the tickle trunk

I have a little thing for crafts. I have a little thing for craft supplies. I enjoy having a myriad of half started or never started projects. Just knowing at any moment I can throw open the doors of the craft cabinet and explore my creativity pleases me to no end. While it's a bit jumbled, if you looked closely you might see:

A sewing machine (the one on top is a bit of a decoration), cloth, embroidery thread, pillow cases stamped for embroidery, patterns, iron on transfers, glue, tape and other adhesive materials, multiple spools of ribbon (some very large and particularly antique), paper, scissors, cutting mat and cutting wheel, cotton stuffing, lavender, yarn, crotchet hooks, knitting needles, pens, felt markers, pins, craft books, craft magazines, beads, beading wire, some funny little wooden cording tool my mother gave my for Christmas, pliers, nails, hammers, brushes, stencils, paint, plain paper, craft paper and tissue paper, string, thread, gift wrap, rubber stamps, ink pads, glitter, and a bag of small glass sample jars.

As you can imagine craft stores are a mesmerizing wonderland to explore. I can spend hours pouring over different hole punchers, colors of ribbon, tools, pens, solvents for paints, craft kits, scrapbook kits- you name it. My eyes turn into spirals. Today they spun wildly as I hit the mother lode of craft stores, Loomis. Just like the web page says.. "give your creativity free rein". Honestly, if I did that, I would quit my job, move to a commune and start making my own clothes and hand embroidering my underwear. Not good.

Today I reined in my urge to buy mini spools of cloth ribbon in a dizzying array of colors. It's like a drug. I knew if I loaded up on those tiny wheels of fabric crack I would come home, unroll them all and roll around in it until we were a sweating, tangled heap. Instead I ran my hands over the rainbow of felt markers the way a kid would run a stick over a picket fence. I picked up the solvent and paint bottles and watched the air bubbles rise to the surface. I shook the little jars of powdered pigment and made pleasant with the staff query of "doing alright?".

I almost gave in to a package of Super Sculpey while I envisioned all the things I could make and bake in my oven. Then I realized the auxiliary purchases of paint and glaze and talked myself out of it. The other massive temptation were these little kits of stencil letters that "rub on to virtually any surface". But then I realized that every open wall surface in my apartment would be emblazoned with an uplifting quote of inspiring word by the weekend. I was feeling that kind of creative fire today.

No, I held back. I bought one spool of fabric ribbon and a "Chinese take out" like container for a gift I bought the sister and slowly backed myself out of the store. I have a load of groovy crafting links but I'm too exhausted now to share them. I feel like have been sniffing the glue stick when I haven't. Howver, "Not Martha" is a good one, you can find it in the side bar of links called 'fuck you Martha Stewart'. Click on "get your craft on". It's a favorite too. Hell, take a moment a click through all my favorite links.

Before I forget.. Chocolate Bubble Wrap. I think it's pretty self explanatory. It's definitly a site I have to save for another day. Thanks to Dooce for the link.