Happy New Year!

10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1 and it is officially the start of 2015! Happy New Years! The start of a new year always holds so much excitement and anticipation for the coming days, weeks, and months. Even on my hardest years, when I am rather reluctant to celebrate, the new year represents the promise of a better year and a brighter future. Of course life has its ups and downs regardless of the year, but reflecting on the possibilities has a restoring affect on our lives. This is equally true of crafters reflecting on their goals for their future. Last year I shared a video of Threadbanger's resolutions for crafty people and made similar resolutions for myself. And like everyone else I have failed to keep all of my resolutions for myself and for my business. The important thing to remember, regardless of the resolutions you make, is not to set impossible goals for yourself, but to set goals that you can continually work on across years.The resolutions I set for myself last year will continue to be my resolutions for this year, with the addition of a few others, and I will continue to reflect on my goals for myself and my business. 

Last year, in my personal life, I set a resolution of recording daily the blessings in my life. I found this resolution to be helpful for refocusing me daily to the positives in my life and really enjoyed the benefits of this resolution throughout the year. Due to the benefits of this resolution I have decided to make a craft journal this year where I will reflect on the projects throughout the year, my struggles, and my success as a crafter, blogger, and business owner. I hope this will allow me to focus on what I have accomplished rather than what I haven't finished. Last year I set unrealistic goals for myself for my blog and ended up quitting under the influence of overwhelming frustration. This year I am trying to be mindful of my limitations. I am once again a student, working full time as a behavioral technician, while also trying to maintain the business I founded in 2010. There will be days, weeks, or months when I don't feel like I can blog because I am overwhelmed by life and that is ok. This year I am going to remember it is ok if I can't blog regularly and to celebrate when I do. 

Another resolution I plan on keeping this year is the resolution to finish my projects rather than continually starting new projects. I was not very successful at this last year, but I did manage to finish several projects. Red Heart Yarn once posted on Facebook that is helpful to have multiple projects at one time because then you always have a project to fit your mood. However, I have found that these endless projects are taking over my space and my life. So along with limiting the amount of projects I start I am going to work on finishing my current projects. This will cut back on the amount of clutter-related stress I endure while giving me the benefit of feeling accomplished and isn't that the point of resolutions: to feel better about yourself? As my project pile eventually shrinks down I will begin to incorporate a project limit for myself to prevent future project clutter. This doesn't just apply to projects, but craft supplies as well. I don't really need endless supplies of every craft supply imaginable and won't honestly use all of those supplies. This year I will be mindful of the craft supplies I purchase and more willing to part way with extra craft supplies.

My final resolution is to use my crafting abilities to give back to others. Last year I worked on several projects for charities while also volunteering my time, but this year I find myself short on time. I am unable to volunteer in person this year, but will inevitably continue crafting. I am hoping to finish many projects this year and will showcase the projects I finish, along with the charity, on this blog. As I am typing this I am thinking of two projects I would like to start working on: fleece hats for the homeless and tote bags for foster children. Both projects will include other items such as water bottles, hand warmers, and activities for children. I already have many of things I will need to work begin work on these projects. 

2015 is upon us and represents a wonderful opportunity for success in all areas of our lives. I am excited for the possibilities that await. I encourage all of you to leave your own craft resolutions in the comments below or your tips for ensuring your success in keeping those resolutions. 

Resolutions for Creative People

 

10 Resolutions for Creative People

I stumbled across this video after I broke resolution #2, "Finish old projects before starting new projects." :-/ Oh well, there is always next year!

Bernat Softee Chunky Yarn

I don't know about you, but if you're like me you can't pass up a sale on materials, whether it is yarn, paper, or fabric. I went into Michael's today, intending only to buy white onesies for my current Valentine's projects, but ended up walking out with 8 balls of yarn too! I didn't need this yarn or necessarily have any plans for it at the moment I bought it, but each ball was on clearance for $1.99. That was a deal I couldn't pass up.

 

Of course, I immediately started working on a project (a baby blanket) as soon as I got home, forsaking all other projects. The yarn is chunky so the blanket is crocheting up quickly, but I recognize my need for resolution #2. For me, two things frequently prevent me from finishing old projects before starting new projects. When I become inspired I immediately start thinking about the inspiration and what I would do differently, and then I want to get the materials, assuming I don't already have the things I need, and get to work. Second, I often forget what projects I was working on after I have been working on a new project(s) for awhile. These are my setbacks as a designer, but I know there are many other reasons people don't maintain projects until they are completed.

 

Sketch of blanket included in project's binder

However, hopefully whatever these reasons are these solutions will work for everyone. The first solution I have for preventing forgetting current projects is to keep a current project inventory binder or notebook. I personally am organizing my project inventory into a binder because page protectors make excellent pockets for storing patterns, project description, sketches, pictures of inspiration, and a list of materials needed to complete the project. A contents list at the beginning of the binder serves as a quick list for me to see what I have and where to find it within the binder. Hopefully, your binder won't be as thick as mine and you won't have to rely on a contents list. As my binder begins to be completed, I will be sure to post pictures so you can clearly see how I organized my ongoing projects.

