I Can Make It

:: DAY 2 ::

At the time I started this blog (almost 5 years ago) I was just discovering the land of craft blogs. Within the first 6 months, I realized that most of them were just copying whatever someone else was doing, or reposting some fabulous project from another blog. ALSO, I was doing a lot of craft boutiques (selling my goods) at the time. I came home from a particularly bad show (I sold like 2 things) in total frustration. Everyone EVERYONE (read: except the two that bought something) made the comment, "Oooh. I can make that." or "Did you just use ____?" or "Where did you buy the ____ to make _____." I was so mad.

Let me back up. My craftiness was inherited from my parents. My mom and dad were both very willing to let us use their stash to make what we wanted. I sewed a little in home ec, but as a youth I was always covering things with sequins and fabric scraps. My mom let me do with my room what I pleased. She let me draw on my shoes. My friends, Ris and Kim, used to draw stories of us doing amazing things (and kissing hot boys - I still have some of them Ris) and I would plaster my walls with them. Then Ris asked me to sew fabric panels in the sides of pants. We did that for a year and I made a few tank tops and Halloween costumes. My freshman year of college, my roommate Kirstin got me started on scrapbooking. My sophomore year in college I started working at a mill end fabric/craft store called Piece Goods. I had rows and rows of vintage trims for like 17 cents a yard. I started my craft supply collection then. When I was serving my LDS mission, making things is what I missed the most. Crazy huh. When I got home, I modge podged a dresser, and then married an artist. I like to make things... or think about making things.

Fast forward... Utah is an extremely crafty and 'mend and make do' kind of state. Crafty is part of the LDS young women's and Relief Society programs. We are taught to be resourceful and make things. So, after a while with just my name at the top of my blog, I decided to mimic the millions of crafty ladies in this state and just exclaim "I CAN MAKE IT". Originally I thought I was going to make this blog about craft tutorials and things I'd like to knock off, but I lost interest in it. There are so many other blogs out there doing the same thing. So for now, I'll just keep hoarding crafting supplies and make things when I can.

However... the lesson in all of this is, sometimes it isn't worth going home and making it. I appreciate artisans and I am willing to buy stuff from them that I can make because they are out there making an effort to make money off of their wares.

Make sense?