My tenets of happy crafting

Compared to many topics on this blog (vintage fashion, recipes, mid-century history, and home decor, for example), I've not delved into crafting nearly as much. Of course there have been some craft themed posts over the years, but compared to the number that many vintage bloggers share on their sites, I'm the first to say that Chronically Vintage hasn't been flooded with such entries by any means.

This was never an intentional move, especially given that crafting has been an integral part of my life since I was knee high to a grasshopper. While, unlike many of you, I don't knit, crochet or sew (though I do know the basics of the latter and enjoy sewing a lot), that doesn't mean that I'm not an avid crafter.

The first craft that I really got into as a child, and one I sometimes still do to this day, was cross stitching, quickly followed by stitchery (embroidery). For many years these were the two main crafts that I did, though along the way I added beading/jewelry making to the mix, and also created and successfully had a part time business selling hair accessories when I was in high school. Later on in my twenties paper crafting hopped on board, and for the past two years scrapbooking and card making have been the two primary focuses of my crafting universe.

I adore that scrapbooking allows me to marry my love of preserving the past (even if that happens to mean the events of just a few days ago) with my desire to create and play with an abundance of beautiful craft supplies, from vintage themed papers to bowls of beautiful buttons and yard after yard of elegant lace. Card making, which often goes hand-in-hand with scrapbooking, is nothing short of an unbridled joy for me, as I really prefer giving someone something handmade when I want to let them know that I'm thinking of them or to celebrate a holiday or special event.

Sometimes, as I'm sure happens to pretty much all crafters, regardless of what arts and crafts they pursue and devote their time to, negative thoughts pop up or my mojo might wanes for a spell. During this time, I turn to a list of guiding principles that I first set down on paper when when I took up scrapbooking, and which has truly helped to serve me well ever since.

Lovingly known around my house as my "tenets of crafting", this list includes several points which I try to use like a compass in the course of my crafting adventures. Whether I find myself wishing I had more of a certain supply to work with or feeling like I haven't had had a good light bulb moment for a while, my spirits are always pacified and revived when I take a moment to review these tenets and reflect on how truly blessed I am to be able to craft often, in my own work space, and with (in reality) no shortage of supplies.

And so, on this crisp, lovely early autumn morning, I thought it was high time I shared my trusty tenets with all of you, knowing how many of my readers are also avid (endlessly talented) crafters. (Please note that I made this list into an image, which you can quickly pin to Pinterest or right click and save for your own personal, non-commercial use wherever you like.)

No matter what kind of crafts you love to do, where your mojo is at this week, or how often you get a chance to spend time creating, I sincerely hope that you'll also be able to avail of the help and inspiration this list has provided me over the year in your own life, too.

And should you happen to have any of your own personal tenets of crafting, please feel free to share them with me, I'm always happy to add to this list.