My senior year I moved out on my own, so I was too busy trying to stay alive to do much art. Then after high school I was too busy working and I don’t remember doing anything arty. Then at 24 I became a mom. I remember sewing all her crib bedding, purple and yellow did sew all her bedding and made some her clothes (which was practical as a single mom). I just entrusted my oldest daughter with some of those keepsakes and her old quilt, that I had stored away in boxes.
At one point baby and I, moved back in w/ my dad and brother after my mom passed away and started woodworking, which I had always been interested in. My dad had an awesome Shopsmith and he also did some woodworking. We both had our items in a consignment shop in the Napa wine country for a time. I kept up with the woodworking through my marriage and 2nd and 3rd kids. After I moved to No. Calif. I put some items in a consignment shop here, but didn’t do too well. So the wood crafting went by the wayside…but I still have some of them stored in boxes.
Then I got too busy raising kids to do anything crafty. A few years back, I wanted to make some Christmas items my country look home, so I made a few soft ornaments, like snowmen and santas. I also have several unfinished holiday cross-stitch things stored somewhere. Since then my décor has changed dozens of times and I no longer use those ornaments, but I still have them stored in boxes. (I'm seeing a trend here...).
Next came trying my hand at quilting and sewing. I inherited a box of awesome vintage fabric and quilt pieces from my grandmother when she passed away. So I was jazzed to learn how to quilt so I could use these fabrics and pieces. I had learned how to sew in high school in a home economics class, which was a great thing for young people back then. I wish they still offered something like this for kids nowadays. None of my kids knows how to sew and they don’t want to learn. So anyway, I've always sewn when the need arose, i.e. new curtains for the new house, pillows for the couch, some baby/kids clothes, “letting out” clothes that seem to have shrunk while hanging in the back of a dark closet. You get the picture.I started buying fabric and fabric and more fabric. I now have several storage boxes full of fabric. I started several quilts, but found out I just couldn't get seams to line up very well, and everything turn out crooked. (I did manage to finish a pretty quilt for my granddaughter before she was born.) I’m still promising my daughter I’ll finish her quilt (that I have stored in a box).
Then I thought I could make some of those cute boutique baby clothes I saw for big bucks on ebay, (after I got used to the idea that my daughter was having a baby). I made several outfits and didn't get a very warm reception from baby's mom! I was pretty bummed. She would rather her new baby have those cute store bought clothes. So there went that, and the clothes went up on ebay.
A couple of the items I made for my granddaughter that ended up on ebay.
About that time I found myself going into a deep depression (deeper than my usual deep), and I talked to my dad a lot during this time. One day while we were talking, he said to me “I don’t know why you never kept up with your art and painting”. We talked some more and about it and I went home and soon it was like they say “a light went on” and I knew I had to start creating art. I don’t remember that I was specifically looking for anything on ebay, but I found some art called ATC’s. I did some more research on the Internet and knew this was what I had to do.
Seems like I’ve come full circle and found art again after all these years.
My first atc, now that I look back at it, it sure reflects my state of mind at the time.
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