Sidetracked Artist

I like to send little gifts to my niece and nephews for Easter. They’re all teens now, but I still like to send them a little something to let them know I’m thinking about them. This little gift box is perfect for giving little gifts to friends, teachers, grandparents, pastors, and neighbors. I’m providing a blank template in PDF that you can print and decorate yourself, and a printable Easter gift box. The only thing you need to add is a sticker or piece of ribbon to hold it closed. Here is what the blank template looks like. It is ready to print on cardstock, cut out, decorate and fold into a flat little gift box, then seal with a sticker or wrap with ribbon. The Easter template is double sided: Print both sides of the cardstock, write the recipient’s name in the space on the front, add a message inside (and a little gift), then seal with a sticker or wrap with ribbon. Both are available here.

On a recent trip to visit my family in California, I was blessed with the opportunity to spend some time with a longtime family friend. I told her about Artistic Inspiration, the etsy shop my daughter and I have started . She told me about some favorite old crochet potholders she has that are wearing out. I asked her to send one to me so that I could see how the potholders were made, and in return, I would send her new one. The potholder she sent was made out of bits of crochet thread left over from other projects. I love things made out of materials on hand. I think it takes just a little more creativity to make something out of whatever materials you have than it does to go to the store and buy exactly what you need for a given project. It’s kind of like making a quilt out of scraps leftover from other projects. When my daughter was little, I used to sew some of her clothes. We enjoyed choosing fabrics from the discount table, and I enjoyed having a creative outlet. When she s...

I’ve been working with Lily Sugar & Cream cotton yarn lately. Cotton is my favorite fiber, both to wear and to work with. I just really like the way it feels. Variegated yarns always surprise me. They’re each like a little mystery. You just can’t tell how a project will turn out until it’s well on its way. A yarn with frequent color changes will make a smaller scale pattern, and a yarn with longer sections of color can result in a color block look. This week, I’ve been working on cotton crochet market bags for my shop at: www.artisticinspiration.etsy.com .

Life is unpredictable. We make plans, and usually this keeps us moving in a chosen direction. But sometimes we find ourselves being picked up, tossed around, wrung out, and feeling like we’re going to hell in a handbasket. Last year was one of those times. For my family, the year 2009 included job loss, moving to another state, selling our intended “forever home” (at a loss), serious health problems, the loss of two beloved pets, a new job, a new home...starting again. And if all this wasn’t enough, last fall I turned 50! Now feels like a good time to start again, to re-evaluate my goals and pay more attention to my life’s direction. It’s time to focus more on the things that are important to me. It feels like I’m starting anew. For me, this means focusing on creativity. I’ve been knitting, crocheting, and exploring graphic art. My daughter and I are making and selling handmade jewelry and accessories at www.artisticinspiration.etsy.com. We’re trying new things, learning and h...