three long standing favorites

felt+circles+garland=happiness

Such simple things can make me so happy. Having an idea of something I want to make, then spending the time creating it, playing with the materials...works every time. I feel like a child again inside, no craft idea too silly or small to pursue. It seems it's taken me years and years to get back to a child's opinion of what is "worthy" of making...answer? anything your little heart desires. No reasons needed, no explanations, and no need for anyone else to desire to make the same thing or not. Just plain fun, connecting with my own heart for creating.

A good friend and I were having a conversation about artistic independence lately, and how we want to nourish that more. To me, it includes creating what I want for all the right reasons, authentic, filled with heart and soul and passion. It doesn't need to be understood or explained to anyone else. I guess I'm talking about permission,  giving yourself the permission to play however your heart yearns to. So consider this permission if it's been an issue of yours too over the years. Permission granted!

{Some of these projects shown above are part of my project over at Amy Powers' Inspired Ideas Christmas 2010.The top garland was inspired by this Flickr favorite, and Heather Bailey has lovely felt for sale if you share my love of crafting with felt. Lastly, my love affair with felt last year can be seen  here. }

Comments

[bonnierose]

beautiful post Pam! I am discovering this myself.. come and visit my blog.. I'm taking roben marie's mixed media mayhem class and omg... am just loving how freeing it is... love playing with colors without a plan, just seeing where it takes me.. u can see my flickr page here,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bonnieroseippity/sets/72157625240895463/

[peggy]

A great lesson for all of us to remember.

[Suzan]

Just started a felt circle garland last week! Finished this one (link below) in May.
So much fun playing with simplicity.

http://oldgreymareprimitives.blogspot.com/2010/05/white-ufos.html

xxx

z

[dls]

I hear you about "giving yourself permission to play". So often I don't do that..... I get an idea in my head of the "finished" project and then never get around to even beginning it. We all need to give ourselves permission to play, to enjoy the process and not worry about the end results. Then we might discover a different "play ground" for tomorrow.

Thanks for sharing.

[Lisa Pijuan-Nomura]

Pam, Just discovered your blog via Martha Brown and love it!

I am just recently returning to the studio after an 11 month hiatus ( i had a very difficult pregnancy and when my son was born ended up having two surgeries on his bowel, but is now recovering well!) Today i found myself trying to create the same way i did when i left, and i too realized that i had forgotten the playful attitude. So finally, i just did something that was very different from me. Played with papers, textures and colour. And i had fun! Thanks so much for the reminder!

[charlotte lyons]

yeah, girl! it's gorgeous!

[Cyndi LaChance]

How fun. What a great post!

[Kathy Mc]

I love this Pam and everything else you create. I love your blog.

[Trish @TheOldPostRoad]

I am going to have to copy your felt garland. sorry. It is lovely.
-Trish

[Spankyluvsit]

i luv these. The first one is my fav. I've been doing this type of "allowing myself" to do what i want to do, as well. My mom & i have been talking about the struggle between making what we want to make, & making what others want to buy, as we are both trying to make extra money on etsy, it's been a hard conflict.
I'm just hoping that maybe my crazy ideas of painting a plastic giraffe gold & giving it black glitter spots will end up catching on, rather than being seen as awful & gaudy!!!
I like this a lot, i'm working on a tea stained paper heart garland!
luvs it,

Sara Hubbell (aka Spanky of Spankyluvsit.com)

[Villas in Cyprus]

I can't remember what it was called, but when I was a kid I started of using felt craft sets, where animal shapes stuck to a special surface. Anyway going on from that some good creations you have here.