What do you want to accomplish creatively in 2013?

[swldebbie]

Maybe you do resolutions, maybe you make a wish list, or maybe you have a very specific goal for 2013 in terms of the creative part of your life?

For me, the following are things I'd really like to do creatively this year:

1. Participate in 2 CAS-oriented challenges each month.
I've been doing more CAS cards of late, but they still don't come easy
to me, so I'm looking to get more comfortable with this style so it
doesn't take me forever to finish a card.

2. Make more thank you cards and find reasons to give/send them. In
2013, I want to be more mindful of people in my everyday life who
deserve a thank you for the little things they do.

3. Fill my stash with everyday cards. I never seem to have sympathy,
get well, or thinking of you type cards at the ready when I need
them. So I'd like to focus on those types of cards so that I'm not
rushing around trying to get a card made when I need one.

4. Keep what I love and use; purge/donate what I don't. My stamp
room has way to many things in it that haven't been used in years
and likely won't be. And that excess stuff is taking up space I could
be using for the things I do use a lot.

[JanaM]

I would be happy if I could get my 2013 Christmas cards early enough to not be "panic crafting" like I am right now!

[swldebbie]

Jana, I highly recommend you join the CCC13 challenge. I did that this year. I missed a month every now and again, but then would catch up. My Thanksgiving break was so much less stressful this year with only needing to get my November batch finished.

[buttons2]

I just want to get my momentum back. It's been so hectic in my life the last several months I've lost interest in stamping. Thankfully, I had a stash of cards I could use. I hope to get back to getting some cards made in 2013.

Wada

[binkiemonstermom]

I will be building my Stampin' Up business more and holding more classes and workshops. I have enjoyed it so much and look forward to being even more involved. My goal is to get three downlines this year. I have one joining in Jan/Feb so one down!!!!

My personal creative goal is to learn how to sew on my cards and layouts!!!!!! This is huge for me!!! I can handstitch anything but I want to sew it with a sewing machine....and since I know NOTHING about sewing....this ought to be interesting!!!! LOL!!!

[NYstamper]

I have goals both creative and non creative, but have decided the non creative have to come first in order to enjoy the creative and accomplish the creative goals.

The non creative goals are to finish unmounting my wood stamps and get them into the organization I have finally decided on. Then it is on to combining my clear mount sets. The final organization is to finish purging, which I have already made a huge dent in. Basically I want my room cleaned and organized, and I am sure my DH does too since it is right off of the living room!
My creative goals are to finish my online classes that I have signed up for and started, and to redo the creative chemistry class also.
My second goal is to be ahead of the game on my cards and to actually make Christmas cards to send out next year!
My third goal is to get back into trying new techniques and honestly, using my stuff! I love seeing all of the new stuff and like most of us, getting the new stuff, but I need to use up what I have.
I know there is more on my list but I will leave it for now because I know the organizing part will be time consuming, but I am tired of trying to do things and bring on the middle of an organizing project too. It gets too hard to juggle.

[PedalPower]

I want to consistently be on 1-2 design teams.

I hope to finish my Europe 2011 scrapbook. It's been sitting idle for too long.

I'd like to complete more scrapbook pages and make the same amount of cards. I'm not sure how that's going to happen, but I miss scrapbooking and would like to return to my roots.

[swldebbie]

Wada -- yes, that is the pits, especially when the mojo goes missing for a longer period of time. When my mom passed away a few years ago, it took me almost a year to get back my stamping mojo. I did make some cards in that time, but when Christmas rolled around, I sent bought cards to all but those I knew keep the cards I give them. I really started to fear that it wasn't going to come back. But I just tried to push myself a little bit, and go with the flow of where I was at a lot and it all came back to me. Here's hoping Santa leaves some stamping mojo under your tree for next year.

[swldebbie]

Michelle, good luck in growing your SU business next year. That sounds like a great goal. And knowing you are 1/3 of the way to your download goal already is a great motivator.

