One of my Reindeer Club goals is to get the scarf/had sets finished for the Mitten Tree. When our bank closed over a year ago, we lost the mitten tree so I didn't keep that crochet project at the top of the list.
Since then, another bank has purchased the building and brought back the 'home town' feel, including one of the gals who has spearheaded the Mitten Tree project for our local grade school. We usually turn them in just before Thanksgiving so I have less than the 52 weeks I need to empty this bin. This may be the last year I do this project. Time will tell.
This is the bin of yarn all divided up with matching mittens:
Under the bed storage box
Full of yarn and mittens waiting to be turned in to hats/ scarves
Sets I've done in the past
Next week I'll introduce you to a dear friend of mine who has learned to overcome her disability and is building her crocheting business.
I will admit I'm writing this on Tuesday evening, tried to do a bit of tidying up before your visit. As you can see by the photos, there is progress but still a long way to go.
While the office corner needs more, I can put my computer here and work. I can use the print and nothing is cascading off of my binders onto the top of the machine.
Before After
I've also cleared the filming table, making it possible to not just film, but actualy craft here while I'm watching a movie. See, miracles do happen! lol
Here is my filming table/ desk this week:
You'll see little booklets in the center. I'm getting ready to stitch the first of three mini-journals together.
I am part of a collab on YouTube called Canned Pumpkin. Each month we choose one of our past Paper Pumpkin kits from Stampin' Up! (a monthly subscription) and see if we can use up everything. I chose the January 2018. I'll have the full walk-through of what I've done with the kit on my YouTube Channel on the 31st. We post our project(s) the last day of each month.
That's it for my desk (and story) this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here? When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground for all the details. Miss Julia has a long list of other studios you can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you. Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list.
I do apologize for not getting in here yesterday. Just a really bizarre day that began at 3 a.m with the rolling of thunder and flashes of lightning. Perfect sleeping weather for me. I was just snuggling into the covers to let the storm lull me back to sleep when I felt the Chinese water torture begin. I had not one but two leaks in my ceiling. One directly over my pillow and the other just clearing the bed and hitting the floor in front of my nightstand.
So up to strip the bed, sweep the bedroom floor ('cause it really needed done) then moving the mattresses off the bed out of harms way should the ceiling fall in. From there I filmed a video - you know, cause I was wide awake at this point! - then snuggled into the recliner to try and get some sleep.
See, life interrupts all of us at some point. We just take some time to breathe then pick up our feet and step forward.
For me, the rain, which dropped 3" in just over four hours, continued in some form all day. That kept me with spotty internet. I finally just called it a day, snuggled in the recliner with the dog and watched Hallmark Movies Sometimes we just need to recharge.
So here I am today with my Card Chicks cards.
Okay, so the 3rd one is a bit bleak. LOL Just not sure what I want to put in the top part of the card. I'll figure it out when the time comes.
Our hostess for this month was Barb.
Image - Two Paper Divas (Tea Cups 2)
Paper - Tranquil Textures DSP (SU)
Ribbons - SU Night of Navy stitched Grosgrain/ Balmy Blue Satin/ Mint Macaron Linen
Embellishments included - a tea cup brad, blue brads, white pearls and blue rhinestones.
If you're curious as to whether things are improving in the studio, you'll want to come back for WOYWW.
Since I've not jumped into the Teapotters for 2021 and it's a week early for the Card Chicks, I thought I'd give you a sneak peek into what you will be seeing more of on the 25th.
Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I thought I'd start with something red and white. While this isn't a Valentine's card, I got inspiration from THIS card on pinterest by paperdaisycrafting.
You will notice the wider white background band on the card. I had to cut the Real Red cardstock to 5" x 3-3/4" to accomodate the length of the band. I used a white card base and cut the band from Shimmer White cardstock (retired). The sentiment is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black.
as well as Punch Party from the Sal-A-Bration catalog. This set is the Free Hostess Set
Every two weeks I send a deposit to my business account at the bank in Illinois. I always tuck my deposit into a card and I've had comments on how much they look forward to seeing what card I'm sending. Bring a smile to someone you do business with. Now, more than ever, they need to know we appreciate them.
