new directions in 2015 and the truth about blogging

 

Hello all and Happy New Year to you!  A brand spanking new year is an amazing gift isn’t it?  A huge blank slate.  A time to plan, to start over, and to dream of all the wonderful things you can accomplish this year.

I have been thinking a lot in the past six months about this blog, whether to continue doing it, feeling guilty about not posting frequently enough, toying with the idea of creating other blogs for other topics, wondering if anyone still reads this one?

If you’ve been here before you’ll know that my blog is predominantly a craft blog with a few wee sprinkles of other parts of my life.  I’ve read a lot of blog tips and advice and one major point has always been to find your niche and stick to it like glue.  I always thought crafts, particular paper crafts was my niche and my passion but honestly I have many passions and I really want to share them with anyone who will listen (or read them).

So I have made the executive decision to write about all my passions right here on this single blog.  The truth about blogging is that you are the owner of your blog, it’s yours, you are in controland you have absolute power.  I like the sound of that.  It really comes down to this – if I want to write about plucking my eyebrows then I can and will, even though it’s not craft related (or it could be if I plucked them into a pretty pattern I suppose).  In life there is always going to lots of advice around about anything and everything but in the end you need to go with your gut or your heart or whichever body part you wish.  This to ME feels like the right thing.

Yes my dear friends there will be a shift of focus in 2015, but don’t worry I still intend on posting lots of crafty goodness, after all it is a rather large passion of mine!

Wondering what to expect from now on?  Here’s a list of some of the topics I’d like to talk about in 2015…

Simplifying

Cooking/Baking

Decluttering

Organising

Finance and Saving Money

Cleaning

Gardening (or my poor attempts at it)

Relationships

Careers/Early Retirement

Arts and Crafts

Blogging

Health

It’s a pretty big list I know but I’m hoping there will be enough variety for everyone.  Are you planning any big changes in 2015?  Which direction are you going in?  I’d love to hear about it and if you’re a fellow blogger please leave a comment so I can come visit!

 

I’m Baaack….to blogging!

Hello Folks

Great to see you again – if there’s anyone still out there, tee hee.  My sincere apologies to any loyal readers that I have neglected, I won’t blame you if you gave up waiting for me to post.  I thought I could run a facebook page for my craft however not having a personal account did not agree with FB and it was fraught with issues.  After much frustration I have decided to give that the flick..and head back here to try and resurrect this blog.

Previously I had decided to only do craft or my craft business related posts here but you know what?  The hell with it! This is my blog, that’s my name up there and I’m going to write whatever the heck I feel like.  Hmm this should be interesting.

So I guess a quick update is in order then you say?  Okey dokey.  At this point in time I am currently working 3 casual jobs, logging in approx. 30 hours a week.  So what? I hear you say, well for me that’s a fair bit.  I’ve been a part time worker for many years – it’s just how I roll baby!  I love being at home, being a little traditional in the household department and for my mental health I am so much better when I don’t work full time.  And what about the money?  Well I’m not rich but I make it work for me, I’m careful with my money, I have a pardner who works full time and contributes accordingly and the trade off is that I do do those things around the house.  It just works for us.  Any way previously I’ve been permanent part time so changing to casual was very scary, I may do a post exploring this.  Over the past year there’s been many ups and downs but I think things are finally settling into place {thank goodness}.

For me, working 30 hours and doing all the housey stuff doesn’t leave much time for craftyness, either that or I’m just too tired.  I take my hat off to all you workers and mothers and dads etc that do everything – you are amazing!  So we will just see what happens with this blog and take it day by day.  I’d love to commit to a certain number of posts per week but in the past I have always failed that miserably so I’m too chicken to go it again.

I might leave it at that for now and let’s see what happens next…I’m kinda excited to have free reign on my blog, yipee!

Happy Trails

Kris

Skipping out

Howdy everyone

I am not posting a mister card today, boo hoo I know.  I am finding it a bit of a struggle keeping up to tell you the truth.  I never thought it would take so long to come up with a card but when you are starting from scratch, trying to use a product in a new or innovative way all the while wanting to be original…phew it’s hard!  Even if I were to be sneaky and make all 5 cards in one sitting, I would have to find that chunk of time to do it.  So from now on I’ve decided to just play along with the blog wars when I can; no promises of a card a day and hopefully it go back to being enjoyable for me rather than another “task” on my to-do list.  I mean it feels really out of control when I’m running home from work at lunch time so that I can work on a card or take a photo in the light.  That’s just crazy and really who needs more crazy in their lives?  Certainly not me!

So I am feeling a little lighter of spirit by taking a more casual approach.  And if my stats go down because people aren’t checking in every day for the new project well so be it, there’s more to life than blog stats.  It’s so easy to get caught up in the bloging world and loose sight of everyday life.  Does anyone else sometimes feel overwhelmed by it all?

