Scrapbooking Update, January

While I tend to share more of my sewing antics around here, my other passion is scrapbooking. This tends to be a more personal endeavor as it's very much something I do for my family, but I thought I'd share a little of what I've been up to.

My work space is a large table that is used for either scrapping or sewing. Meaning I have to pack everything away from one craft before I start on the other. Therefore, I tend to either be 100% into the scrapbooking or 100% into the quilting, which happens to suit my Crafty ADHD perfectly. Plus I suspect it's more psychological than just the physical space issue, I'm mentally incapable of shifting from one craft to another. Does anyone else find that?

The first couple of weeks were spent on some heavy duty scrapbooking. I am pleased that I completed 30 layouts, some of them multiple pages. I am well aware that my style is very quick and simple and I'm not obsessed with the latest products (mostly), and this suits me fine. Quick means more happens.

I spent a lot of time getting the last of my photos from 2013 sorted and printed, and I spent hours going through my albums and making sure that my lists of what's in each album is actually there (yes, I'm THAT anal). I have started to scan my albums to pdf, my husband has an A3 scanner at his office and it's easy peasy. I should have done it years ago.

Last year was a very good scrapbooking year for me, with over 200 layouts completed. I got the kids albums mostly up to date and made progress on the family albums. This year I'm on track to make more progress with the family albums - this month I finished 2007 and most of 2008 (yes, I am aware it's 2014, at least I'm getting somewhere).

I'm really happy with the progress I've made so far, even though I have shifted to quilting in the second half of the month.

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Contemplating the New Year

I've spent a lot of the last couple of weeks contemplating the creative direction I want to take in 2013, where I see myself headed, what I want to achieve. I have been reading books about creativity and creative people, I have been taking stock of the contents of my craft room.

And I have concluded that 2013 should be a year of completion and consolidation. This is the year I want to complete quilts that have been sitting around way too long, finish the scrapbooking albums I am way behind on, take stock of the craft supplies I own and buy almost nothing else.

When I talk about WIPs and UFOs, I am talking about 30 of them. There, I said it out loud, in public. I'm not sure quite how the list got so long, but I absolutely need to rectify this. Some of these projects need a fair bit of work, others are close to finished. For this reason, I am ignoring all the new BOMs and sewalongs and challenges that are merrily happening in the blogosphere to people who don't have 30 WIPs.

This, by the way, doesn't include a few small projects and a big basket of mending and refashioning. Gotta get to that too.

On the bright side, I have finished my two bee/swap block commitments for January already. I've packed my machine away and I'm about to send her off for a much needed service.

And for the first time in many months, I have pulled out the paper and photos again and started scrapbooking again. It is a little daunting how much there is to do in this department, especially as I haven't printed a single photo or organised a single bit of memorabilia for the last two years. I am determined to focus on this task and make serious headway on my albums. Happily in the last three days I've completed about 15 pages, which is just about all I did in the whole of last year (which was a bad year for scrapbooking!).

One thing I really want to do this year is Project Life, or at least my version of it. I am using the materials I have on hand, as well as plenty of free printables. While it sounds like a bit lot of extra work, I am so excited about starting this project. It's inspired me to start scrapbooking again, and it's making me take more pictures of our everyday life. As the kids get older and stop doing those incredibly cute things they do as little ones, it's easy to get lazy with taking photos. This week I've made an effort to get behind the lens more and record. The Mamarazzi is back, kids!

So that's where I'm headed in 2013. More finishing, less starting, more taking check of what I have and what needs doing. It's not going to be the most exciting year and sometimes I imagine it will be hard, especially when the lure of the new calls. But I am determined, confident and motivated. Wish me luck!

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Sunday Super Stash

It should be known that I haven't written a Sunday Stash post in 7 weeks. And that I fully acknowledge that I'm a total craft addict who spends pretty much all my discretionary spending on craft supplies. 

So with that information in hand, these are my recent purchases. The list just kept getting longer and longer as I kept remembering things. If they stop making craft supplies tomorrow, I should be good for a while.

Warning: you may want to get a snack before you continue.

I went to a conference for work which had lots of great natural play supplies. I couldn't go past these colour pencils for my kiddos.

I have wanted pearl cottons for the longest time but they are pricey locally - ebay to the rescue! I plan to get a bunch of these in solid colours too.

I am on a fabric destashing page but sometimes other craft supplies sneak in. I totally scored with this baby for $50. I have since spent more than that on additional supplies, but you get that. This will revolutionise my much neglected scrapbooking.

Got a great deal on these at Spotlight - on sale plus $10 off coupon. Again for scrapbooking, and the girls. Girls love glitter.

Another little treat for the girls from the wonders of online shopping - no way could I find these cute little Japanese cartoon tapes locally. And they were only 13c a roll, so the kids can stick them anywhere and I don't care. It was a bulk lot, this is just a sampling. They are freaking adorable.

Again for the scrapbooking - some bargain washi tape bought online. It was a bulk lot but my friend bought the doubles off me. For about 1/5 the price you can get it locally, I'm a happy girl.

I went splits in an order from Fabric Shack with Kristy and Marieka - great way to cut down on postage. I filled out my Domestic Bliss collection... major, major love.

Alyce was doing a little destash so I bought some Washi FQs from her, since I missed this range when it first came out.

Also in my Fabric Shack order, some Good Morning hexies. Is this not a wonderful blender?

Between Spotlight having 30% off on fabric and another destash page purchase, I have lots of new backing fabrics. Two for planned quilts, the others just because.

Along with the backing fabric above, I bought a scrap bag off the destash page. Seriously, some people's definition of scraps is very generous! There are some fabulous bits in here, and I only had a couple of the prints.

I am part of a paper piecing bee called Wombat Stew - you may have seen the beautiful house blocks that have been made for me lately. I PROMISE to do a show and tell very very soon. 

But my beautiful bee buddies also popped in scraps - again with the very loose definition of scrap here - don't they have incredible taste. I love these fabrics!

I feel like I can call myself a real quilter now, because when Spotlight had 40% off fabric, I picked up 2 2/3 bolts of homespun. I had to wait for it to come in, but it's totally worth it having neutrals on hand. 

Last but not least, glitter glue for me and the girls - discounted from $7 to $2 a bottle at Spotlight. Love a sparkly bargain.

And that is the end of today's confessional.... linking up with Fiona's Sunday Stash and hoping you are enjoying lots of crafty indulgences in your life.

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