Timeless pursuits - Or not?

This week has found me out of routine. Catching up on work, laundry and sleep has taken all my energy, or at least all my creativity!

Yesterday was my official "Closet Change of Seasons". I took the opportunity to go through everything in the closet to determine what still fits. This spring, I started an effort to lose weight and am seeing preliminary results. Not so much a size change, a size shift might be a better term. Still wearing the same size, but at the smaller end of the range.

Anyway, while going through the closet, I found a little booklet that intrigues me every time I look at it.

I do not remember how it came to me, thrift store, estate sale, antique mall. It is published by Dennison Manufacturing Company and is copyright 1922.

Inside, it provides instruction and ideas for creating art from sealing wax, presumably an item found in most homes back in the day.

"Beads, pendants, vases, favors and flowers" were all possibilities. The tools needed: Sealing wax, a few steel knitting needles of various sizes, a small vegetable knife, a wax spatula, a wax 'moulder' and an alcohol lamp with denatured alcohol. Interestingly, denatured alcohol was "impossible to obtain" in some localities so "methylated spirits" were suggested as a substitute.

An inserted chart shows the colors of wax available.

The thing that intrigues me about this booklet is that I don't believe that I have ever encountered an example of "Sealing Wax Art". Maybe it was a passing fad, or maybe it was not a durable media, but this booklet is the only evidence that I have come across.

That got me to thinking about passing trends, and why some things stay current with cycles of increased interest (knitting and quilting for instance) and some things enjoy a hey-day and then pass (Huck weaving, macrame and latch hook rugs come to mind, examples of all these can be found in a small sampling of estate sales!)

Just a glance through my 1959 edition of "Good Housekeeping's Complete Guide to Needlecraft" illustrates my point; Tatting and Weaving are still with us, but not in the mainstream. The 1971 edition includes "netting" which seems to be a hybrid of tatting and macrame.

The 1979 Edition of "Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework" includes machine embroidery, which of course, is a technology development, not a new craft.

Just as today, browsing the aisles of any craft store, you will find pamphlets to give you project ideas and instruction (and a list of supplies that you may need to purchase!), The Dennison Mfg Co, offered other booklets for such other intriguing crafts as "How to Make Paper Costumes" and "How to Decorate Halls, Booths and Automobiles" (I always tell The Mister - it's all about accessorizing at car shows!)

Scrapbooking and other paper crafts have become very popular in the past decade, or so. (I am the grateful beneficiary of the trend. Dearest Sister has created many lovely scrapbooks, two of which belong to me!) Huge sections of craft stores are dedicated to supplies and many magazines and books are available for ideas. Of course, origami (paper craft) and scrapbooks are not new, but today's memory books have infinitely more formats, motifs and accessories than previous years' pressed flowers, ticket stubs and photos.

In 1979 or '80, I worked with a woman who brought in an exquisite beaded Christmas tree that her cousin had made. Several of my co-workers and I wanted to learn how, so we contacted the tiny shop where the beaded tree craft was taught. We strung the beads on wire and twisted them into branches. We searched for tiny clay pots to use as 'tree stands' and interesting beaded jewelry to deconstruct to make ornaments from. I went to stores specializing in miniatures to get tiny motif wrapping paper to make presents with. The beads were sold in a "hank", with about 20 strings of beads about 18" long. When the store was closing out its bead inventory a few years later, I bought all they had, so I could continue the craft.

The last year she was with us, Deeply Missed Sister and I made trees for several gifts. (You can see the one we made for DS here) Shortly, though, the pre-strung branches were available to buy ready to assemble and tiny ornaments and wrapped gifts could be bought ready made.

It makes me wonder, are new craft trends created by the companies making the supplies that they hope to market, or does the market drive the suppliers to jump on the trend?

What do you think? Have you ever been in on the beginning of a craft trend? Have you ever seen "Sealing Wax Art"? Inquiring minds want to know!