Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans
53 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 months ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingA weekly podcast on creativity, community, connection, and collaboration. Hosted by two crafty friends who dabble in a range of creative outlets, are avid hobby collectors, and always have a craft or art project on the go, we will talk inspiration, motivation, idea development, and how connection is at the core of our creativity - and creativity at the core of our connection.
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Episodes
on podcasting, growth, and community
August 17, 2023 23:00 - 20 minutes - 27.7 MBWith four seasons and just shy of two years of podcasting under our belt, today we are reflecting on the growth we've experienced over our podcasting journey. We chat about how we have held to our mission statement - creativity, community, connection and collaboration - and what a blessing our podcast community has been. Whether you've been here since the beginning, or just finding us, thank you for making it possible for us to mark this amazing milestone for our podcast. Ministry of Crafty...
Hobbies, burnout, and staying motivated
August 11, 2023 00:54 - 21 minutes - 29.1 MBThis week we take a trip into our podcasting archives and revel in the growth we have achieved so far. We discuss how we stay motivated and keep showing up to a creative project when it doesn't have all the new project shine. Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite you to grab a project and a cuppa, and join us around our virtual craft table, as we chat inspiration, motivation, friendship and our cre...
social media, vulnerability, and hiding behind a project
August 04, 2023 00:00 - 18 minutes - 25.3 MBSocial media is all about sharing parts of ourselves, but what does it mean to share part of ourselves without a project to hide behind? Today we are chatting about feeling vulnerable, choosing what to share, and podcasting without a project. Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite you to grab a project and a cuppa, and join us around our virtual craft table, as we chat inspiration, motivation, friend...
mindfulness, marketing & mental health
July 27, 2023 23:22 - 21 minutes - 29.3 MBOften, our creative time is our anchor in an otherwise busy day, a moment of peace and mindfulness to centre ourselves. But what if our mindful & sefl care doesn't look like it "should"? If it doesn't fit in a neat little box? Today we chat about the influence of marketing a specific idea of mindfulness & self care, and how it shows up in creative spaces...and what we choose to do instead. Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community ...
crafting to fit in
July 20, 2023 23:32 - 20 minutes - 27.8 MBGroup projects have long been a mainstay of our creative practice, but slowly we are dropping off. In today's episode, we look at crafting to fit in, wanting to stand out, and the joy of true belonging. Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite you to grab a project and a cuppa, and join us around our virtual craft table, as we chat inspiration, motivation, friendship and our creative process. Find us ...
creativity, identity and zombies
July 14, 2023 05:09 - 20 minutes - 19 MBOur identity as crafters & creative folk is shaped by so many influences, and today we are unpacking where we "fit",and end up starting to prepare our bug out bags for the zombie apocolypse...things got a little unhinged along the way! Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite you to grab a project and a cuppa, and join us around our virtual craft table, as we chat inspiration, motivation, friendship an...
Motivation, momentum, and productivity
July 06, 2023 23:00 - 22 minutes - 30.6 MBMotivation and productivity, we're finding, is rather like the chicken and the egg. Are we productive when we're motivated, or does being productive give us the motivation to create? Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite you to grab a project and a cuppa, and join us around our virtual craft table, as we chat inspiration, motivation, friendship and our creative process. Find us on instagram: instag...
Crafting Ourselves Out Of A Black Hole
June 22, 2023 23:00 - 17 minutes - 23.5 MBSometimes life can get us so overwhelmed and languishing that picking up a project just feels too hard. Today we chat about how we get ourselves out of a rut and into a project - and how crafting helps pull us out of general life overwhelm. Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite you to grab a project and a cuppa, and join us around our virtual craft table, as we chat inspiration, motivation, friendsh...
