Back in the Day & My Current Inspirations

Back in the day, when my kids were little, I used to make clothes for them, Christmas and birthday gifts for them, we'd craft together, have crazy, fun times together. We built a tree house, made fairy houses, make castles out of refrigerator boxes, make costumes, moved all the furniture from the middle of the floor and dance! We painted, made bread anything we wanted to do. We had a good time.

I always wanted to work from home. Back in the day, when fabric paints first became popular, I painted t-shirts. Not like sponge painting or puffy letters, I would recreate paintings I had done on canvas onto the shirts. I had one of Japanese cranes, a geisha girl, one called "Way Back Home" and others. I put the kids in the car and peddled my wares in downtown Atlanta at the trendy, hip shops. I sold a few.

I used to do scherenschnitte from my own designs. I was a purist, I cut with scissors, not Exacto knives! I had a craft fair booth and made a little money doing that and a little with special orders. 

this is not my design, but an example of scherenschnitte

With my experience in theatre, epecially improvisation, I taught classes in acting and improv. I kept wanting to be free to have time with my kids while trying to make money doing something I loved. So, I dragged them along to rehearsals.

For a while, at the very beginning of personal computers, I started a doomed typesetting business out of my home. The kids, back in the car making deliveries and going to printers, singing along with the radio.

I painted canvas floor cloths. I loved that. I gave away more than I sold.

again, not my design, just an example

As one scheme and plan failed after another, I eventually had to work outside the home, forget my "own business" idea and do what I had to do. Thankfully, I eventually got a teaching job and the kids and I could go to school together.

Today, I have many friends who are young mothers. Creative people who want to give their kids a creative, meaningful home and do what they love. There are a few of them who are women of a kindred spirit. When I saw what they were doing with blogs, etsy shops and online communities, I got excited! What I could have done with the internet - back in the day! Even though I am almost twice their age, maybe it's not too late for me! Ladies, you inspire me!

Check out Jennifer at http://www.allthingspinkandcrafty.blogspot.com/
and
Lindsey: http://www.notesfromtheparsonage.wordpress.com/

They've got links to really cool people, crafters, interior designers and artists.