Freecycle: Encouraging a Would-Be Crafter

You know, if you read my last post, that I'm a fan of secondhand. Thrift Stores, recycling and upcycling. Has occurred to me that I also enjoy going through peoples old stuff but that sounds odd and a bit grimy so let's not dwell on that aspect.

Recently, Hubby and I drove to the South of Joburg (we live in the North) to collect a wardrobe that had been advertised on Freecycle. During the collection we met a man, in his late forties, who's parents had sadly both passed recently.

He has no siblings and is single; he told us he was Freecycling all his parents furniture and odds and sods as well as a lot of his own as he was selling his house and off to start a new life in Australia. How exciting, thought we, as we loaded our wardrobe and chatted. Not easy, as Hubs and he manoeurvered a solid and very large wardrobe down a flight of windy stone stairs and onto the back of our bakkie.

As we were preparing to leave, the chap asks us if we won't take a few bags of "Mum's crafty bits" because he didn't think they were of real use to anyone.

My ears pricked up, "Crafty Bits???" and I must have shot Hubs a look because he immediately follows our friend back up the stairs while I sit and wait, excitedly wondering what's in the bags.

I know. It's me *waves*.

It's not like you ever see posts on WeezaFish of my crafting, do you? Hadn't realised I was such a keen crafter huh?

I WISH sometimes I was a crafter. I'm a wannabe/would be crafter with possibly one or maybe two very small artistic bones in my body. I like reading blogs of people who craft and make things, as long as they're not too 'perfect' and make me feel inferior. I do have a box, called 'Mummy's Fixing and Making Things Box'

It's full of things I find and think "one day I'll make that into something" and in the box it goes.

Occasionally they see the light. No, honest look ...

See? Crafty huh?

WE JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT WAS IN THE FRIGGIN' BAGS WEEZA!! Okay, okay.

Our lady had two specific hobbies, and they were ... QUILTING! And CHOCOLATE MAKING!!!

I know, the chocolate making excites me more too but I was taught to save best to last so ....

One bag, nay SACK was STUFFED I tell you to bursting with material scraps and yet another was jammed full with wadding. Everything I needed to make a Quilt the size of Australia.

Honest with myself though, that's never going to happen.

But having said that, I do love quilting. No, not the act of quilting, the finished product. Ha, you see? I'm just a lazy Crafter. Anyhoo, I decided that I would attempt ... something. Some cushion covers maybe or a small throw. Don't laugh. I only said I'd attempt.

Then I imagined this lady quilting. There were a few patches made up in the bag and I wondered if they'd been her last project. It felt like the right thing to do would be to start MY project with these.

And onto the chocolate making stuff ...

THREE SACKS of moulds for chocolate along with 'Homemade Chocolate' stickers and little cellophane bags and ties. She must have had a little Cottage Industry, thought I.

Easter Eggs, Solid shapes in ALL kinds of designs. Some random (Star Wars was our fav), lots of Animals and kids orientated ones, like toys and vehicles. Christmas ones. Lollipop moulds with sticks and books of recipes and How To's that I poured over with great interest. I've always wanted to learn how to make chocolate.

Star Wars and Superman!!

Sod that for now though, this is the lazy crafter speaking so next time I was at the shops I bought a massive slab of Cadburys Dairy Milk (I know, I know - not even the proper melting chocolate) and I made the kids some fun shapes.

Photo Credit

Those aren't mine. We scoffed mine WAY too quickly for any pics to be taken. They were very similar though, promise.

My mind wandered again and I imagined, an elderly lady with no grandchildren to spoil. Making chocolates and lollipops to sell in her local shop. Or at Craft Fairs and the like.

I wondered if the local kids called her 'The Chocolate Lady'.

But I have decided. I will go through the hundreds and hundreds of different moulds and keep a few that I am most likely to use. Easter and Christmas ones.

And the rest? Back on Freecycle of course!

Because I am certain that there's someone out there who wants hundreds of chocolate moulds. And enough material scraps and wadding to make a quilt the size of Australia. Once I've finished my temporary fad quilting project, that is.

If you DON'T have Freecycle in your area and like the sound of it, why not start one? Check their site, they are always keen to spread to new areas and looking for site monitors too. 

Right, I'm off to melt some more chocolate.