Creative blocks & self sabotage
June 16, 2023 00:44 - 18 minutes - 25.5 MBWhat is it about a blank page that makes it so hard to get started? Or why do we find it hard to keep going on a project? Today we chat about the ways we get in our own way, how life gets in the way, and tease through a couple of real life examples of why we are blocked at the minute. Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite you to grab a project and a cuppa, and join us around our virtual craft table...
our big daily projects // mid year check in
June 08, 2023 23:00 - 20 minutes - 28.4 MBWe started the year off with a bang, and lots of big plans...how are they fairing after a few months and a whole lot of life? Join us for episode one of season four as we chat about goals, giving up, and the encouragement of making our struggles with keeping up visible. Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite you to grab a project and a cuppa, and join us around our virtual craft table, as we chat ins...
The return of easter bingo!
March 30, 2023 22:00 - 15 minutes - 20.8 MBFour days of wall to wall crafting? What else would we do over the Easter long weekend! We're sharing some thoughts on our inaugural MOCS Easter Bingo last year, and start kicking around ideas for this year - are you in? Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite you to grab a project and a cuppa, and join us around our virtual craft table, as we chat inspiration, motivation, friendship and our creative ...
Seasons in crafting, life, the year
March 23, 2023 22:00 - 14 minutes - 19.5 MBLike everything, our crafting ebbs and flows with the seasons, both the actual seasons and the seasons of life. Today we're chatting about the different rhythms we embrace in our crafting, with a little side journey into spring cleaning and true confessions of the current state of Rach's stash (spoiler - it's not pretty!). Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite you to grab a project and a cuppa, and ...
In The Craftroom
March 16, 2023 22:00 - 16 minutes - 22.1 MBFrom big projects to big plans, plus what we're working on at the minute; join us in the Ministry for your weekly dose of crafty inspiration. Today we are chatting stitching, photography, and art classes, our year long projects and our 100 Days project for 2023, plus the drive to revisit old projects and bring them back to our current day creative practice. Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite you ...
Creating Year Long Intentions
March 09, 2023 22:00 - 15 minutes - 21.1 MBIn a wave of January intention, we both set our words for the year. Two months in, there's already been a whole lot of life happening. Todya we are chatting about how our words are holding up, and the ways we keep them high on our priority list as we do the days. Sometimes, though, our words have to take a backseat to everything else, and we talk about the times we have given up our words - including one where the word turned out to be perfect anyway! Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a week...
Festive Fun & Christmas Crafting
December 08, 2022 22:00 - 16 minutes - 23.1 MBWe're celebrating both the silly season and the finale of season three, with a look at all the crafty fun we are up to in the run up to the end of the year. Because life isn't busy enough at this time of year, we can't help but add a few more projects! Thank you so much for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you again in 2023 with season four. Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invit...
Craft is our love language
December 01, 2022 22:00 - 17 minutes - 24.6 MBComing into gifting season, our minds are turning to making for others. Investing our time and supplies into a gift project is the unspoken way a crafter says "I love you", and in today's episode we delve into the thought process behind choosing who to make for, and what supplies to use. We also talk about how being vulnerable in our creativity can be seen as a type of love language, and who we let in "behind the scenes" is a mark of connection and relationship. Ministry of Crafty Shenanigan...
Connection In The Comfort Zone
November 24, 2022 22:00 - 18 minutes - 25.4 MBAfter a busy couple of weeks, we are both finding ourselves reaching for familiar and meditative projects. Following on from our Nostalgia episode, we look at what influences us to reach for the familiar over the new and exciting, and how connection to those around us is one of the strongest influences of all. Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite you to grab a project and a cuppa, and join us aroun...
Slow And Steady, or Fast To The Finish?
November 17, 2022 22:00 - 18 minutes - 25.2 MBAs our creative processes have shifted over the years, we've traded places of which of us is the finisher and which is the procrastinator. In today's episode, we look back over past projects and try and nail down where we find our motivation, and what blockages stop us from making progress. Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite you to grab a project and a cuppa, and join us around our virtual craft ...
