pigtails were tied back and I had my hands in whatever she was doing.  I guess I got the "I can do that" and "Oh, how do they do that" gene from her.

When Andrew and I got married, he was forced into crafting in order to spend time together!  He no longer flinches when I grab something new to try; just shakes his head and starts clearing off the counter to make room.

Now, my boys are doing it.  My oldest is constantly taking things apart and saying "I could use this."  My youngest has boxes of art supplies that he loves to dive into and has actually come up with really creative decorations around the holidays!  The gene lives on.

[Chainmaille By MBOI]

All you need is an "L" on the lapel Laverne! Love it that pic is too cool! LOL

[CalcedoniaDesign]

Well, I learned how to knit and crochet when I was about nine.  Everyone in my family knitted or crocheted or did tatting.  My grandmother used cotton thread to crochet with a number one needle… My mom who is 87 still has the bedspread she made. 
Anyway I learned but never did anything with the knowledge until I got married and my husbands family was quit large so I decided to make all the family members scarfs for Christmas all 23 of them
….. When my son was 5 and entered Kindergarten I met a school friend I had not seen in years .. well she said come over my house and see what I am making…. she was trying to sell the stuff to me … then I told her that I was making stuff as well … So we decided to make some stuff and do a flea market at the local school.. Two other mom's joined us and we made a big thirty dollars enough to take the kids out to White Castle after the fair. (I wont tell you what happened after the boys ate White Castle. You could use your imagination)  We did this several times…
 I was in the craft store so much that they offered me a job.  I ran the store and did there windows and made their samples all for $3.50 and hour… I then quit and did house parties, I made baskets for Mary Kay makeup, I did street fairs, etc… I then worked at the Fort Hamilton Army Base as a vendor for 6 years. I just loved working there until 9/11 when they locked the gates to outsiders.  I also at the same time  managed a book and giftstore … and after 9/11 had to close that Christmas Sales that year were so low.. …
Worked as an admin assistant for four years lost the job in November… and my son introduced me to etsy and that is where I am now… Just knitting and crocheting up a storm… you could read the rest of the story on my easy profile….

[Larissa]

LOL, thanks!  That photo was taken at the 1999 NY Halloween parade.  And the jacket on the bench next to me is my best friend's high school jacket.  It's a 1988 rather than 1958, but it was chilly and I figured I needed a "boyfriend's" varsity jacket to complete the look.

[jewelrybyjanelle50]

I guess mine started when I was a kid, I would watch my grandma's crochet. I didn't learn until much later, but liked it. My Aunt Veda Mae used to keep me busy at her dining room table with those tube paints, of which she helped me select an apron and a chef's hat, and let me paint the transfers on those. When I was into my teens, I learned the granny stitch to crochet squares for an afghan, I lost interest until later in life, then picked it up again. I began sewing in junior high school, and have been doing so ever since. I made my own clothes, you have seen some of the costumes I've made, and have more civil war era stuff I want to do. I have made bunny dolls and Raggedy Ann dolls and sold at fairs, a quilt, a girls western outfit, made pillows and curtains too. I got into silk flowers for awhile, made and sold arrangements at fairs. I learned how to cook really well over the years, and pretty soon, holidays were entertainment parties for me, I had fun making "pretty" deviled eggs, cakes, cheesecakes, cookies, breads and rolls, well, you get the idea. I picked up crochetiing again just a few years ago, and have made baby afghans for friends and family members. I made a granny square afghan that took second place in a veterans crafting contest. I took up jewelrymaking just a couple of years ago, most of it self taught, and that led me into woodworking~! My mother taught me young that the more you know how to do for yourself, the better off you will be in the long run for it.

[JewelrybyNaLa]

My artistic side didn't emerge until way into adulthood. I guess I've been a DIYer and a crafter for about the last 10 or 15 years. I got started after watching the early HGTV and DIY cable shows. Almost everything they did on those shows, I wanted to try. Much to my surprise, I seemed to have a wee bit of talent in a variety of areas, and I was having such a blast trying my hand at various arts and crafts. I dabbled in interior decorating, decorative painting, drawing, decoupage, making my own greeting cards, scrap booking and anything else that sparked my interest. These various adventures eventually led me to the world of jewelry design, and here I am! 

... and way cool poodle skirt there, Larissa!!   

