Wednesday, June 4, 2008

What's Your Favorite Hobby?

Mine? Well, mine's usually the "flavor of the month". I can't seem to stick with any particular hobby for very long, although I've done scrapbooking for a couple of years now. (That's probably a record for me. lol) Way back in the early '90's, I had a booth at the local craft mall. I made things like these baskets: And these hats (were sunflowers really that big back then or what??):
And these wreaths:
'Course, looking at these things now, I'm kind of squirming in embarrassment. They look so...old fashioned and out-of-date. Which I guess they are, considering they were made about a decade and a half ago. (Geez, I'm getting old.)*smile* I did okay at it, meaning I always sold more than my booth rental. The problem was, I usually spent any profits shopping in other people's booths. Oh the talent those people had. I bought lots of rag dolls and ceramics and candles and wooden signs, etc. All the stuff I couldn't make myself. I still have quite a few of those things, come to think of it. I also did cross-stitching back in the day. Never to sell though. Cross-stitching is entirely too much work to try and make a profit at! I did this deer "head" for Randey's sister and her husband:
Then I did a stitching of 4 babies that represented my 4 babies (in the photo below). The original pattern actually had 7 babies and the words to this nursery rhyme:


Monday's child is fair of face.
Tuesday's child is full of grace.
Wednesday's child is full of woe.
Thursday's child has far to go.
Friday's child is loving and giving.
Saturday's child works hard for a
living,
But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day
Is bonny and
blithe and good and gay.




Unfortunately, about 3 1/2 "babies" into this project, I got bored so I stopped at 4, stitched my kids names and birth dates in and called it done. Which is probably an indication of how short my attention span had gotten by that point. This is probably the last "big" thing I stitched. My eyesight's not what it used to be, nor is my patience. (In other words...another hobby fell by the wayside)


When we moved here to Texas, I got a wild hair and decided to try my hand at mosaic. I had done a few small pieces before. Susan (my BFF) and I had done a birdbath each (talk about a learning experience!) when I lived in Florida. And we'd done a couple of cement blocks that I'd found in my garage (that's a whole other story!). But now I wanted to do something big. I wanted to actually design something. So I did this table top:
I was so thrilled with my work (hey, I thought it was pretty good, being my first "designed" project! lol) that I decided to do some matching flower pots. Yeeeaaaahhhh. Those are still sitting in our garage, 3 years later, half finished. It's that short attention span thing again. I want to finish them. I just don't want to have to do the work required to finish them. I keep thinking that one of these days, I'll find THE hobby. The one that will capture my attention and hold it forever. As much as I love scrapbooking, I don't think it's the hobby to end all hobbies for me. I'm not good enough at it, it doesn't come naturally enough to me and sometimes I get downright frustrated because I can't think of a single creative thing to do with it. But one of these days, I just know I'm going to come across THE hobby - the one that I am really, really good at, the one that will hold my attention. The one with which I can actually create something stunning. Yeah, I said it...stunning. I want to create stunning things. lol How about you? What do you create? What hobby holds your heart? What are you good at? What do you do that's just plain fun? What would you like to do as a hobby? And does anybody else out there have this weird compulsion to try and make things? Or am I just an odd-ball, your basic Jill of all trades, master of none. And if I am your basic Jill, is that so bad? Is it okay to go through life without some creative passion being fulfilled? So many questions, so few answers. My creative spirit, like just about everything else these days, is in a state of flux.


So what brought this whole hobby post on? They've opened a new shop in a town nearby where you can do ceramics! Yeah. I've never done ceramics. I grabbed a flier from their store and have been studying it...could this be THE hobby? Or will it be another passing fancy for me? Who knows. Thank goodness I stopped smoking, eh? At least I won't be making ginormous, multi-colored, Star Trek badge shaped ashtrays while I test my skill at this obsession. (she said with a big grin on her face!)


20 comments:

  1. Im like a rushing river. Never knowing which way I will go. Hard to be still. I love collecting cook books and cooking. making wreaths is another. Scrapbooking is fun,but hard for me to sit still that long hehe.

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  2. You sound just like ME - I love to do everything - I just never get anything finished - when the scrapbooking craze started...I would NOT let myself get involved...I knew it would just be one more thing to "not finishe" - i love to sew, crochet, cross-stitch, knit, cook, read, veg garden, make candles (that's my latest one)!! I'm already getting tired of that, too....now I want to make soap!!!! Geez - wears me out just talking about it!!
    I have been reading in your achives and I just got through reading about sweet Cousin Joey - that is such a tragedy - I know it has been a while now - but it just broke my heart reading about Karen and those sweet boys. How are they doing?
    Bless....
    Donna

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  3. Well, I think you are very talented dearie. That table is gorgeous! And look at all the things you have done? You have talent I tell you.
    I can barely sew a button on mush less do needlework.
    I draw and paint a little and am totally into taking photos now. : )

    Now, I am betting you will make ceramics to die for!!

    Have fun no matter what you do!

