CREATIVITY CIRCLE

originally published April 26, 2002 at Suite101

Hello all. It's been a while since I've put in a new story here at Suite101. With the splendors of spring (aren’t you all just loving the blooming flowers and the warmer temperatures and the smell of freshly-mowed grass?) have come a few exciting developments for me…which has left me with less time but lots to look forward to. I got engaged in February and am currently planning the wedding…which has taught me it’s a bit trickier to easily entertain on such a grand scale. Over the next few months, I will keep you posted as my attempt to entertain easily unfolds. You resourceful brides out there, please feel free to post your suggestions and ideas for making wedding planning easy. Never has throwing a party ever felt so difficult before! To compound my list of interesting events, I have just begun a course to become certified in graphic design. So far, it’s been a lot of fun and great for sparking the creative flow again, which brings me to this month’s easy entertaining idea: gather up your arts-and-crafts-loving pals and host a creativity circle.

Pick a day.
Dedicate a specific day of the week you will meet for crafting. It’s much easier for planning other aspects of life when you know when you’ll be meeting on a regular basis. Pick a day of the week that works out for the group of pals you want to gather and stick with it. It’s easier to plan around a revolving gathering when it’s consistent.

Decide what you’ll craft.
I am an HGTV fiend and get loads of inspiration from simply watching a few craft/home décor shows. Other possible sources of crafting ideas include:

• GetCrafty.com
• CraftyChica
• HGTV Crafts
• Better Homes and Gardens
• MarthaStewart.com
• Michaels.com
• CraftSiteDirectory.com
• CraftIdeas.com
• MakeStuff.com

  Visit these sites on Suite101:

• General Creativity
• Food Crafts
• Fabric Crafts
• Budget Decorating and Crafting

Invite your crafty pals.
You can send a standing email invite, which is effective but a bit blasé. You can jazz up the email invites: be creative and crafty and set up a webpage with details of where the party will be (it might rotate among the members of the creativity circle), what the project will be, and what supplies (craft stuff, food, etc.) to bring. Send the webpage URL in the standing email invitation a day or two before the craft day weekly.

Set the mood.
Pop on a few fun CD’s, set up a table or two for crafting (you might want to invest in some cheapy vinyl tablecloths to protect your table surfaces), and lay out your spread for snacks and tasty beverages nearby. Tear out or print up photos or drawings of the crafts you’re wanting to do. Tack them up around you with light-tack tape .

Have at it!
Revel in the joy of letting loose and feeling creative. My sister and I have been keeping ourselves busy with wedding crafting these days…we beribboned about 100 little bottles of bubbles last night in less than an hour’s time.