I got one of those Janome sewing machines earlier this year. It's out of the box, but hasn't been used yet. I, too, would love to master the card sewing thing. I really need to at least give it a try in 2013.

[swldebbie]

NYStamper, I hear you! I should attack some of my non-creative goals first as well, but I'm not thinking I have that much patience. Soooooooooooooooo, I'm hoping that each week or month, I basically pick one from column A and one from column B -- attacking the purging while still doing the creative things. Ultimately, I'd like to get someone to come in and help me re-organize my stamp room, but would prefer to wait on that until I downsize the amount of stuff I have.

Good luck with your goals.

[swldebbie]

Sonya, I love your goals. I've never been on, or tried out for, any design teams, but I understand that they are great for expanding your skills and making new inky friends. Good luck with that! Let us know which ones you try out for and those you get selected for!

We'll also look for some postings of your fabulous European vacation scrapbook pages next year.

[DianeinSparks]

1.I want to organize my craft room so that I have more than 8 inches on my desk to actually work on! 2. I need to start putting things away when I finish a project. 3. To finish one project before I start several others. 4. To make holiday and birthday cards way ahead of time; my nieces, nephews and great nieces & nephews almost all have birthdays from Sept to Dec and I need to make their cards early in the year so I have time to finish my Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas cards.

[swldebbie]

DianeinSparks, very good goals! By the time I was doing the last of my Christmas cards, I think I was working in that 8" space you refer to. I cleaned off the desk on Monday and it now looks sooooooooooooo inviting. Of course, it will be that way again as soon as I have to make more than 1 card. LOL! Sounds like you have the start of a good plan. I suggest you try to make 1-2 of those birthday cards in January so really pump up your enthusiasm for getting them done early. Good luck!

[Kate Stamps]

I need to keep "more usable" cards on hand. I seem to have lots of cards, but not the right ones. I like to make more elaborate cards and need more of those that are all the way ready to send. I want to actually send more of my cards out to my friends. Other than that.... I'm pretty happy with my hobby or art or pastime... whatever one wants to call it.

[swldebbie]

Kate, for me I call it my addiction. LOL! Glad to hear you are pretty happy with where you are at with your stamping. Hope you can find your way to matching the cards you make to the people you want to send them to. I tried to look at your gallery, but wasn't seeming to get there. Do you have cards that you've posted? I'd love to check them out.

[cr8iveme]

1. I'd like to get passed January. I have to take my mom to her oncologist to see how she's doing. This year she had cervical cancer and is currently in remission. And I hope she gets a clean bill of health.
2. I'd like to get my craft room finished up. Basically I need DH to build me a unit for my embellishments that I keep in IKEA jars and to hang some things up for me.
3. Start teaching stamp-a-stack classes.
4. Get MY baby album done.
5. Have my cards organized better. I currently have some organized by category and then I have a IKEA box filled with a hodge podge of cards.
6. Hope to get on an additional design team.

And then I'll see what happens next

[StickUps]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cr8iveme

1. I'd like to get passed January. I have to take my mom to her oncologist to see how she's doing. This year she had cervical cancer and is currently in remission. And I hope she gets a clean bill of health.
2. I'd like to get my craft room finished up. Basically I need DH to build me a unit for my embellishments that I keep in IKEA jars and to hang some things up for me.
3. Start teaching stamp-a-stack classes.
4. Get MY baby album done.
5. Have my cards organized better. I currently have some organized by category and then I have a IKEA box filled with a hodge podge of cards.
6. Hope to get on an additional design team.

And then I'll see what happens next

Oh my . . . I hope you Mom is doing better.

What a great thread. If we write it down here, we'll be more accountable and actually get it done, right? Okay . . . here goes.

Purge, purge and more purge. I'd really like to sell a bunch of stuff, but I'm too lazy. Gonna have to figure that one out.

I'm not going to set a goal to get published because, well, no matter how many times I might apply, it's out of my control whether I get selected. But, since I haven't even tried before, I think that would be a good goal for me - to at least send a few projects for consideration.

