Changes

I am currently on furlough leave and this unexpected time off has provided me with the opportunity to finally sort out my very messy so called craft room.  I have gone through years worth of hoarded craft supplies, I have purged bins full of old, unloved and unwanted supplies and have moved them from my second bedroom into some Kallax units in my conservatory. I have finally the reading/library I want and all my craft and art supplies are in a semi organised location ready for me to start using again after a long hiatus.

I used to love scrapbooking and card making and art, but I completely lost my mojo when my crafting friend broke up our friendship of over twenty years.  I still, to this day do not completely understand what happened and am still hurt by it, but it has been over four years since I last saw her.  My crafting was very much associated with our friendship, so when our friendship ended, I felt like I couldn't craft anymore and a tiny bit of that love died with our friendship.

In the past couple of years, I dabbled very infrequently in trying to find my mojo and I have done a couple of scrapbook pages and travellers notebook inserts, but still my mojo wasn't there.  I still watch  my favourite scrapbooking, card making and arty you tubers, but I haven't crafted properly for a long time.  However, since this global pandemic, my mind has become clearer to the fact that crafting gave me so much joy for so many years and it is calling me to action, and it is time to get rid of the hurt and guilt  that has been hanging over me for these past four years and to fall in love all over again with crafting.

At the beginning of this year, I did aspire to do more hobbies other than my reading, and having this time off and converting my second bedroom from the unused craft space to a reading room, and actually have some sort of organisation to my craft supplies, it has spurred me on and I am excited to start using the supplies I have kept and begin collecting new products again( that's a hobby in itself Lol xx).

I used to be part of Stampin Up and love their products, but as I stopped crafting I haven't used any products for ages.  I've always kept my eye on new catalogs each season, but I wasn't inclined to create.  However, I am now ready to rejoin the Stampin Up community again,  I have kept in touch with Louise my demonstrator throughout my hiatus, and I am so pleased to begin a new Stampin up journey again albeit personal rather than as a business. .  I'm hoping that it wil help with my social anxiety in joining a team again and will give me a further crafting purpose.

So this very long winded post is essentially to say that I have decided to rename Kiwillow Reads to Kiwillow Reads and Crafts to encumpace my crafting life.  I would like to showcase my crafty creations whether scrapbooking, card making, travellers notebooks, art, journalling, cross stitch or diamond painting.  I will still be doing my TBRs and wrap ups and bookish content but I wishing that  this blog will be an insight into all aspects of my hobbies and life in general and be a record of achievements and creations.

Here's to happy crafting and happy reading to come

Love Lesley x