I am one of those “I could do that people.” I recently caved in and finally bought some of those lampwork beads that I posted about here, and while I was looking through the list of all she had for sale, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “I wonder how you make those.” So, I proceeded to do the research to find out. I have been interested in working with glass for a while (I did stained glass stuff for a little while), so I guess this is a natural progression. But, a new craft is the last thing I need! I am busting a the seams of what I have, and have to do, already.
By the way, these are the ones I picked; they are gorgeous!
I can’t wait to get them, but I am still not exactly sure what I am going to do with them. I know that the colors, particularly of the ones on the right, would go perfectly with some of the pieces my mother-in-law sent me. And, I have been thinking about ways to get some of both into one piece!
But, I digress. Sometimes, the creativity flows in at such a rate that I feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer nature of all that is in my brain. It did help me to make a list here the last time that happened, so I think that I might try it again. I will start with a brief recap of those projects.
Stuff from before:
- The pillow for the boy still isn’t done. It is a 20 minute job (famous last words in my family), and I think I am just going to try to knock it out this weekend.
- I still haven’t made the cover for my sewing machine, but I think it is going to happen soon as well, as the machine is now out all the time (yea!).
- The Drawing Board’s frame has been primed and is ready to be painted. This is where I am a little hung up. I am not sure what I want to do on the frame, but I did figure out what I want to do on the edges though. Now, I just need to find the wood that can be used for the center. My goal is to have this project done by the end of September.
- The sewing machine table is done, and I was able to decoupage the drawer.
- The table for my friend’s daughter is primed, and I am going to work on painting that this week while I have a little time before papers come rolling in. The problem? I have a ton of things that I have said that very same thing about.
- And, the perpetual calendar is still looming in the background too. It is one of those projects that I am hoping will become something treasured in our family, but that hope makes it hard to complete too.
New to the list are the following:
- The one with a pressing deadline is due Monday, so it will be posted here before then! It is kind of a surprise. I am going to do my very first tutorial, a slightly daunting prospect. And, it is a project that I have only seen in bits and pieces around the web, so it might be pretty cool. I tried to explain the plan to the boy last night, and he just said “I don’t see how you can keep that pattern straight in your head.” At this point, I just hope that I did! I am so excited to see how it turns out though.
- Christmas is looming around the corner, and as some of you might have noticed, I added the handmade pledge to my list. I already have a list started of what I would like to do for people, and I am having trouble figuring out the boys. I am not completely sure what I am going to do for all of them. Although, I do know what I would like to do for Joe’s dad. But, I really need a solid list going about that, or I am not going to have enough time to get everything done, particularly since some of them are a little ambitious. I know….not me, never!
- One of the things that I would like to do for our family is start making mini-albums. I have mentioned before that I am not ready to give up on scrapbooking, but I really do need to make some progress before the supplies take over my life. So, I thought that I would start with mini-albums, since they are easier to complete. I got the idea for the first one I am going to try here. That Ali Edwards is such an inspirational lady.
- Of course, all the stuff I posted about here still needs to be completed.
- I am also working on a few website projects, which have a lot of small pieces that I am going to have to figure out how to do.
- And, finally, I have not forgotten my declaration that the next quilt I make will be for me! I have everything started, and I just need to keep moving with it!
As you can see, the ideas are never the problem. I have them all the time, and the journal has been helping a little. At least now, I am not terrified by the prospect of them vanishing in the great swirling grey matter than is my brain.
But, how does everyone mediate between all that they want to do. I am not someone who does well focusing on a particular craft, although I have been sewing more than anything this year. But, with a full-time job, and lots of academic projects, I am not sure how to fit everything in. Because I have so much going on, I don’t ever feel like I can take the time to stop and work on anything for an extended period of time because I should be working on something else. I think that this is usually the key for me that I am doing too much. And, what I can do is not take on anything else, but I am not sure how to stay up with all that I have to do right now.
Hopefully, a few of the larger projects can get checked off my list to lighten the load a little. Maybe if I can get a few smaller things checked off this weekend and make some progress on the larger stuff, I will feel better about it all. Because right now, it is all a little too much.
