Finding the Calm

Somehow my life has always been a whirlwind of craziness. I'm not sure if I create it myself or if it just finds me because I have a way of making something of all that craziness life throws at me. As a young girl I learned my first craft - cross stitching. My mom gave me my first cross stitch ornament for Christmas - I still have it to this day. You can see all the little mistakes I made and how it isn't nearly perfect, but it was perfect to me back then. Now it takes me back to the beginning; a beginning of learning a craft that taught me so many lessons. The very first lesson is that it takes patience and practice to create something beautiful. Over the years, I evolved into many different crafts, some I love, some not so much. The next lesson is that crafting is calming - if it's not, put it down and walk away.

Years passed and I graduated from high school, joined the Marine Corps, was discharged early with a disability, got married, had children, got divorced, got remarried, had more children, and divorced my second husband. I spent years in therapy though all of this, and I realize that my most calm times where when I was crafting. Much of the time I crocheted and then began sewing. I had spent years watching my mom sew, so I had a pretty good idea on how to get started. I bought my first sewing machine and completed my first projects - dresses for my daughters. I didn't start simple, I already knew how to cut patterns and how to piece the sections of material together. The dresses turned out very well, thank God, they were Easter dresses for my girls. My second husband destroyed my sewing machine in a fit of rage knowing how I loved to sew. I was devastated. It wasn't long after that I was able to walk away from the marriage, sell the house, buy a new home, and move my children and me back near my family.

The new home came complete with a large, heated garage that included a large finished room. I decided this would become my "office/craft room." I had spent years dreaming of finding a craft that would allow me to make some extra money. I reconnected with a high school crush and he supports my craftiness and has helped me by doing woodworking for me and creating whatever crazy idea I come up with. I was lucky enough to win a Silhouette Cameo 4 which began my new crafting journey. My first project was making decals for my fiance's Jeep. Easy enough. Then I started getting a little more daring and creating bigger projects. These have included refurbishing an old desk for my daughter and crafting many Christmas gifts.

Every crafting venture I have found myself on, has had one essential tool - a great pair of scissors which can be a bit difficult for me to find because I am left handed. The thing with great scissors is that you tend to be very protective with them and have a different pair for every occasion. My sewing scissors are different from my paper or crafting or thread or garden or kitchen or even herb scissors. Also, I may or may not have threatened my children and fiance with loss of limb or life if they use the wrong scissors for the job, especially when it comes to my sewing and crafting scissors! I have found the calm in the midst of life's storms by crafting. I love seeing a blank piece of vinyl change into something beautiful through creation, cutting, weeding, snipping, sizing, and placement in it's new home.