Lisa has an excellent idea. She wants to know why we started our blogs, how has it changed for us as a forum and what we're looking for from the community of bloggers.
So here goes...Why I started? I can barely remember now. I know that I did think about it for over 6 months before deciding to do it. Quite unusual as I usually jump into things and then deal with the consequences. The driving force I guess was sharing what I was creating and if I'm honest with myself, to hopefully receive some feedback. To share ideas, meet like minded craft obsessed women. I signed up for a 3 month trial as I didn't trust that I would stick to it. I'm so surprised and pleased that it's been over a year and I'm still enjoying it. I love the comments and feedback.
How has it changed. I've become less timid in my posts, less concerned with being approved of. (Don't get me wrong, I still want to be loved!) It seems to constantly change. Some months I'll post daily and other's once a week. It's a constant in my life that I do love. The past month has been the hardest as far as being motivated to post. Real life distractions have gotten in the way and it's interesting at how quickly you can feel out of the blog loop. In some ways I like it. It has given me a different perspective to step back a little and just observe the community out there. It's like being with friends you've known a long time but not having to be anything. I can passively participate.
What am I looking for from the community of bloggers? Likemindedness....passion, honesty. Honesty is a tricky one. I almost didn't post here about Doughman's departure. But I then felt that I couldn't continue posting about my "perfect" creative crafty life. It would have been bullshit and I felt the people who come here regularly deserved better. It's a fine line I feel. I think I've walked the tightrope of being a victim and that I definitely am not. (You'll be happy to know that I did finally clean the house this weekend and man did it feel good. I knew it was time to vaccum when the dust bunnies were large enough to scare the crap out of me when something floated past me out the corner of my eye! Here's the honest part, I went out with a new friend on the weekend and knew that she might come back for a cup of tea (Hi Nicky!) and vanity got the better of me :) ) Back on track...the main thing I'm looking for is to be surprised and inspired. On a daily basis I am both of these. I love the ideas and sharing.
On a different note, new banner design. I was going for the cheerful Christmas image, but found myself heading in this direction. I bought a kaleidoscope for a friend's child but never ended up passing it on. I was playing with it today and managed to snap some pictures looking through the scope. I love the dimension of the images and they have a stained glass feel. Here's a peek of the one used for the banner before the cut.
handmade goodies to gift
