sisterhood of the traveling crafts: part 1

If you're a crafter, you are going to love this little series of posts. OK, even if you're not a crafter, you'll still love them. They're a little over a month in the making. And I can't wait to share the end results with you. As a matter of fact, I haven't even seen all the end results yet because we aren't sharing until later this evening, but I know it's gonna be good. These babies are coming from the best of the best.

I've got some pretty amazing friends. Lots and lots of friends. Friends all over the place. But this particular blog post (and a few that will follow) will be about a few of my crafty college friends from something like 20 years ago and the sisterhood of the traveling crafts. Let me introduce you. There's. . .

• Kerry in Virginia. Kerry and I lived across the hall from each other and were eventually housemates in the little house in the ghetto. We did part of our student teaching next door to each other at Spring Creek Elementary School. I've always been in awe of Kerry's artistic skills and she has a natural knack at turning her flea market finds and curb shopping treasures into something fabulous. She's also a fantastic blogger so you'll want to click over to her blog Plenty Place and read her take on all this crafting.

(l-r: Jenny, me, Kerry working this crazy gig as Charles Siskens Catering's skirter girls)

• Jenny in New Jersey. Jenny and I first met at Word of Life when she lived next door, then she lived next door to me at Tennessee Temple, and then she, too, was a ghetto girl for half a year. I took my first airplane ride with Jenny when I went home with her on spring break. We were late getting to the airport (totally not our fault) and ended up spending the night in the Atlanta Airport. I ended up getting my first teaching job at the school that was at her home church and she took me all around Philadelphia and introduced me to Rita's Water Ice. Jenny works at her church, Church of the Gateway in Staten Island, and just finished an amazing week of VBS. I know it was amazing because I know Jenny.

(me & Jenny - and our fun little house in the ghetto there in the background)

• Dawn in Maine. Dawn is one of the world's greatest story tellers. Seriously. She is a mom to three very tall boys and is an Apple i-junky. She's got more techy toys than I probably know even exist. She is a scrapbooker and Close to My Heart consultant and she always sends me beautiful handmade cards. I met Dawn at TTU and she lived a couple doors down the hall. Dawn has an uncanny ability to win stuff. She's always posting on facebook about how she won tickets to see this guy or have dinner somewhere. Dawn and her husband went on a cruise to Alaska a few years ago and we met up with them in Seattle for lunch and a quick trip around the Pike Street Market. She is the only friend who's managed to "come for a visit." However, I'm hoping that's soon to change. 

(Dawn's graduation - she was the first to escape the halls of Temple U.)

(Dawn & I - Seattle 2008)

The last time just the four of us were together was in September of 2003. They planned a spur of the moment trip to Ohio and surprised me with a bridal shower. While we were together we did some thrifting, of course, and this is what my car looked like on the way home. It was packed with all our fabulous finds. {Well, they were all at my wedding, but I was a little preoccupied ;)}

We went to a neat little place for tea. So fun!

Love these girls.

Needless to say, with all of us being so far apart, regular craft nights are a little out of the question. And reunions are hard too, but we're working towards having one this fall. I think it was Kerry who got the initial idea to have a cross-country crafting project and she sent out a facebook message to see if we were all game. Of course we were, it just took some narrowing down of ideas. I don't remember exactly how it all went down, but it was something like this.

"We need a theme." 

"How about red, white & blue?" 

"Let's make a wreath!" 

"Let's go vintage." 

And so it was decided. Each of us would mail the same supplies for a vintage patriotic themed wreath to each of the other without telling what we were sending. We'd all end up with the same stuff, and we'd decide on our own style of wreath. Then we'd create and wait for the big reveal. . . which is tonight! I cannot wait to see what my crafty friends came up with using all this stuff.

Stay tuned, my friends. You won't be disappointed!