A Year in Preview

Happy January 2016 and welcome to my first published novella!

So many of you are doing magnificent year-in-review posts with your favorite cards from 2015 providing us with so much inspiration. THANK YOU!!

But instead of doing that, I am writing this Year in Preview. Truly, it could bore you to sobbing. I am feeling the need to put my thoughts into the cyber air for my own benefit and I understand if you choose to skip it.

This is going to be a new year's resolution thesis with lots of waffling and reflection. I don't know where it's going to lead because I'm going to ruminate as I go. That means I'm going to both think deeply and chew my cud, according to Webster. If you are curious and want to stay and read along, you might want to grab a drinkie-poo and something for your own cud to chew along.

But first, for those of you who aren't interested in either rum or ruminating, I have a card to share and then you can be on your way. Here tis:

This is another thank you card and another shaker card I made using the Fuse Tool. This one was made using my NBUS (never-before-used schtuff) kite shaker die from Simon Says Stamp. The sediment is from PTI.

(You should be able to "page down" to skip to the end to comment.)

Challenges

• Inkspirational: A Thank You With Something New.
• Paru's Card Making Challenge: NEW.  [A brand-new challenge in Blogland! Check it out!] 
• Sweet Stampin': Something New (stash or event).

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So, okay then.

Reflection

Murals Your Way

I don't know about you, but when I take down all the Christmas foofarah, I want to keep going and do a cleaning and purging of the whole house. I mean all the way to the back of the linen cabinet and into those nasty lower corner kitchen cupboards that I'm getting too old and too large to worm into.

As I've mentioned recently, this past year has reminded me again and again of how short life can be. I don't want to get morbid about it, but time marche whooshes by. Even if I'm lucky and able to keep making cards for a number of years, it's still a finite number of years.

I also do a CPR (Clean/Purge/Reorganization) of the Playhouse at least once a year when the urge to purge strikes. You'd think that would work, but it's the kind of CPR where I basically recycle or give away a tiny bit of my crap, er, craft schtuff and then just rearrange the majority of it to the point where I can't find anything. Thank you, yes, I can see that most of you are nodding your heads in kinship.

Advanced CPR

Well, I'm calling quits with that version of CPR this year. Instead, I'm going to upgrade to the advanced version and stop the practice of simply resnuffling. As I open my cubbies, cabinets, and cupboards, I am going to perform advanced CPR and get the heck caught up around here. I'm just starting the process and already I've looked at some things with a quizzical "Why?" hanging in a thought balloon over my head.

The List

Since I like lists, I made this one to pull all the hamsters into focus. The plan is to:

1. Go back to serious excavating of Mt. NBUS,
2. Give lots of schtuff away,
3. Catch up with my follower friends,
4. Finish those Online Classes,
5. Work on those Unfinished Cards,
6. Learn the techniques in my "must DO" folder, and
7. Make more DJKASEs.

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1. Go back to serious excavating of Mt. NBUS.

I did well this year with limiting my new purchases so Mt. NBUS is not too much higher, but it sure doesn't seem to be getting much lower! Sometimes a new cute thing will come along and, by golly, I want it, but it's getting harder and harder to justify it. So I'm going to be using my existing NBUS schtuff with every single post. She says, fingers crossed.

2. Give lots of schtuff away.

In order for this to work, the theory of "One Woman's Trash is Another Woman's Treasure" must prevail. I'm pretty sure this theory is still in practice if my own purchasing of other crafters "mystery boxes" is any indication!   

The question that Hammy and I have been struggling with and rolling around the wheel the last few weeks is how to handle the logistics of giving schtuff away. We think we have come up with a way, but if it doesn't work, we'll close it down and think of something else. 

To implement this process, you'll see a tab at the top of my blog called "Giveaways." I will take a picture of the item(s) and keep the item(s) up for ten days. 

If you are interested in the item, you need to leave a comment on the Giveaways page with the name of the item (maybe an item #, I'm not sure yet) and your email address so that I have a way to contact you for your address. 

I plan to put up nice schtuff since I like to think my schtuff is mostly nice and something someone may like. We'll play it by ear. For instance, I was wondering what you think of this. You know how you buy a set of clear stamps and they come on a sheet and usually have 5-10 stamps? Well, at my age, I don't need a lot of the "extras" on the sheet; often I only want ONE of the images. So I may put sheets of stamps up with one missing because it seems a waste to me to have them sitting unused in my drawer when someone, particularly someone new to stamping, may be delighted to have them.  

And, after all, it's not like I'm going to be selling things. It'll be free. I'll even pay to send it anywhere in the world that you are. 

On the 11th day, I will remove the item(s) and have the hamsters choose the winner(s) if anyone commented. If no one wanted it, I will donate it to a charity or school.

Also on the 11th day new item(s) may be added. I say "may" because if I'm too busy doing other things or on holiday, there will be times when there are no items for giveaway on the page.  

How does that sound? Please share if you see any glaring problems with this idea. Once I streamline everything, I will put all of the conditions on the Giveaways page when I'm ready to go.

3. Catch up with my follower friends.

I feel like I have definitely lost touch with a lot of you and I've been just a so-so bloggie friend to the rest of you for the last several months. Everyone has been very understanding, but I have missed that part of my whole blogging experience and I'm going to try and figure out a routine that encompasses dedicated time for visiting and commenting.

4. Finish those Online Classes

I have paid for two three online classes that haven't been finished. They are all about watercoloring which I love and want to do more often. Lord knows I have all the supplies!

5. Work on those Unfinished Cards and Bits and Pieces.

You see all the containers in that picture? All these things were part of last new year's reorganization, if not year(s) before. A whole year (at least) has gone by and I haven't touched any of it. I can't stand it. 

Old templates, special items, gizmos, napkins, and half-finished cards, patiently waiting. They needn't wait any longer! They have been more than patient. If they can't be finished for one reason or nother, they will be recycled. They are not going back into captivity.

6. / 7. Learn the techniques in my "Must DO" folder and make more DJKASEs.

We've talked about this before. How we'll never have enough time in our lives to do all the new techniques and CASEing and PINS we want to do, no matter how young we are! But I hope I can finally do some of those that really speak to me. I put these two items together since so often a technique that I want to learn has been posted by some fabulous card artist and explained via a card. Hence I should be able to learn and DJKASE at the same time.

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Well, to bring this full circle, how's that for cutting off more than I can chew?! Perhaps. But I know one thing for sure, I need to apply advanced CPR and I'm hoping by putting this all down in writing and sharing it with you, I will be more accountable for following through.

Are you starting your new year with CPR plans, too?

My Posts

I'm not sure how my resolutions will affect my posting. I may be posting less frequently as I quietly work away on my goals and/or discover that a lot of what I'm doing is not post-worthy. Or I may post more often with less words (ha!) and more cards.  I'm not sure how my efforts at self-discipline will impact my playing in challenges, but time will tell.

Hopefully, getting a handle on my mess and catching up on my classes and techniques and unfinished cards will not take too long once I put my butt in the saddle. Life, of course, is the one in charge, so we'll see if karma likes my plan and let's me get on with it.

If all goes well, I will be decluttered and caught up with all of you soon. Being less overwhelmed means I should also be able to get back to a bit of story-telling now and then and I'll be ready to take on NBUS Challenge #6 in March. WooWho!!

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Thank you if you're still here! Nothing like reading someone else's stream of unconsciousness! Mwah! You're just the BESTest friends!!

Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy! LITS!*

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower! Please let me know you came by, so I can be sure and return the flavor.

*Life is too short!

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