I am not an old lady... but so what if I were?!

There's a common stereotype of the handmade artist. That they're all old ladies clicking away at their knitting needles or sewing machines. But here's the thing: young people who craft become old people who craft some day. Knitting, sewing, upcycling, dressmaking, pottery etc are all crafts that were closely linked to necessity once upon a time. If we didn't make clothes we would have to stay naked, if we didn't make bowls we ate from the floor, if we didn't mend and make do when things fell apart we would have to find someone to make a new one (not always possible). Why do you thing handmedown clothes is a tradition in families?! So many women (and some men too) learned these crafts because they had to.

A lot of crafters I know picked up several different crafts over the years. I certainly did. It makes sense that these older folks who crafted out of necessity will have picked up a few more crafts over the years (if they enjoy it that is!).

  Crafting has had something of a revival in Ireland (and indeed in the rest of the world too) in the last decade or so. I remember my first visit to a craft show all those years ago and some 90% of attendees were over 50 years of age. Nowadays that same show draws a mix of any and all ages every year. I noticed my favourite art shop started stocking more for adult crafts (it was previously primarily aimed at school and college kids). I started to hear of friends taking up new crafts. In 40 years I will be one of the old ladies at these shows, still crafting away.

Are my roots showing?!

I've been getting back to what I recently realised were my roots.

My granny taught me and my cousins to make wool chains (bracelets) one summer when i was about 8, remembering this I felt inspired to play with that technique again and adapt it with my more modern jewellery making ideas

It was fun - time consuming but fun!

chunky chunky

this one is in my etsy shop

She lit my fire

Randomly browsing a forum I spotted a thread where someone mentioned that they come from a creative family and asked about others. It was funny as last month I wrote about coming from a creative family.

There were lots of stories about folks learning to quilt, knit and crochet from their grannies when they were children. Passing on crafts is a wonderful thing. It reminded me of something.

My own granny tried to teach us girls to knit when we were nippers too - I was embarrassingly bad at it. There were more holes in my work than a tea strainer. However one thing she taught us that I was able to do: making bracelets with wool, using a type of stitch. myself and my 2 cousins spent the entire summer making bracelets at grannies house. We even used the letterbox on the hall door as a clamp to hold the bracelets taut. We made so many we ran out of people to throw them at. I must have been around 7-8.

I had completely forgotten about it. It seems i've been making jewellery a lot longer than I realised.
Maybe it was nanny Maude (granny) who lit the jewellery making spark in me, it w as a slow burner ;)

Happy Feet (her nickname)

Sanctuary of mine

My work-space is my crafty sanctuary.
I've been making cards for about 10 years and jewellery for about 8. I used to have a small garden shed we converted for me when my enormous amount of craft stash threatened to take over the house in it's bid for world domination.
When I began, I started out as most of us do: crafting on the kitchen table.

old studio

My little shed was great at first but after a few years I had even more tools when you factored in my jewellery making as well. Glitter gets in everything, it was such a small space that I would never try to make jewellery out there.



So, I dreamt of a space big enough for a jewellery counter and a craft station - with storage too. It was a bit of a pipe dream.
Eventually I realised I would one day need more space to get around in so perhaps this pipe dream should be more than a dream.

work in progress

I scouted around for custom made sheds, work sheds and insulated workshops but even the most basic one (not that big) was quite pricey and definitely a bit out of budget! So I took my mam's suggestion to look at secondhand shed options as my dad is a DIY avocado. I stumbled across a nice 13 x 8 on Gumtree - a very sturdy one made with shipping timber.


My personal DIY expert said he could insulate it and put in counters etc.
So I bought insulation, plywood, weathershield etc. My uncle John told us his workplace was had a load of kitchen units and wood going into the skip during a big clear out, so I got a large table and shiny kitchen counters plus a large shelf unit that my dad cut in half and was absolutely perfect for my rubber stamps.

It would take time to work on it as he was working alone but dad loves a project. I kept an eye out for cheap storage in the euro store although I did splash out a bit on units for my seed beads!


Finally 4 months after buying the shed and 10 years after starting out with a glue stick I was able to move in. I had to add rain gutters after a heavy rain, it's just that big. It also still looks like it did when I set everything up! Except I did get a swivel chair for my birthday and stuck an oil heater in there (brrrr).

Etsy shop

Historically creative

When I say Irish crafts, what comes to mind? for me it's aran knits (cable knit sweaters) and hammered bronze that sticks out. However I attend the National Crafts Fair at the RDS every year, so I can tell you that in 2013 there is a huge variety of crafts on offer from Irish artists and craftists. The quilting exhibition area is always an impressive selection and is a must-see.

Ireland is perhaps known as the land of 'saints and scholars' but perhaps that should be 'saints, scholars and really crafty folk' as we have a rich history of arts and crafts; Irish crafts go back to the Stone Age when items were crafted out of necessity.

A trip to the museum will show you quite the array from functional utensils, functional but stylish to simply stylish. 

Or how about The National Gallery or for modern work we have the IMMA which also does workshops. I partook in the chocolate and charcoal one several years back and it was a great experience, creating with other likeminded folks.

my old college work space - creative chaos in Dublin

Keeping traditional crafts alive and adding their own contemporary twists - there are over 800 artists and craftists in the Etsy Ireland team, you can find their goodies on Etsy by running a search for the team tag: craftyirelandteam

We're arty and we're crafty.... the handmade family

I've been thinking about how creative my roots are - no, not my hair roots although they are rather lovely (!) - I actually seem to come from pretty artsy stock.
I can't really say if my great grandparents were creative or not - although i'm curious!

