#projectCRAFTroom part 2...

So, things are happening a little faster than I had planned (insert deep breath).  We are having a street rubbish pickup and that makes for the perfect time to get rid of stuff.  Getting rid of the two desks was always going to happen but not for some time, or so I thought.  But last weekend we found a new desk for my room so that meant we could get rid of the old ones in the street rubbish pickup.  That meant this weekend was all about moving out of the craft room so we could get the desks out, put the new desk in and then move back into my craft room.   A huge job to say the least but I just keep thinking of the bigger picture.

Once the desks were out, I cleaned the blinds, the windows, washed the floor and just generally dusted and cleaned.  While my hubby was putting the desk together it gave me the perfect opportunity to start sorting through some stuff.  And boy is there some stuff in this room!  

One of the things that I am sticking to is to only keep what I use.  With that in mind, I gathered up a whole heap of stamps that I no longer use and listed them for sale.  I was stoked when they sold as that gave me the money to start buying my new desks and shelves.  Initially I felt funny getting rid of the stamps but when I sold them and had the cash in my hand it meant I could start buying my new furniture and that made me feel so good.  Getting rid of stuff I don't use meant I can get stuff that I do use.

Although I still have a long way to go sorting, purging and cleaning it is already starting to feel light and airy.  I can feel inspiration getting ready to move in and I am so excited.

moving "stuff" out so inspiration can move in

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You are like...

Back in February I was given a set of watercolour paints, and since then I have been adding paint to just about everything.  This colour is my favourite and so I decided just to play around with it and see where it took me.  I made these circles using the paint and felt they would make  the perfect home to house an embellishment or two.  I decided to try out the new "Week circle set" of digital stamps from Kellies Stamps.  I loved the black with the orange and my layout grew from there.

I also added images from the new AM to PM clear stamps as well as from the digital version of the same stamp set.  This layout is a bit different for me but I love how it turned out.  Trying something new is a great way to keep you motivated.

This month when you order both the "AM to PM" and "Go See Do" digital stamps from Kellie Stamps you get the "Week Circle Set" for free.  I would say that's something to good to miss.

What are you obsessed with??

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(the coffee obsessed one)

Currently...

When Kellie from Kelly Stamps told me that she was bringing back clear stamps, you could hear me shouting WOOHOO from the top of my lungs.  Don't get me wrong I love the digital stamps but I do miss  stamping and get messy with ink.

This new set AM to PM (avail for pre-order until midnight 19th March 2016 Australian time) is perfect for documenting my here and now.  One of my favourite things to do is to repeatedly stamp in one area to create a place to hold a title.  I have used the stamps to create my background and then used the digital stamp to create a cut in my silhouette.  Having both the physical stamp and digital stamp of the same images just opens up so many more options.  I then typed up my answers, ran it through my printer then stamped the headings.

This layout was so fun and a great way to capture how I am feeling and what I am doing right now.  I may just do one of these every month and just change the pattern paper and embellishments.  It would be great to see what stays the same and what changes.

Happy stamping

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Please note:  the AM to PM stamp set is only available on pre-order which has been extended till midnight tonight, 19th March 2016 - Australian Time

#projectCRAFTroom...

several weeks ago my husbands Aunty & Uncle contacted us to tell us they are planning on coming to Oz for a holiday.  We were so excited and we are really looking forward to them coming.  

But... yes there was a but!  Where are they going to stay.  All our bedrooms are full.  My husband looked at me, you know with that look of "I want to suggest something but I don't think you are going to go with it" followed by a very long stare. Then he said "well we could always clean out your craft room".

"Are you insane" I screamed (yes I screamed, I mean who in their right mind would suggest such a thing) where would I craft? But the bigger question "where would I put all that stuff?"

My husband very quickly realised that this was probably one of his worst suggestions ever and we moved on.

Several weeks later...

Since that initial conversation about my craft room, it got me thinking.  Moving out of this room would be a HUGE, TOTALLY HUGE project.  I mean it's full.  Probably more than full, it's at the point of bursting.  But if I moved out of this room it would give me the best opportunity to clear it out, declutter, destash, de-everything.  I could really go through everything, be ruthless and only keep what I truly love and use.

