Things That Catch My Eye I

Having always been a creative, eccentric type, I tend to find creativity and inspiration in the oddest of places...  The usual and regular places include, of course, books, word-lists, films/TV and their characters, and art – all of which could have a (very long!) post of their own.  But the unusual, maybe-it’s-just-me stuff yields interesting thoughts and triggers.

Here are a couple of things that catch my eye – have a read and a think, and maybe you’ll discover some creativity sparking inside you which you didn’t expect to find...

Greetings Cards

Two things about greetings cards inspire me:

1)      When giving me a card, my dad will spend ages (and I mean ages) looking for the right wording.  Usually pink or red and with some kind of handbag/shoe/fashion motif (predictable, moi?!), the card he picks will have a message that touches my heart; even more so, because my dad is not like me – he’s not a reader, a word-lover or a writer.  But the fact that, on my birthday and at Christmas, he will wade through huge selections of words till he finds the right message...that means a lot.  Inspires a lot, too, when I think about it: love; loyalty; dedication; making the right choice; finding an apt fit; wanting to please someone; respect – all of these are great themes or characteristics to be used in creative work.

2)      My very good (and very craft-y) friend Zoe makes her own cards (and general papercraft) – and her creations are like art.  Seriously.  She started off a few years ago and when she looks at her early work, she sees all the things she could improve – yet doesn’t see the fledging art in them that I see (so I remind her, of course!).  She’s gone strength to strength with her card-making, which is both bespoke and BRILLIANT – now, I know I’ve said this before, but do have a look at her blog http://craftygasheadzo.blogspot.com/ and you'll see for yourself!  I’ve got a few of her cards on my wall, not to mention her recent prize-winning canvas, and they’re so inspiring to me.  When I look at them I see vintage style, whimsy and wit, and complementary colour palettes; I see the mood and tone of a story waiting to be told.

Crafting

Alongside Zoe’s work, I know someone else who creates canvases from hundreds of buttons – and their work inspired me to craft something of my own.  I was nervous of card-making as I can be clumsy and butter-fingered, and papercraft does need dexterity and patience (another thing which I haven’t got much of, I’m afraid!) – but one day at work, I noticed a t-shirt that had an interesting picture on the front; a picture which spoke its story to me, and I had to tell it to the next listener... 

Cutting out the motif, I handstitched it onto denim, added on a few buttons (echoing each other’s symmetry at the top and bottom to create a pleasing frame) and some charms, and glued it onto a canvas – et voila!  My very first piece of craft – and it was humbling and fulfilling to discover that creativity comes in all guises, not just words. 

A second canvas awaits me and my craft creativity – I want to use my Paris trip to inspire this one, using shapes and colours and motifs that I saw and imbibed.  Now all I’ve got to do is dig out the fabric, needles and thread and get sewing...