Challenge for the New Year

I can't believe it's been an entire MONTH since my last post! Where has the time gone??? Unlike some of you who have very busy lives with children and/or grandchildren running around the house during the holidays, it's just me and my dear husband and menagerie of dogs and cats. Sure we have an occasional visit with our daughter and son-in-law, sometimes along with one or two of their dogs; but for the most part it's just the two of us. I think that my mojo got sucked up in the thick atmosphere and blew away for a visit somewhere else!

What have I been doing? I dare not show any pictures because of the perpetual mess my craft room is always in, but I will tell you that things are moving along. Like some of you I am trying to use up what I have on hand in my stash. This MIGHT be the time for me to finally make the switch from paper to digital design, BUT not until I've gotten my stash down to a reasonable amount. Here are some thoughts I've had lately:

1. Create card kits to sell on Etsy.
2. Create scrapbook page kits to sell on Etsy.
3. Put stuff together for a swap with friends.
4. Donate a bunch of stuff to groups that make cards for charities.
5. Make cards to donate to Operation Write Home. DONE
6. Make cards to donate to a local church that in turn donates to homeless shelters (currently doing this one.)   DONE
7. Make card assortments along with boxes to put them in to have on hand for gifts.
8. Offer some blog candy (coming soon, so stay tuned!)
9. Make upcycled embellishments and other products for Zeleny Art Fair coming up in April.

So there you have it! The past few days I've been digging through my stash and pulling out all those assorted paper embellishments that I cut or punched out in bulk for who knows what reason (just because!) and am attempting to use them to make card assortments. Isn't it funny when you look at something that you've hung on to for several years and you can't for the life of you figure out what you were thinking when you made it??? The paper-hoarder in me finds it extremely difficult to throw anything away that might possibly be used on a card, scrapbook page, collage, jewelry or whatever. Don't you love seeing and reading about all the cool things people make out of what would normally go in the trash? Sorry folks, but I've actually begun throwing away those little bits of paper that are left behind when cutting borders with the scalloped border punch! Yes they make squares look like postage stamps, BUT if they haven't gotten used in over two years they're GOING BYE-BYE!

One last thing I'll kind of share with you is that I have a huge reason for needing to downsize, but am not quite ready to post in for the public yet. I guess I don't want the plans to get jinxed somehow, so will wait until time gets closer, but trust me, this will be a big life-changing and very exciting thing! No folks, I'm NOT pregnant (way too old and the plumbing's been removed since 1994!); but it DOES have something to do with family. Like one of my favorite movie characters once said, "That's all I have to say about that."

I have been truly blessed!

This past week I was notified by not one, not two, but THREE very generous bloggers that I had won something!!! Can you believe it??? No, I couldn't either, in fact I told my husband that this would be a good week to buy a lottery ticket!

So what did I win? Well how about some pictures?
First I was notified by the lovely and extremely talented Suzy over at Suziqu's Threadworks that I had won a gorgeous embellished lace and linen doiley needlebook:

 

and some luscious yummy trim:

  

This uber talented artist has all kinds of beautiful fiber art on her blog and also can be found on Etsy as suziqu.
Oh and did I mention that she's from New South Wales, Australia? I happen to have an aunt still living in New  Zealand and had one serving as a missionary in Australia for many, many years. Coincidence? I don't know, maybe just good karma! Actually the karma will come when I put together some blog candy and have the pleasure of giving it away, so stay tuned!

Okay, so still guiddy from Suzy's notification and tired from spending the whole day on Saturday at a scrapbook crop (where I was without a cell phone signal) I get home and find a message from my favorite Stampin Up consultant, Shelly May, that I've won these awesome Christmas cards!



OMG I told her that I would decorate my mantle with them because they're so gorgeous! I can't wait to see all the detail that went in to making these because everything Shelly makes is beautiful!

Now last, but not in any way least, is a digital scrapbooking software program from my friend Linda over at LadybugLair. The program is called My Memories and looks like loads of fun! I just downloaded it and hope to play with it as soon as I finish this post. You should hop over to her blog and see some of the things she's already done with it. Oh and you've got to see the funny card she just made for a friend turning 60. So funny!

I am genuinely touched and feel blessed to have received all these gifts. Now, the question is.... what can I give away that even comes close to these things? I've got some ideas bouncing around in my head and will let you know when I decide. Until later.....

Hugs and kisses...

Pet sympathy card using my very own SVG cut file!