But I pushed the idea out of my head.  Too hard, too big, too difficult!  Plus I need all that stuff right??

The idea kept coming back though, each time stronger and stronger.  The urge to get rid of stuff starting to sound exciting, do-able, possible.  At the same time all this was going on in my head I had started to read "the life-changing magic of trying up" by Marie Kondo.  I used this method to clean out my wardrobe and the result have been amazing.  

What if I used the same approach to my craft room.  What if I moved out, cleared stuff out, sorted stuff, purged stuff, donated stiff, sold stuff and only kept stuff that I truly loved and used.  I was already feeling a sense of space, clarity, room to move, room for inspiration to grow, just at this thought.  So how good would this space feel if I actually did move out.

So I chatted with my husband, made a deal with him (that I was only moving out temporarily and as soon as they leave I am getting new furniture for my craft room, more shelving in the closet and then I am moving right back in) and #projectCRAFTroom was born.  

These are some of my guidelines to keep me on track - 

1.  I have got  approx 12 months to complete the moving out process.

2.  I am going to tackle small chunks at a time.

3.  I am only going to keep what I actually love and use (no exceptions to this rule at all).

4.  Stay focused on the end result.

My mantra for this project - 

moving "stuff" out so inspiration can move in.

So here we go, wish me luck ...

love me :-)

FOCUS - March

As we move into March and as I settled in to work on my OLW prompt for March, 

my word sat heavily in my head.  

I find it very hard to Focus on any one thing.  

I am always thinking ahead, planning ahead and worrying about what is coming up.  

Sometimes my head is overflowing with ideas and sometimes it's just plain empty.  

I start way too many projects, 

and because I have way too much going on, I don't ever finish most of them.

I needed to empty my head of these "thoughts".  Not because I didn't like them or thought they were silly but because it was important to acknowledge these thoughts.  Too often I push things aside to rush onto the next thing, so it was time to stop, listen to myself and Focus on what I was trying to tell myself.

When I ordered these mini flair from Feed your Craft my intention was to do a layout with them.  But I think I will keep them and put them into my OLW album along the way, when I need a reminder to work on my word.   Having them scattered through my album will be a nice gentle reminder to FOCUS.

How are you keeping your word visible.

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Note:  these custom mini flair are available at Feed Your Craft and they are a great way to add your OLW word your album.

Yesterday Today...

I was determined to document this story.

I wanted to tell the story, the story about things not going the way you had hoped.

Sometimes in life we go into something thinking one thing and walk out totally stunned because it was nothing like you thought.

I went in to have a mole cute out, nothing to serious, they just didn't like the look of it and thought it best to get it out.  They always tell you that they will contact you if they find anything.  I don't know about you but I never get a call so I wasn't expecting a call for this either.

They called.  The mole showed early signs melanoma which meant I had to go back and have more cut out, just to be sure.  I think it took a few days to sink in.

As soon as I got the Now & Then story kit from Ali Edwards my first thought was yesterday I was thinking one thing but today it is totally different.  I love getting these story kits because they get you thinking, thinking about stories that you might not otherwise tell.  I think this story is important because I want my kids to know that sometimes life throws a few curve balls, but it doesn't mean all doom and gloom.  It just might you mean you have to think a little differently.

What story's are you telling?

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Note:  GET YOUR SKIN CHECKED.

I finally gave in...

Just recently received some very happy, happy mail from Feed Your Craft which included the new die cut flairs.  I wasn't sure if I would like them because, well, they are not flair buttons which I love.  But boy of boy, how wrong was I.  I love these tiny pieces of  fun and I think I need to order lots more.

The best thing about these die cuts is that they are flat.  Perfect for those of you who want to embellish your layouts our Project life pages but don't want the bulk.  And for us Aussies the shipping isn't much because they are flat and don't weight anything.

I also recently received my very first set of water colour paints... and I am addicted to them.  I want to paint everything.  My only problem is that I don't want to get them dirty LOL!  I am hoping to push past that.

For my title I painted a piece of white cardstock and then cut out the letters using dies from Papertrey Ink.

I also painted the background where I wanted my photo to go and then added a few paint splashes.  I didn't need to add much because my title and those cute die cuts were all that was needed.

Have you received any happy mail lately.

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