Three projects for 2011

I have had this post saved since January. It has taken me this long to pull together the photos. Sad, very, very sad. But I think getting my dissertation done is a good excuse!!

Finishing three quilting projects this past year has demonstrated to me that three is a reasonable amount of output to expect from me in a year quilting-wise. So I am putting my mind to finishing three more projects this year:

1) Penguin baby quilt. I picked out the pattern last fall when I found out I was pregnant. The main penguin fabric I bought years ago, probably before I started graduate school, so it is great to finally put it to use! This has a deadline of May 23, 2011 : )
I have started cutting the pieces but no assembly has happened yet.


2) Log cabin quilt for my husband. I started this quilt when we were living in Mexico in 2002-3. It is pretty far along, but I keep debating what the finished size should be and whether or not I need to make more blocks. I will make a firm decision on that this year, and get it done! Seeing as this year marks 15 years together, I think he should get a quilt, especially if the baby is getting one : ) [Forgot to take photos - I'll make a separate post once I pull everything out to work on it.]

3) This is a first for me, as I plan to START and FINISH this quilt in 2011! Whoa, getting a little bold here : ) This will be my first "kit" quilt - I bought the fabric as a bundle and the pattern from the same booth at the Houston quilt show this past fall. I think the colors are gorgeous and I have wanted to do a fat quarter quilt for a long time, so here goes!


Bonus) In pulling out the fabrics to take a picture of #3, I also found the pattern and fabric for a fourth project that I have been inspired to do. This project is actually speaking to me more right now than #3 is, so I thought I would add it as a bonus project. Who knows, maybe I'll start and finish two quilts this year for a total of 4 finished projects! (A girl can dream, right?)

One Little Word Blog Hop for April

I got a lot done on my One Little Word project this month!


I added the "beginnings" frame to my January 5x7 photo and got it printed. It looks great in my album!


I fixed my January layout - I wasn't happy with how I had originally made my card with "embrace" on it. But now I think it's just right!


I got my February photos printed and added captions to them so that I would remember why I took them:

You can click on any of the images to see them larger.

And I made my March layout!! Our task this month was to choose an action related to our word and do it. My action was to submit a COMPLETE draft of my dissertation to my committee by March 20. I came close - I did send something to my chair on March 20, but it wasn't complete. I sent her a complete draft a week later - hey, it's before the end of the month, right?





I never put butterflies on anything (it's a scrapbook trend I have generally avoided), but I decided to go for it this time since they kind of represent change. And part of my goal with choosing "embrace" was to try new things in my creative process. So the butterflies represent the change that comes with finishing a dissertation and the flowers represent the growth that I have undergone in this whole process.

Also, I didn't go into this with a fixed color palette in mind, but it looks like turquoise, orange, and brown are emerging as themes.

Next up, Cheri A! Make sure you scroll down and check out how she decluttered her scrap space -- it looks AMAZING! And definitely check out Margie's blog to thank her for organizing such a great blog hop!

Here's the complete list of participants in case you want to hop around:
1. Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com/blog
2. Amanda http://scrappnbee.blogspot.com
3. Donna http://donnabryantdurand.blogspot.com
4. Joy www.undiscoveredjoy.blogspot.com
5. Jan http://mysimplelittlelife.typepad.com
6. Jamie http://jmpgirl.blogspot.com/
7. Nikki http://www.inkyart.com.au
8. Monica B2 www.questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com
9. Cindy http://seriousplay.typepad.com
10. Stacey http://www.TheAcornGarden.com/blog
11. Katrina http://k84mansramblings.blogspot.com/
12. Rebekah http://istampscrapcraft.blogspot.com/
13. Monica http://scraplifters.blogspot.com/
14. Chrissy http://getcraftywithchrissy.blogspot.com/
15. Jill http://jillconyers.typepad.com/
16. Lisa http://makeyourownescape.blogspot.com
17. Kathryn www.katlodesigns.com
18. Jennifer www.studiojenn.blogspot.com
19. Jen www.byjen.com
20. Sam http://learncreatedo.wordpress.com/
21. Miranda http://mirandasscrapsite.blogspot.com
22. Lynn www.crafty-creativity.blogspot.com
23. Cynthia http://paperpapereverywhere.blogspot.com/ --- you are here
24. Cheri A http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com --- go here next
25. Deb http://blakleyhomeplace.blogspot.com
26. Nicky www.seejanebake.blogspot.com
27. Karen D http://womenontractors.blogspot.com/
28. Tina http://ryzmomplus2.typepad.com/my_weblog/
29. Kimberly http://foreverdaisies.blogspot.com/
30. Abbey http://athomewiththerichardsfamily.blogspot.com/
31. Julie Ann http://julieannshahin2.blogspot.com
32. Lisa A http://backtoallen.com/writers_blog

Some "digital" scrapbooking

I have had three scrapbooking tasks on my to do list for a while now. As of today, I can check them off (plus two bonus ones)! Yes, I am totally procrastinating finishing my dissertation. I keep telling myself this is how I work best.

1) Make a 6x6 layout of pictures from my in-laws' Solstice party to put into my December Daily album. This is the very last page I have to do before the album is complete. DONE!


2) Make the 5x7 Beginnings layout for my One Little Word album. DONE!


3) Make a 6x12 layout so that I can print another 6x12 layout I made a year and a half ago. Put the two together to print as one 12x12. DONE!