My granny Patty was a seamstress and she used to bake a lot for the church fairs etc. She made quite a lot of clothes for my aunts and uncles, even the bridesmaids dresses at my parents wedding.

the ladies in blue

My other granny Maude knits like a demon. We've all been presented with her creations over the years, even our dolls and teddies got Nanny Maude Specials.
I myself am the proud owner of several boleros and hats.
She went travelling several years ago, her knitting needles went with her (and several new pieces returned with her)

     

My aunt Eimear makes some serious cakes - and I do mean serious - please observe the seriousness (I bake, but my skill extends as far as 'not poisoning anyone' hehe):

My aunt Bernie is a fellow card and jewellery maker, she does cross-stitch too. As a teen my dad used to do metal etching and leather-work (belts, wallets etc) and my cousin Annemarie dabbled with glass painting, her and her son Christopher are chefs these days. My uncle Joe is big into photography. Dad now enjoys garden design. Others have dabbled with clothes altering, knitting and so on over the years but Eimear, Bernie, Nanny and myself are the longest serving members of the Crafters Army.

Given all of this, it's not that surprising that I sort of fell into - stumbled blindly upon - shimmied - sidled into the world of crafts and all of its sparkly glittery offerings.

Don't get angry, get crafty

If something angers me, my response is usually to make something. It's a very constructive use of that steam! Have a run in with someone? Bake a cake! If 'stuff happens' i think to myself 'I want to make the hell out of something'.
So my response is the same whether it is something simple such as a shocking bill or if it's something larger that life throws at you.
When I had to start using a walking stick I personalised it. I painted it red, put on some stickers and gems. Then put on a layer of car lacquer. When I had to upgrade to a rolling walking aid, I spray painted it turquoise and draped some fuzzy dice over the handle.
I had to recently upgrade to a scooter and the fuzzy dice were transferred from the rollator in a special presentation ceremony(!) But I did like the colour, unlike most mobility aids it is not 'hospital green' or 'questionable brown', it's a nice iclandic blue shade. But one thing I could do is make a bumper sticker. So I whipped up a funny sign to stick on the back.

I could start a range of t shirts with slogans:
don't get angry, get crafty
make the hell out of something
I want one!

This is me

 (original post from Tumblr)

You may know me as the girl that posts a lot of DIY and animal related stuff with the odd funny pic thrown in. And that does pretty much sum it up. Barely a day goes by when I don’t create something and I love animals… and jokes (and unhealthy food). There is a story there though. When i was 4 years old i told my parents very seriously that i wanted to be a heart attack when i grew up! Although I didn’t grow up to be an architect, I did eventually saunter into creative pursuits in a very roundabout way that is trademark Me.

I’ve always loved to draw etc. but i found that the very strict art classes in school did not get my creative juices flowing and i was actually pretty terrible with a paint brush or pencil. You were expected to draw and paint a certain way, there was no room for doing your own thing (although I suppose I could have done my own thing but i was a real teachers pet that did not want detention ‘lines’ a slap on the wrist or even a dreaded F on coursework) you might know what its like, art classes in primary school (and secondary - high school) are very regimented. Although my art teacher did ask was I interested in going to an art college, at the time I said no. I lost my passion for it in those years.

My main artistic pursuits as a teen consisted of designing random things on the computer. Looking back, i think the reason for this comes down to ‘I did my own thing, not what was expected’. When i was around 21 I had an experience where i should have lost the use of my arm (but didn’t) I suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to use my hands. This is the type of urge I’ve gotten very familiar with! I enrolled on an art, craft and design course in Dublin and quickly flourished. My alternative approach to art was encouraged. I loved that course.

I did start making cards a few years before college. I was recuperating and discovered an art form that is whatever you want it to be! A cousin of mine was getting married when I was in college, I was a bridesmaid and I wanted to do something special as her gift. I also knew she wanted a wedding with a difference so i offered to make pendants and keychains for her 200 plus guests. Necklaces for the little girls. All in her wedding colours. These would be as an alternative to the more popular sugared almonds you get on the dinner tables at reception. I had never made anything like this but knew i would figure it out. Which i did with the help of the lovely bloke at BDI Bray. I created them everywhere, even on the bus on the way home from college! When i was finished this - after a few weeks I was getting itchy palms to get busy again. So I went out for more beads and the rest is history.

Although making cakes is just something I do for me (well…. for everyone in the house!) It’s just one more creative outlet. I was in a coffee shop one day, eating my favourite toffee apple cinnamon muffin. I thought to myself ‘I really would love to be able to make these’ so i googled for a recipe and walked into Tesco for the ingredients. Been fattening us all up since.

That brings me to ‘why Etsy?’ Well I have heard of Etsy before, I travel in creative circles so I was bound to have heard of it and I did dip my toe into those waters in 2009 or so. But I didn’t start an Etsy shop until 2012. I heard about a baby through a friend. Kasey needed life saving treatment. I’ve been there and people went all out for me, so now it was time to give something back. So I thought to myself ‘I can use my creative skills here’ and set up my Etsy shop. I quickly learned that I enjoyed this, and it gave me a great excuse to keep busy which is very important! I used to run online auctions (on a forum) for animal rescues. This used to work very well but this was 10 years ago and the net has changed a lot. Etsy seemed like a much better idea for 2012.

To me, my creating is about making the world pretty, it’s about expressing myself in a way I normally cant. It honestly does keep me sane although many would dispute whether or not i was ever sane in the first place. It’s cheaper than therapy too!

My Etsy shop