Junk It Up

Pieces of Me.

Before scrapbooking I tried a lot of creative things. I didn't realise how much I used to do until I started looking at this project. The challenge is to "Junk It Up" at How Dare You!!

Sophie-Lee and I made a little foray into the three antique shops in Uralla. The inspiration just kept flowing as we browsed each nook and corner of these old and cold shops.

The first thing I laid eyes on was this very cute crocheted doiley and that set me off on a little journey of remembering. I taught myself to crochet after seeing a girl doing it at school. I added sheet music which I used to buy almost compulsively because I just hated seeing it lying there silent and alone. Music has always been part of my life (thanks to my Dad especially, who tried to give my sister and I a wide variety of musical nutrition) so I added that to my wall hanging.

I used to sew a lot. I did sewing at school, sewed for my children, others and sometimes for myself. There was a certain pleasure in tearing up the old pattern to stick it into my collection of memories.

Okay - there's more! Those knitting needles are the shortest needles I have ever seen and they were my absolute favourites - they were no good for knitting a scarf because the stitches kept falling off. Size 8 - great size for learning to knit (my grandfather taught me to knit when I was about 8 years old and my Mum kept it going).

There was a little patch in my life when calligraphy was my 'thing'. I bought the pens, the paper, books galore, and did works of art to hang on my walls. So there's a little snippet of an alphabet and a nib to remind me of those days.

I've doodled (just give me a writing implement and a scrap of paper when I'm on the phone and watch out!), painted, drawn, and sketched all my life - so there it all is as a sweet little reminder of the little creative things I have done.

Those buttons... Dad found a whole bag of gorgeous gold buttons (some with bling, some with pearl, or emblems, or just plain) at a garage sale and just couldn't go past them. I was impressed by the surprise parcel that arrived for my girls (I don't think they got much of a look-in) What a treasure - I am attracted to all that sparkles - sometimes more, sometimes less.

Oh! One more thing. There is a little collection of stones and another little collection of shells on my wall hanging. I used to collect anything and everything from shells to Readers' Digests, from gemstones to shoe boxes - so these signify my tendency to collect.

So there you go!