UFOs

I'd like to set a little more of a goal for myself - I thought of finishing a project a week, but that may not make much of a dent - depending on what I work on.  So, I'd like to reduce my crafts from 6 huge bins to 3 bins of stuff. 
That's saying a lot for me - here are some pictures of the craziness.

 My dirty little secret.  The Stack - which frequently has to be moved side to side to walk around to get to other craziness. 

 The paper bin - multiple stacks of scrapbook paper, miscellanea and other kits

 The real kit bin - crosstitch, embroidery, punch needle, etc.  This is where kits go to die (hopefully, not any longer).

 Yarn bin #1 - 71 Liter bin

 Yarn bin #2 - 96 liter bin

 Yarn bin #3 - by now, I'm sure you're saying I have a hoarding problem, really. 

 And the jewelry... at least I am trying to sell some of my jewelry creations.

And more jewelry - doesn't it look so pretty? 

Where to start? 
Seriously, when you have as many crafty projects as I do, sometimes, just figuring out where to start can be the most overwhelming... so I'm starting with UFOs (unfinished objects).  I only have a few (HA! HA!).   I've actually already started on one - the picture of the wreath in the previous post was started in January of 2012 and just finished in January 2013 - which may not seem too bad - except that those are cutouts of my kids' hands - which have grown a little in the past year and the only thing I had to do to finish  the project - was glue the hands on a circle of cardboard - yep, all the tedious part of tracing all the hands on different colored pieces of paper and cutting all those fingers out - done! 
Why is it that there are just some of those steps that are so easy, yet take forever to do?

OK.  Here's the list of UFOs to get started on:
1)  Half knit hat
2)  Partially knit blanket
3)  Crochet rope bracelet (2 of them with beads strung)
4)  2011 calendar of cards to make - some cut out
5)  Wall hanging for my daughter's room
6)  Partially crosstitched stocking
7)  Linea bag - from a kit

There's probably more but I can't think of them now. 

 

Let's get started!!!

Day One

I've been mulling this over in my brain for awhile.  Looking at what I want to do for the upcoming year and going slightly crazy at the thought of all the craft projects I want to do and have to do around the house.  And then, my husband was trying to open a window in the basement and knocked into my pile of plastic crates with yarn in them and broke one of the crates.  I don't know how much yarn I have accumulated, but it's a lot.  And besides that, I am a glutton for craft kits, you know the kind, everything you need to make a cool craft in one small package - complete with smiling faces of someone holding the completed craft and the words "it's so easy" on the front, or the kind with the completed craft in a beautiful setting, a well-decorated tablescape or well-thought out picture wall (the Martha Stewart kind of picture).  And those pictures are enough to make me gush and say "I'll buy it!", even though, if I actually finish the project, it will go in a cluttered house with toys everywhere and cracked dishes and tables that are stained permanently with kids "washable" paint.  So,.....
Hello!  I'm Denise and I'm a craft addict.  You name it and I've done it or have the kit to do it - crosstitch, embroidery, crewel, crochet, knitting, jewelry - wirework, beadweaving and stringing, a little bit of painting, origami, stamping, quilling (yes, even that tedious and time-consuming craft!), cardmaking and a little bit of scrapbooking.  Which craft have I left out?
But on the other hand, I am the person who constantly reads simplicity blogs (ZenHabits, theMinimalist Mom, Becoming Minimalist, SimpleMom, even ZeroWasteHome and more) and books - really you could check out my goodreads list.  I want to not have so much, to reduce the number of craft crates and the burden of so many crafts to do, so little time *** and I'd like to make some room for my husband to get the drumset (sigh) he's wanted for awhile.  
So, I've decided to downsize my crafty projects for 2013 by figuring out what I have and  trying to work on and finish as many as I can - without buying more or extra supplies - so sorry, Michael, Hobby Lobby, Joann.  What, you say?  Try to work on them?  Why not just give them away?  Well, because I bought them for a reason - because I love making things - I love the process and I love the outcome.  Some of the before mentioned crafts had clear intentions - and maybe they can actually go to the rightful owners when they are completed. 
And this starts my journey..........