I need to improve my photography - that's an ongoing goal.

And, I think lastly, for now at least, I need to improve my Copic coloring skills.

That is all . . . shew, feels like a lot.

[lylacfey]

cr8iveme- Wishing your Mom the best of health.

-Finish my sketch line for my new consignment.
-Create at least one customize doll this year.
-Start working with resin.
-Learn more polymer clay techniques
-Start getting back into my jewelry making. I use to make all my own pieces.
-Make more drawings for my portfolio.

[russnzella]

Great thread! And reading through the posts really got me to thinking and adding to my goals for 2013....and yes, they are goals. I refuse to call them "resolutions" because if I do - I never stick to them! UGH!!!

1. I love the idea of making more thank you cards and finding ways to use them. I must admit that it really bothers me that people don't send thank you cards much anymore even for things they should - much less for things that are more everyday. I want to go outside of the box this year and find those little reasons to say Thank You.

2. USE WHAT I HAVE. Yes, all caps...because it's a huge thing for me. LOL!!! I started this last year - trying to use more of what I have instead of going out and buying more stuff that I really don't need. I look around my craft shelve and stamps and it's truly obscene how much I have that I don't use. So this year is all about using the stash and the stamps that I already have. I confess I have many stamps that are just sitting there and have never seen ink. No more of that. If I don't use it this year - then I guess I really don't need it after all.

3. Start a blog. Yep - I'm going to venture into the world of blogging and start participating in challenges. I'm super excited about this one. I've started working on a blog but haven't published it yet. Hopefully by the 1st of the year.

4. Going through the sketches. I have so many sketches that again - I've never done anything with them so this year is time to dig out my sketch notebook and start at the beginning. Not sure how far I will get in a year, but at least I'll have a starting point.

5. Lastly, my card stash....some of you have already talked about organizing your cards and filling your stash. My goal is for both....and to have some silly cards for those "holidays" that no one celebrates like National Ice Cream Day or something like that....just something fun.

6. Ok, this is the last one - LOL!! Inside of cards.....putting something there. I usually don't - but I like having something on the inside - some words or another image....just something.

[swldebbie]

Mary, prayers that Mom will indeed get her clean bill of health. I'm sure you would take that over all the other goal combined.

I love IKEA! I have been eyeing a cubbie type unit from there for awhile. You will have to post pics when you have your room completed.

Good luck on the design team search and your other goals.

[Soozie4Him]

Great thread! I'd love to hold my much-loved Stamp Camps for my customers once a month, or at least every 6 weeks.

I've been an SU demo for 8 years and I don't get rid of ANYTHING, so I really need to get my stamp sets organized so I can lay my hands on them when I need them. Maybe an index of what I've got. I also would like to pull out some of the great sentiments from mainly image stamp sets, and make, for example, a couple of stamp boxes with "Thanks" sentiments, a couple more of "Birthday" sentiments. Organization is much needed!

I bought myself an art journal and I stamped "My First Art Journal" on the first page in various colors and alphabet stamps. Now I need to put something else in it. I got some gelatos and some distress inks and some Claudine Hellmuth studio paints, and plan to use my watercolor crayons and some of my other stuff, and start playing!!

I want to SEND more of my cards! I've never been a card-sender, I started making cards strictly for the fun of it. Of course I send out Christmas cards (mostly one or two of a kind since I hate mass production of a single design!), but other than that, I don't send out many. So I want to do more of that.

I started making/sending cards to Operation Write Home. What a WONDERFUL organization! I have so many sample cards and my customers have seen them all many many times (they love looking through my binders full of cards). I decided that it was time for them to get USED, so in November, I sent Operation Write Home 197 cards and it was the best feeling, knowing that the troops would be using them to send to their loved ones at home. If you aren't familiar with Operation Write Home, here's the link to their blog. Founder and President of OWH does a LIVE 30-minute show on You Tube every Thursday night at 6:30pm Pacific Time. If you don't catch it live, you can watch it later. This is how I found OWH, through their videos. I love watching people stamp on You Tube...

