A Pickle Pucker Jar

A lady called Betsy Hatfield submitted this idea to The Romantic website :

Last year at Valentine’s, I got a big glass pickle jar from a restaurant, scrubbed it clean, and painted the jar with flowers, hearts, sunshine, clouds, etc.

Then I got a bunch of “fancy” doodle pads and began writing reasons & reminders of how & why I love my husband. It didn’t stop there — I began collecting little poems, quotes, and song lyrics to add to the pot.

When my husband is having a rough day he can open the lid and reach in for a “boost”. This jar was easy to make and VERY personal, and he enjoys it year around. I love to collect stuff for the jar as well!

We’ll be looking around for more unusual craft ideas for February 14 in the next two weeks.

Creativity is the fuel that drives the crafter. It is an expression of ideas that brew about in our heads. Sometimes the creativity well runs dry though, and a little help is necessary. Other times it is fun to see what other people have created and expand our own ideas. “The Creative Life,” is a television show, with a corresponding Web site, that features everything from traditional crafting to the new recycled art so popular today.  

‘The Creative Life’ is your new one-stop show for step-by-step how-to segments and tips and techniques for creating unique items for the home. From decorative painting to building, gardening to cooking, sewing to home decor and everything in between, Cheryl does it all, and takes you on location as she explores every nook and cranny of ‘The Creative Life.’
The Creative Life Web Site

“The Creative Life” presents not only ideas but free patterns on the Web site.  If you have been unaware of this show, you can also find the PBS scheduling so you can watch the production in your local area.  You can also see different clips from the show.  For the crafter, “The Creative Life” is a “creative” approach to crafting that will be become a useful resource.

The Creative Life 

I lost my glue gun.  Don’t ask me how; I don’t know how anyone could lose a glue gun.  But I did.  I am suspicious my son may have disposed of it for me - being afflicted with rather severe autism he is prone to rearranging my things, and sometimes throwing things out he does not feel are necessary.  At any rate, I am in the market for a new one.  I happened to see an ad on this blog about a glue gun and I decided to go take a look at it.  I am impressed and am considering purchasing this one.  When I tell you about it, you might want to take a look for yourself.  A good glue gun can make all the difference in crafts, and certainly in home maintenance as well.

What attracted me to this glue gun was the portability factor.  I have had “cordless” glue guns in the past - they have stayed warm for all of a minute, if that.  And if I have a cord, it seems it knocks everything off the table with the efficiency of a Labrador’s wagging tail.  I find that frustrating when I am working with small and intricate craft parts.  I also get really annoyed when the cord pulls the glue gun to the floor and I wish I had never started the entire project.  A truly cordless glue gun could reduce my irritability factor about 10 points.

It is advertised as ergonomic, having soft grips, and an anti-drip feature.  But what I think is really neat is that this glue gun has a blog!  There are many more things we can do with glue guns than we use them for typically.  This blog provided some inspiration and ideas to use this tool to its fullest extent.  And being a blog, we can be sure more ideas will be forthcoming.

Take a look.  I think you will like it.  Maybe the “loss” of my glue gun isn’t so bad.  This one is reasonably priced and it appears to be a lot more useful.

Click on the link at the top or here

Cold Heat Freestyle Glue Gun

Cold Heat Glue Gun Blog

There is a risk in crafting.  Any kind of crafting.  The risk is addiction.  Actually it is not an addiction in the strictest definition of the term, but it might as well be because of the effect it has on crafters.  I can’t even count the number of resolutions I have heard on New Year’s Eve that go something like this:  “I promise I will finish my unfinished _____ (fill in the blank - knitting, crocheting, beadwork, whatever craft you like) before I buy any more projects.”  That is a resolution that lasts about a week, if that long.  Crafters are addicted, compulsive about, or just plain nuts about starting new crafting projects.

It is a self-defeating behavior but one that almost all of us are guilty of doing.  Much of it is because of how much we love what we do.  Another thing that can cause a huge WIP (work in progress) supply, is the explosion of imagination.  Once you start one thing and get going on it, other ideas begin to germinate. One thing leads to another and pretty soon you have a dozen projects with a dozen more sets of supplies to start others.  They call it a yarn stash, or a bead stash for a reason!

I have a few hints that have helped me get my “stash” and WIP list a little more under control.  I have recently made some changes that have caused a temporary swelling of the WIPs, but it will “cure” itself in a few months and then the WIP should diminish until I have a static and manageable amount of things I am working on.

• Don’t feel you should only have one project at a time going.  That is unrealistic.  You will want different projects to work on depending on your mood, whether you need a gift, degree of complexity, how portable it is, and so on.  But just a few different ones should satisfy the need for variety without overwhelming you.  And it is nice to finish something once in awhile!
• Pick one, two or three crafts that you really enjoy and are really good at.  Also give yourself room to grow.  Choose those crafts you continually can improve at.  Becoming really good at a couple things is much more satisfying than doing a lot of things just fairly.
• When you shop for supplies, keep in mind what crafts you have chosen to pursue(based on hint #2).  If you can use it within those crafts, it won’t be a waste of money or start you on another wild goose chase.
• Organize yourself.  File your patterns in notebooks, file folders, plastic bins or whatever works for you.  Categorize them so that when you want something, you can find it.
• Store supplies in an organized system.  Put yarns together and subdivide them; sock yarns should be stored with sock yarns and bulky yarns should be stored together.  Make it so that you can get to what you need quickly.
• Get small plastic storage bins and put one project in each bin.  Label the outside of the bin.  Keep something by the sofa or chair where you watch television or movies and work on that project there.  Keep one by your bed; when a sleepless night arrives, an hour of crocheting or knitting can do wonders.  If you work on crafts that are difficult to work on in certain environments, keep books around to read about improving your skills or admiring the galleries of other people’s work.
• Reward yourself.  When you complete a project, you get to do something you really want - a trip to the bookstore?  An afternoon at the movies?  There are many ways we can motivate ourselves.
• Keep a craft journal.  There are journals made for many kinds of crafting and seeing your progess and completed work is a lot of fun.  After a few years, you will see how your skills have grown.
• Give back a little.  Get involved in a charity project that utilizes your crafting skills.  Consider a swap of knitted or crocheted squares - there are swaps all over the Internet for every craft.  It is a lot of fun to meet people and exchange crafting projects.  I am involved in several swaps right now and they have been good for me in terms of keeping me focused.
• Keep a blog.  It will keep you honest.  If you are posting photos of your work and you talk about it, your readers will expect to see that progress and to see a finished project.  As a benefit, you will meet a lot of people and make some very special friends.

You will never get over craft addiction completely.  Who wants to?  Part of the fun is knowing all of the wonderful things you have waiting to be made.  Keeping it under control, however, will help your budget, your stress level, and your sense of pride all at the same time.  And that’s a pretty crafty idea!