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The shop is open!

October 2, 2020 By Erica Deuel 1 Comment

It’s been almost 12 years since this blog was born.

It began in the spring of 2009, as a way to update our extended family on our young, growing family. This was before apps and phones became the big way to stay connected that they are today. We had a 2.5 year old and a 6 month old and were getting ready to travel the USA as part of Matt’s job. One day I shared one of my crafts and thus was born the Spoonful of Imagination re-branded as a DIY blog. It was such a fun hobby/border line side gig for years.

In the spring of 2016, God gave me a vision of opening an art studio. It came out of a hard season of fostering two separate hurting boys, moving away from family, and landing ourselves in a new small town. Opening an art studio was nothing I had ever thought or dreamed of but after years of encouraging others to create through blog posts, videos within craft kits, and hosting ladies nights out of our house…it all made sense as the next thing. We opened the Spoonful of Imagination Art Studio in April 2017.

It felt like over night I went from a stay at home, foster, homeschool mom to an entrepreneur running up hill and scrambling to figure out how to be a working mom, a start up business owner, and an advocate for continually educating the importance of the creative process in our small mid-west town.

It was beautiful. It was hard.

It is fulfilling. It is confusing.

It is also everything in between.

We opened the art studio to exist to overcome boundaries and redefine art as a critical and healing component of community life. That is our fancy way of saying we help take away reasons why people might not be enjoying the creative process. It’s been a dream that only God could write. We are definitely still in the midst of running it and trying to figure out how it can best serve our community. I have learned a lot, yet I know I am still a work in process trying to lead a small, non-profit art studio.

Leading this studio through a pandemic was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but also one of the things I am most proud of. As we have come out and up of an extremely hard season, I have realized I need to re-exam priorities in my life and work less. Running the studio consumes a lot of time in my life, head and heart. A lot of parts of the gig is why I wanted to start it, but there are lots of hats and others parts that are not in my giftings and are extremely hard to carry. I’m lucky to have a job I am so passionate about, but even in all the good…it can be too much. That is what leads to burn out, and between you and me…I have been hovering on that line.

I have missed creating. This blog was born out of sharing my journey and creations, but I haven’t had a lot of time to create for the last four years. Opening an art studio and learning how to run it has been a lot, but the COVID-19 pandemic has taught me I need to make regular time to create and need more space away from my work.

My mental health and spirit are better and more balanced when I practice what I teach. So, I started creating again and then had things to sell again. One thing led to another and I was dreaming for me again. I was dreaming and it wasn’t for a workshop or for the studio, but it was for me in what I wanted to make or what I wanted to do. I felt my spirit awakening and life breathing into it. As a result, this little online shop of my creations is now back open.

It is my place to play. I aim to use recycled, inexpensive and creative materials to make things that spread love and joy in this broken world. I hope this shop inspires you to create, and maybe you find something you love!

Thank you for journeying with me and being here after all my years a way. If you too are weary from work, I hope you will do the work of finding time and space to do life giving, soul filling activities that breath life back into you. You are worth it!

Keep imagining the possibilities!

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Letting Others In

July 23, 2014 By Erica Deuel 14 Comments

need_communityOne of my life issues is emotionally closing up when I’m going through something hard. It is easier for me to put up walls than be real. I don’t know if it is from a heart that wants to protect itself from being vulnerable or from fear of letting others see me hurt. Letting people help me is something hard to accept as well. I feel like the two are somehow connected. Maybe letting people in is asking them to carry the burden of hurt as well, and I don’t want that.

Can you relate?

For five months, we have pulled back from a lot of life. As we adjusted to being foster parents and have walked through some fires with our foster son, we have done life closely with one another. I think a lot of it was because our plate has been so full we literally couldn’t carry much else, but as you can imagine other areas in my life took a second seat to carrying for our foster son and our three biological kids. They have been my world.

As Haven 2014 (Haven is a local DIY Blog Conference) was approaching, I struggled with should I sell my ticket or not. My family and foster son had been my world. They were the priority and all else took a back seat. Did projects really matter? Was my blog a silly thing to invest in? I wondered how I could emotionally switch from my family/foster mindset to a mindset to dream and talk business for three whole days.

I decided to go, largely because one of my best friends would be there and the ability to catch up with her was exciting.

So I went. I walked in with a heavy, hurting heart. I was on fumes, and I knew it. I know I was probably a little more quiet than last year. But, being real about where I was and at peace with it, was actually good for me.

For three days, I got to laugh with friends, dream up new ideas, be inspired, and poured back into. It encouraged my soul every time someone asked me about our family, said they were inspired by our foster parent role, and were encouraged by how we were living. I felt loved, carried, and slowly I let some girls in. They allowed me to be real, cry, and hurt. Thank you Christina, Angie, and Erin for walking through fire with me and giving me laughs along the way.