Operation Write Home: Helping heroes keep in touch with home

Operation Write Home - YouTube

Right now OWH is collecting Valentines (and they always need general cards of all kinds), so if you have time to send some off before the end of December, check it out! Any kind of glitter is forbidden since it can show up on our troops' uniforms.

I would also like to do more creating using my retired stuff. Recently, my youngest daughter (she's grown) asked if I had any low-cost ideas of something she could give her 8-year-old girls that she leads in our church's Awana program for Christmas. I covered composition books with retired DSP and die-cut their initial out of chipboard covered with DSP, and the girls (and their moms!) LOVED them!! My DD sent me a picture of the girls happily holding their journals. So I want to do more projects like this.

That's a good start. :-)

[jkaymac]

This a great thread. I want to start photographing my cards and placing them in the gallery here. The first quarter of the year is really busy at work, so it will be April before I start that one.

And I want to finish my online classes that I'm taking from Kerri Bradford. I want to master my Cameo.

[swldebbie]

Linda, I know what you mean about selling them. It can be a hassle. I used to do on eBay, but they really aren't all that great for the small seller anymore. I'm leery about craigslist -- too much bad press. I have sold some here on SCS B-S-T, but last batch had no takers. So I think I need to go the donate route -- either Goodwill/Salvation Army or maybe to a retirement village for their craft room.

I'm very interested in what you discover for photography as I struggle with that as well. On a perfect weather day in the mid afternoon I can get great pics, but otherwise, it is hit or miss -- even with Ott lights and mini spots. The greens and yellows are particularly challenging for me.

Definitely make it a goal to do your submissions. Kind of like the lottery - results are out of your control, but you have to play to win.

In your Copic coloring skills quest, I know that Debbie Olson often does tutorials on her blog entries. And, if you are on Pinterest, I've come across some good cheat sheets there as well. I think my biggest obstacle right now is that I need more colors. In some families, I have what I need to get good shading and then in others there is just too much of a gap.

Good luck!

[swldebbie]

DeeAnn -- wow! sounds like you are going to have a busy year. But it also sounds like a great one! TFS.

[swldebbie]

Zella,
I got the thank you note thing in my head because this past month I had 2 people provide me with great customer service in unexpected places. One was the guy at my local coffee shop who spotted me $1 for a cup of tea when I found I had forgotten to transfer my wallet to my backpack and only had $1 on me. He had no way to know if I'd really bring him the rest of the money later that afternoon, but he did it anyway. The other was in, of all places, Walmart, where a young man working there downloaded a QR bar code reader to his cell phone to help me match lamp bases and shades since I still have a dumb phone and they had no in-store signage with the info I needed. I wrote letters to the managers at both places commending these young men. And so it got me thinking that there are likely other times I should be recognizing people I encounter in my day.

I couldn't have said the USE WHAT I HAVE item any better. I'm in the same boat. I am definitely going ono a craft spending diet for the month of January, spending only on a replacement paper cutter (to be bought with a coupon) and any consumables I may run out of. Otherwise, no new spending. I hope to have at least one month a quarter that I do this. But more importantly, that I don't go hogwild in the intervening months -- NO YO-YO SPENDING!!!!

Post your blog URL when it is up and running so that we can check it out and give you some love!

What a great idea about silly cards for holidays. (FYI -- Lisa Lara has a cute "Scoops" digi set available at Clear Dollar Stamps that would be great for National Ice Cream Day. And, since it's a digi -- no physical space required to store.

Finally, for your card insides -- what I do is I cut regular copy paper just slightly smaller than my card -- say 4" X 10.5" for a tent card -- and then I stamp my sentiment on that. I use a glue stick across the top of the top half and adhere to the back of my card front. This way, I don't spend lots of time on my card, only to mess it up on the inside. Plus, I think it looks more like the fancy schmancy cards you get in the store with the separate sheet for the sentiment.

