After writing about craft since 2003, I’ve found my interests shift dramatically as of late. The crafty cozies and tutes I used to care about, I’m now just “meh” about. To be quite honest, I was really upset about it…as in, What the crap am I going to do NOW? Seeing that it’s been my focus for 6 years, what’s my next step? I’ve been exploring the boundaries and theories and kissing cousins of what I used to love, which has taken me deeper into the reasons why we create what we do, and what bothers us to even pick up a pencil when we could just turn on the tv and stare at it. I’m excited to continue on with this journey with new projects on the go, and looking forward to what new things there are to discover and jump into. This space of exploration is cozy and warm and full of surprises.

Part of this new exploration means making some sense out of the past, so I’ve added a craftivism definition page to things, which I’m hoping may shed more light on this little -ism that’s grown so mighty!

The pictures in this post have been two more of the touchstones I mentioned last week. One of life in early London with the sweaters, the ropes, the boats, the wood upon the Thames. All handmade, all beautiful. And the other a glossary which was included in Harry Gibson’s 1944 album, Boogie Woogie in Blue How words are diffused and scattered into our lexicon, like “hipsters: characters who like hot jazz.” How words evoke a timeline of our histories.

Lately:
*The work of Morwenna Catt
*Top tips from Africa’s entrepreneurs
*The mixed media work of Lauren Porter
*Phillip Toledano’s “America the Gift Shop”
*The loveliness of Elizabeth Cotten’s voice (especially Freight Train)
*Photos from the upcoming Frou Frou exhibition in Weston-super-Mare curated by the lovely and talented Camilla Stacey