Crafty Genes

Isn't it wonderful when your blogging mojo is a little sluggish and you are suddenly given inspiration for a big fat juicy post?

I have just 'found' - or rather she found me...a lovely new blogger blanketsnbabies who has a 15mth daughter and like many of us, has found lots of new crafty things to do, inspired by her family.

So never being one to ignore a gift horse.....Crafty Genes

I would say I was more artistic than crafty. I was good at three subjects at school, Art, English and Geography. The rest I was pretty rubbish at. I was my art teacher's 'pet' and she helped me build up a portfolio of work to allow me to embark on a career in the art world. However, I happened to find myself in the school careers corner with a Royal Navy booklet and that was that. I joined up. (Read my Freedom Years blog if you want to know more)
I still have the portfolio of artwork.

As a young girl I always looked forward to seeing my aunty val when visiting my grandparents, she would have sketchpads, paints, pens and other 'proper' drawing things for me to use. She had been to art college and worked as a graphic designer. She taught me how to do sign writing, use perspective and use different media. I had an artist box, that she filled with goodies whenever I saw her, a set of pastels, new sable brush, watercolour paper etc.

My Mum could knit. That's all, but she was a fantastic knitter. Could rattle off an Arran jumper in a day it seemed. She would see someone wearing a cardigan she liked, would look for a similar pattern and alter it. Of course all knitters needed a lackey to wind up their wool, that was my job. She did try to teach me to knit many times, resulting in lots of small squares or long badly knitted scarves unfinished in the cupboard. I never got past the scarf stage.

My Nana (Mums Mum), was very resourceful, as were most women who lived through the war with a family to feed and care for. She had a sewing machine and made all her own clothes, sheets, curtains etc. She wasn't one for coordination though and I remember Mum despairing over some yellow and black curtains she had made from a large cut off of expensive fabric. She made little rag dolls for the kids, knitted, crocheted, embroidered, the lot. AND she made delicious pies using a coal fire oven.

While in the Navy I did get the opportunity to use my artistic skill when working in a design office, producing training resources, posters and setting up presentations. It was all done by hand then, no computers etc. When I left the Navy and moved to the north east I worked as an Art and Design technician in a high school. I loved that job, I worked closely with the art, textiles and graphics teachers, learning new techniques, how to thread and untangle sewing machines and generally being able to do whatever I liked with all things arty and crafty. I organised a cross stitch club, and even set up a ceramics studio. I regret leaving that job now, but a higher salary and more responsibility was on offer and I left all that loveliness behind.

It wasn't until I became pregnant with my first son that I became 'crafty'. I started to do cross stitch, making a large alphabet picture for Jordan and lots of smaller things I gave away as gifts. I then started to make a few birthday cards, which rapidly became hundreds of cards, as I grew more obsessed with paper-craft and scrapbooking. I set up a Crop Circle and joined Circle Journal groups. It's all I did in my spare time.

Some of my 'scrapping'

Then for some reason, I lost interest. I can't quite put my finger on why. I still have all my supplies, packed away carefully in boxes. I moved house recently and don't have a place I can comfortably use. By that I mean leave a mess lying on a table that wont be interfered with. I often have urges to draw, or make something, but never actually do it.

My twitter followers will also know that I recently bought thisAntique treadle sewing machine.!

It works too. Maybe I need to look at nurturing my mojo a little while I have time on my hands, get those craft and art boxes open, dust off the cobwebs and start making something.