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[Poodlepet2]

Go crafters! We are not wasting time..send me your handmade work.....there is nothing that says 'I love you " more than handcrafted work-whatever it may be....

I will take a hand-crafted gift anytime over a mass-produced one....hand-crafted is so special.

I am so happy people spoke about this and am so sorry some don't recognize crafts and skill.

Hugs to all crafters,

Poodlepet2

[Qgirl26]

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@Poodlepet2 wrote:

Go crafters! We are not wasting time..send me your handmade work.....there is nothing that says 'I love you " more than handcrafted work-whatever it may be....

I will take a hand-crafted gift anytime over a mass-produced one....hand-crafted is so special.

I am so happy people spoke about this and am so sorry some don't recognize crafts and skill.

Hugs to all crafters,

Poodlepet2

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Hugs back to you, @Poodlepet2! I saw some beautiful work shared on this thread. I am not as talented as some but I do enjoy crafting. I know some sadly see it as a waste of time and money but I think it is better than spending all your tme watching tv or sitting on the computer all day. Although if that is what makes you happy, go for it! I don't want to tell others how to spend their time and money and I don't like when they try to tell me what to do with mine. To each his own.

[pattypeep]

@grammarqueen ZZZZZZzzzzz...........

[onlyshopsonline]

My favorite gifts are handmade items.  Maybe because I'm a sewer and quilter, and do machine embroidery, and make a lot of well appreciated gifts.

I can always buy what I need.  But, there is something so special about getting a gift from someone's heart!  There is also a positive vibe that I get from making something special for someone.

It's a win-win!!!  

[hopi]

Some people have boundless energy and love to focus on these types of activities.  As long as their kids are taken care and the house is clean I say more power to them.  It's like reading a book for them, being on internet or working out for hours they find joy in it and many of them have really nice stuff when they are done. A whole day once a month warrant sales on HSN that's what a shopping channel is for.  Suzanne Ruynan was always a craft geek even on Q.

[loveschocolate]

@MKR14, your things are beautiful!!!! I have two framed cross stitch scenes, one from my mom and the other one from my sister. My mom passed at the age of 62 and my sister at the age of 52. I wouldn't trade these things for all the money in the world! The time it took and the attention to detail and the love behind it. ❤️

[MKR14]

@loveschocolate Thanks for your kind words. It gives you so much pride to learn any craft and really enjoy what you do. I could make an Afghan with the graphs in two months before I went to work. I was home with three school children and two foster children with us most of the time. I would get all my work done in the House by 9:00 am and needed something do do besides just watch tv or read. I loved seeing what I made come together. I also was taking my Mom for cancer treatments as the kids got older. The doctor doing her treatments had me make the Home is Where the Heart Is for her daughter. I put her daughter’s name and the Year on it when it was made. I only charged her the cost of the yarns as she did so much good for others. That is the only one I sold as I loved giving them as gifts instead. I only have one granddaughter and hers has a large Raggedy Ann and Andy on it. She is now 22 so I guess she needs an updated one.

[classic]

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@gacat123 wrote:

@Kachina624 

I dabble in simple craft stuff time to time.  (Just For Fun)  Craft Shows are fun to watch. 

Right now I am enjoying coloring and consider myself quite the   *COLORISTA* !!  

Recently  ordered an Anna Griffin color portfolio  set that was on $ clearance.  

I put together a pretty Wedding Wish card for a friend with a poem I wrote and CASH. 

This was all quite homemade and from the heart.  Friend loved it!  

Keep Calm and Craft On, 

CAT

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That's just beautiful what you did!! ... I make gift bags out of wallpaper.. The embellishments cost me more than the wallpaper..

I buy beautiful discontinued wallpaper  and whenever I have to give a gift to someone special, I'll  make them a bag &  coordinate the handles with colors in the wallpaper & even matching tissue...

Many friends & family have appreciated this.. I told them they could also use the bag to hold a pot inside with some flowers; or hang it up in their closet to hold little trinkets.. 

[mistriTsquirrel]

@MKR14  So you don't sell them on Etsy?  That's too bad.  They look very nice, and I'll bet you could make one with a squirrel on it that would look delightful on my bed.  

One of my grandmothers used to crochet afghans for everyone in the family when I was younger.  She made some for my dolls, and she made a couple of twin-sized afghans for me as well.  I wish I had a queen-sized afghan from her to go on my bed, but she can no longer see well enough or use her hands well enough to crochet.

She taught me how to crochet, but I've forgotten most of what I knew.  My attention span has also been very limited over the past 10 years or so, and I find it hard to concentrate well enough to learn tasks like that.  Maybe someday.

Makes me sad to think about how I will never have one of her handmade afghans for my queen bed.

I can't imagine a grown adult not appreciating a wonderful gift like that.  It takes so much time and effort to make something like that...so much more than just going to the store and picking out a gift card or something.

Even items like soaps, etc. can be really nice.  I was gifted some glycerin soap and lip balm a relative bought at a craft fair, and wish I could buy more of it.  Unfortunately the guy who makes it doesn't have an online store.  I've been using Badger lip balm for quite awhile, but his lip balm is much better.  And the glycerin soap was the best glycerin soap I have ever used.

Anybody who dismisses things that aren't mass-produced is missing out, IMO.

[MKR14]

Thanks for the kind words. I do not sell them but have been asked several times about doing so. I like not having a time limit and love to make them for wedding gifts.

Whenever I have a chance I try to teach others the basics of crochet and this Afghan Stitch so they will have the skill to pass on. Unfortunately my daughter never wanted to learn. My granddaughter learned the basics of crocheting but never went beyond that.

The Afghans with the graphics is an Afghan Tunisian Stitch and easy to learn IF you have someone show you. I learned it very quickly once my friend showed me. Some of the patterns are from Mary Maxim online but they are no longer available. I have made about 7 of the Home is Where The Heart Is and three of the Wildlife with the fish etc. You get a little square in the pattern with every two rows done. Then you cross stitch over that like needlepoint. They used to come as knitting patterns also and you knit the pattern in. I love the crochet way. When doing an Afghan stitch. You buy a hook that looks like a crochet hook on one end and a knitting needle on the other end. You never turn your work and just work back and forth. I buy the longest one available as an Afghan will take up a lot of room.

Here is a site with the basics if anyone is interested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsgJ8qLcIz8