Small Hobbies (Space-wise)

Somewhere along the way, I decided I had an artistic side. I can't paint, or draw, I take decent photos, but I really like to do graphic design. If I had another life, my dream job would be museum curator, where I would design exhibits. As a young person, I had no idea this profession even existed, so I agreed with my parents suggestion, and went to work for an airline. That, of course had other benefits, free flights for them and my family, but that is another story.

Museum of the North, University of Alaska Fairbanks, I enjoyed one summer as a docent.

One of the blogs I follow, the Cynical Sailor & His Salty Sidekick, mentioned one day, she was looking for a hobby that wouldn't take up much space on her boat, which gave me an idea. On Wrangell Island, we have 2 grocery stores, and a drugstore, but the greeting card selection is extremely limited. I don't want to send any of them to anyone. I thought I could satisfy two desires, be artistic, make my own, and have a card that I would want to send. Plus, I thought it would be less expensive, silly me.

I started by buying some blank cards, with envelopes, some thin line markers, and a bunch of stickers. Everything fit in this waterproof fish tackle box.

Box 1, do you know where this is going?

Then it was back to the craft store for more stickers, (they were on sale!), a bag of shells, (I wanted to be nautical), some different colored card stock, glue, rhinestones, watercolors, colored pencils, and glitter.

Box 1 and Box 2

Now I started collecting bits, and bobs from around the house. String, cardboard, fun designed packaging, rocks, twigs, leaves, ribbon, and of course another trip to get more sale stickers.

Boxes 1, 2, and 3.

Then a generous friend said she had a bunch of rubber stamps that belonged to her mother, and neither her, nor their girls, were into that sort of thing, would I want them, and there were probably a few nautical ones I would want to keep. Absolutely! I would want to check them out, and keep a few.

I think we have here, what is known as "the snowball effect".

Yes, there were a few nautical ones, but I couldn't bear to part with any of them, so another storage box was acquired, and I managed to fit all of them in, plus a few ink pads in different colors. After all, what good are stamps without inks?

On the back of each card I made, I had been putting a sticker of our boat logo, that I had purchased last year, kind of like branding it. Another blogging friend, Little Cunning Plan, said she had her boat logo made into a rubber stamp. Wow, what a neat idea, so I went to Rubber Stamps, and had our logo made into a stamp, along with one in an image of our boat.

Done now right?

Just yesterday, my generous friend hands me another large rubbermaid tub, look what she found! It's filled with all kinds of different rubber stamps. I might be getting out of control now....

Bill says that he is looking into what kind of barge we can tow, to hold my supplies.

I'm not sure yet, how I'm going to organize all of this. I had planned on a storage space next to my side of the bed in our master cabin, but now I'm not sure it will all fit. Downsizing might be in order here.

On the positive side, I am having so much fun making cards. Some of you out there might have been a recipient of one already, and if not, never fear, I know I have a stamp that was made just for you!

Our good boating friends, Bob and Polly got married. The chart is Prince William Sound, and Jade Cove. That was the first trip they took me onboard. Also that's their boat in the upper left corner of the inside of the card. 

Gus and Elsie's Father's Day card to Bill.

Be a Little Shellfish.

Happy Birthday!

My private "Card Ideas" Pinterest board is filling up with all of my inspirations, and brainstorms. Easy storage there, it's online.

What hobbies are your passion, and do they take up too much space?