I’ve been making things for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, I even made my own ink from berries. My mother taught me to embroider, crochet, and hand sew, (yes, literally sitting on the floor at her feet) when I was about 5. By age 6, I was using the sewing machine and by age 10, I was making tailored suits for my sister’s Barbie! I got an “E” in Home Economics in Junior High because I was such an expert sewer (yes, it sounds strange but I detest the recently made up alternative word “sewist”!) by that time that I failed to use the step by step instructions and have the teacher check them off, one by one. But I was wearing the skirt made in class when she told me why I failed!
Since then, I have never been able to settle on just one aspect of art or craft. I believe that learning is fun and I want to learn it all. Once in a while, I learn something and never do it again, but I believe that exposure to every aspect of art and craft contributes to one’s overall ability to create. Curiosity didn’t kill the cat. It made him a better artist. You never know when knowing how to make a French knot in embroidery or to tie a Weaver’s Knot will help you to make a better bracelet from wire! Working with my former brother in law, we turned my bobbin lace into a wrought iron fence. The only two mediums I can think of that I have not tried yet are pastels and encaustics. All in good time.
I like to say that I’ve got power tools and I know how to use them! Right now when I am not painting in watercolor, journaling, making a book, or playing with resin, I am working on perfecting my quilting skills while I dream up pieces of jewelry to make. I’ve recently finished a stint on the AMAZING Crafting Products Design Team, working with Mold Putty and Casting Resins.