On Crafty Gift Giving & Creativity

One of the advantages of being a crafty girl is giving handmade gifts to those I love. There have been quite a few occasions for me to do some crafty gift giving lately, and I managed to get a few shots to share what I've been up to.

Before I wow you with photos of my fine handmade items, I just wanted to say a little something about creativity. My own creativity, that is. For most of my life, I had never considered myself to be artistic. I felt I lacked imagination. And I know for a fact I had imagination in abundance when I was a child. I can still remember some of the wild games I used to play, songs I would make up, even the elaborate hospital for ants I created in the dirt driveway of my childhood home. Now, I seem to recall that there was also a graveyard for the ants behind that hospital...but I'm getting off topic. The point is that I had an imagination! Sadly, somewhere along the line, I lost it.

So, what an absolute gift, a little later in life, to tap into that part of myself that I had assumed was lost forever. That part of me that can create, dream, and imagine. What freedom. I am constantly amazed that my life is full of such lovely, lovely surprises.

And now, on with the show!

A messenger bag for my dear friend Amy's birthday.

A mini name banner for my niece, Grace.

A mini name banner for my just-turned-one-year-old  friend, Cecelia. I went the nickname route, Cece. Those blobs on either side of her name are actually birds.

Mini matryoshka dolls for Grace and Cecelia.

Kieran insisted I take a photo of him holding the doll. And who could refuse that face?

Making stuff makes me happy. Making stuff for other people makes me happy. I am grateful for the twists and turns my life has taken to get me here. Finally.