May Favorite Picks

Here are Maura's picks for May. I chose two items that I reach for ALL the time!

First is my spinner and all the handles with removable pads that I use all the time for edging and distressing. Love this Tim Holtz product!

My second is a great product for me because I am messy and do not mind getting ink or paint all over. This flour sack towel is the perfect thing to have on hand to clean as you go -it has saved me many a time! As you can see, my in-use one on the right gets a workout!

Sheila here...my favorite item right now is the Hello Days Story Cards by Ali Edwards. They are on sale for 75% off at Two Peas-not sure how much longer they'll be in stock at that price.

At $1.24 for a pack of 24 cards, who can resist? Besides using them in Project Life albums, I love using them as little daily to-do lists. I find myself writing little things I hope - or need - to accomplish each day and stick them on my bulletin board or magnet board and cross the items off. The backside is great for a small shopping list, items you need to restock in your craft room, or just about anything for us list makers.

The Power of One Little Word and Resolutions

January 1st is always a time to reflect on the past year, and think about where we want to journey next. We have different ways we do this....one little word...making resolutions...setting goals, and we thought we would share ours with you.

One Little Word...a great project by Ali Edwards where you focus on one word for the year. Maura's word for 2013 is healthy. I am slowly regaining control of some health issues I have been facing, and feel the need to work on this throughout the year. Sheila is keeping her word from last year which is cultivate. She's just not quite done with it yet.

Crafty Resolutions...somehow, these are much easier to make. Maura's resolutions are to enter more challenges in 2013, to participate in art swaps, to try at least one new thing each month...a technique, class, product or idea...and to share all of this with you our readers.

Sheila's resolutions are to incorporate the manual typewriter and the sewing machine into more projects, to enter one challenge-tiny steps into this territory, take an online class just for fun-perhaps with Maura? and also for both of us to share a few long distance projects with all of you.

Happy Crafty New Year to all!

One Little Word for 2012

Start out the new year with "one little word".  It's a puzzle to figure out the word for the year, but it can guide you through the next twelve months.

This is an idea from Ali Edwards (be sure to check out her website here to get more details). Sheila and I have been doing this for the past couple of years and you can check out posts from past years HERE.

So, after much pondering, I think my word for 2012 will be "BELIEVE". Belief encompasses acceptance, expectation, faith, confidence, trust...I believe I can become a better person in 2012; I believe I can improve; I believe life will be better for my family; I believe I can accept challenges in my life, both personal and creative....and grow as a person.

Sheila here...my word for 2012 is CULTIVATE: to promote or improve, to refine. There are different aspects of my life...crafting included..that are just waiting to be cultivated.

What's your one little word for 2012? Have a blessed and healthy new year!

One Little Word

Last year, Sheila and I were inspired by Ali Edward's project, One Little Word, and we each created our own and shared it here.

Maura's word for 2010 was "evolve".  It is a process, so I am still evolving, and when I looked at how I thought the word would work for me, I discovered that it "evolved" in different ways than I planned....I still have weight to lose, but both sons are employed now (so grateful for that)...some things came to fruition, and some are still evolving. So even though the year is over, my word will continue into 2011.

Time to think of my new word for 2011.  I am still feeling the need to find balance in my life with the many demands we all face, and was headed in that direction in my thoughts, but, I think the better word for me is harmony. So there it is, my word for 2011 - HARMONY. To me, harmony evokes balance, finding serenity in the everyday life we lead, physical and emotional well-being, and even the harmony of music, which I love. I see harmony in the creative spirit which I hope to continue to nourish in the coming year.

I wish for us all a creative, fulfilling and harmonious year for 2011!

Sheila here...well, they say that less is more and that is my word for 2011-LESS. I want to have less clutter in my work space,  make less waste and more recycling, make do with less (using up supplies I already have), spend less time on the computer and more time creating and sharing here on the blog and so on....I know that if I focus on LESS I will have MORE of what I really need.
 

So, what is your one little word for the new year?