Reality Crafting

Every now and again something truly different pops up on the Etsy Forums. Today, while scrolling past the usual help questions (anyone who spends any time there will know which 20 questions appear multiple times per day; no need to repeat them here), a thread title caught my eye. "Opportunity to be on a Crafting TV pilot", it beckoned. Neither Susan nor I is particularly eager to be on TV, but I had to see what the idea behind this one was.

It isn't entirely clear, honestly, but they seem to be looking for someone who can craft on the fly. And has a good personality. (And presumably looks great whilst wielding a glue gun.) Is this a reality-based, 10 hot 20-somethings locked in a house with some strange condition imposed on them, serious drama ensues show? Do they just need a crafty cast member?

Or is this something really interesting, like Iron Chef meets the crafting world? Here I am picturing Martha Stewart battling a promising young up-and-coming crafter. This week's challenge? Alpaca fiber! Can she dye, spin, and knit a pair of cabled socks and matching ear muffs in 45 minutes? And Martha does the unexpected: self-striping yarn! Oh, our young challenger is just no match.

And another week might have special conditions: no squids, owls, swallows, cupcakes, or ridiculously large-eyed animals. The challenge: felt!

I can imagine work stations neatly organized and fully equipped: scrapbook paper, rotary cutters, mod podge, beads, ribbons, balsa wood.

Perhaps the final bit should not be a panel of judges at all. Instead, each contestant will have to photograph, describe, accurately calculate shipping for, and list their items online for sale. Will they get views? Will their challenges sell? And if so, can these intrepid crafters successfully navigate the labyrinth that is the US Postal System?

Now that would be reality TV worth watching.