Pardon me for diluting Descartes. I don’t do crafts to prove I exist (although that’s also true 😊). I craft because it makes me happy. Even without realizing the many benefits of crafting back then, I just gave in to that urge to create beautiful things – either to keep and treasure, or to give away as gifts.
I was a working mom in the ‘90s when cross-stitching became a craze. I also got hooked and remember spending much of my free time doing some projects – patiently counting rows and rows of stitches, switching thread colors, until the desired pattern is sewn onto the fabric.
The fad has long ceased to be. I, too, am done with all the counting and the crisscrossing stitches. But many of my finished works are still with me, properly framed and hung in some corners of the home. I don’t have the heart to part with my labors of love.
Next Phase: Washi Eggs
With the thrill of needlework gone, I discovered a new hobby and went into a frenzy puncturing eggs. Crafting washi eggs requires whole egg shells (carefully emptied of their contents) as base, and washi paper as covering. Washi is traditional Japanese paper made from tree fibers and other natural materials.
The making of washi paper has a history that dates back to over a thousand years, and the craftsmanship was listed on UNESCO’s list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014. Imagine my sense of pride and fulfillment to have used this paper for many of my creative projects!
I have these beauties to show for this phase of my crafting journey.
Clothespins, Recycled Bottles, etc.
At one time, I got crazy with clothespins. While many of them were done for decorative purposes, quite a few came in handy as photo holders, bill clips, and refrigerator magnets.
Used bottles and jars didn’t escape my fancy.
Lately, I’ve been into decoupage. It started when a dear friend gifted me with a native bag. I figured it wouldn’t hurt if I jazz it up a bit. It didn’t hurt, either, that after that first attempt, so many similar projects followed. I used them in lieu of Christmas boxes, as gifts to friends, and quite a number were sold to interested buyers. 😊
The pandemic restrictions should have given me more time to indulge my crafting passion. Ironically, my crafting supplies are getting lonesome. If only they could, they would have cried for attention. Truth is, I got even busier these past months with my online work – writing and editing for my longtime clients. Some say working with words is another craft form, while some will argue to the contrary and say it’s more of an art.
If you’d ask me, I would like to revisit my crafting kit the soonest I could.
Salt & Pepper 
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