Bobbie

A little bit about Bobbie: 

What kinds of creative projects are your favorite?

My favorite projects depends on my mood and the time I have available.

I like a variety of things — embroidery, needlepoint, jewelry making, some sewing, holiday decor, a bit of painting, and all things for my home.

I rearrange furniture, move art, change the mantle whenever I give my home a good cleaning, whenever the season changes, or just when the mood strikes! I love to rearrange treasures and add new ones all to delight the eye and have new vistas to enjoy!

What is your most productive time for creating?

My favorite time to create is in the morning if I have a nice open day ahead of me — that is when I can really get into something and play until I find my flow.

Starting a day by doing something creative is a luxury that feeds my soul.

I often make an effort to do that on vacation, and need to remember to do it more often at home! When that happens I am happy and productive.

I find it hard to create if my world is in disorder, so a prerequisite is a tidy home with at least most of my nagging chores complete. That means the creative juices often run in the mid to late afternoon when all the other stuff is done or at least at bay!

What is your favorite storage tip for your creative supplies?

My studio also serves as a guest room, so I need storage that is functional and attractive when guests come calling.

I decorate in an eclectic style, mixing antiques with newer treasures and love to repurpose found items. I use a stack of old suitcases as a night table. They also serve as storage for lesser used items. I label the back of each suitcase with the category of it’s contents — notions, felt, etc.

I also use smaller pieces of old luggage on the shelf in the closet. I have my mother’s old train case (remember those), and some of my father’s old briefcases. Again, each is labeled and are easy to take out, find what you need and store again!

I accomplish some shaby chic decor and storage at the same time! You might have some old suitcases in the attic or can find some easily at thrift shop and estate sales.

Tell me more about your home dec projects. How often do you change your mantle? And move your furniture, art and accessories about in your home?

Home decor are my favorite projects! Things move in our home!

I regularly decide to rearrange the mantle, move a few pictures or change the accessories on my table and book shelves. If you acquire things you love, you find that they can look lovely in different places around your home.

You also find that when something becomes invisible in one location it may be time to move it to another so you can enjoy it in a new light. Or it might be time to store a few things and get out a few things that have been tucked away.

My decor always changes with the seasons and usually several times within each season. There is really no point in doing a deep clean, moving everything to polish the furniture, and then put it right back! Who would know you even bothered?

That is the time to trade a few things around and freshen peach room. Who knows, this often sparks other creative endeavors — doing a little painting, making a pillow or recovering a simple chair.

Making all things new and beautiful makes me happy!

When you are in a creative mood, do you listen to music, watch TV or do you prefer a quiet spot? If it is music, what types do you listen to? If watching TV, what kinds of shows?

I often have the TV on in the background. HGTV or the Food Network keeps me company, but I can’t watch anything that requires concentration! When I am really into a project that deserves my real attention, then quiet is best.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Creativity is important to me, it is in my heritage and an important part of what I tried to install in my children and ow grandchildren.

It is in our family genes — our mother was a seamstress, always had several handwork projects going, and encouraged her daughters to do the same.

She made our dresses and decorated her home with love. Christmas brought the most elaborate decor, but no holiday was left without special decorations! I thought everyone had green carnations for St. Patrick’s Day, flags for every national holiday and boxes of decorations labeled for every holiday of the year!

Each season also brought special projects for “the girls” that often included stray friends who might be around. Our breakfast room table was the site of many a project!

Our father created in his own way- he built beautiful furniture that is still being used and loved more than sixty years after being created. He was an engineer by training and a handyman by temperament. He took on household projects himself, claiming that he could usually fix it, but if not, at least he learned something!

So, Mother and Daddy both taught us to use what we have, blessed us with a creative spirit and good eye, fostered in us pride in creativity, and gave us the confidence to try!

I am lucky to also have sisters who inspire me with their creativity, each in very different ways every day.

We passed on the habit of making that which was old, new again to our children. and now I am even more deliberate in providing opportunities and supplies so our grands learn to be creative and confident!

I believe that creativity seeps into every part of our live.

Learning how to create small things provide the opportunity for divergent thinking and leads to create answers to other challenges.

Efficacy then allows you to create the life you wish to lead, one project at a time!