I have a very low tolerance for boredom. I like to keep busy and I like to be creative and work with my hands. While I have little to no talent in the traditional art forms like painting or drawing, I have discovered that I enjoy crafts and can occasionally create something that I am rather proud of. At the moment, my favorite crafts include: knitting, jewelry making and needlepoint with occasional forays into one stroke painting and scrapbooking / rubber stamping. I am an amateur photographer (emphasis on the amateur part) and really enjoy taking pictures of my friends and family and posting them to my Flickr gallery.

As much fun as I have with the arts and crafts that I do now, I am interested in many things. I am hoping to pick up sewing and quilting, ribbon embroidery and beaded embroidery soon. I am also interested in:

Whenever I complete a project, I photograph it and post the pictures on my Flickr gallery. I usually will include some basic information about the piece (what it is made of, when I made it, etc.) and my thoughts on the piece. If I made it as a gift, I will usually note who I made if for and for what occasion and I will try to take some photos of them wearing or using the item.

You can see an overview of my favorite craft projects here or view all of my finished craft projects at the following galleries:

Beading / Jewelry - Making Knitting Needlepoint

Lately, I have been considering the possibility of selling my jewelry. I have taken a few commissions and am looking into starting an online shop called Ciarrai Designs. Once I have it up and running, I will post about it here. In the meanwhile, please feel free to contact me about any custom work that you have in mind.

I would not be the crafter that I am today without my wonderful teachers and the encouragement and help I received from my fellow crafters who would gather for classes or weekly "stitch and bitch" events.

In terms of knitting, I am still learning and rely on my teacher, Liz, of Keep Me in Stitches to help me get through most of my projects, (especially around the holidays when I realize that I have committed to making too many of my Christmas gifts and am fast running out of time)!

I have learned everything I know of beading and jewelry making from Cher Lash of Studio 59 and Robin of Keep Me in Stitches. And even now that I am able to work independently on my own designs. I still take classes to learn a specific project or a new technique.

Lastly, the ladies of Stitch by Stitch (204 Smithtown Blvd, Nesconset, NY 11767 Phone: 631-724-1440) not only got me completely hooked on needlepoint but are primarily responsible for getting me into crafting in general.

If you are interested in picking up one of these crafts or even looking for a community of like-minded people to share your passion for crafting with, I cannot recommend these stores / studios enough.