Just for a bit of fun, each Saturday I’m planning to post - among other things - a pic of my kitteh - Gobbolino. I hope you are amused…

Also - I challenge you, each week, to write a LOLcat caption for this picture in the comments. The best one from each week will become the caption on the picture!!! For those of you who don’t know what I’m on about - please visit Icanhazcheezburger.com

And now, on to the main event.. the Sat Cat for this week…

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This is a question that I have long considered, especially as I’ve gotten older.

Blue eyed cuties by yo_heidi_gurl

Now, I work with kids, and I find that quite enjoyable. However, I have always maintained that kids are great… as long as you can give them back.

Being a parent has never been anywhere near the top of my to-do list, even though I am increasingly surrounded by family and friends who are having children of their own. When I tell people that I’m not really interested in having kids, they inevitably tell me that I’ll change my mind when I hit the magic Three-Oh.

But I wonder - will I? And even if I do, will having children make myself or Nick (my fiancé) any happier?

A number of people have written on this issue (The Happiness Project, Amelia Hill, Lorraine Ali) and have come to different conclusions based on their personal beliefs - but the research seems quite clear.

And the answer is no.

As someone with no plans to have children, this is a heartening find - though I can well imagine those of you out there who scoff at this finding, arguing that you love your kids more than anything, and can’t imagine being without them, and that *of course* they make you happier!

To be honest, though - it’s hard to miss something you’ve never had. I’ll use the analogy of siblings. I am an only child, and so have never known what it is like to have a brother or sister. But you know what? The vast majority of people that I have spoken to in my life have confided that I shouldn’t feel that I’ve missed out - because, apparently, having siblings is not all it’s cracked up to be. I take them at their word, but I’ll never know one way or another. It’s a similar thing with children. If I never have any, then all I have to go on is what I see around me, and the research and stories of others.

To be frank, most people I know who have kids (and, keep in mind I work with around 150 families) are constantly tired, frustrated, and worn out trying to run both their lives and their kids lives.

I think the one thing we can all, perhaps, agree on, is that once you have kids, your freedom is severely curtailed. You no longer have the time (or energy) that you used to, and your needs and wants go on the backburner while you take care of your child.

Call me selfish, but I love my life, and I don’t have a desire to sacrifice my current joys to parenthood - at least, not yet! I am the happiest I’ve ever been, I have a full life, and if I never have kids, I don’t think I’ll spend much time regretting it.

So, what is your take on this issue? Do your kids *really* make you happier? Or do you just want to believe they do?

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This week on My Crafty Journey we welcome Rachel, from the US.

If you would like to be a guest blogger on My Crafty Journey, please use the contact form above to get in touch.

Rachel

This is My story..and I’m sticking to it !

I grew up in L.A. , My Dad is an Actor ( Robert Culp) so I guess from the beginning there were a lot of interesting people around and I was ALWAYS very into clothes.
As a teenager I got very into Music and started going to a lot of concerts..I totally fell in love with MUSIC and Musicians and the way they dressed !
I always felt I was born a little too late..I would have loved to have been around in the 60’s..and am very inspired to this day by 60’s and 70’s Rock & Roll style !

I left Home when I was 20 and moved to Chicago to live with Danny O’Connor..who I met while standing in line at a Todd Rundgren Concert in L.A. when I was 15 . He was working and touring with them at the time and it was love at first sight..at least on My end..it took a few more years to convince Him( Men are so dumb sometimes ! )

Glam Rock

I started making Jewelry in Chicago..selling in some stores in Chicago and L.A. and Art Fairs..got bored with that after a while..got pregnant with My first Son,Elliott, in 1987 . While I was pregnant I started making Baby Clothes for Him..and started making stuff for Friends of ours in the Music Business ..and My business just sort of grew by word of mouth.

I mainly do hand embellished Denim..but other things as well.
I LOVE to sew..it’s my creative outlet and just love the process ..Finding fabric I’m inspired by and creating something from My head that wasn’t there before !

