Martha Stewart Crafts: Outdated, but Addicting Anyway.

So, I’m addicted to watching videos from Martha StewartCrafts’ Youtube page. And I feel bad, because honestly, it's kind of a crappy channel. 

Things I do like about Martha Stewart:

1. Glitter—Seriously somebody over there is like obsessed with making every color of the rainbow happen in glitter. Martha Stewart Crafts is the Crayola of glitter.
2. Scoring Board. That thing is about a thousand times more useful than the Scoring Buddy I used to see on Youtube all the time with scoring grooves consistently across the whole board, instead of intermittently.
3. Paper Punches—they may be crazy bulky, but they’re still cool.
4. The fact that she has a product for everything. It’s a little crazy. But in some areas, she does take it too far. See number 2 in the list below.
5. All of the product is branded really well and really distinctively. Which makes it fun to look at!

But seriously, Martha, get with the program.

Here’s what Martha needs to change about her Crafting division:

1. Make videos that don’t look and sound as if they were made in the 80s. Seriously.  Can you believe they posted this video just last year? And the music they use reminds me of my favorite British TV show from 10 years ago, about 2 gardening detectives in their 60s. (Okay, the music in the last couple ha been better. But still. Not a lot better. Just let people talk!)
2. Quit making weird products that anybody with half a brain realizes is wasteful. And weird. Like the glitter-clean-up-roller. Like the top comment in the youtube video says, I use glitter over a piece of paper, so I can reuse as much glitter as possible. 
3. Let the people promoting her products in videos sound a little more excited and spontaneous. The people talking in her videos are following the world’s most bland script. Ever.
4. Make videos of people creating products, not all how-to videos. Seriously Martha, check out Hero Art’s Youtube page. 
5. And make more videos in general. 41 videos over 5 years is so not enough! Hero Arts has over 300!

And yet, despite my complaints, and the videos that are (SLOWLY) getting better (check out the videos from 2009 to get a blast from the past), I still enjoy drooling over Martha’s stuff. Why? Because I’m addicted to crafting products. And they look pretty. And I really am surprised every time they come out with another kinda-weird-kinda-useful product! But mostly, it’s because I’m addicted to well-designed crafting product, even if it’s mildly unreliable, like the Simple Circle Cutter.

What Makes a Good Crafting Blog?

I've been thinking a lot about this question recently, mostly because on Emily Branch's website, she talks a lot about her goals.

I just started following her, and from what I gather, her blog just got a huge overhaul. In fact, as she says in this post, about her previous blog:

I wasn't designing for my brand. I wasn't making a name for me. Heck, I had been blogging for two years, with no changes in readership or influence. These questions and this top ten number one point also motivated me to re-brand Emily Branch Designs, offering new content designed to help you, the reader understand your brand, expand your readership and enjoy the being the divine crafter that you are.

My Response

I totally get what she's saying about her previous content not being inspiring. Now she's got all of these tutorials, top 10 lists, and how to blog better posts. And that's got me thinking, should I be trying to create all of these different types of posts? 

But today, I struck a pact with myself: I'm cool with doing a lot of simple project posts, where I share what I've been working on, for one big reason: that what I crave on other blogs: I get inspired by looking at a lot of other cool projects. So turns out, I'm cool with being uncomfortable with focusing on this targeted type of content aimed at improving crafters. I'm here to inspire and share.

 I mean, don't get me wrong, she's got some cool things to say. This post, about blog design, has me rethinking my backdrop and header. So, no fear, I'm trying to listen to what she's saying!

What I'm Planning

What I am thinking now, though, is that I do notice top trends and new techniques and stuff like that. And I enjoy sharing when I do unusual stuff myself. So in my longer posts, I'll probably alternate a bit between projects, and how-tos/fyi posts/ruminations about crafting. And in between, when the though strikes me, there'll be stuff like this, where I'm telling you my thoughts on crafty-things.

I'm also looking forward to some of my how-tos to be abou how to simulate new trends with older materials. As a college student, I'm crafting on a budget, with a limited supply. I don't like to order a lot of stuff online, and the nearest craft store that isn't Walmart is probably an hour away. But I like it that way. Keeping my materials basic and simple puts limits on me and forces creativity. So I have a lot to say about how to repurpose basic supplies for new trends, like that geometrical pattern stuff that's been so popular in fashion and in stamping right now. (Lawn Fawn is driving me crazy with envy about those arrow stamps: I think I'm going to have to do something with arrows and triangles very soon! And even fashion week is down on geometrical patterns. I mean, look at all of those flower fabrics complimented by bold, graphic shapes. And that's followed by the models in bold, graphic stripes. Super exciting, as far as I'm concerned!)