At best, I’m a sporadic crafter and I’m not loyal to any one crafting discipline. I’ll see a random pretty, sparkly thing and attempt to make it myself. I might make a couple pretty, sparkly things, then I usually get distracted or bored, and move on to something else or stop crafting altogether for a while. I’m a creative type person, so it doesn’t take long until I get inspired and start another project.
The only real qualifications I have for a craft project is that it can easily be created at my coffee table in front of the television and that it doesn’t involve fire. It also helps if the quality of said craft isn’t adversely affected by a glass or five of wine. I also prefer a craft that can produce a finished piece in one evening, two evenings max. I’m not very patient and, as I mentioned, I get bored, so knitting or crocheting or anything of the sort is out of the question. I made a baby quilt once. Once. It nearly killed me.
Coiled ribbon brooches and ponytail holders I made on a crafting binge.
My crafting tendencies lean toward things I can wear, like jewelery or hair accessories. Every once in a while I’ll start to think I’m the shiz and I’ll try to make real art, but Van Gogh I’m not. I’m more of a doodler than an artist. Letterforms and typefaces have always fascinated me as well. That’s probably why I’ve had some success with creating ambigrams. I can sketch them out to keep me awake during work meetings.
- Ambigrams of Rachel, Space and Savanna.
One thing I keep coming back to, whenever I get the crafting bug, is paper. I love paper. I’ll make my own stickers, fold little origami animals or just cut out shapes from patterned paper to stick in my day planner. I’m pretty good with a pair of scissors, especially for a lefty using righty tools.
Just some of my origami papers. I have a problem.
I really put my scissor skills to the test the other day. I found an awesome cool website (cubeecraft.com) where you can download and print free templates to make papercraft toys. And I’m not talking about some lame-ass teddy bear or dolly. Take a gander at these guys:
Hellboy and Wolverine kickin' ass on my entertainment center.
Be still my geeky heart! I’ve got paper Dexter, Ray Stantz and Stay Puft Marshmallow Man all printed up and ready to cut out and piece together next. It’s going to be hard to decide which ones I keep at home and which ones I’ll take to decorate my desk at work. Maybe a different one for each day of the week! I gotta get cuttin’!
These are cool!! Oh, yeah, I keep meaning to ask you, what ever happened to the adventures of Rubber Band Ball?
He became jaded from sudden fame and lavish attention and decided he needed to “keep it real” for a while.
Or, I ran out of ideas and shelved him for a while. He’s still on my desk, staring at me, judging. I’ve been thinking that I need to get back to him. After I make all my new paper friends, that is!
Mrs. Amy: You gots any pitchers dem old sock puppets. Sock puppets will still enchant today’s young child. My favorite was the alligator, but the pig was alright too! Go 1950′s and ” I Like Ike”
I’ve never made sock puppets myself, but I do love them. I had quite a few homemade toys growing up. My mom was a crafty gal, too. I hope that kids these days can find room for simpler, low-tech toys with all their electronic gadgets.
i am the exact same way with crafts. i love em. I get tired of em. I move on to something else. Cross stitch is the only thing I can work on and not get tired of. Even when it takes me years to finish something!
Haven’t done cross stitch in years, but I do remember that I did like it. I would take me forever to finish anything, too!
Oooooohhhhh, I love those ambigrams! And your coiled ribbon brooch deal – looks fun. Am crafty, too – recent adventures include a million Kanzashi flowers, knitted leaves, and some collages. Former needlepoint addict. Now I have to go research amigrams … thanks for the great prompt (post).
Thank you! They were fun to do and quite addictive. I started going through all the names of my family and friends to see if I could “ambigram” them. My mom gave me the book Wordplay by John Langdon which fueled my interest and gave me some great tips on how to make them. He has a website, too: http://www.johnlangdon.net/. You should check it out.
As a lover of palindrome’s, the ambigrams fascinate me to no end. Of course you also have the mad origami skills too
Hell Boy for the office!
He’s on my desk right now protecting my monitor from evil!
Thank you for passing on another obsession. Those cubecrafts are just too freaking adorable!!
Oh, you’re welcome!
You are a great artist…my refrigerator was always full. Thanks for the crafty cudo…you did mean the cross -stich/sewing/etc not the witch part, right?
Yes, that’s what I meant!
I thought the ambigrams were pretty cool. Could you make me one that says ILLUMINATI so I can freak my guests out?
Why do I have a feeling that you already freak your guests out?
I like all the crafty stuff and the paper. Cool models too, I reckon Trandformers would work well in that form.
Ambigrams are amazing but I’m not sure I could manage one. I’ll look at the link…
That website might have a transformer one you could make. They got a ton of characters to choose from.
The ambigrams are cool to try. I actually did one of my sister’s name and did a homemade birthday card for her. It takes practice and not all words work out, but it’s fun!
Trandformers are like Transformers but said with a cold.
Ha! Your fingers have the sniffles?
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