I've been making Midwinter & Christmas cards this weekend. You know the drill; find an image, print it, mount it, fold a card, fix it in place, repeat until bored. Well, after making a few today I got bored and decided to have a play.
I dug out the journal I started last week at the Cubby Hole, turned to a blank page and started playing with distress inks and sticky fingers, finishing up with a greeny-blue swirly background surrounded by a black border. A quick rummage through my stash and I came up with some stamps and bits of envelope. They are salvages from ebay, from crafty stuff I've been sent and from friends, which brought to mind the saying "it's a small world" and the lightbulb went on - greeny blue surrounded by black? ....of course! Some sticking and staining, and a bit of lettering (still a scary process) and hey presto - a journal page.Which brings me back to the title of this post. Is is craft, or is it art?
Like many of the people who's blogs I follow I consider myself a crafter. When I cut up a piece of wood and re-assemble it as a trinket box it's crafting (even when I decorate it), the same when I string beads together to make a necklace, or when I sit and assemble a Christmas or birthday card.
But this is different. In the same way that I stick bits together to make a card, I stuck bits together to make this, but it doesn't feel like crafting. Boxes and jewellery are functional. The card has a purpose, to convey a wish or a greeting. Even my scrapbook pages have a purpose, to capture memories in substance. This was made just for the sake of making it, for enjoyment. So it must be art. Or is it?
Answers on a postcard to "Confused of Crewe"
Like many of the people who's blogs I follow I consider myself a crafter. When I cut up a piece of wood and re-assemble it as a trinket box it's crafting (even when I decorate it), the same when I string beads together to make a necklace, or when I sit and assemble a Christmas or birthday card.
But this is different. In the same way that I stick bits together to make a card, I stuck bits together to make this, but it doesn't feel like crafting. Boxes and jewellery are functional. The card has a purpose, to convey a wish or a greeting. Even my scrapbook pages have a purpose, to capture memories in substance. This was made just for the sake of making it, for enjoyment. So it must be art. Or is it?
Answers on a postcard to "Confused of Crewe"
Super journal page Nigel, all the best things come from those 'lightbulb' moments . . as for art . . . or craft . . I know what you mean; so many folk call themselves artists and are what I consider to be crafters, but who am I to say; I think of myself as a crafter first and foremost; perhaps we are all arty-crafters, or even crafty-arters!!!
ReplyDeleteThought provoking....but you know I am not that deep....why do we have to call it anything lol ;)
ReplyDeleteSuper page.....!