The Power Of Words
November 10, 2022 22:14 - 19 minutes - 27.1 MBEach year, we both pick a word as our theme for the year, in place of a New Years resolution. Sometimes they work, sometimes we can't connect with them, sometimes they become surprisingly appropriate in unexpected ways. Today we are chatting about how we use our word of the year to anchor us and help us set goals, and how we apply them in our creative life. Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite yo...
Inner Monolgues - How Our Brains Influence Our Crafting
November 03, 2022 22:00 - 19 minutes - 26.8 MB"Brains are so silly", we say to each other at least once a week. In today's episode, we chat about the different ways our brains need a little nudge in the direction of keeping our minds on our projects. Personality types, focus, working environments...even pop culture and we settle the all important question - what Hogwarts house do we belong to? Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite you to grab a...
The Evolution of Creativity
October 27, 2022 22:00 - 20 minutes - 28.3 MBWhat does growth look like in creativity? Is it growing out? Up? Circles and spirals? We share our perspectives known own growth and each other, and how our own growth is reflected in our children's creativity as well. We have an epiphany on podcasting fits into our evolution as crafters and as content creators, and start taking notes for season 4. Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, community and collaboration. We invite you to grab a...
Building Connection Through The Everyday
October 20, 2022 22:00 - 16 minutes - 22.4 MBHow do you shift from crafty acquaintances to dear friends? By sharing the everyday mundane happenings of life! Today we are chatting about how even when it all feels a bit Groundhog Day, sharing our daily behind the scenes rhythms offers unexpected moments of connection. We chat accountability & vulnerability, and how having a friend in our pocket makes the same same of daily life more manageable. Ministry of Crafty Shenanigans is a weekly conversational podcast on creativity, connection, c...
Finding Our Place In A Creative World
October 13, 2022 22:00 - 17 minutes - 24.6 MBOnce upon a time, craft and sewing groups abounded, particularly in small towns like where both of use are from. These days, they are less common, and less practical for busy mums - enter, the internet! We are chatting about how the internet is a wonderful tool to develop connection, and to find your place amongst like minded people. From feeling brave trying new things, to our regular chats, via a little detour into potential true crime when meeting people off the internet, we're chatting t...
nostalgia :: comfort and inspiration
October 06, 2022 22:00 - 20 minutes - 28.7 MBWelcome to season three! In our season premiere, we are chatting about nostalgia, how we use it as a a means of connection and also as an inspiration launching point for our crafty projects. In a topsy turvy world that continues to be anything but predictable, the comfortable familiarity of nostalgic favourites are a touchstone we can use to ground ourselves. It's also a way of connecting with the creative people who can before us, and gives our children a safe place to start exploring their ...
Our first anniversary!
September 22, 2022 23:00 - 18 minutes - 24.9 MBOne whole year ago, we nervously released our first episode out into the world. 364 days later, we have two full seasons, two mini seasons, and two bonus episodes under our belt. In a special anniversary episode, we chat about how sharing online has evolved for us, some of our favourite moments, and how podcasting has helped us grow in ways we didn't necessarily expect. Thank you so much for your support over the last year!! We are back soon with season three, so be sure to subscribe to be t...
Spring Cleaning The Craft Room
September 01, 2022 23:32 - 7 minutes - 9.9 MBSpring has sprung, and with it comes a burst of mojo! We're procrastinating on our spring cleaning by chatting about craft room organisation, learning when to let go of creative projects, and that time Car lost her sewing machine (and how Rach never lets her forget it!). Season three coming soon! Don't forget to subscribe to be the first to listen! Come join the conversation on instagram: instagram.com/ministryofcraftyshenanigans Find more information on us, how we turn inspiration in progr...
