Hello! I am Blair Stocker and I live in Seattle, Washington, with my husband Peter, daughter Emma, son Ian, and cat Gracie. I have been a maker of things my whole life. Back in 2005 I began this blog, wise craft, to chronicle and share all that I make. It has been the closest I have ever come to keeping any kind of journal. I love this space.
And now, yes, there will be a book, to be published in Spring 0f 2014. In it, I present projects and handmade ideas for your home and your family, and I promise to stuff it full of inspiration.
I have worked as a both a clothing designer and colorist for the fabric and apparel industry, but left the industry when my oldest child was born and home projects became my artistic outlet. Here I write about creative projects I've done (or tried) around our home and our family, as well as projects I've made with my kids. We all want our home to reflect us. Home is our refuge from what can be a very tough world out there, we need a place that makes us smile and allows us to relax. But we don't want to spend a ton of cash doing it. I hope to inspire you to create things that tell your family's story.
These days I work in a very white room in our Seattle basement, my sewing and crafting studio. Its where you may find me designing and making quilts, crocheting, chiseling the bark off a tree stump, painting, celebrating the occasional amazing thrift score, or upcycling things both for our home and to sell in the wise craft online shop. I also create a new inspiration image each month and post for readers to use as desktop wallpaper on their own computer, to get eveyone's creative side sparked, you can see all those images here. I am also honored to have contributed to several books and publications.
These days, my own creative goals are to work with materials that inspire me, to learn something new, whether it be a new technique, process, or way of thinking creatively. I am always challenging myself to learn something new, just to try it out if nothing else. It keeps life interesting for a restless spirit like me, and it often inspires other parts of life for me. For example, after being a knitter only for 15 years, In 2010 I learned to crochet. I fell hard, and in the summer of 2012, my readers and I crocheted a Granny Square Sampler project, which you can do too. I decided to take a painting class in 2012 and it turns out I love it! (I've never painting a picture in my life, but it was something I wanted to try, so why not?) I've done paintings of quilts I've made and I'm pretty excited this new way of looking at something I love, quiltmaking.
One creative pursuit... leads to another.... and so on.
In addition to the daily postings on wise craft, my husband Peter and I own a retail brand consultancy and brand of chocolate bars). Being our own boss has many benefits, but it means limited funds to furnish a home with. But that has never stopped us. There is so much that can be done with thrift store pieces and a little imagination. When I make or remake something for our home, be it sewing up curtains, repainting a piece of furniture, displaying a collection of heart-shaped rocks we've collected, or making sure everyone is under a handmade quilt at night when we watch a movie together, that a handmade tale has been created in the process. One of making and using. All of these stories are what make up our home, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Our home is truly made by our own hands. Its fun to share it all here.
I truly enjoy reading your comments and knowing you're out there. I try to answer and connect whenever I can. Feel free to say hello at wisecraftblog@gmail.com
You can also read other Q&A's I've done here, and over on Nonchalant Mom, and under the "other places you'll find me" column on the left sidebar.
You are free to link to any of the content you see here, but please email me for permission to use any of my photos, I will answer you right away. Thank you!
A sincere thank you to all who read,
Blair
July 2012
