Yesterday, I auditioned with Actual Industries for “Old School Crafty”! It was a blast. I interviewed in their really cool offices and the lovely ladies greeted me. After my interview with Jean and Tiffany, I was handed a brown paper bag full of “SCRAPpy goodies.” I get 15 minutes on camera to create a piece of wearable art. I quickly cut out some flowers shapes out of some fabulous fabric samples, grab the hot glue gun, and start gluing together my pieces. Then I discover pieces of wire! I start adding wire between petals and leaves and give it some depth. I add a safety pin to the back and now have a colorful, fun flower pin to wear! I don’t get to keep it though. So, even if I don’t get to be involved, I had a great time and met some great people!
Here’s the ad for the audition:
You might have heard the term, “Keep Portland Weird.” Well, there’s a reason we say that here. Portlanders tend to look at things a little differently. Where one might see junk, others see opportunity. The people in this area value the “Do It Yourself” spirit. Maybe it’s that pioneer backbone that’s still lingering from our trailblazing forefathers. You may not have grown up knowing how to build your own bike, brew your own beer, or make your own clothes, but if you live in the Northwest, you’re bound to meet others who do, and will gladly show you how. That is what “Old School Crafty” is all about. Embracing that sense of community and artistic ability inherent in all of us.
In these tight economic times, we are all trying to be resourceful and come up with alternative ways to make unique homemade items. Not only is it good for the community to use re-purposed materials, but it also shows how one can think outside of the box and find new uses for items deemed trash. This is where the “Old School” craftiness really kicks in. Generations before us had to make do with what they had at their disposal. In the society that we live in now, our options are endless. We are only limited as far as our imagination can take us.
If you think you have what it takes to get crafty with Actual, then contact Tiffany or Jean at crafty @ actualindustries.com today. We cannot wait to see who our first crafty MVP will be…
Debbie Caselton 