My Creative Addiction Stories

Introduction

Let me just start off by saying that my Mom always had our house decorated nicely when I was growing up. She was and still is creative and thrifty. Then there is my dad who too is creative..and precise on everything......but a tad too thrifty :-) So I will just Thank them now for putting the creativity gene into my life.

Fabric Collecting

I started to collect fabric when I was in my early twenties. I had seen one of my mom's home decorating books that had a grandmother's flower garden quilt in it. I went right out to a fabric store and bought about 10 yards of fabric for this quilt. Of course I had no idea how much fabric I needed, but I wanted to make sure I didn't run out. Lets just say that I never did finish that quilt.....I got through 3 flowers. I was newly married, starting Nursing School and my husband and I were building our first house. I got a job working at So Fro Fabrics...and pretty much spent more than what I was making there.....on Fabric. My collecting of fabric....led to my spending time with my best bud Teresa...she is the Quilting Queen. The addiction of collecting pretty fabric has continued to stay with me to this day.

Tole & Decorative Painting

The addiction to painting began when my mother and I would go to craft shows in our area. I would see all of these cute painted items.....and think...I could do that. There was a local country store that offered a beginner class on painting a little farm boy and girl. It wasn't until a couple of years later when I was pregnant with my first son that I found someone at a craft show who taught beginner classes. My dad and I signed up.....and loved it. The classes were held at a shop called Which Craft. This store was like a candy shop to me! There were tons of patterns, paints, books and wood to paint. I met the most interesting woman in these classes. I ended up joining a class taught by Kathy (she was great) which is where I met my best bud Marybeth and her daughter Jenn. After my second son was born, and my husband and I were building our 2nd house, I started teaching painting classes at a local JoAnns. I was also addicted to yard sales at this time....because you know I could turn trash to treasure....LOL. Unfortunately I still have a tendency to find good finds....and want to make something beautiful out of them. Notice the use of the word want....I am good at wanting....just not the follow through.

Mosaic Tiles/Pottery

Years later I saw some shabby chic mosaic pieces and decided to create my own tiles. Hence I bought new paints that I was able to use and stand up to the grouting process. I sold these tiles on Ebay under the name The Rusty Pail. I also did a lot of painting on clothing at this time....cute outfits for little girls....these too were sold on eBay. Painting my own mosaics lead me to want to make my own out clay. That is when I signed up for a pottery class in Ann Arbor. To make a long story short, I now have made a ton of hand built bowls. They have a leaf motif that surrounds the rim....in a fancier world....I guess that would be my signature. My pottery instructed is Awesome...and extremely talented. His class is through Rec and Ed in Ann Arbor, and I would highly recommend the class.

Scrap booking

I actually started to squirrel around with scrap booking back when I was collecting fabric. My best bud Teresa was a Creative Memories consultant. We "Monday Night Ladies" (Good friends: Terri, Cindy, Teresa and Mary)...would meet and craft. I started a couple of scrap books for my two boys...and wanted to do more. Notice that word "wanted" again....started....and never finished. Now to the present. I started to hang out with another of my best buds....Ginny. Ginny has always been the Queen of cutting paper! Well...to make a long story short....she got a Cricut for Christmas....I played with it.....and caught the bug!