[swldebbie]

Susan, I have no doubt your customers will be very supportive of more stamp camps. I know they are a lot of work, so maybe you can encourage some of your customers to make a project for a given month's stamp camp. They get to be the star for a day, and you have a little less work getting ready.

OWH is a great organization. I've sent some cards to the troop through our church's "Adopt a Chaplain" program and agree that it feels good to know your cards are going to such worthy recipients and will allow them to share with their loved ones.

I really like your idea about the sentiments. If you aren't planning to sell your sets, this will make it so much easier to find the sentiment you are looking for. But, just in case, maybe stamp each sentiment and note which set it came from, in case you decide to sell and need complete sets.

[swldebbie]

jkaymac -- sounds like you might be an accountant as I know their Q1 is crazy.

We look forward to seeing what you post in your gallery.

[hdp]

In 2012 I challenged myself to send every member of my extended family a birthday card. The last of the December birthday cards will be going in the mail this weekend. 2012 challenge accomplished.

In 2013 I am challenging myself to have at least five cards pre-made for different events (sympathy, get well, thinking of you, birthday, etc.). I know I would send more cards if I could just grab a completed card and put it in the mail. I also plan to make my Christmas cards throughout the year so I am not stressing in December. (I haven�t started my cards for this year yet!)

I am enjoying reading everyone�s 2013 goals.

Hazel

[swldebbie]

Hazel, congratulations on meeting your 2012 challenge!

I think I once had about 6 sympathy cards in my stash and then an extended family member passed and he had 6 siblings remaining, so that wiped me out in one fell swoop. I've never caught back up since. But it is a most excellent goal!

CCC13 is a great challenge to help you with the Christmas cards. It can't make you do the work involved, but I think it does help to motivate you to get at least some done before the last minute. Particularly when you are watching the galleries and seeing the neat stuff everybody else is making. I highly recommend it.

[raquelita_uno]

1. Clean my stamp room/children's toy room and finish painting the walls.

2. Host friends for a crafting night several times this year (I'm a former demonstrator...I don't miss selling products but I miss teaching and sharing ideas).

3. Attempt some challenges on the Board.

[russnzella]

I'd love to hear more about the "Adopt a Chaplain" program through OWH.

[swldebbie]

The Adopt a Chaplain program is associated with churches. A church adopts a chaplain and sends packages, letters, etc. to the chaplain to share with his/her troops. Sometimes the chaplain will make special requests for items needed, but other times, the congregation sends whatever. Since I live out of state from my home congregation, I am able to participate in this by sending my own boxes over. I get to help and stay connected to my home church.

Quote:

Originally Posted by russnzella

I'd love to hear more about the "Adopt a Chaplain" program through OWH.

[swldebbie]

Rachel -- love your quote about the $200 card. Ha!

I think hosting crafting nights for your friends is a great idea. I know when I attend such things at my friend's house it is great because I made something cute and don't have to think about the design, papers, colors, layout, etc. It is just total relaxation and conversation.

[Cartermrc]

My creative plan for 2013 has nothing to do with crafting: I want to get new living room furniture and paint, etc. I'm completely inexperienced at decorating, my folks hardly changed anything for 37 years, and DH thinks everything we own that's old and shabby (most of it is just that) is perfectly fine to keep using as long as it's not dissolved into a pile of dust.

[Oddesigns]

I've been thinking about this one for a while. 2012 didn't go as well as planned. I had hoped to continue to send birthday cards, send some cards for holidays other than Christmas, and start making "just because" cards. I barely managed to keep up with birthdays and was late on my monthly Christmas cards often.

I'd like to:

1) Get ahead on birthdays so it's not so much of a last minute emergency.

2) Keep up with my Christmas Card Challenge cards. I was a little late on these more often this year than not.

3) Start "playing". I'd like to sit down and make cards for alternate holidays. I'd like to sit down with a stamp or set I've barely touched and just play. I'd like to have a stockpile of sympathy, get well, and thinking of you cards so I can always be ready.

