I am a craft nerd, or maybe a more accurate description is “craft groupie,” as I don’t really participate, I just collect and admire.

I jumped on the scrapbooking bandwagon a few years ago, bought a bunch of paper and funny scissors and made three stunning pages of scrapbooked photos. The rest sat in my closet for years until Mr. Fab finally convinced me that perhaps someone else might enjoy them more than me.

My friend Roberta is an ace stamper. She makes and sells cards, teaches classes, and writes for craft magazine. She has an excellent blog called Creative (Un)block, packed with creative ideas and she inspired me to try a little stamping of my own. I made all my Christmas and birthday cards one year, half the next year, and three the year after that. Last year I ran to Target at the last minute when I realized there was no way I was going to get around to making my cards.

I have three unwearable sweaters that I knitted, and another three or four in various stages of completion. I own colored pencils, paints, and have a burning to desire to grow and can my own food, learn to make cheese, make a mosaic fountain for my patio, and learn to draw the human form.

Somewhere inside me is a creative bug dying to get out, but somehow time, priorities, or passion get in the way of my aspirations.

Which doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate and even envy creative talent when I see it.

I stumbled across The Smallest Forest blog recently and got such a kick out of her post Embroidery: the tear away transfer method. I thought, “I could do that.” But honestly, I don’t have a talent for drawing or the patience for embroidery. I loved her Secret Message Ninja, too, but I wanted to have the idea, not necessarily copy it to get my own Secret Message Ninja.

I’m becoming more realistic about my desire and intentions regarding craftiness, but I still love to browse a good magazine, website or blog and dream about what my crafting life might be.

My local knitting shop, Cast Away, has a great blog with links to other projects.  Personal favorites include Ray Cannon’s miniatures.

Organic Gardening Magazine makes me want to tear up my yard and start a small farm.

Roberta’s blog reminds me that I could make cards if I wanted to.

The Cheese Queen has everything I’ll ever need to know when my desire to make artisanal cheddar gets the better of me.

Do you have a creative talent? Please share your passions, your projects and your favorite places for inspiration.