A Look Back: Crafty Resolutions for 2007

Well, 2007 is finally winding down. Where the heck did the year go?! I'm still trying to find August frankly (I think its in the closet, behind the fabric bin...). I can hardly believe that December will be ending in just a few days. Can I have a do-over?

I decided that I'd better take stock of my year and what all I managed to accomplish. This meant looking back on that list of Crafty Resolutions I made at the beginning of the year and seeing how I did. Let's take a look together, shall we?

Crafty Resolutions for 2007:

• Complete one amulet bag. NOPE
• Learn tubular peyote stitch and complete one piece. NOPE
• Learn Ndebele/herringbone stitch and complete one project. NOPE
• Complete two complex Eni Oken tutorials (cuff, necklace) and then complete my own variations on her technique. NOPE (not off to a very good start, am I?
• Buy kit/supplies for PMC and complete two pieces. YEP/NOPE (bought everything, haven't done more than pull it all out of the box and oogle it every now and again...but I did receive a PMC book with DVD for Christmas this year, so we'll see what 2008 holds)
• Complete one new metal jewelry piece (cold connection or soldered). NOPE
• Take "Solder 101" class from Metal's Edge Studio. YEP
• Learn basic crochet. YEP (that's what I was doing when I pinched a nerve...)
• Learn to crochet using beads and wire. YEP (with beads)/NOPE (with wire)
• Paint "Zoo" sign letters and Coca-Cola tray. NOPE
• Woodburing: complete two simple projects such as wall plaques or a trinket box. NOPE
• Learn to sew using the sewing machine. YEP
• Learn Byzantine weave and at least one other chain maille weave. NOPE
• Sell 5 items (not for charity or to family). YEP (actually, I sold a few more than 5 even)
• Have a small in-home show by August. NOPE
• Learn to use all the Knifty Knitter looms I have bought in 2006. YEP (though I haven't really made anything, just played with each one)
• Master some complex macrame knotting (micro macrame) and complete one project. NOPE (instead, I admired KnotGypsy's work)
• Post to Blog at least once every week (and get the links set up, add more pictures, etc). um, NOPE

I don't know about you, but I'm seeing way more red up there than blue (11 NOPE's, 5 YEP's, and 2 YEP/NOPE's). But that's okay. I may not have accomplished all my crafty goals for the year, but I did manage to lose 30lbs this year, and that wasn't even a resolution!! ;D (Not that that last part has anything to do with beading or crafting, I'm just very proud and had to share with the few readers I have.) But, this is not something I'm going to beat myself up over. Its been a good gauge of how I work (or don't, as the case may be). Oh, and I blame most of the lack on Swap-Bot, I keep finding new crafts to try there. Shame on Swap-Bot for taking me away from my beadwork. Bad Swap-Bot, no cookie.

I'll be thinking of new resolutions for 2008 (and trust me, it will be a much shorter list) and will post them sometime after the New Year. If you are working on a list of beading or crafting resolutions for your blog, leave us a link in the comments.

Thanks for reading and happy beading! (Hopefully, I'll be back to beading myself soon).

Out of Commission for a Bit

I haven't posted in weeks, but I have a good excuse. I haven't really been working on anything, and that includes writing. I pinched a nerve in my right shoulder in mid-November. This meant resting it, avoiding activities that involve repetitive motion, downing anti-inflammatory drugs, and getting to know my ice packs and heating pad better than I ever wanted to. As fellow crafters I'm sure you know how that went. I was attempting to do things within days of the initial pain. Yes, I'm an idiot who doesn't know how to slow down and listen to my body when its trying to tell me something. So as a result, I'm still trying to rest and therefore not creating much. Its been like being someone with a major addiction to a substance, who suddenly decides to quit cold-turkey. Oh wait, I am someone addicted to a substance (a substance that includes beads, wire, paper, pens, scissors, glue, and weekly visits to craft supply shops)......

So I decided I'd pop in, leave a message to let everyone know I didn't fall off the face of the earth or become buried in an avalanche of yarn, fabric and beads. I've alive and well, and still trying to force myself to just rest. I am getting caught up on a lot of reading though, so I guess its not all bad.

Hope you all have a lovely holiday season. I'm looking forward to the new year and new projects and techniques to try. And I hope to be able to post about a look back at the crafting resolutions I made at the start of this year, see how I've done, and then make new crafting resolutions for 2008.

Thanks for reading and happy beading! (Bead one for me, won't you?)