So, Madonna got her rather large and glittery Christmas card yesterday, and now I can show it to you.
The tag reads: Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful - Norman Vincent Peale.Supplies:
Cardstock: SU! Old Olive & Ruby Red, Bazill yellow textured CS
Other stuff: House from Creative Imaginations mini book, various buttons, LIME glitter, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, RW Laser Cuts tree, Crystal Effects, DP & tag Fancy Pants 8x8 Happy Holidays, Cosmo Cricket Mr Campy velvet ribbon, hemp twine, Ruby Red brad, Scallop circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, Small Star punch.
I liked how it looked....though Mad was apparently not expecting what she got :) It is a little out of the ordinary...but that's probably why I liked it so much.
Now, a warning....I'm going to get a little philosophical on you all....so feel free to continue on to something else :)
Yesterday I was reading a rather long and involved article on the social construction of gender...and it got me thinking about papercrafts (don't ask me how my brain works....it's a genuine mystery of the universe!). What got me thinking was the feminist theory that ideas about gender, that is the way we think about ourselves as masculine or feminine, are NOT reliant on our biology, but rather are social constructions...we think of ourselves as women because we are taught to. The way we dress, the way we walk & talk and interact with others is all a construct of the society in which we are raised. OK, enough of the theory...what I started thinking about (rather than my thesis) was the world of papercrafts and papercraft blogging. This is a world that is dominated by women. Very few men either participate in the activity or blog about it...though there are a few exceptions. So I started wondering why....why is it that so many women are involved in papercrafts and why don't men generally get involved? Obviously not ALL women are interested....I for one have friends that think my obsession with paper/ink/stamps/ribbon/glitter is completely incomprehensible! No, really!!! So, what is it about what we do that is so appealing to women and not to men? What is it that attracts us to these activities? Is it the 21st century equivalent of the Victorian obsession with decoupage, or my grandmother's generation's practice of embroidery? What is it about these activities that we find so compulsively appealing? I mean, it's not just stay at home mums who do this stuff....there are working women, women with degrees and women who have demanding full time careers....but we all feel the same way about what we do.
OK, enough of the philosophising....leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Why do YOU love it so much and invest so much time and money in doing it? And maybe tomorrow I might have worked out what it is that I love so much about it all :)
Have a great Friday,
Kristie
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8 comments:
Wow, what deep thoughts. I have actually known several guys in my lifetime that do cross-stitch, and both of them took it up while laid up in bed with some sort of major injury. They needed something constructive to pass the time. But you are correct about crafty things being mostly a "girl" thing. It just may be a throwback to "women's work" like needlepoint from the olden days, when men hunted for food and women did not. LOL! Then why do women go to the grocery store more often than men? Is it because it does not involve a weapon, and once there were no more dangerous toys it stopped being "men's" work?
I have always been crafty, ever since I was a tike. But then so were my Mother and Grandmothers, so maybe it is a social thing.
Have you seen that video of the guy making a card in his workshop? With power tools? It's been around a while, but it is still hysterical. I'll see if I can find it.
Here's the video:
http://www.livevideo.com/video/537FF...?m_tkc=7540036
Also, check out captain-crafter.blogspot.com. He has very nice cards. I CASE him a lot. ;-)
Leslie,
I tried the video but couldn't get to it. I had a look at Captain Crafter and the cards are very feminine, it seems strange that a male is making cards but also making cards so feminine...hmmm.
I love making cards, I find it really mediatative once you get into it and get really relaxed. I also love the satisfaction when you see your finished card or craft project.
My husband has commented that it is really fiddly and takes so much time and he couldn't think of anything worse then sitting down and making something that takes so long and is so fiddly.
Is there any research into the male and female brains and creativity? Do females have a larger section of the brain that is for creativity than men?
My husband doesn't want to spend hours making a card, but he will spend all night playing computer games when he works on computers during the day... go figure??
I think I need to read the book men are from Mars and women are from venus.
Paula :)
WOW! Gorgeous card ...LOVE LOVE LOVE the glitter tree! ....as for why I papercraft?...well I personally use it as an outlet..a way to do something I enjoy that is for me. II'm a stay at home Mom and sometimes that is a maddening "job" so this is my way to "get away" and do something I enjoy. I love to see the finished product and I love when the recepients love them too! As for why this seems like a gender specific hobby...I've often wondered that too. I know there are a few exceptions but FEW is the key word. I do have to say my son LOVES to stamp and draw and color and even wants a scrapbook for Christmas...and my husband says he doesn't need a scrapbook for Christmas! LOL
Thanks for making me think today! {SMILES}
Hooray! The suspense is over. I LOVE your Mad card. It is wonderful, and I certainly see why you might want to keep it. Well, it is still in the family, so that is a very good thing.
As for the philosophy...I get immense satisfaction from creating something and feeling like I am saving money (that is another discussion...we crafters spend a lot of $ on this hobby...does it save us any money?) DH doesn't understand why I spend so much time on a card, when I could go out and buy one; like buying a cake rather than make one from scratch. Home-made usually tastes a whole lot better and it is less expensive, but it can take a lot of time. The only men I've met that do papercrafting see it as a smart business venture; all these obsessed women are spending a lot of $$$ and the guys want to make a quick & easy dollar. I have only had one guy that took my classes and enjoyed it solely for the art enjoyment.
Ack - bad link. Try this instead:
http://www.livevideo.com/video/537FF9DA20B44560845DEE157D1F9DD6/man-made-card.aspx?m_tkc=7540036
it came from this thread on SCS: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=290198
oh my god I really did lol, that video is so funny! Thanks Leslie!
I think the card you sent her was a masterpiece. How cute that house is. How spectacular the stars and the tree are! The buttons are fabulous!
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