It’s funny how people sometimes mistake my craft-making for a hobby, as something I might do on the weekends or when life has no other way to amuse me. In reality my love for this creative task has never been so simple.
Glass Etching gives great insight into my real relationship with handmade art. Inspiration precedes all else. Then, from those simple beginnings, a product is shaped by the hands of foresight, preparation, and careful technique. Then, within fifteen short minutes, a final dose of corrosive cream safely eats away the excess, the unnecessary, and the imprudent, leaving behind a creation that is at once both imaginative and stunning.
In the case of glass etching, the computer now enhances my abilities. It has allowed my projects to become more numerous and efficient, more elaborate and more timely. Since high school I have wanted to build beautiful things; now technology enables me to make infinitely custom stencils under the strictest of time restraints. This development is also helping me impart the skills of the craft to others. Honestly, I can get wrapped up in working on a good project- it is one of my favorite pastimes. Yet coming alongside friends and strangers to teach them the trade is also infinitely sweet.
I have worn many different hats in my lifetime. I have been in retail and in credit, in CNA Homecare and in the throes of self-employment. I’ve made decorations for weddings, been a representative for network marketing companies, and even worked in a flower shop. Despite all these different roles I have played, the creative desire for crafting has always been my constant.
My life now facilitates my ambition more so than ever. My wonderful husband Lou and I travel together, seeing new places, meeting new people, and drawing inspiration from all we encounter. We appreciate wonderfully normal activities like watching live theater, NASCAR, and college football. On my own time, I sew, scrapbook, style handmade cards, and explore whatever crafty trades I can find. I also love doing work for our local church. I organize events, decorate them, and engage in fellowship all at once. I still enjoy making items to sell and I love to teach glass-etching classes. I am close with my stepdaughter, Carmen, and am lucky enough that she shares my affection for the process. I have taught classes in her town of Tuscon many times and her input always makes me better. With such support, I’ve developed my own methods and relish in imparting them to others. I’ll admit, my hobby room is overflowing with projects and patterns to finish, but to me that to-do list is never too long!
In summary, the ideas I draw upon are born both of my dreams and of my travels. Crafting is my way of making my thoughts and experiences beautiful to the world around me. I hope you will tap into your own creative core and join me in this journey!
Best wishes!
Margie Moon
