Ah, The New Years Resolution Post

Ok, not really but sort of in a way. Don't we all hope to resolve to do something? Something small, something we were/are trying to do anyway? There are the old stand bys; lose weight, be more organized, keep in touch with others more...I will not bore you with those...you're welcome :)

In the years since I have had my little business I always seem to start out the year with new ideas and visions for where I can take my business in the coming year. That is the joy of this young venture for me there is lots of room to grow, lots more I can do.

• This year I want to move forward but feel I need to work through some of the old first, so that is my first idea, or hope or resolution to use up supplies and back track through items I have not worked with in awhile. The result, I hope to add a line of pieced and embellished items, this was actually my goal when I first started selling handmade purses and accessories. Items that had a more quilted look, using my love of piecing and saving all sorts of scraps to create one of a kind accessories. To this I really have wanted to do embellishments to add more character to my items. I have done this limited amounts with yo-yo brooches and am going to expand into Kanzashi flowers, a folded fabric art that has endless possibilities.

Yo yo brooch embellishing a small satchel

• Do more offline, this means shows, I hope to do 8-10 shows in 2012. I have been somewhat proactive having already sent my package off for a show I hope to do in Feburary. I have also tracked down websites of other shows and put into my calendar when applications go live or are due.

• Blog more, ok maybe just in December, I did none in 2011. I also hope to actually get my mailing list off the ground, and spend more time using Facebook.

• More organized, as it comes to receipts, expenses I am looking into Outright.com to aid in this task.

• To my organization, I also need to track my production, hours spent and items produced more closely. I did this in November and December and was both surprised and happy how this helped and motivated me to do more, be more efficient. I am working on a few spread sheets to help this task.
  

• I hope to and feel I will finally need to accept credit cards at shows, with this I am hoping to find a device or tablet that will allow this at point of sale, so researching options.

So that is a few, and looking at it is exciting to have a plan, may not get everything done but it gives me something to aim for.

So, onto my personal crafty goals...sigh these can get long so just a few. First and foremost finish some of the many many works in progress or ufo's-unfinished objects. I have stacks and stacks of quilts pieced to be quilted, quilts halfway through, it is sad that so many things undone for so long. I tried to do this last year and post about it and sadly only 2 entries in the 2011 UFO Completed tab, it will be deleted to not remind me of this defeat.

New things for my family, myself, gifts, etc. When I got out my Christmas Stocking book I was sort of bummed I have not made stockings for my family...really we are still using these dollar store stockings? I actually said this to myself, they were intended to be cheap stand ins while I made us real ones...this is the year 2012 Santa will deliver to handmade stockings. I sort of actually fantasize about doing a stocking challenge for myself like weekly or monthly...we'll see :)

Learn a few new things, I already hinted at my fabric flowers so that is top of my list, I actually had to buy a few items to get started, namely a low-temp glue gun, and a few other glue items. I also asked (and got) some soap making kits for Christmas, I should be able to make about 30 bars of handmade soap. They are simple melt and pour that is about all I feel brave enough to try.

I also have this strong desire to do decoupage fabric, so look for some of those creations for my personal fun, who knows maybe a new item to offer in the future...

Happy 2012 to all, I will hopefully be back to post some of my successes and of course revisions :)