    Love,
    Sue

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  4. My favorite hoppy lest's see,playing the Hammered Dulicmer if I ever can again.Surfing the internet and of course Blogging,and visiting blogs. That's my story and I'm sticjing to it.

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  5. I'm impressed Kari!
    My mom and SIL used to do the craft show thing.
    I have done a lot of cross stitch... and t-shirt painting, and flower arranging ... pretty much everything but I can't say I do anything now. Sad huh?

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  6. You go for it Sissy...I loved ceramics...did doll heads (never found the time to make the bodies or the limbs) galore, look kind of ghastly sitting on that wooden shelf that I sanded down, stained and never got around to polyurathaning...I did a Santa House to hold lollipops, still have it...proud of that one...I wish you luck with all of it. And patience. And an attention span. Love ya
    Aunt Sandi

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  7. And I nearly forgot...I have one of those ginormous multicolored Star Trek Badge ashtrays! Made it with my own two little hands...it's aqua and white...if I can find it amidst the boxes, will photo and show it...hugs again, yet more love (are you sick of it yet)
    Aunt Sandi
    ok
    I'm done

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  8. "Jill of all trades, master of none" Yes Yes Yes... and does your husband also give you that look like he's supporting you even though he knows this new project you're so excited about will end up in his garage? I scrapbook, but NOt creatively. I collect scrap book products, does that count? I found my passion years ago-- it was the one where I'd lose track of time and forget to eat. It's a darkroom. Expensive little love...
    You're gonna love making ceramics... Good luck!

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  9. You're a jack of all trades! Not that I'm surprised. :)

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  10. Ok so were we separated at birth???
    I have done the "craft show' circut. Have done cross stitch, purses, and on and on.

    I owned a ceramic shop for 1 year. Poured my own molds--the whole shebang.

    Now it's jewelry, scrapbooks, cakes.

    Ok--I'm going to have to post on this one--my embarassing pictures will put your to shame!!!

    ha ha ha ha

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  11. Well.... this brings make memories. I was sooooo into making wreaths, hats, dolls and whatever else. I did cross stitching, latch hook, ceramics, quilting and who knows what else...LOL I've only been scrapbooking for 2 years also. Love all of your creations, especially your table!! :)

    Have fun with the ceramic painting. I think you'll love it. :)

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  12. well I can't type today. I meant BACK, not make...lol That's just weird. LOL

    But you mentioned Saira having her own scrapbook stuff.... she does. We've just never done anything with it, because I'm a bad bad mommy...lol She has an album, paper, scissors, glue stick... pretty much everything she needs. She got it for Christmas. She even has her own camera with pictures. She has one of those Fisher Price digital cameras. She asks me all the time to get her pictures printed. :( I'm bad. :(

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  13. ceramics will be the perfect craft for you~ You can get started on christmas early!

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  14. Kari, I made some of those same things. I even made grapevine wreaths out of real wild grapevine, J brought home from work. Yep, being a lineman had it's benefits and grapevine harvesting was one of them!! Imagine my kitchen and dining room, in wall to wall grapevine!(sigh) I did sell a few of them, too.

    So now, it's photography and I think it might stay around awhile. I'm having lots of fun and the blog hobby is pretty nifty too!

    I think you'll enjoy ceramics! I've thought about giving it a try again, now and then.

    I wrote the Dr Pepper post, tonight. Hope you like it!
    Pat

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  15. Hey Kari!
    I've done some of those same crafts! I always come back to stitching. Love the way you personalized the babies - very creative! I've been bored with projects before too - I've only actually thrown out a couple but there are a few unfinished ones still hanging around here.
    I bought a kit once about grandchildren to stitch for my mother - there were 3 boys and 3 girls at the time and both my sister and sister-in-law were pregnant. This little kit had 4 boys and 4 girls. Wouldn't you know they both had girls and I had to make change one of those boys into a girl!
    I've been forbidden from taking up scrapbooking - there simply isn't room for another hobby that requires lots of supplies!
    Have a great weekend!

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  16. Used you on my page hope you don't mind!

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  17. One thing's certain, Kari, whatever you set your mind and hand to do, you do well!

    I tend to go from thing to thing, too. Although, I refuse to leave half-finished projects. Once started, it's finished if it kills me. Then, maybe I'll never do that thing again...I'm think crocheted snowflakes here. LOL!

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  18. Hey Kari,

    I'm alot like you. I really get into something for awhile and then I just kind of lose it. I was thinking of going back to making some jewelry again. I did like that but then I ran out of people to give my jewelry to and how much of it can I wear? I almost always wear my silver jewelry anyway. I've never tried ceramics but I wished you lived closer because I would go with you.

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  19. Forgot to add, I love that table!

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  20. Hey who cares if its a passing fancy or not. The point is you're learning something new and hopefully having fun. I did the cross stitch thing once upon a time as well a latch hook rugs and shudder some knitting. Not really a crafty person but this scrapbooking thing seems to be sticking for me. lol

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