>>>For more handmade gift ideas, check out my post on Hello Craft.<<<

I went to NPR today to record a segment for Weekend Edition Sunday with Liane Hansen.

I was really afraid because the focus of the piece was making holiday gifts and I quickly realized that while I am well versed in the world of indie craft, I am more interested in the business of craft. I so heart buying and marketing and building an indie business more than the actual making, which made me kinda laugh.

But I got through it. Beth (Tigerflight) was nice enough to meet my on the corner in Columbia Height with a bag of her owls, some vintage buttons (thanks to Cori for the buttons, too!) and some thread, all things that I needed for my video and audio taping. I even asked her to explain felting to me as my cab pulled away. This all made me realize that I don't spend enough time actually making. Dabbling, really. I make lots of stuff, especially right now with the demand for ornaments in which zombies attack santa pretty high, but I don't dabble. When I get more time, I need to do this so that next time I am asked to craft on video, my hands don't shake.

There was this moment, sitting there in the darkened studio when the host did her outro: "I'm Liane Hansen and we've been talking to Tina Seamonster. Tina is a crafter, a podcaster and a blogger." Hearing myself in these terms by this stranger with a familiar voice was completely startling. I know that I am and do all of those things. But in that one instant, it felt completely for real, important. I thought, heavens, I am who I want to be when I grow up. I might not really get paid for it, but I am here and I am me and this matters. And I thought of that line in the song "My Rollercoster" by Kimya Dawson where she sings, "And my mom would say, I hope someday you get paid for being Kimya Dawson" And for that one instant I felt how it must feel to be paid to be Tina Seamonster. Someday I hope you get paid to be who you are. It will likely be the most important thing that could happen to you.

All of that said, I should be on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday this Sunday (11/23). You can find out what time via your local NPR Station as each station plays the show at a different time. Locally in DC, WAMU plays it from 8 to 10. I will also be doing a live chat online at either 1 or 1:30 EST at http://www.npr.org/gifts. You will have to register to chat. You can also upload photos of your projects to their holiday community page while you are in there. Please stop by and ask me a nice or funny question.