A Good Beginning is Half Done

  First off, Welcome to my Blog.  I've been thinking about it a lot lately but not really doing anything about it.  More on that later.  Right now that's going to change.  Why?  Because my fortune cookie today said "A Good Beginning is Half Done."  I am taking this as a sign.

 This is going to be a place for me to share my various (mostly) crafting experiences with whomever cares enough to read.  I have contemplated this first post a lot, about which recent project I should kick this off with.  I have noticed with my friends, family, and customers that a lot of times when it comes to crafting, the first step is the hardest step.  So maybe I shouldn't cover a project at all in this post, just make a first baby step.  I know there are lots of folks out there who have empty scrapbooks and piles of photos and supplies, and I can help you. 
 
  I think there is a certain anxiety to starting a new hobby, and I'm here to tell you this:  LIGHTEN UP, IT'S JUST CRAFTING.  Yes, the possibility does exist that you will create the ugliest pile of glued card stock in the history of paper, but that result is highly unlikely.  Keep in mind that crafts are a form of useful art, art is subjective, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Don't get overwhelmed with crafting.  There is really no right or wrong, only techniques and processes which can help to easily produce a desired look or outcome.  

  When people receive cards I've made or a treat from my kitchen they will often say, "Oh I could never do that!"  They're wrong.  They totally could.  You just have to do it.  You have no time for crafts?  You most likely do.  You probably sat down for an hour or two in front of the tube last night.  You probably checked your face book for at least thirty minutes today.  Park your supplies in a room with your TV and craft away.  Write a list of projects you would like to complete monthly, and post it where you see it.  Having this visual nudge helps.  I promise, no elves are going to break into your closet and get to work with your glue sticks.  

  Remember that in addition to having a tangible, useful item as a result; crafting is about the process.  Enjoy that process.  If you have just learned about a new technique, try it out.  If it doesn't work like you thought the first time, try it again, maybe using a different material.  The more you experiment the more you learn.  If you screw something up really badly step away from the craft table and take a deep breath.  Don't cry.  Maybe take a look at www.regretsy.com to see some other people making terrible crafts.  Then have a laugh and come back.  Remember, it's just crafting, LIGHTEN UP.  

  So just do it.  Think about a project that you have had in your brain for ages.  Now, just begin.  Remember that  "A Good Beginning is Half Done."  But no beginning is nothing.