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About

I'm Crafty in Cobb. Well, I'm Helen and I live in Cobb County, Georgia. And I'm crafty. Not all the time but often enough and I love wordplay. Hence, Crafty in Cobb.

I don't have a large plan for this blog. No big purpose. Just the opposite. This blog is personal to me and I'm not much of a grandstander. Not for me. I've worked as a designer - for marketing and product - for about 20 years. I'm really good at making a big deal for other people. I like that - being a cheerleader for what I believe are good things.

In my personal life I'm pretty quiet. And over my life I've learned to enjoy all the amazing little things that come our way. Things like a delicious sandwich or a morning hike or playing tennis or watering the plants on my deck. I try to be aware during these joyous small moments. Really being in the moment and being totally present in that moment is the greatest gift I can give myself.

If you are looking for some inspiration on how to slow your life down some of my stories may resonate with you.

My first tip, put the camera down. Don't photograph every experience. Live in that moment and then enjoy the memory. Know that the feeling that comes with your memory can't be replaced by a digital image.


Popular posts from this blog

Artist Profile - Andy Goldsworthy

Are you an avid hiker, naturalist or just like to sit out on in the fresh air? Or do you simply enjoy beautiful sights? Of course, beauty can be found just about anywhere. Because I am lucky to live in a wooded community I am treated to a daily concert of sights and sounds and no day is the same. The Artist Andy Goldsworthy Source: Kidzworld.com As someone who has always enjoyed nature and art I was thrilled to discover the art of Andy Goldsworthy. Although I've known his work since the mid-nineties he never ceases to enchant me. If you don't know who he is, prepare to be amazed. Goldsworthy is a man who enjoys the colors and textures of nature and presents them in a way you likely have never seen before. And, you don't have to be a nature-lover to appreciate his art. Rowan Leaves & Hole Source: Morning-Earth.org Goldsworthy is considered a pre-eminent "Earthworks" artist. This trend in art-making was popularized in the 1980s and 9...
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Gardening in Cobb - Platycodon, or the Chinese Balloon Flower - An Indestructible Beauty

Photo from: http://www.backyarddiva.ca/chinese-balloon-flower/ If you live in Cobb County or anywhere in the Atlanta area you know that we all love our flowers. And we have a climate that accommodates some variety or other pretty much all year long. I love a good flower and a good garden but I don't want to spend a huge amount of time tending to them. If I have to water them every day they're done for. Maybe even every week... A bit over 10 years ago we were in a bad drought and I looked into drought tolerant flowers. The drought was an opportunity for me to learn about what plants need less water. Less watering means that if there's another drought I can do my part and leave my garden alone. There are two lovelies that I discovered - sedum and platycodon. Today I'll talk about the latter. Platycodon are commonly called "Chinese balloon flowers". They are a perennial and in Georgia start growing in early spring and bloom until late summer. They conti...
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Fun GEO Patterns to Print & Color!

One of the best parts about being a working designer is the opportunity to share your work with the world. Well, for me it's primarily with my friends in Cobb County but with apps like Instagram and Twitter it's easy to reach well beyond our own serene little corner of the universe. I posted 2 pretty floral pattern designs for coloring last week and have two different designs to share today. Same as last week the designs I'm sharing here will print at 8x10" on a letter-sized sheet of paper. If you want a really great experience coloring I suggest buying some inexpensive watercolor paper from Michaels or Targer or wherever. Cut the page to 8.5x11" and print via the sheet-feeder. The color of whatever media you use - pencil, pen, crayon - will be pretty spectacular. For the image above I used my favorite Prismacolor pencils. The color saturation is really deep and it's pretty easy to blend color. Crayola are fine but you do have to press pretty hard to...
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