Sunday, December 13, 2009

Crafty



Tis the season of the holiday craft sale, and I've certainly made the rounds. Last Saturday I went to five different fairs, and yesterday I visited two more. This doesn't begin to account for the untold fairs I haven't patronized: church-basement bazaars, art-studio fundraisers, and increasing numbers of DIY craft shows held in bars, vacant storefronts, and personal apartments.

It starts to make you wonder: who are all these talented people, and where do they find the time?

More to the point: What the hell happened to me? I used to be a creative person! Signs of earlier production still linger around the house. But they're all dusty with age, reminding me of a younger, more endeavoring version of myself.

I guess I've traded trying to make things for trying to make things happen (with results more mixed than when I was trying to make things).



If I were still trying to make things, I'd want them to be as nifty as this bud vase, created by my intrepid friend and neighbor Ann (above), who works for the City, raises two teenagers, watches over her block, volunteers, and takes a long, pre-dawn walk around the neighborhood every morning. This season I salute Ann, who continues to flex her creative muscle, even with so many plates in the air.

I'm especially happy to have found a prime spot for her work, which joins a growing list of objects that have come outward from the neighborhood and into this space . . . so that our house -- in both its appointments and endurance -- tells the story of its situatedness these last hundred years.

5 comments:

tracy said...

I find that I'm overwhelmed by the craft fairs this year, though I love them. It's caused a similar kind of self-reflection and has resulted in me deciding to forego the fairs and force myself to stay home and make creative gifts instead. And then I think, "What about the cool bud vase/hand-printed t-shirt/thingy I'm missing out on?" AND, "How the heck am I going to get these craft projects done in time for Christmas??"

Christy said...

Tracy, I'm coping with exactly what you describe by baking like a madwoman. The orange walnut black pepper biscotti has been a particular triumph, but our newly repaired oven burns the bottoms of things, so I have to do a lot of delicate scraping with a knife before they're gift-box ready. Also, take heart that given recent observations, there are always going to be more bud vase/hand-printed t-shirt/thingies to go around. Stay in, get your hands dirty, and enjoy your craft projects, chickadee!

tracy said...

Those cookies sound stupendous, and worth the scraping!

Adriane said...

Ditto. I even had my sewing machine ready to stitch up the numerous projects in my bin, but alas, it mocks me from the basement, where it was moved to make room for the Christmas tree. Maybe in January....

Christy - the biscotti do sound divine. I love your blog and feel like I can smell your biscotti and see your neighborhood from 500 miles away. Thank you for your writing, that you do so very well.

Christy said...

Adriane, so great to hear from you! And thanks for the generous words. Hope we can bridge those 500miles one of these days. Lots of love to you, Keith, and the girls.