4) Make the 8x10 February photo collage for my One Little Word album. DONE!


5) Place all of these as a single order at scrapbookpictures.com. DONE! (And even managed to get it in before their sale expired!)

Penguin quilt

I mentioned in an earlier post that I am planning to take on three quilting projects this year. Here is a preview of the first one -- a penguin quilt for the baby.

The pattern I am using, Penguin Party from the book Confetti in the Corner:


Fabrics for the front:


Fabrics for the back:


So far I have started cutting the fabrics. No assembly yet.

Organizing Paper Clutter

I have a lot of paper. Scrapbook paper, paper associated with my dissertation and research, paper reminders, paper mail, unidentifiable paper stacks, you get the idea.

Over the past two years, I have been trying to get this paper under control with many many thanks to Aby Garvey at Simplify 101. Aby offers an online course on how to organize your paper clutter (the next session starts today!) and it has been a huge help to me to figure out why I have such a problem with paper and what I can do about it. This is the best (short) summary of what you learn in the class. I am enrolled in this latest session, my third time through it, because each time I take it I get further and further through my backlog. We will be moving some time this year, and I don't want to move all this paper, so I am taking it this time with the hopes of significantly reducing the volume of paper I have. Wish me luck!

One Little Word Blog Hop for March

Hard to believe it is March already! I am participating in the One Little Word Blog Hop again this month and wanted to thank Margie for getting me in to the list at the very last minute! I emailed her at midnight last night and she worked some magic and got me into the rotation. That makes me last on the list, so click over to Margie's blog when you are done here to go full circle (or start the hop from the beginning). A big thank you to Cindy also for linking me in to the hop so that I could participate.

My word for the year is embrace, and our February prompt from Ali Edwards was to take pictures of things that remind us of our word. I took two photo walks (something I never do!) to scout out possible inspiration and found myself drawn to circles (encircle is a synonym of embrace).

From my photo walk in Vail, CO: Wind mobiles


From my photo walk in Charleston, SC: a logo for a weekend festival. I liked that it had the year along with the circles.


Some other photos from my Charleston walk can be found here. My favorite photo is by far the one of the older couple on the boardwalk.

I also found my word in my internet surfing and took screenshots - that counts as a picture, right? : ) These shots come from a blog post which can be found here. The first one is from the text of the post and the second is from the comments.




This month I also made the cover for my album:


And took a class on Embracing Imperfection at Big Picture Classes - how perfect of a title! I took this screenshot from the handout as a reminder to myself to embrace my imperfections : ) I took the advice to heart and made 3 scrapbook layouts this month!


I am trying hard to be mindful of my word in my daily life. I find that it is making me calmer and that I am having an easier time of handling things as they come. That's a good thing!

Here is the complete list of bloggers participating in the Hop:
1. Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com
2. Monica B http://scraplifters.blogspot.com/
3. Jill http://jillconyers.typepad.com/
4. Miranda http://mirandasscrapsite.blogspot.com
5. Donna http://www.donnabryantdurand.blogspot.com
6. Lynn www.crafty-creativity.blogspot.com
7. Stacey http://www.TheAcornGarden.com/blog
8. Lisa http://backtoallen.com/writers_blog
9. Cassie http://craftycassiescorner.blogspot.com
10. Abbey http://athomewiththerichardsfamily.blogspot.com/
11. Nicky http://seejanebake.blogspot.com
12. Holly http://lovingrobots.blogspot.com
13. Karen http://breathenowsmile.blogspot.com
14. Claudia http://creative-moms.com
15. Rebekah http://istampscrapcraft.blogspot.com
16. Kimberly http://foreverdaisies.blogspot.com
17. Kat www.katswonderings.blogspot.com
18. Kristina http://ciqis.blogspot.com
19. Jan http://mysimplelittlelife.typepad.com
20. Nikki http://www.inkyart.com.au/
21. Amanda www.scrappnbee.blogspot.com
22. Lisa http://luluoz.typepad.com
23. Sam http://learncreatedo.wordpress.com
24. Maureen http://cookingmylife.blogspot.com
25. Kristi http://theprojectofme.wordpress.com
26. Tere http://terecontodomicorazon.blogspot.com
27. Karen http://womenontractors.blogspot.com
28. Katrina http://k84mansramblings.blogspot.com
29. Monica Bergler http://questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com
30. Mandy http://captureandcreate.wordpress.com
31. Lisa http://makeyourownescape.blogspot.com
32. Chrissy http://getcraftywithchrissy.blogspot.com
33. Lee http://linarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife
34. Jen www.byjen.com
35. Sylvia http://baxtersmom1.blogspot.com/
36. Christianne http://christiannemarra.blogspot.com/
37. Cheri http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com
38. Joy www.undiscoveredjoy.blogspot.com
39. Beth http://justbebeth.wordpress.com/
40. Jennifer L www.studiojenn.blogspot.com
41. Kathryn www.katlodesigns.com
42. Heather www.scrappyhare.blogspot.com
43. Cindy http://seriousplay.typepad.com
44. Cynthia http://paperpapereverywhere.blogspot.com/

One Little Word in photos

Our task for my One Little Word Class this month is to take pictures of things in the world that make us think of our word. Here is what I came across today.

Embrace the Basics


Embrace each other