Introducing GlamourMom

My mother taught me everything I know about being creative and getting crafty. When I was growing up she would make amazing pieces of decoupage items -- anywhere from furnishings to home decor. She also used to knit all my sweaters, sew all my Halloween costumes, fix fabulous meals, and keep a beautiful home nice and clean. After all that she would handpaint china in her free time.

GlamourMom doesn't do any of these things any more. But she's still pretty active. She works tirelessly in her garden almost everyday tending to her roses and taking delight when the hummingbirds come to feed. I've made a few videos of her when I was just starting out in vidcasting last year so I thought it would be really, REALLY fun if she would do a small tutorial series on knitting for beginners. I mean, I could do it -- she taught me how -- but it's hard filming and being the subject at the same time. So I thought I'd get my mom to do it and together we'd have some fun.

Thing is, GlamourMom doesn't want to. :/

Today my sister and I were making mixed media ACEOs and I could tell GlamourMom wanted to get in on it. She'd just stand there, watching us, pursing her lips together and squinting. So I suggested "Hey mom! Let's get you an Etsy shop!"

GlamourMom said no and shook her head. "It's too much. I don't want to," she said.

It would seem that GlamourMom is no fun. Boo!

But then, after lunch, GlamourMom came up to me and asked me if I would sell this vintage decoupage wicker tray that she made in the seventies.

"What???" I asked her incredulously. "You want to sell that?"

Personally, I didn't want to see it go. And then I realized what a doof I was being. I'm no help! My mom finally has mustered the strength to sell a piece of her own work and here I was going noooooo-don't-sell-that-gorgeous-piece-that-I'm-attached-to-and-have-fond-memories-because-it's-a family-treasure-mom!

After much backpedaling I told my mom I would sell it for her but not before I made a video -- not so much for advertising sake but for posterity's sake.

It's a really sweet piece to me. The elements came off of a pre-cut strip of decoupage sheets and you had to snip off little ends to get it out of the paper. Then she would use Mod Podge to lay it all down and when she was done finish it off with shellac. I think my mom has a way of making anything look truly magical and glamourous! It's up in my Etsy shop and in a way I sort of want it to stay there. But I know how delighted she would be if it sold and then maybe she might be inclined to take up china painting or knitting or decoupage again and open her own Etsy shop just for fun. We'll see! (Fingers crossed). XD