Bind & CrEATe

I’m hoping to start making better use of these cold February nights. Too many of these frigid isolated evenings are spent fixed in front of the TV, burrowed under blankets, waiting for the snow to break. There must be a better way. Last night, I was reminded of a Pittsburgh poet I recently interviewed and how she said, “This is a great place to write or create. It’s too cold to do anything else.”

And so, I am starting to use my hands again.

This was born out of simple ideas. I wanted to use some leftover scraps of paper and use a new ink pad (royal blue – isn’t it pretty?). I had no intentions on sketching a tree as my rough idea, and it happened haphazardly. I guess because I’ve been thinking about the idea of roots and being planted in a place. I’m not yet sure who will be the recipient of this card, but it could apply to a number of people.

I went through three versions of this because I kept screwing up the stamping. The first one was smeared. The second one couldn’t fit the “S” on the end of “roots” (and disastrously turned into “My Root” – which just sounded & looked funny). Eventually, I settled on this version. Though the letters are falling downhill a bit, the card ended up with the homemade charm I was trying to achieve. And I got to use one of my favorite techniques, cut-up pop-outs. This is a simple method that lifts the flatness out of a paper project. My tree has “real” leaves!

This isn’t much, I know, but it’s a start. It’s been far too long since I’ve spent time in my craft space. And what better time spent it was than how I’ve been spending my February nights. Last eve, I spent some time thinking about how to better fold book arts back into my life. Using this space is a start. Moving my hands keeps it going. I miss this part of me when it lies dormant and welcome it back with fresh repose.

Wow. Last week was a long one. Lots of emotion, togetherness, and love. Now, it’s a new week, and I’m once again reaching for my comforts. For me, winter has always been synonymous with warmth: finding it, creating it, keeping it close. This winter, I find myself thankful for those around me – both family and friends – who give me consistent warmth, sometimes without even trying. Plus, there’s food to help. Like this dish.

I don’t know if you’re like me, but I’m just a tad stressed about the upcoming Christmas season. It’s my own fault. I do this to myself every year. I make an unnecessarily long to-do list of crafting projects, decorations, Christmas cards. I should really start this process much earlier than I did, but the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is just too short. Now, I find myself spending my evenings tinkering on this or that in the dining room until I’m almost falling asleep on the table. The trouble is: I just can’t help myself. These are the gifts I love to give to those I love. When I have a goal in mind, I just have to finish it.

Sometimes I feel like other people think my level of energy is crazy. I don’t rest until the late hours of the night, and I usually have a plan in mind for what I’d like to do within a week. What people don’t understand is that sometimes I feel like I’m “resting” all day long. Yes, my job is mentally taxing. But there’s no real physical labor. I can be a little creative but not in an artful way (more through language). So I think that’s why I spend most of my evenings crafting until I’m so dead tired I can’t keep my eyes open. I haven’t really moved all day. So, in the evenings, I like working with my hands. I like motoring around my home, picking up this or that, trying to find a creative solution for a project. I especially enjoy being around people as much as I can, as I’m alone most of the workday. And I like to plan plans for the week or weekend because I like to have something to look forward to. I work to live – not the other way around.

I’m finding too that the more I workout, the more energy I seem to have. Thankfully, I know what to do with it. Between food and crafts, I can keep these little hands busy. And this big heart can be filled in a much bigger way. I’m thankful for my hobbies; they keep me sane, at peace and happy.

Tell me about your hobbies. Or your Christmas to-do list. Or just anything you’d like to share today.