"She's Crafty!" "Who?"

"Who?" Paper doll cut outs!

I love making small paper crafts, (always have), and I probably always will. I cut these fun critters out of a tissue box and made them into stand up paper dolls, maybe for Halloween decorations, but for now, I love them perched on top of a bookcase, cheerfully peering down.

Ditto for coloring. Dover makes a series of adult coloring books that are mind blowing good: Buddhist mandalas and Rosette stained glass windows, hardly kiddie fare. (see some of them here: http://store.doverpublications.com/0486497925.html). 

Recent studies have shown what I knew to be true during my school years, many of which were dull and repetitive: doodling while listening actually helps our brains absorb information better. For more fascinating facts, read about it here: http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1882127,00.html.

I've adapted it as a useful tool for business meetings, too, with the same excellent results; brilliant, accurate recall by a background part of my brain that's for processing unimportant data, while I concentrate on a much more important task at hand: making beautiful art (or not), or creating designs, or maybe some scribbled type or concepts for layouts. It doesn't matter, because it all comes from the same great place: creativity meeting intelligence.  

Have fun with it, and see where it takes you.

Are you crafty, and that's just your type? Check out these crafts and enjoy:http://pinterest.com/mariedoucette/crafts/.

At Home

Cigar box for remotes

I found a great idea surfing online: repurposing old cigar boxes as stylish compartments for remotes. After a trip to the smoke shop in my 'hood, I scored a few for free. The owner had no problem donating them to my craft project. Thank you! They were a little musty, so I washed them out and lined them with adhesive shelf paper. 

Clutter-free coffee table

Et volià! Clutter-free for me. I'll use the smaller one for keepsakes, and the bigger one turned out to be large enough to house coffee table items. Gotta keep those Feng Shui principles tight and right.