A passion for creating: Made with Kare

Took a break from using my Knook to write this post!
I'm not going to show the rest of my house, which is a
total mess!

"Creative minds are rarely tidy."

It's not clear who said this first. There's several people who are believed to have used the phrase, or something like it.

But I like it. It describes me pretty well.

It's not a big secret how much I love to create things. My husband says he can't take me to Hobby Lobby because I take too long. It's not because I want to buy everything — I'm fairly tight with my funds — it's because I look at stuff on the shelves and want to examine them to see if "I can make that." 

That's a phrase I say a lot. That's why I hate throwing out things.

That's why I have a ton of yarn — although I AM going to donate some of it, if I ever get around to bagging it up — and a ton of paint. And paper. And fabric. And wood. And tulle. And tobacco sticks. And cookie sheets. And the list goes on and on. These are all things I've collected as I came across ideas, or when I made things.

Last weekend's show in Perryville.

Lately, I've been trying to get back into doing craft shows. I did one or two when I was younger, but I really want to start doing more. The first, easiest reason, is that I have so much stuff made and I want to keep making, so I need to sell some! 

The other reason is that they are fun! I'm an introvert, so it's not always easy for me to put on my sales face, but it is fun to go, meet new people, and meet other creators or direct sellers. As a former direct seller, I understand that struggle so much. And I love being around makers. There's something about seeing people talking about something they've made — you can see how it just makes them come alive. 

Even introverts. When you take pride in your work, it shows.

But it's hard. Since starting back up with shows about a month ago, I've been doing endless research on how to show off my stuff the best. It's hard to figure out the best arrangements, the signage — I definitely need to work on signage — and all that goes into setting up your display.

My sweetie and #1 fan.

Do you sit behind your table? Most say no. (But to me that seems less pushy)

There's a million questions to answer. 

I'm so thankful for my husband. He's always been supportive of me when I come up with some crazy, "I can make that!" idea. I've always had a crafty page, where I made stuff and displayed it, and he always helped me it figure out. He's a good sounding board.

And since I've tried making the jump to actual events, he's been helping with those, too. He and I are currently working out a new display idea, which he came up with and is going to build. It's amazing what a difference it is to have his input on it. As I said, I did direct sales, and he helped as he could, but he gets more excited about this with me.

Kristen hanging out with me
at last weekend's show.

And I'm so thankful for my dear friend Kristen, my support crew, coming to hang out with me at events and sounding off on things I make. She's a good neutral person to give me honest opinions. And my momma, although her opinions are sometimes too honest, but super helpful. She spent Friday night helping me, chasing my stepdaughter, and generally just being a good momma.

I can't forget my dad, who always jumps in to help whenever I call him. I'm a bit of a daddy's girl.

And there's friends who have bought from me on so many occasions before I decided to start doing shows. I owe them a lot for letting me try, for trusting me to make what they needed.

My beautiful momma. She and my daddy were the original
crafters, and they instilled that trait in me.

I think it goes back to the passion thing. My friends and family support this endeavor because they know I love making things.

I simply love creating. It's relaxing. And the more stressful life is, the more stressed I am, the more I tend to create. Crocheting is my way of letting go of things. If I'm covered in paint and focused on getting that canvas just right, I'm not focused on that work thing that's irritating me. If I'm wielding a hot glue gun, I'm not thinking about the world. I'm thinking about where that glue is going (and making sure it's not going on my fingers!)

My daddy -- he deserves a mention, too, for always making
stuff for me, no matter what I ask. And he taught me
to crochet! So it's his fault.

And I love when other crafters share what they do. To me, it's not stealing if someone wants to emulate something I've done. I appreciate a nod for the idea, but I also know that no two things, even if we both make it the "same," are going to come out the same way. We're all different and the human element makes it just a tad different.

That's the crux of buying things from someone who is set up at a craft and vendor fair. The human element. You're typically buying stuff that makes a difference in their life beyond what you realize. It helps pay bills, helps take the family on vacation, and just helps. 

Besides that, you generally meet the person who made it. They know why it looks the way it does. They see the little imperfections, which you might not see. Their hands created it, their head dreamed it, and their heart is in it. You're buying a little piece of them.

Thank you for supporting me, not only in my tangible creations, but for reading my blog. This is me, my labor of love. I appreciate you taking the time to read.

To see the stuff I've made visit my Facebook page!

Last night's set up at Party On Air. I'm planning to participate
in another event there at the end of April.