I also do a lot of Custom pieces for people who bring Me their old Clothes or fabric pieces that have a lot of personal meaning to them and that they don’t want to part with so I turn it into a Pillow..or a quilt or Jacket and they have it forever.

We moved from S.F. to Michigan a few years ago and when I got here I started selling My Kids stuff on Ebay..it took about a year to get rolling again but once I did it has been non stop every day.
people always tell Me I should hire somebody to do My sewing and I just design everything..but I wouldn’t be comfortable doing that and I LOVE to do it myself.

Astro Girl

I have had the problem lately of people copying My work and a few things that are distinctly My own ..this swirl I use  and some of the stitching..I have to say it is rather frustrating..I still don’t understand why people think that’s O.K.

I just started selling on Etsy a few months ago ..I am really inspired by all the amazing stuff there ..makes Me want to get back to My earlier work ..the wilder the better !

Thanks for letting Me share My story..

Visit Rachel:

Deep Blue “C” : http://www.deep-blue-c.com

Etsy Shop : www.mydeepbluec.etsy.com

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Recycled Paper by acd111

From my earliest days, I remember this practice of a Christmas morning.

We would never rip into presents in gleeful abandon (not having any siblings probably helped with this), but carefully unwrap them, sliding a finger under each piece of sticky-tape and almost reverentially separating it from the paper. Wincing, if it started to tear, and our aim to upwrap a near-pristine piece of paper looked like coming unravelled!

My mother always carefully collected Christmas and birthday wrapping paper to re-use at a future date.  I’m not sure whether she inherited the process from her mother, but it is an unshakable part of my being to this day. Throughout my childhood, whenever a friend had a birthday, I would buy their present, then venture into the hall cupboard, where mum kept the stash of wrapping paper - carefully folded in an old paper bag. I would pull it out, and sort through the pieces until just the right one for this particular present presented itself!

I still, at 27 years old, follow this careful ritual when unwrapping a present. I have now begun my own collection of old wrapping paper, to be re-used when the perfect combination of present and paper occurs.

In fact, a little bit of me still winces in horror when I see other people gleefully ripping their giftwrap to shreds. That little voice in my head cries ‘what a waste’ - and it is! CopperWiki suggests that we throw away an estimated 83 square kilometres of wrapping paper each year! Now, I try and do my bit to live a sustainable life, and this is just one more little way I try to both save the environment, and save money, too.

The funny thing is, I never had to make this decision. It was made for me during all of those Christmases and birthdays where I would, under the loving gaze of my mum and dad, carefully unwrap every gift with care, and peek my way, bit by bit, into the mystery of the present beneath.

So - what do you do? Are you one of the wrapping-paper-collecting hordes, or do you end up with a great big garbage bag of paper each Christmas?

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Ah, Christmas Eve!

Here is a view of my back yard this Christmas Eve morning…

My backyard

Jealous? It has been quite hot so far this summer, but the worst is yet to come - January is traditionally the hottest month. I have been busily crafting away these past few weeks, but I have only had the energy to list a few things on Etsy - so I thought I’d give you a peek at what I’ve been working on…

Current Projects

I made a whole stack of sea glass pendants when we were over on Moreton Island the other week -

Sea glass galore

I also made my first set of briolette wire-wrapped earrings a few weeks ago. They’re not perfect, but I like them, and I’ve worn them a few times. I even had a girl on the street comment as to how much she liked them, so that’s a good sign!

Briolette Wire-Wrapped Earrings

I’m still crocheting with wire, and yesterday I made this necklace. I  also bought a litte bit of bracelet memory wire and used the left over beads to make a matching bracelet!

More Crocheting with Wire

My newest experiment has been making simple pendants out of wire. I’m not sure about these, but I’ll keep experimenting and see if I can work out a good technique for them.

