16/05/2024
I've always had an interest in arts and crafts, doing anything from decoupage to fabric painting and a bit of sewing (well, I tried), puzzle building and speed croswords (yes, I'm including it here) but not really having my own stuff as these were done mostly as workshops. A friend titled me "the stationery queen" many years ago and it stuck. I can't walk passed a stationer or a craft shop now without going in and invariably buying something. I love a good pen. It doesn't mean I'll use it, I just like to have it.
Several years later, scrapbooking is added to the list of crafts and it soon becomes a two-fold addiction - buying goodies vs actually crafting. Add a dedicated craft room into the mix and I have a room full of nice, pretty things and lots of goodies and gadgets and nothing being made. Even if nothing was made, just being in my craft room was good enough. With so much stuff, I decided maybe it was time to share a little. Or so I thought.
Back in 2019, The Write Idea ZA was initially going to be a homeshool learning environment, not only for my son but to expand and help other kids with sensory needs in the form of crafting and sensory play at craft markets. Within a few months, the world pretty much shut down and the idea was shelved too.
Having packed up house in South Africa at the end of 2022 to move to a different country, I brought as much of my craft supplies and machines with me as the suitcases would allow. There was a lot I couldn't bring with me.
Since moving to England in early 2023, I no longer have a craft room, but I do have a dedicated (and constantly growing) space in our little home where I find myself with more time than I know what to do with. Finding fellow crafters close to my residence and needing to find familiar and similar crafts supplies has been a bit of a challenge. Having said that, it took less than 24 hours after arrival to find the local stationer and just a few weeks to find a store which had what I was looking for. Of course I found online retailers and spend far too much time scrolling their websites looking for a good bargain, nevermind the charity shops at every opportunity, which my husband and son have to drag me away from constantly.
In 2024 and I'm now crafting with purpose - it's been dubbed Twenty-Plenty-More by a fellow crafter. I have regular craft workshops and I'm taking part in online challenges, some of which are out of my comfort zone. I have a dedicated weekly virtual scrap and chat with the ladies from Cape Town and have managed to finish at least one layout or project a week since we started. They get just as excited as I do about the purchases and bargain finds and I love sharing it with them. I've done a couple of commissioned works too, still to be posted.
Now, I want to share the knowledge of my experiences, the tips and tricks I've learnt with fellow crafters and create beautiful works of art, whatever it may be. I love papercraft but give me a paint brush and a piece of raw pottery or a canvas and I think I'm Picasso painting a masterpiece. Crafts are not rigid, and whilst there might be some guidelines on what shouldn't be done, it doesn't mean it can't be done. Except for scissors. Scissors are meant for crafting, and we dare not use fabric scissors for paper or paper scissors for the kitchen. Every tool has a purpose. If only our children and husband's understood this.
I subscribe and follow so many pages and then of course there's Pinterest - we all know the rabbit hole that is! I have ideas, they're multiplying and I'm losing my mind. I have stash, I need to use it so why not share with other people? It's no good having the "Gucci gear" if it's not going to be used. I've learnt so much from the workshops and absolutely love being in company with like-minded crafters, we learn so much from one another.
Here's to finding happiness in crafting and whatever else it may bring.
