Creative & Crafted Pay-It-Forward

Around the beginning of the year, a facebook status started making the rounds. Offer to make something for five people who promise to do the same for others. A creative pay-it-forward, if you will. With the end of grad school and the resuming of "free time" in my future, I decided to bite.

want something?

I did not expect to get motivated to get anything done for those who responded to my posting within the first few months of the year. I'm fairly skilled in the procrastination department after all (hence grad school at 31. . . ). But, as soon as I latched onto the ideas I had for each person I got ever-so-slightly obsessed with finishing things and my ninja crafting skills kicked-in. Mostly because I got so excited about what I was making for each person (and their partner or offspring in a few cases) and I couldn't wait for them to get them. That happens sometimes. . . or, most of the time. . . I just enjoy giving things that I've made to people (maybe that's why the Curse has plagued me. . . ).

By February 23rd, I had three projects finished and in the mail. By last week I had the last sent off. Despite what people may say about the USPS, packages made it across the country in an impressively short amount of time. I encourage you to support the USPS - send crafty goods through the mail to your friends! Or anything tangible, for that matter.

A little round up of the crafted goodness:

To NM:


town cards with map envelopes

To AZ:

puppets!
tiger - alligator/crocodile - polar bear

To NY:

greek-life-inspired coozies

can also double as stylish wristbands

To ME:

cross-stitched logo
wall-hanging

I initially planned to combine this with my quasi-resolution to use up the stuff I have lying around. Which I mostly did, although I admit I did need to procure a few things here and there to finish several of the items - the green yarn for one of the coozie's (it was on sale! and I already have some in other colors that I have a project planned for) and the ribbon for the outer edge of the cross-stitch wall hanging - not bad considering.

I encourage everyone to engage in a little pay-it-forwarding via mail. Mail is fun to get, though nobody likes a mailbox full of bills or junky catalogs. Do your part to spread a little love, crafted or otherwise creative, to the people in your life! Preferably out of the blue, so it is an even better surprise :)