The Winter Blues
August 25, 2022 23:00 - 6 minutes - 8.61 MBSpring is just around the corner, but first we have to get through the August slump! We chat seasonality in crafting, riding the mojo rollercoaster, and using small daily creative projects to help keep us grounded
Currently... {our winter crafting and downtime fun}
August 18, 2022 23:00 - 9 minutes - 12.4 MBWhile we plan season three, there's plenty of fun and chats going on behind the scenes. In our first Winter Mini Ep, we're sharing what we're creating and planning, reading ad watching, and chatting life in general. Join the conversation on Instagram - instagram.com/ministryofcraftyshenanigans
Crafty Finance Nerds Unite!
June 30, 2022 23:00 - 15 minutes - 20.8 MBWith end of financial year comes long days and long to-do lists, so what better way for two crafty finance nerds to procrastinate than to record a bonus podcast episode! We are chatting what we've achieved in the last six months, set some goals for this week, and start planning out projects for the next six months.
Life as multi-generational crafters
June 02, 2022 23:00 - 18 minutes - 25 MBWe made it! Another wonderful season wrapping up, and to celebrate, we have some very special guests to chat about creative habits and a crafty life. Thank you so much for joining us this season, and we look forward to seeing you in a couple of months with Season Three!
Instagram vs Reality
May 26, 2022 23:00 - 16 minutes - 22.8 MBInstagram is our main stomping ground for both connection and memory keeping these days, rather than blogs. A freeze frame of a split second doesn't always tell the full story though, and today we are chatting about why we chose to share what we share, and also how scrolling instagram and comparing everyone else's perfection to our own daily life impacts our creative process
On Blogging, And Why We Loved It
May 19, 2022 23:00 - 15 minutes - 20.8 MBBefore we were podcasters, before we were instagrammers, we were bloggers. We are diving into nostalgia and revisiting those days, and chatting about why we loved blogging as a format for sharing our projects, and as a way to connect.
The Fear of Starting, The Fear Of Letting Go
May 12, 2022 23:00 - 18 minutes - 25.3 MBWho knew craft could be so scary? Apparently it is! We fear dropping a project and regretting it later, we fear losing mojo half way through, we fear letting a project go, and we fear that good old fashioned worry of social media - a dint in our pride when we admit we "failed" on a project we've already shared publicly! Join the conversation on instagram at instagram.com/ministryofcraftyshenanigans Find today's show notes at http://ministryofcraftyshenanigans.com/?p=211
Crafting & Emotions
May 05, 2022 23:00 - 18 minutes - 25.2 MBWhen the going gets tough, the crafters get going...to the project pile! Today we are chatting about how we use craft to ground us when we are feeling All The Things, and to help us process our big emotions. We also chat accountability and languishing - are we feeling flat because we haven't bee crafting or are we avoiding crafting because we feel flat? Join the conversation at instagram.com/ministryofcraftyshenanigans BONUS: a free download to help your own 3x3 practise in included with tod...
Perspectives on Productivity
April 28, 2022 23:00 - 16 minutes - 22.6 MBBringing together thread from episodes 3 & 4, we wrap up our discussions on productivity, and chat about how our perspectives vary, as well as prioritising creativity even when life gets busy.
On Creative Productivity, and Does It Even Matter?
April 21, 2022 23:00 - 17 minutes - 24.6 MBProductivity seems to be the name of society's game, but what does that look like when you are a compulsive crafter, and don't have a 9-5? How does our self-image and identity play into our desire to appear productive (even if just to ourselves), and in the end, does it really matter?
Do It For The Process
April 13, 2022 23:00 - 19 minutes - 27 MBSome projects have a clear purpose and outcome. some exist simply because they are fun to make. We chat over some of our projects that don't always have a tangible purpose, but are still crucial to our creative process. Along the way, we take a side trip into group projects, and creating as a tool for connection. The shownotes with today's links and downloads can be found at http://ministryofcraftyshenanigans.com/?p=207
Tunnel Vision or Flat Out Fail
April 07, 2022 23:00 - 21 minutes - 29.4 MBWe chat about some of our more iconic projects and more ambitious schemes, to try and tease out what it is about a project that tickles our crafty mojo and has us obsessed with it... or why we give up almost before we start.