Wire Pendants

Well, I’m currently trying to type one-handed, as I’m enjoying an ice-cream from the corner store down the road! Mmmm, chocolate and ice-cream… and caramel

I shall bid you all adeau, and wish you all a happy and safe Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

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Purple Shock by Pfaff

Who would have thought, in this ‘modern’ age, that a woman proposing would cause such shock and awe?

There have been, as a rule, three major responses to the fact I proposed to my now-fiancé:

1. “Is it a leap year?”

I have heard this exact phrase from at least three people - either followed or preceded by “are you allowed to do that?” Their initial reaction to being told that I proposed to Nick is one of shocked bemusement - and a sudden urge to make things right. Most of you probably know the old story that a woman is only ‘allowed’ to propose during a leap year.

Now, this apparently goes back to an old Scottish law from the 13th century, stating that women were allowed to propose only on the 29th of Feb in a leap year. And so the tradition has persevered.

My first reaction to this question was ‘who cares’, and ‘yes!!’? Of course I’m allowed to - good grief, we’re not in the dark ages, here, people!

One of the people to have this reaction was my ex, whom I chat to twice a year or so (as we parted amicably after almost 8 years together, we remain friends). He joked to me that he would’ve refused on principle… and now we know why I didn’t marry him!

And so it was...

Mostly, of course, this question has been surrounded by goodwill and happiness for us both - but it has certainly brought me amusement!

2. “Awesome! Girl Power!”

The reaction of most of my female friends! (P.S. Guess which gender mostly asked the above question… hmm?). I have had comments such as “your mum must be so proud that you were the proposer” (my mum’s a feminist from way back), “sometimes a girl just has to let her guy know what she wants”, and the ubiquitous “that is so cool”!

It’s funny, for most of my life I have entertained the small dream that I would be proposed to - preferably in a quiet and non-dramatic fashion (if anyone had ever made a big deal of a proposal in public or in front of my family, I think I would have sunk into the floor in horror…). I’m not an overly-romantic person, but you do still grow up with certain cultural ideas lodged in your psyche.

However, after ‘taking the plunge’, I have to admit that I don’t regret it one bit. After all, what is it I really wanted? This wonderful man to be my husband… and now I’ve got it! Win-win all around.

3. Stuttering/Stunned Acceptance/Bursting-into-happy-tears… (i.e. Family)

I think this is probably the same no matter who asks who

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It has certainly been an education into the predominant cultural traditions we still seem to carry around with us. So, do tell… which of these reactions would you have if a female friend or relative told you that she proposed?

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Today I’m starting another semi-regular feature on my blog - Australian Made. Every so often I will feature an Australian artisan, and let them tell us a little bit about themselves!

If you would like to be considered for Australian Made, please contact me!

Today’s Aussie Artisan is Sharlene, whose current creative focus is paper - particularly paper dolls!

Where about in Australia do you live?

Beautiful, bright, blingy Brisbane !!!!
Where else would you want to live?  Not too big, not to small, not to busy, not to boring, if Goldilocks was trying places to live, this would be the place.

What’s your favourite place in the world, and why?

Floral Room Gal

I think I have said it all before …. Only Brisbane would do.

Where does your online ‘handle’ come from?

Sharlzndollz comes from my passion for all things doll.  I play Barbie with my daughter, I reroot doll hair, I rescue unloved dolls from second hand stores, and I explore my inner child with paper dolls galore.  So obviously a name that means me and my dolls is the one for me.

Tell us a little bit more about yourself! Your ‘day job’ or business,
family, hobbies…

I am a creative person trapped in an admin world at work but my dream is to break free and climb the dizzying world of craft.  All craft is good craft but right now my craft is with paper and dolls.

What did you want to be ‘when you grew up’?

I don’t know.  I still haven’t grown up yet.

How did you first get into your craft/art?