[LTDBeads]

I've been playing with paper just about forever. And I did start beading probably even before I was a teenager (rosaries for the missions). And I was taught to solder and make simple rings as a teenager, but don't remember how to do that anymore. And, okay, 60s-70s I did some macrame. But my DIY skills tended more toward the practical: canning, cooking (I'd never learned that at home, wasn't even allowed to wash a dish), tuning-up the VW, sanding and gym-sealing floors, painting rooms, basic wiring (electrical). And I remember once, we were probably 10-12 at the time, my brother & I were finally left ... home, alone! And we disassembled and reassembled the kitchen stove. It still worked, and we didn't blow anything up, no doubt thanks to a HUGE element of pure, dumb luck.

Not, I admit, your run-of-the-mill crafts.

Finally one day a few years ago, I had a necklace that had broken. Down to the jeweler I went: "How much to restring?" And the price was so high - even the jeweler admitted it - that I went to Michael's, back when they still gave classes, and learned to crimp.

Then our contract ended; I was out of a job and stressing. And making necklaces to de-stress. And, duh, the light bulb went off: I LOVE making jewelry! So in that sense, I've only been crafting for about 3 years. But I've been a typesetter most of my life, so I do have a background in graphic arts.

[CraftedRoots]

Hmm, I never commented on this! No time now....but great stories! Anyone else?

[filissa]

I really do not remember any more why I start beading. Maybe because I have always being creative and after finishing art school, I wanted to do something beautiful on my own. I tried painting and photography but they existed only as a temporary hobby (painting was too time-consuming and too expensive). I still had call for colours and when I found polymer clay, I started to make these cool beads with different patterns...and suddenly I was using glass beads and semi precious stones and making stuff which looks like real jewellery.
It was a big surprise for me, cause I thought that beading is so boring and I´ll never to it. 
I´m still in love with pohotgraphy but it´s just that what I would like to do every day.

[Roz Petalz Studio]

I started my polymer clay bead crafting about 18 years ago when I was spending WAY too much $$$ on beads & decided to try making my own.
My dad, got me a book called "The New Clay", by Nan Roche.
I've been hooked ever since!


 ;)Kathy
http://www.RozPetalzStudio.etsy.com

[CraftedRoots]

Yay, I finally caught up with all the stories!

I LOVE how diverse everyone's backgrounds are, yet at the same time there are many similarities!

Let's see...I'm one of those types who's always been doing arty-fartsy things. I tried many different arts and crafts when I was younger--clay, shrinky dinks, peanut butter making, writing, Tupperware drum set making , drawing, photography, song writing, painting, sewing, and violin playing--all before I was even a tween! As I entered my teen years, I tried paper-making, macrame, web design, wood burning, book binding, decoupage, and many other things. I never tried anything beauty related, because I was too busy being a beauty guinea pig for my sister. She was always trying to paint my nails, cut my hair, put makeup on me, make me wear different clothes...and if I didn't cooperate, she'd do those things to my dolls. Needless to say, she's now assistant manager of a salon. Our family is always trying new things, so it's in my blood. Interestingly enough, my poor mother always tried to teach my sister and me how to sew, and we were very resistant. Well, resistant to a point. I liked the sewing part, but I HATED anything to do with patterns! (That's still my least favourite part.) Sewing was forgotten during my late teens, and now I'm picking it up again. Writing and editing will always be my first love. I married an artsy-craftsy man who has dabbled in just as many things (if not more!) as I have. I also plan to homeschool our kids, and can't wait to try all kinds of arts and crafts with them!! It'll be a blast!! I hope I can instill in them a love for all things creative. And I plan to make toothpick sculptures with them (one of my favourite crafts that my mom taught us )!

[kmarie0218]

I've been crafting ever since I can remember.  I come from a "long" line of creatives - my dad draws house plans (and builds them too), my mom did all sorts of crafts before MS took away her abilities, my grandma also does a variety of crafts, my grandpa was a tailor, his father was an artist/painter.  So I'm continuing in the traditions of making stuff!  Creating just seems to be in my nature.

My mom and grandma showed me how to knit and crochet (although I'm not so good at that) and I made an attempt at sewing but I do more ripping than anything else!

I used to do craft fairs with my mom and grandma - mom made a lot of knitted and crocheted items, grandma did a lot of plastic canvas.  I took up cross stitch and made and sold a ton of items.  After getting sick and tired of how much it cost to have mats cut for them, I bought a mat cutter and started doing my own matting and framing.

I gave up cross-stitch for beading over 6-7 years ago.  I find beading more "instant gratification" and started it after I bought a pair of earrings for $27 at a fair and thought, "I bet I can do this..."  Turns out I can. 

I'm starting to get into bead weaving these days, and I'm back to making polymer clay beads (got some baking right now!).

[CraftedRoots]

Hehe, Kmarie, I tend to be the same way, wanting "instant gratification" when it comes to crafting. I think I'm just an impatient crafter.