I slid / stepped back into my craft roots when i lost ‘who i was’ back in the 2000s.

Many reason are behind my loss, it’s enough to say that it happened and one of my steps to recovery was  and is making things. When i started out it was mix of what sparked my mind, what I’d dabbled in before and what fun cute projects I’d discovered online through something like craftster.

I began slowly and my first project of any size was Christmas decorations. Using my favourite material, glitter.

I still have these, I’m not sure if i want to get them out now because the joy i had making them, the joy i had hanging them, well it was wonderful and i’d hate that my critical eye would look down upon them.

Next came Jewellery, experimenting with wire, decorating pots, glass etching and the very exciting crafster discovered project of  marble magnets marble magnets are everywhere now but back then sourcing the right glass and glue was a real trial.

With everything the joy cam in working with my hands, working with objects in front of me and transforming them, using wire ,using thread, using stencils, using paint, using images, using glue it very much was craft as therapy. Somehow magically (to me, not my clinical psychologist) my confidence grew as i crafted away. When she asked what I’d like to do with it all my answer was ‘ selling at the Thorndon fair ‘ so i booked a stall.

I loved fairs so much I helped with Craftwerk and went on with the help of some very special friends to create Craft2.0.

In thinking about my past , and returning to using some of the tools and techniques I learnt in therapy  to help with the depression. I’ve realised that despite living a crafty life , how I do it is some of which is wrong with me right now.

Right Now much of what I currently do is computer based, I’m designing all my pendant shapes online and that’s where my time gets spent. Yes I put them together with chain, but that’s not creative enough to boost my mental health. So while I intend to keep on going with my laser cut creations, i need to fill that gap it doesn’t fill.

But my dilemma was how to get that physical making mojo back.

It all began sliding into place thanks to two things one was foo camp which i was honored to be invited to and attend in Feb of this year. The other was Miss Millie having sock leftovers.

I dearly wanted to bring the craft, my kind of craft – simple, easy, laid backed ,sit in the sun, relaxed craft to foo camp and I wanted to do it with the most simple and easy of things sewing. Because sewing is really a transformational activity, it allows you to do little things like fix your buttons, tidy a hole in a top or a jack, fix the broken hem of a dress or make fun things, like sock owls.

Over 2 weeks of crafty, cocktail evenings on Tuesday nights with the aid of Craft2.0 crafters we put together a parliament of owls ready to fly all the way up to warkworth. Those evenings showed that the pattern was OK, that i could vaguely teach the basic of making the owl, that they looked cute together and more importantly how very lucky i am to have such amazing friends who make things.

Foo camp is an event i am equally parts totally scared by and excited about. So holding a session was a big step and wit but it was fun for all attended, we made sock owls, we decorated the school with sock owls and most of all we hug out in a small circle on the grass  and had an hour of relaxing craftyness.

And with Sock owls I’ve come back full circle that relearning that in making things, I add a few drops of happy into my day.

I’m bringing that fun of sock owl making to Craft2.0 with sock owl kits. The kits will come in many colours and shapes, and they are no fine art project, but finishing one will make you smile. It’s going to contain everything you need except scissors, there will be be 6 or 7 owls sets to choose from and if nobody buys them then  I have hours of fun ahead of me