About the Artist: June Taylor
I was a single parent from the time my children were four and six yrs. old. Therefore, I had no choice but to work full time. I was a nurse, but sometimes found it necessary to work other jobs (babysitting, cleaning, etc.) in addition to my regular job. My Mother had always been into many different crafts, my grandfather was a very good artist, and I had done ceramics while growing up, had taken a class in Chinese brush painting and enjoyed an occasional craft project.
When I began working weekends only, I was anxious to get involved with some type of craft. I enrolled in a tole painting class and found I loved it! I made so many, many things and gave away almost as many as gifts to relatives and friends. I really enjoyed painting the country kitchen items. I was told that I should sell my items, but anyone involved in a craft knows the truth about that. You might be able to recover your cost of materials, but never for the time spent making them. Besides, I really did love making gifts all year long.
I then started doing some oil painting. I loved it and I had high hopes of becoming fairly good at it. but I started having a lot of problems with my hands and had to give up tole and oil painting. Shortly after that I decided to get into rubberstamping which my daughter had started doing. I still lived in WV and she lived in RI. I should be ashamed to admit it, but I once bought so many supplies while visiting her that I filled my suitcases with them and shipped my clothing home!
My daughter started selling Creative Memories scrapbooking supplies. I was a person who loved taking photos and had so many albums, I couldn't count them. It was and still is such a fantastic hobby for me! I love that I am scrapping so many memories for the family to enjoy for years to come. I learned so much about my family when I did my heritage album and from that decided that I needed to do a few albums about myself. Journalling in scrap albums is extremely important and now I know that my great-great grandchildren will have a glimpse into who I was.
After moving in with my daughter and her family in MA we set up the master bedroom as our craft room. We've done greeting cards, bellymasks, calligraphy, knitting, beading, & melt art to name a few. I've just recently started working with clay and I also spend far too much time on my computer. I love using the software programs for "drawing & painting". I've also taken up ceramics again.
So for the people who think they have no artistic skills, I'd like to say - take a class in tole painting, buy a book on making greeting cards, or whatever you think you might be interested in. You can do it! We may not be among the greatest (like some others here!), but we still can feel self satisfaction in producing something we made and feel proud in sharing it.
I also enjoy making webpages and I have several different sites, but my main one is: N2 SCRAPPIN' |
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