I'm brilliant

even though I'm sick :-D I know, I know, there's a Finnish saying "oma kehu haisee" - bragging about oneself stinks - but also "kukas se kissan hännän nostaa, jollei kissa itse" - and who will lift the cat's tail, if not the cat itself. There shouldn't be any shame in recognizing and acknowledging my own worth :-)
I would be even more brilliant if I DID something ;-)

I have been surfing the internet and there is this French girl at Picasa, with a lot of romantic pictures and lace and such. She has been making "whitework" on paper and it's very inspiring... she uses paper pricking (or piercing), painting and Richelieu lace ideas. I look at what she has made and I get angry with myself. I COULD be making things like that.

Reminds me of the totem animal I made for my husband:

I should be making Christmas presents and decoration, and I started crocheting tablemats... because they are so cute :->
I don't understand how people are able to crochet an afghan in a weekend... I have been crocheting my tablemat (in filet lace) for three days now, and it's not even half way done. But - I'm also sick, so I don't have the energy to crochet for a long time. Nevertheless, I don't think I would be able to make an afghan in a weekend. I might be brilliant, but I'm not THAT brilliant :-D

There's also an fascinating use of macrame in Latin countries. I love tassels and fringes, and would love macramé lace edging on my bath towels... It would feel so rich and baroque ;-)
I do NOT like the 70's style macramé, the horrible, cheap, hippy belts and string bags, rude stuff made with horrible hairy jute string with huge wooden beads and tassels that look like wild ponny's tail - just as messy and dirty... Plant hangers and string curtains... the Japanese - who otherwise make very nice craft books - have made some macramé craft books AND FILLED THEM WITH THE HORRIBLE 70'S PATTERNS!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!
I mean... I like all fiber crafts and knotting is one of them, and it's worth so much more attention and renewal, just as any other fiber craft.

Another 70's thing living renewal is "spirelli"...
When I was little, I loved the string "paintings" on velvet. The colors were so vivid and lovely against the dark velvet, and the strings formed all kinds of interesting figures. I have been wondering what to do with that and how to develop it beyond the 70's tacky and kitschy reputation. Now, some have done that. My husband told me we have an artist here in Södertälje, who does these images with string and nails.
Another wonderful use of this technique is the Temari balls.
So, when I read about "spirelli", I got interested and excited... and this is what I see...

I got a hysterical laughing attack. I had to leave the computer and repeat to myself "all creativity is good, it's wonderful people create" but it took me almost half an hour to stop laughing.
Now, I want to make it clear that I have nothing against "craftycardmaker", and I am sorry for laughing and making her an example of what I am laughing about, and it's not about her, it's about me being a horrible snob and all that.
But, they seem to be using ready made punches; stars and flowers, and wind thread around them, like... er... like something we did in kindergarten. Now, I am not talking about the artistic talent required for choosing colors and composing cards and scrapbook pages - that is way beyond any kindergarten kid - even the results of winding the thread are quite a lot better quality than what kindergarten kids produce - it's just that there is so much more in this technique, so much more possibilities and THAT is what they do?
I have made Teneriffe lace, and this is like using the daisy loom and filling the house with daisies, all made the same way, all the same form and shape and size... probably also made of acrylic or mohair or something like that...
Now, please remember, I am an awful snob with crafting. I do sincerely think that all creativity is great,

Use what talents you possess:
The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.
-Henry Van Dyke

and I fully understand that there are people who are quite happy with daisy looms and premade spirelli punches and other uniform kits, and using the simplest possible elementary techniques without any interest of developing it further, and I am also quite aware that ANY of these people are already "better" than I am when it comes to actually CREATING things - because, let's face it, I do nothing. With all my education and knowledge and intelligence and creativity and artistic talents I create nothing, so I have absolutely no reason to laugh at people who create something without all that... on the contrary. Nevertheless...

It is sad that these techniques are reduced into kindergarten stuff and no "real" artisan would give them even a thought, because the possibilities are there... Only 20 years ago crochet was considered "grannies crocheting doilies and afghans", today we have crochet revival :-)
I do hope these elementary crafters will lead the way to reviving the rest of the wonderful fiber crafting techniques and in 10 years people won't be thinking "tacky and yucky" when they hear the words "teneriffe", "spirelli" and "macrame".