I think I need to work card making into my weekly schedule. Like this: Mon: Groceries & Errands, Tues: Clean Bathroom, Wed: Bills & Paperwork, Thurs: Clean Kitchen, Fri: MAKE CARDS!!!, Sat: Deep clean 1 room, Sun: Laundry & Prep for the next week.

I don't see how I'm ever going to get ahead when I never plan ahead.

Other possibilities:

Finally sit down with owner of a local store to see if she wants to carry my cards in her store. (This means I need a good plan and stockpile).

Leave Stampin' Up and try to make a go with A Muse Studio. I have a possible "in" with my father's senior community craft group, which might actually make me some money. But I don't know if I want to go that direction at all.

[swldebbie]

Cindy, I am in the middle of updating my bedroom and master bath and am really enjoying the new look. Go for it! Hope your DH likes how it turns out as much as you will.

[swldebbie]

Sue, you may not have had the year you planned in 2012, and those cards may have been late in terms of the monthly plan, but you did get some done before the last minute. So you are in good shape to do a little better this year. For me, that is really what it is all about -- doing a little better in areas that are meaningful to me. This is why I have been resolution free for several years. They are too broad and often times we act like if you say it, it will magically happen. You are right - takes planning. So now I pick a few key areas I want to focus on for the year and then I make a plan -- I decide where I want to be with that goal by the end of the year. Then I try to come up with 3 or 4 key milestones I need to meet to reach that goal and assign dates. Finally, I plan something I am going to do IN JANUARY to get started and move me forward. This approach has really worked well for me. Some years better than others, but always better when I did the resolution thing.

Good luck in your decision for/against going to A Muse. Decide what you did and did not like about your SU experience and let that guide you to the decision that is right for you.

[raquelita_uno]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cartermrc

My creative plan for 2013 has nothing to do with crafting: I want to get new living room furniture and paint, etc. I'm completely inexperienced at decorating, my folks hardly changed anything for 37 years, and DH thinks everything we own that's old and shabby (most of it is just that) is perfectly fine to keep using as long as it's not dissolved into a pile of dust.

I LOVE decorating and think I have single handedly kept the local hardware store/lumber yard in business with the gallons of paint I've purchased to paint two houses inside and out! I, too, have a bit of painting to do this spring. My craftroom/kids' toy room is still wood paneling and I removed a built-in shelf and can't match the paint in my living room to patch the wall. I'm feeling an accent wall in dusty navy or rust. About the old stuff turning to dust....we pulled up the "vintage" carpet in our daughters' rooms and the carpet bad was nonexistent. Pure dust!

Have fun and take some chances. It's just paint and can always be changed!

[Oddesigns]

Quote:

Originally Posted by swldebbie

Sue, you may not have had the year you planned in 2012, and those cards may have been late in terms of the monthly plan, but you did get some done before the last minute. So you are in good shape to do a little better this year. For me, that is really what it is all about -- doing a little better in areas that are meaningful to me. This is why I have been resolution free for several years. They are too broad and often times we act like if you say it, it will magically happen. You are right - takes planning. So now I pick a few key areas I want to focus on for the year and then I make a plan -- I decide where I want to be with that goal by the end of the year. Then I try to come up with 3 or 4 key milestones I need to meet to reach that goal and assign dates. Finally, I plan something I am going to do IN JANUARY to get started and move me forward. This approach has really worked well for me. Some years better than others, but always better when I did the resolution thing.

Good luck in your decision for/against going to A Muse. Decide what you did and did not like about your SU experience and let that guide you to the decision that is right for you.

Thank you! This gives me a lot to think about.

[JBgreendawn]

well, my toys hide in an finished room over the garage... and I want to re-design the space and make it a family room so that everyone's hobbies can be enjoyed at the same time. ( we all have things up there but, its usually just furbabies that are in there when I am)

So, I think I also want to downsize my hoard and just have enough free time to enjoy playing with it all a little more.

Merry Christmas!