Crafty ways to be arty

I've always believed being creative is good for your brain.  During my days as a fully fledged marketing professional,  I swear I used to get home with a sore head from all that thinking which of course got me thinking maybe it is good to close the door on analysis paralysis for a bit and go with the creative flow.

This is how creative addictions invariably start, mine happens to be jewellery & glass.  I was telling my disbelieving and bewildered 7 year old that I used to think in colors as kid - you know, Monday was white, Tuesday Blue, Wednesday Orange and so on so this is me getting back to my roots in a way.

So I would encourage anyone, especially those with stressful right brain oriented careers to think about ways to be creative, whatever that is for you.  Here are some ideas (some which I have observed from friends and family over the years as well as some of my own ideas:

• Create a puzzle from a favorite photo.  Print the photo out, laminate it and cut it into pieces.  This would make a great gift or something for your kids to do at home on a rainy day!
• Given the cost of greeting cards, why not make your own?  Take some well priced scrapbook paper and fold it over in half.  Put a folder piece of plain paper the same size or slightly smaller (white or colored) inside.  With both pieces folder over, hole punch the spine and weave the two papers together with a ribbon.
• Be creative with your kids.  Take an I Spy book and re-create a scene shown in the book. We recently made a space station using all sorts of stainless steel pots, graters, cookie cutters, aluminium foil.  It was played with for ages!
• Make a light shade from rice paper.  When my son was little, I made a light shade using two colors of rice paper.  I cut shapes out in the top layer with the other layer showing through.  Next step was to stick it together with steel rods on all four sides (I used masking tape).  Very cool!
• Make a piece of jewellery!  Keep an eye out for my new "bead it kits" (to be released in August 2011) which will feature some of my own lampwork beads and other items so you can make something unique and fun.

I'd love to hear some of your ideas too.  Feel free to share on my Facebook kleurglass page.