Taking Stock!

This year has come and gone. But not without crafty excitement, disappointment, and well stuff happened.

So I decided to take some stock in what I have accomplished and learned this year.

1. I started out the year with a goal to quickly get my Disney World album scrapped so I wouldn't forget a single moment. Turns out we took over 850 photos and well they were just so good. It took me 11 months and 3 albums to complete this project but I stayed true to my goal and didn't scrap a thing until I was done this album!

2. Since I decided to commit to completing the Disney album before I scrapped anything else, I had to find an outlet for my scrapping creativity. I mean there are only so many Mickey Mouses and princesses you can handle before you burst. SO I started cardmaking! This mini obsession turned into something oh so much more than I expected. Both good AND bad.

3. On the Ides of March (an omen???) I joined All Moments Remembered message board and have loved hanging out there. BUT it started and fueled this cardmaking thing. I saw so many talented people and their projects and well, they just looked so enticing that I had to try my hand. I pulled out the stamps (I hadn't stamped in years) and started playing. Well......that brings me to #4.......

4. I became obsessed with stamping. I seemed to have some old school stuff but nothing new and fresh. So I started shopping the $1 spots at Michaels and Joannes. Well, I became obsessed. I mean, they are only $1 right??? Well with stamps you need ink and with ink you need paper and then you need card stock and envelopes.... are you getting my drift????

5. When we started going to the river for a weekend retreat I never realized it would become a crafty outlet for me. They had a craft show and I signed up for it. I did well, but that led me to other things too.

6. I began making hair bows and selling them at the local pharmacy up the street (a good thing)

7. We got a dog and then I started making dog biscuits, fun but not a big seller and my dog can only handle so many cookies.... But I started making dog toys and pulls and tugs too, fun but I have a big box full of them.

8. I have knitted more washclothes than I care to count. BUT I use them all!!!

9. I have knitted a bunch of scarves, amigorami animals, and crocheted too!

10. Christmas balls, they were fun and I hope everyone likes them for Christmas.

11. Did I mention I finished my Disney album??? yes, just 1 month before we go again! I have also scrapped approximately 25 more pages for the family album too this year, BUT I am still 4 years behind and have only scrapped 4 years total in the 6 years I have been scrapbooking. I will never catch up!!! 4 years in 6 years???? Time is going backwards.....

12. I took over my daughter's bedroom when she moved in with my other daughter and shared a room for a while. The scrap space was nice but she wanted her room back and now I am relegated back in a corner of the family room.

13. I have learned that crafting for craft shows are fun but you never make any money, so it isn't a lucrative business, however I enjoy it and will probably do it again next year.

14. I have evolved in my style and breadth of paper crafting. I find I enjoy it even though I am not an artist or have any true talent, I can scraplift, cardlift, and basically copy others (not for sale) and enjoy the process.

Now I need to start thinking of some goals for next year..... more to come...

The kids did this project!

We are all in the holiday spirit. The kids want to help as much as I want to do it myself. So I bought these foam kits for them to make a little ornament for the gifts as a topper.

They still need a string and some glitter but I think they did a great job!

I am working on a gift basket to give to some family, neighbors, and other sundry friends. I am brainstorming what to put in them. I bought a cute little basket, and it is not big.

Isn't it cute??? The basket is about 8 inches wide by 6 inches deep and 4 inches tall.

And I bought these cute little tins with a curved top.

Wow, the tins look huge in these pictures but they are only about three inches tall and 5 inches wide. They are as tall as they are deep.

So here is what I am thinking. We will have some fruit from Florida so an orange and a grapefruit. I was thinking a jar of apple butter, some sugar cookies, some bourbon balls (maybe) or peanut butter bars, and a handmade washcloth or a potholder. Do you think that is a good gift? Is it enough? Oh, I forgot the ornament I made too. (See the blog entry from Saturday).

Well.....what do you think? do any of you make baskets for Christmas? What do you put in it?

Have to share...

Oh my look at this!!! We can all SO do this! How easy is it to mimic???

It is felt and patterned paper. Oh the possibilities! I think I need another trip to the craft store...

Christmas Cards

You are in luck! I had to open a couple envelopes so I took advantage of it and snapped a few pictures to show you all (all two of you!! Hi Jingle!!) I used K &Co papers and stickers and used a pattern from Sheetload and came up with these.

Hope you are having a creative, scrappy day. Get those Christmas cards out!!

It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS!!!

Yes, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas at our house. We have already put our Christmas tree up and we are in the midst of getting the gifts and packaging ready. It is a very exciting time of year. I just love the Christmas spirit!

In that light, I woke up this morning and decided to embark on a new project. I wanted to paint Christmas ornaments. I know what you are thinking. With really only two weeks for us to be completely and utterly ready for Christmas, I begin a new project when I probably should be working out the recipe list, gift list, and shopping.

You are in luck this time. I took pictures:

They were super easy and done with paint pens. Of course I didn't have any of the supplies so I had to go out and purchase the paint pens and ornaments. These ornaments are not the shiny ones. They have a matte finish. I have limited it to a few designs that I felt confident free-handing.

I think these will become gifts for teachers, neighbors, and friends.

Christmas in just a few weeks!! Update on Craft Show

And I am not ready yet. In years past I have gotten most of my Christmas shopping done the weekend before Thanksgiving. Then I scan the Black Friday ads and end up doing a lot of exchanges and returns and rebuys that weekend because of the sales. So not this year. I decided to wait until Black Friday to BEGIN my shopping. We are on a tighter than tight budget this year so I really have to watch my pennies. But today the Monday before Thanksgiving I am feeling a bit out of sorts. I feel like I am behind the curve for shopping and such.

I have three weeks before we go to disney world again and that isn't much time. December 13th is out due to us seeing Santa in the morning. I can use that afternoon but really want to be done done before then. I had thought of doing some holiday shopping on line this year but just haven't mentally gotten there yet either.

I really need to get my act together. I think I know what is bogging me down and I hope to have that cleared up tonight. It is that the Christmas tree isn't in the family room. We thought of putting it in the living room but it looks so lonely in there and we don't really use that room so it isn't in a place that we can sit and enjoy the tree. It isn't in the room that we live in. So here is the problem. All my scrapbooking and crafting stuff is in the corner where we usually put the Christmas tree. That means that I have to clear out all my stuff and put it somewhere so we can move the tree down there. I considered swapping my scrapbook stuff to the living room which isn't such a bad idea but then that room really is a more formal room and I tend to be messy with my stuff so it isn't quite the right place. So at this point I have to pack it all up. Yup ALL of it. And that is what I am going to do tonight. I started yesterday and I am about a third done. Tonight it just needs to go somewhere.

Just to get you in the mood for decorating your house, here are some links that you might like!

http://bucketideasforchristmas.blogspot.com/ (too many trees for me but I picked up an idea or two anyway) Scroll all the way down to the big pictures. there are soo many trees!!!

http://www.100daystochristmas.com/ cool give aways and lots of ideas on what to do to get ready for Christmas.

~~UPDATE ON CRAFT SHOW~~

Remember by goal for the Craft Show this past weekend? Well I hit my goal, sort of. I said I would like to make $150 but would be happy if I broke $100. I ended up making $130! I think that is pretty good since there weren't nearly as many people as I had thought there would be. I was really hoping for more people but they just weren't there. I suppose the economy has everyone not shopping anymore. I didn't sell any scarves and I thought they would be big sellers but not a one. Guess what everyone is getting for Christmas this year?? Sh, don't tell....a SCARF!

Oh, and while sitting there during one of the many lulls, I remembered that I forgot my camera AGAIN! sorry for no pics... :(