Procrastinating

I put a lot of things off.

Right now, it is that I should be opening the books to start my course. Instead, I have managed to do all kinds of things that really didn't need doing right now, but were preferable to thinking about Shakespeare. Including my financial paperwork. It must be bad.

This layout took me a week. I am not kidding. I started with three different backgrounds, and even got as far as sticking the photos down. Then I decided I didn't like it and I tore it apart, and I never do that.  I always try and make it work but it really wasn't happening. Then I saw this starting point from Shimelle, and suddenly it all came together. In my quest to use more 'stuff' on my pages, I have used no less than five layers and a whole load of embellishments (stickers! foam pads! paint spatters!) I think the plain background keeps it together, though. And for all that this page took me forever - I really, really love it.

Busy busy busy

I'm making the most of these last few days I return to work. There's so much that I want to do, and it's only now that I have any kind of enthusiasm to do it. Once I go back to the office, I think my biggest worry will be: how on earth am I going to do it all?

Seven years of scrapbooking

I don't know the exact date, but I do know that I have a file of photos on my computer which are images of most of my scrapbook pages. And 2012 is my seventh file. 

I had a clear out yesterday and threw out some half-used sheets of stickers that I'm pretty sure were among the first things I bought. In the spirit of my last post, I should probably work on using some of that stuff, right?

Get it done

I sometimes wonder if other people see me how I see myself. I like to think I come across as super-confident but in reality I doubt myself and everything I do all.the.time. I like to think I hide it, but you can probably tell. One thing I know for sure is that I am rubbish at hiding things.

This year I will stop worrying, stop over-thinking, stop comparing and just DO IT. This mostly applies to creative projects but should really cover everything in my life.

2012 is the year of getting it done.

(This scrapbook page makes sense if you knew how many times I had rearranged the papers and moved the embellishments around. Enough!)

Sidetracked

I can never work on one thing at a time. My last crochet project was going really well, and then I had some sudden inspiration for a new colour pattern and got sidetracked. This one is much more spring-like, with pretty pastel colours and a splash of hot pink and aqua. Also, a lot of white. It's the same ripple pattern but the colours make it look completely different. 

This blanket is also whizzing along, but I hope I manage to finish it before I start something else!

One step at a time

2011 wasn't a bad year, was it. Lots of happy times, good memories, achievements at work and in my personal life, lots of milestones on the road to good health.

I didn't really make resolutions for 2011. Instead of making vague aims like 'be more creative' I had specific goals I wanted to reach, and things I wanted to do. I'm very proud of myself that I managed to complete almost everything I wanted to, and a few other things besides.

And 2012? I find that I am more interested in setting goals than ever before. I used to swear that setting goals was merely a step on the inevitable road to disappointment. After all, if I set a goal and then don't achieve it, I'll be disappointed, right? And nobody wants that. Boo-freaking-hoo.

OMG was I wrong.

It started when I did a course at work that focused a lot on personal goal-setting and making five-year plans.    Brilliant - I had my life planned out. Then cancer came along and screwed all that up. Suddenly my daily goals were mostly about getting up and getting dressed, and I was too scared to think about anything more long-term than my next hospital appointment. And I realised that plans are good, but flexibility is essential. So now, I have long-term goals, and short-term goals, and things I want to do tomorrow...and they all sort of link together in a giant mental map that is my life. But I hope that it might be like one of those magic maps in Harry Potter, and every so often something new will appear.

I am still working on what these goals mean for 2012. There will definitely be some more studying, and more creativity. I hope that there will be more travel and more adventure. I'm pretty certain there are going to be lots of changes. And it's down to me to make that happen.