How did all this madness start, anyways?

I remember as a kid, my mom sewing us matching clothes for family pictures. Macrame jute strung all over the living room. Grandma's knitting sitting by her chair, and her beaded doilies.

My aunt was in a Craft-of-the-month club. I loved it! Because I would get a lot of those little boxes of goodies from her so I could finish them.

*sigh* Ah, those were fine days. Days that I remember very fondly. And when I look back at everything I've crafted over the years! Wow.

Macrame (of course) wall plaques and plant hangers. Embroidery, crochet and knitting, soaps, lotions...among other things. But over the last 6 years my crafts have turned towards glass, starting with stained glass, then lampwork, and now fusing! There's nothing the dangerously hot glass to keep things interesting! Ha!!

What is your crafting history and experience? I'd love to hear it.

We're having one BIG A.S.S SALE!!

(Edited to add that the sale is over, but click the links to the left for some great handmade studios to visit)

That's big 'A.S.S', OR ArtFire Saturday & Sunday Sale!! Visit these great shops for some totally rocking crap. Come on, start clicking the shop links below for some great deals :)
---
GlasstasticTreasures: 35% off Need-New-Glass Sale

CatinaLife: 20% off Sale

DestashNotTrash: 20% off Sale

JennuineCandles: 15% off Help-Pay-My-Taxes Sale

CreativeHaven: 40-50% off Clearanced items & Save 33% off $20 or more purchase. Use coupon code "Creative Things"

PegasusSoaps: 10-20% off Sale Marked Items

GingerBells: Free shipping on jewelry, and buy 3 get 1 free on soaps

ScruffyQuilts: 20% off Sale

ffmsupplies: 15% off Sale

SpoiledBratzWear: Sale is 50% off All Doggie Snoods, use coupon code "snood half"

AliSuns: 50% off Sale, use coupon code "fifty"

MandiesCandies: 15% off Sale

CreativelyJeweled: Onetime only coupon for the first buyer on her Zibbet Shop, save 20%
---
More shops to come! Now go! Shop! Buy some handmade crap ;)

The Handmade Movement

Handmade has really changed since I was a kid. There isn't anything that we can't do ourselves, with a little training and practice.

When I first started making lampwork my little rondell shaped beads were pretty pathetic looking. Then I caught sight of some lampwork fish. Amazing!! And I knew I had to learn that. Of course, there's a huge difference between a rondell and a fish. So what do you do?

The internet has an unlimited source of information, of course. But books are still my favorite way to learn. I can sit curled up on the couch, under a nice warm blankie, and flip through page after page of yummy lampwork pictures.

Handmade has certainly changed a lot from my perspective. It's gone from crafting for fun (which is what I remember as a kid), to full blown income sources for a lot of independent artisans. But, more so for buyers, I think it's come to mean a special kind of uniqueness and quality you just can't find with manufactured goods. And I think that is a wonderful thing.

I think of handmade as being made with heart, not just with hands. So, what does handmade mean to you? I'd love to hear your thoughts.