Etsy

I have dabbled in all kinds of arts and crafts over the years, and sometimes it's hard to narrow it down.

My mom taught me to crochet when I was 4, and that is probably my favorite thing to do. In addition to creating beautiful things, I find it very relaxing. I have recently taken up knitting too.

I discovered gourds through my husband, who grew up in Mexico using them to store water. Now everyone uses plastic, but the gourds are great for all kinds of other uses. From gourds, I got interested in other natural objects, like the giant seed pods and sea shells.

My mom taught me to sew pretty young too, and I have sewn everything you can imagine over the years. I made and sold teddy bears before getting into gourds. I currently sew costumes for my daughters ballet company, which is a lot of fun.

I decided on gift bags to sell for several reasons. For one thing, they're fun because you can use any fabric you want. Also, I want to encourage people to stop wasting so much paper. I used to do it myself, but once you start using reusable bags, you never go back. I make some out of new fabric, many out of left-over pieces from other projects, and lately many out of used clothes. It's fun to check out garage sales and flea markets with this in mind.