When you’re thinking of purchasing handmade items on the internet, I believe it helps for you to know a little about the person creating your treasure. So in this blog, I would like to introduce you to some of my favorite shopkeepers and their arts, crafts, and handmade goods. All of these talented and friendly folks, by the way, have shared their $20 or less items on our Facebook page.
Today I’d like you to meet Judi Lambert O’Sullivan. If her latest blog post, “My Sweet Potatoes on Crack,” doesn’t tell you something about her personality, then nothing will! Judi’s sense of humor often shows through in her crafting! Judi gives credit for having an off the wall sense of humor to having grown up in Brooklyn, NY.
Retired now, Judi is devoted to her crafts full time and has a diverse range of talents. In her Etsy shop, Granny's Craft Attic, Judi offers crochet, cross stitch, pillows, baby afghans – some items for holidays, some humorous, all beautiful and well made. Judi says her creations are handmade with love – it shows! Just read the feedback on her Etsy shop!
When asked what craft she’d choose if she could pick just one, Judi gave me two! She says, “My favorite craft has to be both crochet and cross stitch. I was an avid counted cross stitcher for years and years, then when my older daughter got pregnant with her third child, I revisited crocheting and can't put it down now.” Don’t worry, Judi, I have a couple I couldn’t choose between myself!
Of course I had to know what her least favorite craft is, and she said, “I HATE knitting! It takes way too long. Many years ago, I found a pattern for a really beautiful sweater to knit, bought the yarn, knitted all the pieces. When I finished, there was still half the yarn left over. Guess I measured the wrong way. I found out you DON'T stretch it as you measure it.”
I wanted to know what someone with so many different skills might like to learn to do given an endless amount of time and energy (wouldn’t we all love that?!), and Judi says she’d like to give jewelry making a try. I have no doubt she’d create beautiful jewelry with lots of personality!
Judi is also a mom and a grandmother. Not only has she shared her gifts with her daughters, but they also share with their community. She says, “Both of my girls have picked up my excellent cooking skills; the older one has gotten heavily into cake decorating and does some cross stitch. She has definitely followed my path of volunteering at the kids' school!”
I love visiting Granny’s Craft Attic because it reminds me of the things that I grew up with – cross stitched Christmas ornaments, hanging pillows with instructions for men on how to put the toilet seat down, crocheted tissue box covers and potholders. To me, these things make a home feel like a home.
Thank you, Judi, for putting your heart and your sense of humor into your work! Anyone would be lucky to have a little piece of you in their home to make it more beautiful, to give them a smile, to brighten their day!(This beautiful aqua and pink baby afghan is not immediately available for sale but can be created for your baby at your request. Judi happily takes custom orders!)