I have crafted forever.  When you grow up with creative parents, it becomes an extension of learning.  I try and make that flow to my daughter as well.  The first project I can remember loving was a picture of a rabbit for Easter when I was 6.

What do you make?

Paisley Flowers

I tend to graze in the field of creative options, trying a little of many: ceramics, sewing, paper craft, needlework, painting.  Recently I have been cutting back on my all crafts diet in favour of some rich grazing on just Paper and particularly paper dolls.  So far the meal is very yummy!

What is your favourite media, and why?

I love paper. Have I mentioned it?  Paper Paper Paper.  It is a tool of all trades, so tactile, so varied, so many possibilities.

Where do you get your ideas?

I get a lot of inspiration from my daughter’s bed time reading.  Children’s books, especially the pop up ones are so rich and wonderful.  I also love history and digging into the past creates inspiration for the future.  There are no new ideas, only wonderful Homage’s.

What do you like the most/least about selling your wares online?

I love the immediacy of selling online.  You can create, present and list so fast.  You can get feedback to fast from forums etc.  This is great for the making process.  The thing I like least though is not seeing the persons face when they receive your goods.  You hope they feel wonderful, but you never know.

What’s your favourite word?

“Manky”  it sounds like it is and yet makes yucky things seem kind of fun.

If you could sum yourself or your work up in one sentence, it would
say…

The old proverb:  “Every journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step.”

Peta Picks a Posie Tote

Visit Sharlene:

Today I decided it was about time that I updated my blogroll. There are just so many fantastic blogs out there that I wanted to share with you! Now, if you are a blogger, and you’re not on my blogroll - please leave me a comment. I haven’t finished in my quest to blogroll the best, and I absolutely love finding new, quirky, informative and unique blogs to liven up my days.

Now, there are quite a few newbies on the list, so I wanted to take the chance to highlight two of my favourite blogs. These are both Aussie blogs, and always provide an insightful look at life. Neither are ‘craft blogs’ per se, but both women do have craft as an integral part of their lives.

Dancing with Frogs - written by an English teacher with a knack for giving a witty twist to even the most heart-wrenching of stories, and of course, the most wonderful!

Down–to–Earth - a blog about living a simple life from a woman who once lived a consumeristic, rat-race-infested life, but has now moved into a simpler, more peaceful and balanced life - an inspiration to all of us trying to do the same!

I highly recommend you check them both out!

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What are your favourite blogs, and why? Leave a comment and let us know!

Here are my picks for five fabulous products from Etsy this week!

If you would like to be considered for next week’s Superb Sunday, please leave a comment on this post letting me know which of the following products was your favourite, and also leave your shop link in the Etsy forums - under Promotions - “Superb Sundays at Epheriell Designs - Thread for the 28th of December 08″.

1. Hearts and Flowers - Original Painting - by CMZart

Hearts and Flowers

2. Gingerbread Girl - a poetry chapbook - by BloodPuddingPress

Gingerbread Girl

3. Keshi Kid - Meiko with Teddy - by Wunderkind

Keshi Kid

4.  Melancholy Lashes - Acrylic Jewellery - by UntamedMenagerie

Melancholy Lashes

5. Pink and Peach Origami Earrings - by OrigamiOrnaments

Origami Earrings

Whoohoo!

I’ve been dying to tell you all, but I wanted to wait until Nick and I told our families! Very exciting times

It happened on Monday, when we went for a sunset stoll down the beach… and I decided it was time to pop the question! Yup, we have a modern woman here - lol. Happily, he accepted, and on Wednesday we went engagment ring shopping. I am now the very proud and still amazed owner of this beautiful white gold and diamond ring…

The Ring!

Happy Jess

Nick’s English, so we still have to sort out his visas, but we’re thinking about having the wedding in September next year - in the lovely Australian springtime!

Okay, now it’s time for all you married ladies to shower me with advice! What did you do for your wedding? What marriage advice do you have? Lay it on me, ladies (and gents )!!!