'When one door closes another one opens.'
I've heard that phrase many times and having lived in both old and new houses that don't seem to have had one single well fitting door between them I'm willing to believe it on a purely literal basis. Some doors have indeed opened when one has closed, some have closed only to pop open again while others haven't closed at all. And of course there was that memorable occasion when one closed so adamantly that my exit from the room had to be made via the window ( since that involved dangling from the sill while my feet frantically scrabbled to reach stairs underneath it has to be said it was not the most dignified departure I've ever made!)
On a metaphorical basis however I'm not too sure. My good crafting buddy is a firm believer in the phenomena, that there is indeed a plan to life and that opportunities present themselves according to a pre-arranged schedule. I'm more inclined to think that as in my aforementioned window episode when life closes a door you simply look for another way out, ways that have always been there but up until that point might not have been considered an option.
Coincidence, serendipity, providence, fate. Whatever school of thought sits most comfortably with you there is no denying that timing is the key, that you generally see that other door handle just when you need it most.
Last year I decided to give craft fairs a bit of a break. Although I had a reserve of stock I hadn't been active in my workroom for months and didn't know when I'd get back to making so signing up for events didn't seem like the most sensible thing to do. There was nothing for it but to pack up my wee mindings and leave them to languish under my worktable until I got back on the craft fair circuit.
Weeks after making that decision a friend informed me that a new shop was opening in Moffat - a craft shop to be precise. A craft shop that was to sell craft supplies and...wait for it...goods made by local crafters! What were the chances?
Crazy Daisy Crafts opened it doors in April last year but it was another 2 months before I plucked up the courage to approach the owner and enquire about shelf rental. Turns out Ann, the owner, had been about to contact me having picked up my business card at an event the previous year. So I rented a shelf for a month and would pop in every now and again to see how things were going.
Now I'm not quite sure about the next sequence of events but I have a sneaking suspicion I may have taken advantage of Ann when she was in a vulnerable position. Only weeks after taking on the shop with a business partner she was left to run the place on her own. Juggling a family while trying to run a full time business can't be easy and during one of my visits a conversation to that effect may have led to me suggesting I worked one day a week in return for shelf space. I'd like to say my offer was purely altruistic, wanting to help Ann out, but if I'm honest it was more as a lifeline for me. Fortunately she took me up on the offer.
So I go in every Monday, do the window display, move stuff around to keep Ann confused, offer help, advice and chit-chat (whichever is required) and generally revel in all things crafty. Crazy Daisy and its cosy kitchen table has become an oasis of calm and creativity. I'm not back to full blown crafting yet so it seems as if craft fairs are still on hold, a fact that isn't really bothering me. My crafting buddy says thats because everything happened according to plan, that I am where I'm meant to be. All I can say is I like the view through this door, and it beats being stuck in a hall!
