A Crafty Tale - Part Two

Part two begins with me going shopping for vacuum cleaner bags last night. No, I didn't get them. Duh! Forgot what size! So what do I do? The only thing I *can* do - I wander into the craft section.

I will be the first to tell you that when it comes to crafting ability there are two things I absolutely, positvely, beyond no doubt, cannot do even after lessons and years of trying - sew or draw. But I'll also tell you that it doesn't stop me if I get a bee in my bonnet. (Yes, I *do* occasionally wear hats and believe it or not, my dad raised bees when I was a kid so I know what that could be like!)

I got it into my head to make a tote for the lady I am spoiling as my secret pal for SP8. I spent WAY too much money on a set of 3 canvas totes (I take one every day to work and since nobody cares what they look like but me, I fabric paint on them and do silly things and they're personalized but mine) and fabric paint in glitter colors and then the kind that makes beads. I also bought a ton of different novelty kind of buttons, and thread to sew them on.

Last night when I got home I did what I was going to with the glitter paint. Tonight I embellished with buttons and more fabric paint. It looks like a 6th grader did it but it's definitely personalized and unique and if she doesn't like it (I wouldn't blame her, really), oh well. It was something I did just for fun. Something I did because I want her to know I wanted to do something out of the ordinary. She could very well look at it and go, "Oh yuck! What was she THINKING?!?" and that's OK. I had fun doing it and designing it. I will post a picture when I post the pictures of the bowl from Part One.

My theory has always been that it doesn't matter if it's ugly and you hate it and never use it. If it's homemade it means someone took their time and cared enough about you to do it and that THAT feeling means more to the crafter who made it than whether you liked it or not. It's being able to GIVE that is a reward. It's being able to SHARE whatever amount of talent, large or small, that God gave to you. It's being CARING that matters.

I think the lady I have knows that. She spins and dyes and cares deeply for her husband and pets. She can use it to carry potting soil. She can throw it in the back of the closet. But I don't think she will. She crafts. Crafty people like even the ugliest gifts. Don't you think so?