I’ve also been thinking a bit about this blog being Kaszazz exclusive.  It’s been great but a little restrictive so now I’m thinking of mixing it up a bit.  I do scrap with other products and it would be nice to also share those projects with you too.  It would round out the blog a little more.  What do you think?  Your thoughts are important and I’d like to know your opinions on this?

Anyhoo now that I’ve bored you tears I will go.

bye bye now

Kris

making friends…again

Wow I have been on facebook chatting with people I went to uni with way back in 1993 God I cringe whenever I say 1993 and uni in the same sentence, makes me feel sooo old.  I was a bit apprehensive about talking to people just because it’s been so long but so far everyone has been cool as.
Today I spent some time surfing some creative blogs, one that I visited was Elizabeth Kartchner’s blog; she was 2007  Scrapbooker of the Year.  She has the most gorgeous little family and some fabulous photo’s on her blog.  I love checking on other scrapbookers blogs as everyone has their own style.  That’s something that always stumps me – I don’t think I have a certain style.  It’s like if someone asks me what my fashion style would be I couldn’t answer that one either.  One day it will be skater chick, the next flowing skirts or platform wedges.  I guess I could just say eclectic?

ec⋅lec⋅tic 

–adjective

1.	selecting or choosing from various sources.

2.	made up of what is selected from different sources.

3.	not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc., but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems.

4.

noting or pertaining to works of architecture, decoration, landscaping, etc., produced by a certain person or during a certain period, that derive from a wide range of historic styles, the style in each instance often being chosen for its fancied appropriateness to local tradition, local geography, the purpose to be served, or the cultural background of the client.

–noun

5.	Also, ec⋅lec⋅ti⋅cist  /ɪˈklɛktəsɪst/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [i-klek-tuh-sist] Show IPA Pronunciation . a person who follows an eclectic method, as in philosophy or architecture.

Yes after reading that definition on dictionary.com I think I shall now refer to myself as an eclecticist.  Hmm bit of a mouthful though.
I finished another sample for Kyabram, the Fun in the Sun Stand Up Page.  I will post the photo tomorrow when I have some natural light to take it but for now here’s the bits and bobs I used to make it, courtesy of Kaszazz.  The Large Frangipanni’s are stamped on Java (mmmm) Bazzill and have had turquois  Perfect Pearls applied to them, ahh so pretty.  Not sure if it will show up properly…

Yes it did!  The hardware was originally gold but I painted it white with the snow cap Paint Dabber.  I really love working with Oatmeal cardstock.  I guess it’s the equivalent to what some people call kraft paper?  So very versatile and it makes colours really pop.  I used Oatmeal cardstock on my first workshop submission but alas I didn’t take a photo – what was I thinking – so you’ll have to send happy thoughts to Kaszazz in the hope they accept it.
chat soon
Kris

is this blog too boring?

I know I tend to ramble a lot but is anyone actually enjoying or getting something out of reading all this stuff?  It’s hard to tell because though some days I get many visitors I wonder if they took a wrong turn and ended up here by accident as no one leaves a comment.  Ok so a few people have left comments but it’s mostly friends/family.  Ah heck if only my friends and family read this blog well that’s enough for me to keep on sloggin I mean bloggin (same thing really).  Enough pity party Kris stop blabbering.

So I was thinking before (yes sometimes I do that) and I realised that I haven’t posted any photo’s of the baby gift I made a while back.  It was well received which made me proud as punch.  There’s always a little part of you that worries the recipient will hate it so when it’s a hit there’s a big sigh of relief. 

 

So here it is, a little door hanger for a wee one’s room to let people know when it’s quiet time and when they are welcome to come inside and play.  An idea just struck me; I should make some for the family front door, you know when mum and bub are both asleep so visitors don’t just bang away yelling “let me in” (slight exageration).  So many projects so little time.  Anyhoo on this one I used various bits and bobs; paper I had stashed away for ages, some buttons that I’d bought during a Circle of Friends scrap class, the ribbons/twill is Kaszazz as are the little baby heads and such, words were printed from the computer except the “I’m sleeping” was my handwriting (cringe).  I’m happy with the result though I did have a few false starts like warped paper when i embossed it after I’d stuck it on the hanger!  I ended up using Mod Podge as glue and sealant.  Mod Podge is great for gluing paper as it doesn’t make it buckle or go soggy.  Aussie peeps – you can buy it at Spotlight too and it comes in matte or gloss; I used matte.

I didn’t have much luck with the cutesy print fabric search in oz so I’ll have to devote more time to it.  Found one site but they were charging like over $20 for a metre yikes!  That’s daylight robbery.  I may as well get it straight from Japan it’d probably be cheaper.  I’m itching to get the sewing machine out and just go crazy.  But that would waste too much fabric ha.  I have a friends who sews and said she’d help me while I’m on my L’s.  Rosie has sewn a lot of clothes for herself and that’s what I’m keen for.

gotta dash

K