Mary's TwitterMom Page

I am completely overwhelmed by my end-of-the-school-year gift crafting, which is slightly derailed by my upcoming trip to International Quilt Market in Pittsburgh. But I couldn't let another week pass without bringing up the topic of teacher gifts.
It's been a long time since I've had to do teacher gifts -- I gave them up as each boy moved into middle school and six teachers -- but my daught… Continue

I'm always interested in learning how people got started with their crafty hobbies. It seems like so many women my age grew up with a mother or grandmother who sewed, knitted or crocheted, and then passed on that knowledge.

My crafty heritage definitely begins with mother. She sewed most of my clothes when I was a child and even made herself some coordinating outfits. But her crafting explorations hardly stopped there. She also knit, crocheted, painted fabric, cross stitched, latch hooked rugs,… Continue

If your family is anything like mine, then y'all view a restaurant table covered in paper as an opportunity to doodle, draw and play. It seems nothing is as entertaining to my kids (and husband and maybe me, too) as a blank sheet of paper and a couple of crayons.

While not every restaurant we frequent has the foresight to prepare for our patronage, I have found that making art portable has been a great way to keep my kids occupied, while also encouraging creativity.

Among my favorite finds was… Continue

I've been artsy-craftsy nearly my entire life. Painting, scrapbooking, beading, rubber stamping, sewing -- you name it, I've probably tried it.

It's been only recently, however, that I've realized that I'm kind of a by-the-rules crafter. As much as I admire artist trading cards and collage art, I find myself at a loss when it comes to actually making them myself. Too much freedom, it seems, is not a good thing for me. I'll pull out the materials and sit and wait for inspiration. And wait. And w… Continue

I was talking to my husband about something the other day -- what, exactly, escapes me at the moment -- but he reminded me that I needed to "simplify" in regards to the issue. Later on, as I was reflecting on my day, I recalled his guidance.

I think it's easy when we're crafting to get caught up in all the tools, products and hoopla associated with our hobbies. I know that I have accumulated a store's worth of craft supplies as I plowed my way through scrapbooking, rubber stamping, beading, pai… Continue