Thank you for your patience as I attempted to get through the studio disaster last week. The progress was slow as I spent four days inventorying my napkin stash. If you want to see why I took four days, you can check out the video HERE as part of my Organization Series
I came across THIS youtube channel a couple of weeks ago. The video I watched, Amalia was talking about her December crafty goals. There were several others in the collab and she invited anyone who wanted to join the collab to jump right in.
Well, you know that while I do 'jump right in' to a lot of things, there is also prep involved. My OCD won't let me do things small. :-)
I'm going to include my video at the end of this post as to how I've set up my creativity planner to help me track my goal for the year... but what are my goals?
My list encompasses several things that may not necessarily be 'goals' but items I want to be more aware of this year. So let's take a look at my list:
Track 'craft' finances.
This includes my spending as well as everything related to my Etsy shop
5 New items in the shop each month
10 Christmas cards per month minimum
Monthly birthday/ anniversary cards
House scrapbook
Girls' 2019 albums (there is one for each of the girls as well as mine but all similar in layout)
52 Hat/ scarf sets
Take part more in the Splitcoast groups - check in at least 2x per week
Finish the twins' afghans (by April)
Reindeer Club
I'm also either directly in some Collabs or at least playing along:
Monthly Junk Journal challenge
#52tagshannemade - a handstitching challenge on a 2x4 (approx) tag
#Canned Pumpkin - using up our Paper Pumpkin kits
#Case on the 5th - find a card to case. I'll be exploring past SU catalogs
10 on the 10th - Christmas cards
#roxysweeklychallenge - junk journal type of items.
Smash that Small Paper Pad - 6x6 use it up with Deb Houck's Crafty Cottage
I know that is a lot, thus the reason for the actual planner to help me track them, especially where collabs are concerned. So I don't have to keep referring to the Creativity Planner, I've made it so I can just move the current month into my everyday planner.
For the rest of the month I want to catch up on the #52 tags as well as Roxy's weekly challenge, since they are quick tag challenges. My first actual collab commitment is due on the 25th with the 6x6 collab then the Paper Pumpkin on the 31st. I hope to get those items done up this week and videos uploaded.
Here's the Creativity Planner video.
I will see you back here tomorrow with my first card of 2021.
What are your crafty plans for the year? Please share in the comments below.
After spending time over the holidays sorting everything in my office, while spending time with Bob, I am finally at a stage where I can just put things away.
I am not going to try balancing that task with work. Instead, I'm dedicating one full week to that final task.
You will also see changes on the blog. I will not be posting every day. Some days will be reserved just for Youtube and I may give you a link to something. In return there will be some projects I showcase just for the blog.
I fell behind the past few weeks but with good reason. Bob was able to be home the entire holiday season. That doesn't happen often.
The other reason is that in prepping to have the living room suitable for a Christmas tree, I had to move a lot of stuff back into the office. I put everything in general vicinity. Now I have three weeks to get the office in workable order.
I'm also adjusting to a new printer AND a new laptop. Both of my familiar items went down within a week of one another. Ugh! So I'm starting the new year with shiny new tools to help make me more productive!
So, instead of a desk picture today, I give you the nightmare I'll be dealing with. I'll make notes of changes that have been made since taking these photos last week:
The view from the door to the office corner.
While there is still a lot to the left.. the immediate corner of the office has been cleared.
I had to prep for a Zoom business meeting on Saturday so tht corner took priority.
My filming corner
This is a work in progress. A lot has been put away off of the filming table.
Papers on the floor to the left need put in sleeves nd on the shelf. Stuff on the tble and the chair are for finishing the 13 Days of Digis album.
My printer went down, then my computer so that stalled at Day 9.
Rather than just put those items away, I plan to finish that album first.
I should have this one finished by the weekend as I need my filming table.
Path to the sewing corner.
Remember how pretty this area looke for Halloween?
Yeah. Most of the items are left overs from the baby albums project.
Just need to put away.
And finally...
From the sewing corner looking towards the scraprack
(and filming area beyond)
The sofa is buried under past Paper Pumpkin Kits and stamp sets to be cataloged.
The Paper Pumpkin Kits will be part of a YouTube collab called
Canning Pumpkin.
The concept is to go through past kits, get them made up into 'something' and move them out!
I'll show the cards here the last day of each month as well as link the YouTube video if you want to see more about the details.
That's it for my desk (and story) this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here? When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground for all the details. Miss Julia has a long list of other studios you can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you. Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list.
