Friday Favorite

It's Friday, so I'm sharing one of my favorite things (and no, I'm not Oprah, so you're not all getting one).  

For many years I read "crafting" magazines.  Although they were well-published and informative, I never felt like I fit in with them.  I was like the girl at school who wore lots of black while everyone else was a little too bright and preppy.  I didn't really want to create someone else's ideas.  I wanted to learn how to use different materials and make my own projects.  This was also before the internet was as useful as it is now.  A search for mixed media would have yielded little related to art.

A few years ago I discovered Stampington & Company and their lineup of magazines.  I had finally found a place I felt comfortable.  I found materials and projects that were new and challenged my creativity.  These magazines have opened up the world of mixed media to me.  I have tried things I could never have imagined before.

My favorite publication is Somerset Studio.  When it arrives in my mailbox, I start planning when I am going to sit down and pour over it.  I make myself wait until I can sit uninterrupted and do my first glance-through.  It's like a buffet....first you sample everything and then decide what you are going to focus on for seconds.  I also love Somerset Workshop since I love to constantly learn new techniques and see how other artists work.

No matter what your passion, there is a benefit to finding other like minded people.  Just keep looking until you find that spot that feels like home.