HOMAGE TO THE OG'S OF ARTS & CRAFTS

Hey everyone, happy Tuesday!

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In this short week when I'm sure you are keeping the work load light in anticipation of the holiday, I'd like to take some time to remember those crafters who came before us. Back in the days when there was no Pinterest filled to the brim with any and every piece of inspiration you could dream of, it was a simpler time. It was a PBS time. I would say that as a child I found most, if not all of my artistic role models on PBS. Let's take a look at them, and their pioneering ways:

Donna Erickson: 

Donna's show, Donna's Day had the best crafts. I'm just going to throw it out there. She was the original Pinterest master. As my sister just reminded me this evening, she had an idea for how to make flip flops out of mouse pads. She not only covered crafts for all ages, but she also covered many genres, paper crafts, recipes and baking, gardening, and home decorations. (She's also a Minneapolis/St.Paul local.) Here's a video of what she's up to these days.

Bob Ross:

Unfortunately, Bob Ross is no longer with us. However, while he was, he hosted the show The Joy of Painting, where he painted hundreds of "happy little trees" while doling out numerous pieces of wisdom. His show was the most relaxing and mesmerizing thing to watch. I was always amazed how he could create an entire forest scene in less than 30 minutes. 

Nancy Zieman:
Anything you could ever want to know about sewing, you can learn from Sewing with Nancy. She had a show on through the 90s, but she's still doing web shows and running a website to this day. Nancy has a great tutorial on how to make a tote bag "in an evening". 
And last but not least, Christopher Lowell:
Christopher taught us the elements of interior design. He showed people how they could really do it themselves, and that it could be easy. You didn't have to be a professional. He had a variety of different shows, from the more wacky and camp, to the more subdued. But now it appears he has retired from the TV design game. 
Who were your early design inspirations? Let us know!