Crafting it Forward, Spreading Joy

(The nice, crisp, clear photo is Sarah's...)

I was lucky enough to sign up for Sarah Kelley's ingenious "Craft it Forward" on Facebook, in which participants sign up to receive, and in turn to offer, individual creative works.

Sarah (you may also know her as thebeadedlily) took my favorite color combination of blue and green, and turned it into this magical bangle: straightforward, yet mysterious; friendly, yet serene; simple, but unique; confident, but not brash. I felt a remarkable bond to the bracelet the minute I opened the package, and now, as I write this, I see how this bracelet has exactly the qualities I wish for myself, and if it is even possible, I love it even more. It's my new talisman.

(...and the blurry, backlit one is mine, taken with
a camera phone, but, hey, at least it's in natural light.)

And now, Sarah is offering it in her shop, so if you like, you can have one of your own.

As for Craft it Forward, it's an enchanting way to make connections through making art, and to bring out everyone's creativity, whether they are frequent crafters/artists, or not. There's no obligation that the people who are frequent artists stick to their usual media or methods, either, so it offers a fun way to explore a new direction or try a new idea.

I am Crafting it Forward on a sort of focus group of family and friends first - or will be as soon as I get the taxes done - but if that goes well, I plan to share it here on the blog, as well. There's no reason why you have to wait for me, though, if you want to start right away. Here are the rules - just copy and paste them on your own blog, and have fun!

The first five people to respond to this will get something handmade by me. There are some restrictions, though:

- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.
- What I create will be just for you.
- You'll receive it this year (2009).
- You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a mix CD. It may be a poem I may crochet or sew or glue something. I might bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows?

And in return, all you need to do is post this text into a note of your own and make 5 things for 5 people. Respond in the comments section... first 5 people win!

(These rules are just for reference right now, but as soon as I am able to, I will post these rules officially so we can Craft it Forward together. That doesn't mean you can't leave a comment just to say hi though, because comments? They make my day.)