What's a girl to do when she's got a totally cute stamp set by Clear Dollar Stamps, but not the perfect embellishment to go along with it? Well, she gets on her computer and starts designing her own! I made an awesome svg file using Sure Cuts A Lot 2 and cut it out on my Cricut Expression. I also created cut files for the stamps to save my arthritic fingers from that pain that comes from too much fine detailed cutting with scissors. There are still some adjustments to be made to the cut files matching the stamps, but for now I'll use  the ones that turned out ok. Don't you love the cloud embossing on this card? That has got to be one of my favorite roller/embossing combinations!



This card is currently listed in my Etsy Shop, Eco Chique Boutique along with a bunch of other pet cards. My daughter and I are donating a portion of the proceeds from all the pet cards to our local animal shelter, Helping Hands Humane Society where we have both adopted dogs and cats.

Transformation To-Do List

Here's how far I've gotten so far this week. I got a to-do list created. TA-DA!!! Hey, at least I got that done, and being the type of person who needs to have some structure to keep her on track, this was an important first step. The actual list has squares to the left of each number so I can check them off as they get done. There's also a line going all the way down about 2 inches from the right side of the page so I can scribble notes if needed. As you can see, this is quite a project. Tomorrow morning DH and I are going garage saling (sailing looks better, but that's not how it's spelled) with our DD and SIL, then when we get back DH is going to a baseball card sale, so maybe I'll get started on it while he's gone. Of course having received some books from the library in the mail today I might be a little distracted, especially by this one:

Pretty Little Patchwork

My To-Do List

Desk

• 1. Take everything off
• 2. Sort and categorize
  Paper crafts
  Computer supplies
  Books – relocate (see bookcase)
  Misc – relocate if not craft or computer
• 3. Put storage items in bottom drawer of metal file cabinet
• 4. (There's a blank line under each category for last minute tasks.)
  
  Bookcase
• 1. Categorize books
  Keep – catalog
  Scan – put in other den
  Donate – put in box
  Sell – put in box
• 2. Relocate non-book items
  Keep
  Toss
  Sell
  Donate
• 3.
  
  File drawers
• 1. Remove and shred outdated material
• 2. Categorize and label all files
• 3. Organize files in drawers by category
  Personal
  Household (i.e. receipts & warranties)
  Crafts
  Business
  Other (i.e. travel)
• 4.
  
  Closet
  
• 1. Remove boxes and cases from floor and sort/toss/etc.
• 2. Remove clothing not worn in past year
• 3. Evaluate magazines and notebooks on shelves and toss if not needed
• 4. Install rail on floor or remove doors (?)
• 5.
  
  Other
• 1. Organize craft table
• 2. Organize wire cubes
• 3.

Before the transformation

As you will see when you look at these pictures, my craft room is in dire need of a major overhaul. It used to be my den until my computer died and I took over, er, shared my husband's den so I could use his computer. It was around that same time that I got invited by a co-worker to go to a StampinUp open stamp night and well... the rest is history, or memories in the making as I like to say... That piled-under table under the window was out in my MIL's garage for years until we rescued it, still in the box unassembled. It measures about 26 x 30 with a sort of slate top, so is perfect for paper crafts. Of course that requires that all my junk isn't piled on top, but I had to relocate a few things in order to shoot some pics of my stamp storage to show someone.
The bookcases are packed full of assorted craft, cooking, health and other books, many of which have never been opened beyond the day I bought them. My plans are to donate or repurpose a bunch of them to free up space for craft supplies that aren't as heavy as the books which have caused slight bowing of the thin shelves. Oh, did you notice the Cricut Expressions to the right of my paper bin on the desk? My dh bought that for me after listening to me carry on about all I could do with it. Isn't he a dear!
Closer shot of the side desk. The wooden thing holding my stamp pads came from a church garage sale, only cost something like 25 cents and works great. There are shelves underneath that hold my small stamp container, punch container, various paper files, notebooks and two plastic stacking drawers holding more... you guessed it... PAPER!
Every crafter has to have her tv for background noise, right? The repurposed notebooks on the right hold most of my printed instructions for just about any craft you could think of. Yeah, I'm a pattern collector!
This is just way too embarassing, but hey, if you make a public commitment to change, it has to happen, right? That timer (yellow thing) is there so when I've got something going in another room (laundry or cooking) I can make it ding to remind me. On the right are a couple of my photo storage boxes that, unlike many craft rooms I've admired, are NOT matching. My style is more what some would call bohemian, ecclectic, shabby chic (?) or some other word. For now it's just pure trashy and needs to be fixed. I'd love to hear comments and suggestions and promise to keep you posted as I dive in to the transformation!