Ghosts of Craftiness Past & Present

There has been a recent need, tickling the back of brain, to organize the digital aspect of my life.

This week I overstretched the waistband of my checkbook to purchase my first external hard drive. One beautiful, shiny, little, black box of magic; able to hold one solid terabyte of data.

The source of the tickle? Realizing that between my laptop, 3 cameras, 9 or so full SD cards, my partner's laptop, and our shared desktop; there's digital data spread all over the place like red cups after a frat party. Most of it are pictures and music, but the fact that there's not one central bank of this data, bothered me.

That, and the simple lack of organization. I'm a bit A.D.D. in that regard.

I also have Crafting A.D.D. Anyone who knows me, knows this fact.

I'm slightly obsessed with making something from nothing. I live by the 4 R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repurpose. The last one is the source of crafting frenzy. Collecting scraps and finding a way to make them into something useful &/or beautiful is driving force for me. It's my hobby, my therapy, my joy. With that thought, and the simple fact that I've been sifting through thousands of pictures, finding the best way to organize them; I decided to share a snippet of these projects with you. I have some progress pictures I took while crafting some of these, that I'll probably share at a later date. A friend once made a joke that I should host a web show called "Close Enough - with Casey". Usually, because there's something w/ each of projects that doesn't turn out quite right, but I find that in the end, it just gives it more character.

The frame above was built to house a poster my partner (we'll call him, "Mr. Music"...MM for short) & I purchased at Marie Laveau's Voodo Shop, in New Orleans. The angled cuts didn't match up as perfectly as I'd planned (shocker) but after some of my super-band-aide techniques, alot of work w/ my beloved Dremel, some paint, and leftover glass tiles; and ta-da!

 I started my mosiac obsession back in my days in La-La Land. The thoroughly unskilled maintenance guys from the building we lived in, had stacks of broken tiles heaped in the supply closet. I, being manager, convieniently had the keys to that closet and saw a different future for them, than the dumpster they were inevitably going to end up in. This was the last mosiac I completed about a year before we left. It's the address of the building, that will forever live in my heart.
Ultimately, we ended up building a small table, for which this became the table top. It now lives on the back patio of that building, which serves as the social epicenter of the building's tenants. I often wish I'd brought it with me when we moved, but ultimately I made it for the tenants that were my friends and family that live there, and I saw fit that they continue to enjoy it.

This random piece was fashioned from a closet door circa 1970. It was also bound for the dumpster, after being removed from one of the units at 1516.  The particular hallways of that building were what I called 'insane-asylum-white' and in desperate need of some visual relief from the fluorescent lighting bouncing from the glossy paint.

 There was a period of time I crafted nothing but pieces of "art" to help spruce up1516. It was our home, and also home to about 50 other folks. Most of the best memories I have of my 20's were spent here, life-long friends met here, and a place that was home to me for nearly a decade.

I wanted others - whether they were only a resident for the initial term of a 1 year lease, or lifers who were there long before I arrived & will probably be there until they die - to see what I saw & feel what I felt about that place. It was a haven of creativity, support, friendship, and security; in a big city that offered very little of those things.




Have I mentioned that I'm also an obsessive clipper? I'm willing to decoupage anything, and did just that for the next few pieces of hallway decor. 

Theses two are photo collages I (and my gal pal, Chelsea) assembled from the various building parties we hosted over the years.

There are many of my fondest memories, here, sealed under a layer of Mod Podge, and framed with many beer bottle caps discarded during Thirsty Thursdays shared with friends. 

 


And now a break from the sentimental side of my craftiness.
This one was just plain fun to make.

Poking fun at a co-worker turning 50 while getting to craft this beauty while on the clock, was ideal.

Everyone got a nice chuckle and a sucker.

I got paid to wield a glue gun & a paint brush.

My life is complete.










Prior to our big move, we'd determined that we would need at least a 3 BR house. It seems a bit excessive, I know.

Ultimately, we'd planned on 1 bedroom for us, one as a music studio for MM, and an legit guest bedroom for friends and family when they visit our abode. After years of living in a 1BR apartment, and everyone crashing on our couch; it only seemed appropriate. Needless to say, buying a new bed to put in this spare room hasn't fit into our budget quite yet, so I've claimed this space as my craft room.

This is where the magic happens, folks.

The real reason I've included this photo is b/c of the overhead lamp. I'm proud to say I dumpster-dove for that gem of what I can only guess was an old funnel of sorts and made myself a much-needed overhead work light.





Some of my more recent projects, are these. Several months ago, while unpacking a trunk we'd used during the move to safely transport some swords that I once ran off a pimp and hooker with (that's a story for another time); I found an old torn bed sheet that they'd been wrapped in. I pondered an alternate use for it, and decided to further shred it. This time into strips, which I then braided some of and fashioned into a few little bowls.

This is one of them.

Once my Pinterest-craze hit, I discovered this project, which has become a cure for my idle hands. These, my dear friends, are coasters made from magazines bound for the recycling center. It takes me about a week of folding and assembly, and about another week of lacquering to finish a set of these, but I love them. Each one is different & beautiful.

 I've also recently taken to lettering up old pieces of wood, into pseudo-primitive signs.

I'd salvaged a bunch of wood that was minutes away from being doused w/ gas and burned; figuring I'd make use of it somehow. My initial intention was collect enough decent wood to fashion a garden shed to protect our tools and push mower from the elements this winter.

That plan has yet to come to fruition.

 The wood I salvaged ended up legitimately not being the best for building a sound structure, since most of it was riddled with nails, screws, and staples; warped; split; and of all various widths and sizes. MM just shook his head while helping me unload it into a heap in our backyard and refused to touch it after claiming fear of tetanus.

But, I was hell-bound on using it.

Some of it went to my potato tower prototype, but these signs are the product of much of the rest of it.

 We recently had a yard sale, so I set out a few of my pieces to see if anyone showed interest. I think they're cool, of course, because I made them, but did other people?

I guess so, because this is the first piece of my craftiness that I've ever sold. And a man bought it! No offense guys, but I wouldn't have thought you were a target market for this kind of thing.

It made me happy nonetheless.

Not even for the money, but that I gave an old 2x4 and an old pickle jar a new purpose in life.

"With our powers combined, we will remind these silly humans to fill us with the junk from their jeans, before washing"

At least that's what I imagine them saying.

If they could talk.

 



Last year, I tried some basket weaving, re-purposing some newspaper I'd dug out of the recycle bin at work. I'd collected it for composting my gravel-garden, but spared a few to make this.

Then I made a huge one, that I guess I haven't taken a picture of. It is currently housing my collection of yarn.






And, last but not least, in this collection of projects is the old window salvaged from a friend's condemned shed. It is proudly suspended by wires, from the ceiling of my stairwell, offering me a regular glimpse into my west coast family.

Until next time, folks!

Sincerely,

G.G.