 

After your current projects are organized, I suggest you resolve not have more than a set number of projects at one time or not to start any more until half of your current projects are finished. I have always wanted to implement this solution, but never set a number for me to keep, which meant I had no accountability to myself. I am now setting my current project number to 7. Until I am caught up on past projects, this number will not include projects I have not worked on for more than a year. I am using another inventory binder for projects I would like to start in the future, but you could always add a section to your project's binder for future projects. Again, I suggest organizing each project with sketches, pictures, patterns, and a list of supplies needed to complete. Organizing all of these things into a single spot makes it easier for you to start your next project and to identify what you need before you start.

Inspired sketch for future project

Taking the time to sketch out your ideas and then planning the completion of a new project satisfies your need to see it completed without actually starting a new project. I implemented this technique when I was working on the baby blanket shown above and was inspired to create another baby blanket using a similar pattern and yarn. Inspired, I immediately stopped working and pulled out my sketch book, and then began to sketch out my design. After I finished sketching I wrote down on a post it note the supplies I thought I would need. This supplies list will become more professional looking when I finish the current blanket and see if my estimate was correct.

 

Taking the time to organize your projects into a binder or notebook, that can then be stored in a prominent location in your workspace, keeps all of your projects at the front of your mind and everything you need easily accessed when you decide to start a project again. But how do you store the actual projects and the supplies necessary for completion?

Ziploc Storage Bags

My projects are temporarily being stored in bins and boxes as I begin to clear out and organize the dresser these projects will be stored in, along with yarn and fabric. In the dresser, I will ultimately store the projects in a Ziploc gallon storage bag, depending upon the size, along with everything I need to complete the project. I suggest labeling each bag, maybe even including the date started as another way of preventing you from keeping a project for too long, and then storing them away. This is a great solution for storing your current projects, but as I mentioned earlier there are some projects that you haven't touched in over a year. There are many reasons you haven't worked on a project for an extended period of time and that reason will determine how you deal with storing those projects.

 

Some projects are left unfinished because you ran out of supplies, but never bothered to get the supplies needed or maybe those supplies were too expensive. For these projects, you need to determine if you want to spend the money to obtain the necessary supplies and complete the project. If you decided to get the supplies then the new supplies and the project itself should be stored with your other current projects. I suggest setting a deadline for yourself to finish the project, otherwise you may end up with it sitting for another year again. If you do not want to buy the necessary supplies, whether the materials are too exensive or you no longer want to complete the project, I suggest taking the project apart, dismantling each material, and then adding the usable materials to your current unused supplies.

 

Other projects are left untouched because you ran out of supplies and then the supplies were discontinued by the manufacturer. This reason is a good example of why you buy all of the supplies you need to complete a project in the first place, but I understand this is not always possible and I have found myself in this same situation before. There are really only two options available to you at this point. You could search for the discontinued materials online and might get lucky or, unfortunately, you have to dismantle the project and find a new use for those discontinued materials.

 

As I said earlier, I have been there, and I currently have left that project unfinished. At the time I bought the yarn, I didn't have any project in mind, and when I did, the yarn was discontinued. I did look online and even in stores for the discontinued yarn, but was unsuccessful in finding the yarn I needed. However, I did have enough yarn to reconstruct the exsisting blanket into a lapghan, but never had the heart to unwind all of my hard work. While I wouldn't encourage anyone to just leave their project in this state, it may actually have worked in my favor because the company ended up introducing a similar yarn. I haven't brought my project, or a small sample of my yarn, into a craft store to confirm the match, but the appearance is similar. If the yarn is a match, then I fortunately have a third option available to me. However, this is very rare.

 

Finally, at least as far as my experience goes, there are projects that you have left unfinished, not because you don't want to finish them, but because you have simply forgotten about them. These projects are the main reason behind the current project binder inventory. If you have these projects, and still want them finished, then I suggest you add them to your inventory binder or notebook, along with a date for when you want this project finished. Again, the date is not a deadline so much as a means of keeping you accountable to yourself, and preventing a pile of unfinished projects.

 

In an upcoming post I will be showing pictures of my binder inventory system, hopefully my project storage, and how I organize my craft bag. For pictures of my completed projects be sure to check out my Facebook page BooBear Designs. In the next few weeks fans of my Facebook page will be eligible to win a free pattern.

 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Ok, I know it is 8 days into the new year, but nevertheless I am excited do the new year! A new year of new crafting goals and challenges. This year represents new beginnings for BooBear Designs, mainly the addition of this blog and the expansion of online sales. This year I am selling almost exclusively through Etsy and I'm excited for the expansion of my clientele.  Besides the business, BooBear Designs has crafting goals for each month, free patterns, and ideas for how to manage all things crafting.

Here I am rambling on about my goals for this year and it occurs to me that some of you reading this blog are new to BooBear Designs. BooBear Designs is my design company that I established officially in 2010. Originally, I was only selling hand knit items, but since 2010 I have expanded to include hand crocheted items, original patterns, and even the occasional hand sewn item. I am really excited about all of the new projects I have created and even more excited about helping other people realize their own crafting goals through this blog.

Currently, I am working on several projects including a knit afghan, a crochet Green Bay Packers beanie, and an adorable  newborn's Valentines outfit. I will be posting pictures of all of these projects in upcoming posts along with Valentine accessories and decor. 

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