Mum was always very creative.  She could knit and sew very well and frequently made clothes for herself (and for me when I was younger).

At one time (1970s?) she started to make decorations and pictures using dried flowers (as was popular at the time) sometimes spraying them gold or silver, and then selling them in a local shop.  She would work in the garage and I remember going in there once and finding that in her enthusiasm she had accidentally sprayed gold paint over her glasses and - instead of cleaning them off properly -  had merely scratched out a couple of tiny eyeholes and continued with her work. I thought it was hilarious but thinking about it she probably needed to sell the pictures to supplement her income... I don't remember her ever complaining but money must have been tight at times.