Why I Look at the Work of Others

I realize some readers might wonder why I posted the Etsy Treasuries, and why I sometimes blog about some craft shops or the work of others.

Plain and simple, it's because I hope that you, like I, will find some ideas in the work of others.

Whether you craft for sale, or for gifts, or for the needy, or for yourself and loved ones, or simply because you prefer the quality of hand-made items, you can always use an idea or two.

You might just find a new color combination. Or you might find something new, a new material or medium, with which to work. Or perhaps you might decide to make one of your own faves larger or smaller because you saw something somebody else created. You might even decide on a different use for something you always made for one reason - make a magnet out of a flower that you always used for a dishcloth, make a dishcloth out of a flower. It is always exciting to try something a little different because of an idea we saw somewhere else.

In cases where their work is far superior to my own, instead of frustrating me, it challenges me to do better.

In the case of work that isn't as good as my own, it makes me feel better about the quality of my own work.

Those are some of the reasons for my sharing a variety of work by other crafters. I hope some of it inspires you, too.