At least that 's what I was doing thinking of how to start the book, when it hit me (or at least rolled in to me): circles! As the patina of age glosses over the scrapes and sparkles of my early days, I become more aware of circles and the cyclical patterns in our lives. So my start in crafting has, perhaps, come full circle.
Mom was only trying to keep me occupied during the long, lazy summers we spent at the lake with my grandparents, but the project she introduced to me almost 60 years ago started me crafting, one of my greatest passions today.
What kept me busy for hours was rolling long triangles of shiny magazine paper into beads and stringing them to make colorful braclets and necklaces.
That memory was brought into sharp focus a few months ago when I ran across an article about "Beads for Life", an organization based in Uganda that sells beautiful "paper bead" jewelry made by women who are working to overcome the poverty that ravages their lives.
These photos are of some of the treasures I purchased from them and a couple of simple items I was able to make from their loose beads. What you cannot see is the nostalgia that washes over me! It's almost as if the circle begins again.
All or part of this entry may be added to the beginning of the book!
How many times have you heard someone say, "I really should write a book!"? Thanks to easy desk-top publishing, and using Blurb through Flickr, I finally have taken the plunge and written Confessions from a Crazed Crafter! Dedicated to the wonderful women in my life, it features 10 chapters with titles such as, "My Mother Made Me Do It", "I Once Had a Fling With Feathers", and "There are too many PIGS in my House". Obviously it's written "tongue in cheek" and is autobiographical in nature. It's liberally sprinkled with more than 125 photos, many of them crafts that I have done. It also has a chapter devoted to the talents of several extraordinary friends. It was such fun to do and I would encourage anyone to try this scintillating project! Several interior pages are shown below.
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