Closet Crafter Comes Out.

Hi, my name is Susan and I'm a closet crafter.

I crochet. I bead earrings. I have embroidered. I made those quilted sweatshirts that were so popular in the 80's (Ok, I'm ashamed to admit that, but my daughter loved them). And I've sewn valances and pillows and, yes, even a reversible doggy raincoats(for my son's dog).

Yes, I am an artist. Yes, I am a writer. But when art becomes work and I get overwhelmed, overloaded and burned out, crafting is like a vacation.  It's relaxing and silly and fun.

When my children were little, holidays were another excuse to get crafty.

Through the years, I've made many a Halloween costume for my children.  Pirate hats and Princess crowns.  Angel wings and Devil forks.  Somewhere along the line, we started a ghost making tradition.  One year we made our own ghost cookie cutter by bending a crumpet form.  Rolling out a spicy molasses cookie dough, the kids cut out the ghost shapes and after baking, iced them with white icing, added chocolate chip eyes.  Voila' ghosts!

One year, I discovered polymer clay.  That year, we had a crafty Halloween featuring polymer black cats and glow-in-the-dark ghosts.  I even made this pin that I have worn every Halloween since.  

My children are adults now.  But this year, my son wanted to know when we were going to bake ghost cookies.  Then, a local writer said she was looking for easy, fun, quick Halloween projects that a family could make on Halloween day. 

Before I knew it, I was at the craft store looking for the fixings of a Halloween project.  I got black spray paint, grapevine wreath, orange glow lights and, of course, glow-in-the-dark polymer clay.  At another store, I lucked out and found a chalkboard ghost on sale!

Putting it all together was easy. Hang the glow-in-the-dark ghostly wreath on your door with or without the orange lights.  Here's the link to the article in The Oregonian Homes & Gardens with all the details. 

http://www.oregonlive.com/hg/index.ssf/2015/10/easy_halloween_wreath_trick-or.html

It just shows, that it doesn't take much to get a closet crafter out of the closet once more.