It feels a little strange sitting down to write this post because it has been far too long since I’ve shared a proper update here on I Love Doing All Things Crafty. If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been, what I’ve been making, or why things have been a little quieter around here, I thought it was finally time to catch you up.
The short answer is… life happened!
While I haven’t been making nearly as many cards as I used to, I definitely haven’t stopped crafting. In fact, my creativity has taken me in a completely different direction this past year.
A Year of Seeing Things Differently
It has now been more than a year since my cornea transplant, and I’m incredibly grateful to say that I can see so much better than I could before. My vision still isn’t perfect, and my left eye continues to have its limitations, but the improvement has been life-changing.
One of the things I’ve had to learn along the way is to listen to my eyes. Cardmaking, especially the detailed cardmaking I love, can be surprisingly demanding. Coloring, stamping, die cutting, working with tiny details, photographing projects, editing photos and spending hours looking closely at a project can all add up. So, for now, making cards is still more strain than my eyes really want.
That has meant taking a step back from the kind of crafting that has filled these pages for so many years. But that doesn't mean I stopped creating.
A New Job, A New Routine
There has been another big change in my life too. I started a new job at the same hospital where I have worked for the past 28 years, and it has been a much better fit for me, both physically and mentally.
I’m also no longer working shift work.
For years, shift work was actually one of the things that made crafting possible for me. Having days off during the week gave me chunks of time to disappear into my craft room, make cards, take photographs and write blog posts.
Now I work days. And honestly, when I get home, I want to spend that time with my family. I also work more shifts than I did previously, so there simply isn't as much free time as there once was.
My priorities have shifted a little, and I’m okay with that.
Instead of feeling guilty that I’m not creating cards every week, I’ve been reminding myself that creativity doesn't have to look the same forever.
I Haven't Stopped Crafting!
This past year, my creative energy has found a new home in something very close to my heart: our Portuguese community.
I’ve been volunteering my time and my crafty talents to help decorate for Portuguese community parties and events, and I have absolutely loved it.
There is something incredibly special about using the things I’ve learned through years of crafting—designing, building, painting, decorating, problem-solving and simply figuring out how to make an idea come to life—and using those skills to help bring our community celebrations to life.
It has reminded me that I don't necessarily need to be making a card for creativity to feel fulfilling.
Sometimes I just need to be making something.
And this summer, that “something” has been BIG.
Literally.
Meet My Gigantones!
Since July, I have been working on a very special project: Gigantones!
If you’re not familiar with them, Gigantones are enormous traditional figures that are an important part of the festivities in Viana do Castelo, Portugal.
And this project is especially meaningful to me because Viana do Castelo is where I was born. It is the place I still think of as home—a place that holds my family roots, my childhood memories and so much of my Portuguese identity. Even though I live in Canada, Viana is a place I return to many summers, and every time I’m there, it still feels like coming home. ❤️
So creating my own Gigantones has been about much more than making something big and colourful. It has been a way of connecting my love of crafting with a piece of my heritage and the place that will always be part of me.
The tradition of Gigantones and Cabeçudos in the Romaria de Nossa Senhora d’Agonia dates back to 1893, when the tradition was brought to Viana from Galicia in neighbouring Spain. Today, Gigantones and Cabeçudos are still one of the highlights of the annual Festa de Nossa Senhora d’Agonia, parading through the streets to the incredible sound of drums and loved by generations of people who grew up with them.
And if you know anything about me, you probably won't be surprised that I couldn't simply leave the idea alone.
I wanted to create my own modern 2026 interpretation.
She may have had a little Botox and filler; he has been mewing that jawline. 😂
I wanted to take something deeply rooted in Portuguese tradition and give it a fresh, colourful and contemporary personality while still respecting the spirit of the originals.
So, since July, I have been designing, building, painting and figuring out all the little details that would bring my vision to life.
And let me tell you… they are BIG.
Much bigger than anything I've ever made for this blog!
There were plenty of moments when I wondered what on earth I had gotten myself into. 😂 But there were also so many moments when I stood back, looked at what I had created and thought, “I actually made that!”
And that feeling never gets old.
The Big Debut!
A few weeks ago, after months of planning, building, painting and wondering if I had completely lost my mind, my Gigantones finally made their debut! 😂❤️
Our Portuguese community hosted a Santoinho-inspired Portuguese night, bringing together so many of the things that make our festas special: great food, music, dancing, Portuguese traditions, Gigantones and, of course, champarreão!
After working on them since July, it was such a surreal feeling to finally see them standing there and being enjoyed by our community. I couldn't have asked for a better debut.
But I Had to Make Them Move!
One of the biggest differences between my Gigantones and the traditional ones you see in Portugal is that mine have wheels!
Traditional Gigantones are carried by people underneath them, balancing the enormous figures on their shoulders as they parade and dance through the streets. I wanted mine to have that same larger-than-life presence, but I also wanted them to be practical enough for us to actually move them around our event.
So, naturally, I put them on wheels.
I built the wheeled base underneath the frame and designed the skirts to hide everything underneath. On the night of the event, my sister climbed inside the woman Gigantone while I slipped in behind the man, underneath the frame and behind the skirting.
And then we started walking around the dance floor.
From the outside, it looked like the two Gigantones were gliding across the floor all on their own! It was such a fun effect, especially when they started moving with the music.
There is one little detail that is difficult to see in the photographs: the vests have cut-outs in the front that allow the person inside to see—but only straight ahead.
So yes… navigating them was definitely an adventure! 😂 You really have to trust the person beside you and know where you're going because your view is very limited.
Thankfully, my sister and I managed to work together pretty well, and watching the two Gigantones glide around the dance floor was one of my favourite parts of the night.
That was when I finally realized… they worked!
All those months of measuring, cutting, building, painting, problem-solving and figuring out how everything would work had finally come together. Seeing them standing there was one thing, but seeing them move was something completely different.
From Cards to Gigantones
I think this past year has taught me something important about creativity.
Sometimes we have a very specific idea of what a “crafter” is supposed to be doing. For me, that used to mean cards—beautiful little pieces of paper art, shakers, die cuts, stamping, colouring and tiny details.
And I still love all of those things. I miss making cards. I miss sitting down with a new stamp set and losing track of time.
But I've also discovered that being creative isn't about the particular thing you're making. It's about having an idea and figuring out how to bring it into the world.
This year, that has meant decorating community events, creating something enormous instead of something that fits in an envelope, volunteering my time and sharing my creativity with the people around me.
It has also meant finding a way to keep doing what I love while respecting what my eyes and my new schedule allow.
So, although I Love Doing All Things Crafty may look a little different these days, the crafty part of me is still very much here.
She's just making bigger things! ❤️
I hope you'll stick around because I can't wait to share more photos of the Gigantones and the process behind making them. There was a LOT that went into these two!
And who knows? Maybe one day my eyes and my schedule will let me return to making cards more regularly.
For now, I'm going to enjoy this new chapter, spend time with my family, celebrate our Portuguese culture and keep creating whenever inspiration strikes.
Thank you to everyone who has continued to follow along, even when I haven't been posting as often. It truly means so much to me.
Happy crafting, friends—and VIVA Portugal!❤️
Ilda
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