Be creative!

[edinburghmum]

I have been watching a few crafting programmes on Sky recently and feel so depressed by what I am seeing. So many of the crafting kits that are demonstrated or sold on tv are pushed as being "easy" and "crafting with little or no effort required". I think that this totally defeats the purpose of crafting itself. Crafting is not something that needs to be done and dusted in record time. Shouldn't craft making take time and effort because we enjoy being creative? It is exactly the care and effort that is required that makes us all enjoy crafting.

Don't get me started on those endless CDROMs.........

[stillcrafting]

I quite agree with you. I stopped watching those programmes partly because of that.

[Fiona 67]

Sometimes though for people who feel they would like to do something creative but "can't" these type of kits are just the thing to give them a helping hand - it certainly helped me when I started card making a few years ago.

[sheilaj]

I do all kinds of stuff from pick and stick to starting from raw materials. Being creative for some people is scarey stuff and the thought that its quick and easy can be just the encouragement some people need to get them started, as Fiona says.
The other point that i would like to make is that speaking personally, when there is hard stuff going on (and I have had bucketfuls for the last 4 years) I want to go and do stuff but the creativity just isn't there. At those times, pick and stick is quite literally a Godsend. It stops the hampsterwheel thinking and the terror of what might be and gives me back a measure of calm. When things were really bad, even sorting through my stash and looking at it helped. I used to keep a bag of stash beside the bed to help me unwind for the night and get some sleep. No offence but fast and easy may not be what you need, that isn't to say that it doesn't have its place.
and to quote Forrest Gump "That's all that I want to say about that"

[edinburghmum]

I totally understand and appreciate what you are saying. I am new to crafting and am just dismayed by the attitude on some of the channels that suggests that crafting should almost be a mindless 2 minute activity. I wholeheartedly agree that crafting can help you get through some tough times and help you remember the good times too. I just think that the whole process of using crafting as a means of helping you through these times shouldn't be a rush job. These packs and pop out kits are great for helping us to match papers, cards and embelishments, but I just think they miss the point about what crafting means to some people.

[grannipat]

I agree with you - the enjoyment is in creating something lovely!

[blinky]

Howdy Ladies, Be creative, please don't give up. Why don't you watch Create and Craft the only 24H Crafting Channel in the world? And most important, it's in the UK so you don't pay extra postage for crafty goodies as I do in France. There are plenty of demos for total beginners. Please give it a try and lemme know how you feel about it. Y'll definitely get hooked to this channel and you'll be crafting like a PRO in a matter of days. Good Luck, Keep smiling and happy crafting.

[dozyrosy]

Why don't you watch Create and Craft the only 24H Crafting Channel in the world?

Well, C&C is one of the great promoters of pick & stick kits for starters - though they are definitely improving again and offering a lot more "proper" crafting goodies than they were a while back. But I've learned a lot in the past and hopefully will continue to learn new techniques from some of the talented crafters on their shows.

And I agree with Sheila, there's a place for this as well as true DIY crafting. Not everyone is capable - many for reasons of disability (mental or physical) - of truly creative work. So whether we like it or not, they're offering what people want - if there wasn't a market they wouldn't continue selling it. And don't get me wrong - I have done my fair share of irate muttering about brainless crafting.

Rosemary

[RosieMac]

I agree with what you said about some of the kits - they are not for me but I have learnt so much from watching some of these programmes and seeing new products demo'ed. But I tend to be selective and record programmes, and mostly watch back on Sky x30, only watching demos that particularly interest me.