The Craft Shows are Coming!! The Craft Shows are Coming!!

I have been collecting craft supplies for a lot of years.  Probably 25 years.  I use up a lot of supplies when I make things...but honestly, there seems to be no way I can "make" fast enough.

For years I've enjoyed taking old stuff and repurposing it into new stuff.  I was constantly on the look out for vintage sewing & kitchen items, baby shoes, old china pieces and bakeware, buttons, baubles, and bows....well you get the idea.  Plus I've always been quick to make a purchase at those after Christmas clearance sales...actually after anything clearance sales!! 

This year I decided it was time to use up as much of the accumulated stuff as possible.  That means no buying additional supplies unless it's absolutely needed to complete a project.

Like glue sticks or fiberfill for instance.

I'm happy to say that so far I've been successful!!  

I haven't had to buy anything yet...not even glue sticks.  I discovered that I hoard those too!!

Here's a look at some of the things I've made for my two upcoming craft shows!

There's more in the works!

The only negative thing so far....most everything I'm making is small in size.  There doesn't appear to be less of anything as far as supplies go.  But I'll keep at it!

Critters

My craft room is in my basement.  I have a window in my craft room...and a window well.  Over the years we've rescued a variety of critters from the window well...including a cute baby bunny!  The window well is about five feet deep, so most of the rescuing takes place from the inside. But before that can happen, I have to clear off the window ledge.  Below is a peek at just part of what's piled on that window ledge!

I don't know what critter made the hole in the window screen, but I do know that a relative of the one peeking in through the hole has been living between said screen and the window.  It's been making a lot of noise trying to get back to the other side of the screen. 
This has been going on for a couple weeks!  
So I finally cleared off the ledge and invited Bill down to my craft room for a visit.  I am not a fan of critters...unless we're separated by glass. Since that window was going to have to be opened (there goes that separation), it was obviously time to call for assistance! 

Bill wasn't immediately available so I amused myself by taking photos of our window well guests.  Besides the one stuck on the other side of the screen, I also found these two.

Then I saw this big guy peeking out from under the leaves.

This little guy was the one that had been peeking in through the hole in 
the screen....so that brings us to four guests.

But then an even littler one jumped along side the peeker, and then there were five!  Four of them are pictured down below. The big guy is still hiding under the leaves.

Oh wait...he's getting brave.  He's venturing out...

I thought that there were only toads living down here...but I'm pretty sure this one is a frog.  Right after I noticed the frog Bill came down and cleaned all the old leaves and plants out of the window well. He relocated all the critters to greener pastures up above.  Or so we thought.

Looks like he missed one!

Upon further inspection, he actually missed three...or these guys are jumping back into the window well!I think it might be time to create some kind of window well cover!

Change

I'm in a rut.

Actually, I'm in several ruts.

Ruts all over the place! Mostly stemming from unwanted change that's happening in my life.  The past couple years have seen changes at my church...not bad changes, but changes just the same. This year there will be changes in my family life, and changes in the workplace. Again, nothing really bad, but definitely different. I don't like change. I don't cope with it well. Right now I feel like the changes are coming at me from every direction...including from within! There are even physical changes going on...and not the kind of changes I want!

I'm working on getting out of the rut I'm in. Partly because I don't like being in it...mostly because when I'm in one it's because my focus isn't where God wants it to be. So I'm working on it.  I'm trying to change my focus, and I'm praying that I'll graciously adjust to the changes. 

In the meantime, I don't want my blog to go too long between posts, so I took some random photos of my craft room.  I thought I'd share them here today.  My goodness...I have a lot of stuff!
That's something that I think will never change!!

  

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by

 the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern

 what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and

 perfect." Romans 12:2

Cubbies

January is the month that I REALLY clean, organize, and purge my craft space.  That includes dusting all the little cubbies in that room!  There are a lot of them!

I found this piece at a Goodwill store a few years ago...it has plenty of room for all sorts of little treasures!  This past weekend I took everything out of it, dusted and cleaned each space, purged a little, and then filled it back up again!

 

Now I just need to finish cleaning, organizing, and purging the rest of the space. 

I'm excited to begin making things again!!

 

 

 

Have a Happy Day!

 

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men...

Colossians 3:23