Moen_kitchen

blog_friendsAs a result, I felt loved and felt this spark light back up in me that was born to create and dream. I remembered in a fresh new way why I love blogging and why I love  this community that blogging brings me.

communityThe hotel was beautiful, the food was amazing, the swag was incredible, the bloggers were so kind, and the brands were generous. Last year, I largely was big into networking and experiencing it all. This time I relaxed, enjoyed, and it was much more about heart level, life changing conversations with sweet friends with a touch of learning. It was just what I needed.

Haven_conference

Hotel_greenery

Ryobi_blog_partyIt didn’t hurt that I learned from some of the best there are as well. To know people on and off the web is a huge gift.

DIY_on_the_Cheap_speakingI missed my family greatly, so there were lots of texts and selfies sent back and forth, but I am so thankful I had this weekend away. There is more to me and my life than just my family. We need community. We were wired for it.

Haven_conference_selfie

blogger_conferenceIf you have been following me on Instagram, you know I came home from Haven to find out that our foster son is leaving us. Tomorrow, he will be moving to a great aunt’s house. Although my heart is breaking, I feel like God has been slowly preparing me and our family for this transition. I have a peace. God is so gracious to us. I have gotten to know this sweet great aunt, and have the very rare pleasure to now call her friend. We will see this sweet boy that has become part of our family again.

As we have walked this road, I am continually amazed by the love poured out. I have not perfected letting others in, but I am trying. I am in a continual journey to become a better version of myself and who God created me to be. That alone is the perfect project.

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February’s Spoonful Tribe is here! (GREAT Valentine’s Day gift!)

January 21, 2014 By Erica Deuel 1 Comment

February's SpoonfulTribeIt is always scary announcing something new. Especially, when it’s a dream of yours and there are risks involved.

I have been dreaming about helping others learn to be crafty and teaching some of my tricks for years and years. This blog birthed as a result and then my Spoonful Labs, and then my Spoonful Tribe. Slowly and surely my dreams of a stay at home mom, crafting and being able to love and encourage people around me that they can be crafty too have become my reality. I can’t thank you enough!

It still amazes me that my craft kits were sold out last month. Thank you, thank you! As we figure out our system, we plan to open up more and more craft kits. For now, it’s just me and my three sweet kiddos shopping for supplies and packaging them up. AND thanks to my talented husband, we can give you beautiful tutorial videos. ps. I am trying to get better on camera and lose some of the awkwardness it feels under lights and cameras pointed my way. 🙂

For this month, I am excited to share with you three crafts that I love! We will be making one beautiful satin flower lace head band (option to get the hair clip and hat as well), one heart greeting card & envelope, and one 3d gold glittered heart.

hair bow for all agesThe hair bow I have been making for years. I have made them as gifts, for my little girl, and even for a group of bridesmaids to wear down the aisle. Once you master the flower design, there are so many possibilities. I have glued these flowers to memo boards, bags, garlands, and even shirts. There are so many possibilities with this satin flower.

Spoonful_Feb_tribe_craft_kitWe are working hard to have all our boxes and videos ready to be shipped by February 8 this month. That means you could receive your kit in time to create them for Valentine’s gifts, decor, or an accessory to wear. Hint: Guys, if you have a crafty girl, this craft kit…would make an awesome gift! Let her create and have some “me time” while showing her that you appreciate her crafting skills and love!

ReserveMyBoxIf you want to host a craft night, bridesmaid shower, or birthday party where you’d need multiple kits-I’d love to help make that possible. We can package multiple Tribe Boxes so that all you need to do is put out some snacks and invite your friends for a memorable evening! You can order up to three Tribe Boxes through the membership options above. If you want more or would like to customize your party in a special way, just send us an email and we’ll go from there!

What are you waiting for? Let’s start getting creative.

*All memberships will be confirmed upon receipt and access to the Tribe Forum will arrive in your email within 48 hours. Crafts for the following month will be announced by the 21st.

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Sneak Peek: North ATL Spoonful Lab is Coming!

September 17, 2013 By Erica Deuel 2 Comments

SpoonfulLab_Teaser

I am thrilled to announce the next phase of Spoonful Labs is coming to North Atlanta on Saturday, October 26th. As I’ve shared before, we’ve been testing the Spoonful Lab concept with my sister and her roommates in Athens. I can’t wait to open up this opportunity for those in the Atlanta area. Next week, I will provide all the details and open up an opportunity for you to register. In the meantime, here’s a few of the highlights…

  • A craft night led by me where we will create a project together
  • All supplies included
  • Drinks
  • Dessert
  • Time devoted to working out your creative muscles
  • A craft that you can proudly take home
  • A pretty amazing girls night for $30

I’m still working out my location, (it will be in the Roswell/Alpharetta/Cumming area) but I can tell you this, it is going to be a small gathering. When the registration opens, I would encourage you to sign up right away. This night will fill up fast. Fill out the contact form below if you are interested and you will get an email heads-up before the registration opens. No worries, you aren’t committing to anything aside from an email update.

I love sharing my crafts here and am thrilled at the prospect of getting to actually work with some of you! A little spoonful of imagination goes a long way and I know together we will inspire one another!
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