The Introverted Crafter

Introversion can be a positive thing; it is no bad thing if you are comfortable being on your own. I suppose it depends upon whether you are an introvert by choice, if you are an introvert because others have rejected you, or if you fall into the third category. The third category is an amalgamation of the other two, and that is the one that I fall into. I am, to put it politely, completely socially inept. Think back to what you were like when you were an awkward teenager. I am still like that now. I honestly have trouble interacting with people socially, and tend to clam up and even have panic attacks when there are more than a few people in any room that I am in. So, in order to limit the amount of attacks that I have I avoid all social interactions. I come to work, I go home. That's it. I have pushed people away until they have given up trying, for which I cannot blame them. The irony is that the loneliness that I feel now is completely self-inflicted. I have always had diffic...

I must admit I do not know who first came up with the idea, but the spending ban has been a bit hard this week, so i did some googling for inspiration. I've found that the majority of people who go on a ban are actually beauty bloggers (in fact I seem to be the only one who is a craft addict on a ban!) but the ideas they have do translate to my predicament. The one that helped me through this week: shopping your stash. The premise is simple; if you feel the urge to spend (easy with the amount of adverts that we are exposed to on a daily basis, not to mention the offers) then what you do is you go to your make up/ toiletry/ wardrobe, or in my case, craft, stash, and re-discover things that you had forgotten you had. Amazingly, it does work. I'm working on a project at the moment (have not finished so it will remain a secret until I have done) and was contemplating buying things to add to it. Instead I went through my stash and found what I needed! I have also gone through my j...

Well, my week off is almost over and i have come to the realisation that i always over-estimate how much i am going to get done. First things first, it is NOT a good idea to plan a spending ban that coincides with a week off. I crumbled, admittedly not spending much, but i did get some mica powders for use with polymer clay, and some glossy accents (which, as it is glue, is admittedly a necessity). However, it is a breach of the rules so as penance i am restricting myself to 10 episodes of Numb3rs a week maximum, thereby extending the ban till mid July. (Seven weeks from now). Anyway, confessional over, i may as well review the inks! These are seriously tiny! So much so, i was worried that they would run out quickly. However, they have a thicker sponge than the full size pads, and a lot of ink! I recommend these above the full size ones as you can buy them in four packs, so get a nice range of colours. Another plus is that they conveniently stack together for easy storage....

Before i start on with the crafts, something must be acknowledged. An amazing, inspirational, young man died this morning. Unless you have been living under a rock this last month, you will have heard the name Stephen Sutton, a 19 year old who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 15. He spent the last four years of his life being positive in the face of a terminal illness, and inspiring millions around the world. He is proof that one person can change the world for the better, and i truly hope that his death does not stop the chain reaction of raising money and awareness for charity that his work in life started. As a legacy to him, we must all realise that the little things do not matter, that being good to each other and doing things for others is so important; far more important than buying the latest gadgets, or having a new wardrobe every season. In short, we must all aspire to be like him. If you wish to donate in his memory, you can do so at https://www.justgiving.com/S...

As you can tell i love cross stitch, but when you have finished a piece with the intention of gifting it to somebody else, there is a quandary up ahead. Should I put it into a frame? A cushion? Or should I leave it for the recipient to decide? With my latest stitch, i decided to make something a little different. Using two different materials from previous Crafty Creatives boxes, I decided to make a bag. Once the decision had been made, mum made it for me! I'm still a little reluctant to use the sewing machine. I need to be practise to be honest, but i don't want to practise on someone's present. I did do the cross stitch part though! It was a free pattern i found online, but i decided to change the colours as it was just black on the original pattern. Here are the updates on the two stitches i am working on currently. I've finally finished page two of the photo stitch. I want to get it done as soon as i can, but at the latest i want to finish it ...

Two posts in two days! Who'da thunk it? Anyway, as promised, here is the review of the Crafty Creatives Spring box. I used to subscribe to Crafty Creatives, but decided not to continue my subscription after the price increased and it became kit based. It's still a good idea if you like learning new crafts but i preferred the older style. So when they announced a spring special box i snapped it up! Ah I've missed these - I used to love getting a box of surprises each month. So far I have found nothing to replace it. Anyway, to the contents! This is the first of three kits, a wire decoration kit.  Not one, but two pom pom makers! They aren't really my cup of tea, but my mum has been looking to get one for ages, so i gave them to her. This was kit 2. I love this fabric! I'm thinking of using it with the Vintage Cross stitch i completed to make a cushion. What do you think? Some papers and vintage French pics. I can definitely...

Well i have finally decided to put myself out there a bit as it were and try a challenge! I loved the look of Tim Holtz' new tag (check it out on his website) so thought i would try to do my own version of it. It's slightly more feminine than his, and doesn't have as much on it. Crafters have always lived in a state of paradox - we buy crafty things because we think they are gorgeous yet we never seem to use them. Tim's challenge was for us to go through our stash and use some of our long stashed stuff. Here is my take on it The background of the charms is Madam Payraud paper (my go to at the moment) edged with faded burlap distress ink. The heart is a grungepaper one, covered with nail polish as i couldn't find the right shade i wanted in my craft stash, so i raided my nail polish stash! There is a grungepaper keyhole behind the key as well, coated with faded burlap and gold ink. The word blessings is part of an embossing folder that has words to...