Day 5 of Home for the Holidays

im·pa·tient [ im páysh'nt ]
[14th century. Via French< Latin impatient-, literally "not enduring" < pati "suffer"]
eager: eager to do something immediately, and unwilling to wait

Day 5’s guest blogger for the 12 Days of Home for the Holidays is a very “impatient crafter.” Once I read her site and her blog I understand the title of  Impatient Crafter a bit more.

Welcome Ms. Margot Potter the Impatient Crafter to Debby’s Dare. My first encounter of  Margot was during one of Rebecca Peck’s Fiskateer chats. Margot was her guest. She had us in stitches laughing. She seems so full of life and creativity. I enjoy interacting with her on Facebook and on Twitter. She has the greatest of humors to go with a crafty heart.

I read through her page of “The things that make me extremely happy” at her website "The Impatient Crafter" and I nearly died laughing. I enjoyed and at time identified with her. Here is just a few…
*My amazing daughter  *My endlessly patient husband
*Only cutting off the tip of my pinky
*Ephemera
*Spreading my Super Girlie Good Power across the galaxy
*Rainy days that make me appreciate sunshine and give me an excuse to spend the entire day in my pajamas
*The power of forgiveness  *The power of being forgiven
*Extra dark chocolate with nuts  *Willy Wonka
*Irony (not to be confused with ironing)
*The moment my daughter reaches out her hand, slides it into mine, looks up at me, smiles big and says, “I love you.”

Margot is EVERYWHERE. I would recommend you start with her blog The Impatient Crafter.  Margot is a designer, author, mixed media artist, trash to treasure trover, freelance writer, consultant, public speaker, actor and vocalist and TV Host who creates innovative designs for manufacturers, books and magazines and teaches popular seminars and classes at craft and major jewelry industry events.
If Impatient = Incrediable then that is Margot.

Ms. Margot Potter
The Impatient Crafter

What is one Family Holiday Tradition that was handed down to you from someone in your family that you continue to observe?

I’d like to say there’s a tradition like that in our family, but we don’t actually have one. Christmas didn’t come with any long standing traditions other than just enjoying one and other’s company, giving gifts and sharing a hearty meal. We’ve kind of made up our own traditions around here. We host an annual Cookie Chaos party each year with friends and family and everyone comes to decorate sugar cookies together at our little school house. That’s always a lot of fun!

I have a Free Holiday Craft project feed on my blog and I try to post at least one or two free projects a week there. Every one of those projects has ended up on our tree along with my ever growing collection of vintage mercury glass ornaments. So making our own ornaments and gifts is a big thing around these parts. This year I’ve become obsessed with vintage Christmas cards and repurposing them.

The most important traditions for us are simple ones. Just being present with one another and connecting is the most important thing. Gifts and decorations and all of the trimmings are of course fun and as a crafter I love all of it, but what’s real isn’t covered in glitter. What matters most is remembering to cherish the love we share with our friends and family. Being present is in my mind the best present of all.

How do you preserve those traditions?

I try to remember this time of year to focus on the happy things. I had some tough holidays in the past and for a long time it was hard for me to enjoy Christmas. Then I had a kid and she reminded me of the magic of believing. So the simple joys of decorating the house, trimming the tree, listening to holiday music, laughing and sharing and connecting with family and friends are the traditions that matter most to me. They may shift and change over the years, but the underlying theme is the same. Carpe gaudium…seize joy!

I made a wreath last year for my mother, nothing too fancy or fabulous just a simple retro wreath. I took a picture of her, my sisters, myself and my daughter as kids at that moment when you open a gift and you’re filled with excitement and I made ornaments that I attached to the wreath. I added some vintage ornaments from the 40s and 50s for a retro vibe. I call it the Wreath of Joy. My mother has it now and she emailed me last week to say she’d hung it up and it made her smile. That’s the kind of tradition I really love because it reminds us that no matter how tough things might have been, there was always joy.

 {Click on the link for the instructions on how Margot made these Retrofabulous Mixed Media Holiday Necklace .}

Merry Christmas to you Margot and your family.

Margot’s blog is full of free projects. Click to see her lastest Free Holiday Teen Craft Project for iLoveToCreate.

Margot Potter's
Website: The Impatient Crafter
Blog:  The Impatient Crafter
YouTube Channel

Tomorrow’s Guest Blogger is Ms. Suz Weinburg.


Happy Saturday! We are cropping at Fiskateers!

                                               My "Tim's Tag" Day 4

Gratitude List

1. breathing and living every moment

2. laughter, my best medicine

3. God’s joy and laughter that makes it’s way into my life

4. prayers unending

5. God's heart for even me