An Eclectic Crafter

Hi all! I was very honored when Karin asked me to write a guest post, but also slightly nervous as I’ve never written a blog or shared any of my writing before.  I’m usually up for a challenge, however, so here goes!

I’m Cait and I am a 28-year-old dog trainer, avid reader, and sporadic crafter.  I was born in California and subsequently lived in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, England, and Maryland.  I have finally settled down just outside of Nashville, Tennessee with my husband and our three dogs.  I spend the majority of my time doing private training and also rescuing dogs in my work with Agape Animal Rescue.

I am fortunate in that I find my work incredibly rewarding, but it is also often draining and stressful.  I’ve struggled for years with anxiety and depression, so when work and life just get to be too much, I seek solace in reading and art.

I love learning—I was the “cool” kid in college taking 300 level math courses just for shits and giggles—and read a lot of nonfiction on a variety of topics including history, sociology, physics, biology, psychology, and spirituality to name a few.  My current favorite author is Brené Brown who researches and writes about shame and vulnerability.  When it comes to fiction and fanfiction, I tend to prefer fantasy, scifi, dystopia, and regency romance.  That last one doesn’t quite fit the general theme, but Jane Austin has been my go to comfort reading since I was 14 and when I am feeling down, nothing else gives quite the same pick-me-up.  I honestly can’t name a single favorite book, but I adore Harry Potter, LOTR, The Sword of Truth, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Grand Sophy and Pride and Prejudice.

I absolutely love being creative and artistic, though I often struggle focusing on a single project or media.  I love painting with both acrylics and watercolor.

I have a notebook full of quotes and watercolor doodles that I enjoy working in whenever inspiration strikes.

My most recent projects have involved working with wood.  I painted a set of galaxy coasters and a rhino clock.  I did have to get my husband’s help with some of the clockwork mechanics though…

I also LOVE pyrography—wood burning.  There is something so beautiful and exhilarating in the permanence of each mark you make.  Plus, it smells like a campfire the whole time I am working.  I just recently finished up this “Family Tree” as a present for my dad.  I think my favorite part of creating new artwork is giving it away to other people and seeing them enjoy it.  Also, my house would be overflowing with crafts and artwork if I didn’t make other people take my stuff!

I additionally dabble in baking, writing poetry, knitting, sewing, machine embroidery, sketching, cross stitch, and pretty much anything that strikes my fancy or that I think my friends and family will like.  My favorite craft of all time, though it was a few years ago, was making a Charmander costume out of an orange hoodie for a 12-year-old boy I nannied for.  That was a lot of fun!

Thanks for taking the time to check out my eclectic crafting habits and thanks Karin for hosting me on your blog!