Crafting Our Way Through The Pandemic
March 31, 2022 22:00 - 20 minutes - 28.7 MBOver the first two years of the pandemic, we've both had major shifts in our creative practices. In this episode, we chat about how Rach switched from perpetual procrastinator, to finishing all the things, and why Car suddenly filled a heap of journals. We talk word of the year, non-pandemic influences, and the importance of mindset and where we started from.
Summer Mini Series Ep4 :: Our Summer Crafting
February 17, 2022 23:29 - 8 minutes - 11.5 MBThanks so much for listening in to our summer mini series! Today we are wrapping up and reflecting on what we worked on over summer, plus some reflections on how our New Years journal
Summer Mini Series ep 3 :: The Weird & Wonderful
February 10, 2022 22:21 - 7 minutes - 10.5 MBWhat do a horse lead and a bottle of instant coffee have in common? This week we are chatting about the weirder parts of crafty life. Weird supplies, strange locations, oddball projects...join us as we laugh at ourselves and some of the more out of the box aspects of our pursuit of creative play.
Summer Mini Series ep2 :: Currently
February 03, 2022 22:47 - 7 minutes - 10.8 MBThis week we are wrapping up summer holidays and sharing some of our "currentlys" - what we are reading, watching, planning and starting.
Summer Mini Series ep 1 :: This vs That
January 27, 2022 00:32 - 7 minutes - 10.3 MBKicking off 2022 with some fun. This week are are looking at some of the more divide tribal wars of the crafty community - Bernina vs Janome, Canon vs Nikon, Aida vs Linen, and more
Looking Forward, Looking Back - season one finale
December 02, 2021 22:00 - 20 minutes - 28.4 MBThat's a wrap on season one! Today we are chatting about how this fun project has grown us personally, added new dimensions to our friendship, our favourite episodes, and our plans for season two. Thank you so much for joining us for season one!
Crafty Classes & Why We Love Them
November 25, 2021 22:00 - 18 minutes - 25.9 MBThis week we are chatting about online classes, and doing vs collecting them. We look at what makes us stick with a class, why we choose what we choose, and how we integrate them into our creative practice.
On Creative Play
November 18, 2021 22:00 - 18 minutes - 24.8 MBDecember is one of our biggest months of creative adventures, and today we share our plans for the month to come. We take you down the rabbit hole of planning and expanding on a project, and how we combine ideas to make an ambitious project list achievable. We also talk about the importance of creative play to each of us personally, and also how we use creative play in our friendship during busy seasons.
Learning New Skills
November 11, 2021 22:10 - 18 minutes - 25.6 MBThis week, we are chatting all about learning new things. Both of us have an incurable sense of creative curiosity, and if one of us is down a rabbit hole of new and shiny, the other isn't far behind. We talk classes vs winging it, how affordability & access impact our experiments, and perfectionism and growth.
On Creative Partnerships
November 04, 2021 22:00 - 18 minutes - 25.2 MBThis week, we chat about how our creative partnership is such a helpful part of our individual creative processes. We look at how accountability is a helpful way to leverage our partnership when we lack motivation, and why we value a partner being there to encourage us through the trickier parts of creativity. We also visit some of the projects we have on the go at the minute that are a joint effort, and how individual inspiration becomes a communal project with almost very little encouragement.
from online to offline: on retreat with our internet friends
October 21, 2021 22:00 - 22 minutes - 30.5 MBThis week, we mark a decade of quilt camp - and our second cancelled camp - chatting about organised retreats, outgrowing those and creating our own, plus why we think camp is a cornerstone of our group's friendship.
Creating A Daily Habit
October 14, 2021 22:00 - 18 minutes - 25.6 MBThis week, we talk about some of the daily projects we've taken on, and why making something every day is such an important part of our lives.