UFOs, Not So ‘U’ Anymore

In The Studio

On Saturday I slept in. And when I awoke, I had this strange sensation of peace and tranquility. And it felt weird as hell!

This was the first weekend in I don’t know how long where I didn’t have completing deadlines weighing me down from the moment my eyes opened. I really didn’t know what to do with myself!

Eventually I decided to take care of some UFOs–Un-Finished Objects–that had piled up on my work table.

It's a little 6" album, but it could use some extender posts already!

It’s a little 6″ album, but it could use some extender posts already!

I’m on a planner kick (happens around this time every year) and raided my embellishment boxes for stickers to use in decorating my new planner pages (apparently that’s a thing; a thing I can totally get behind). So those got filed into spare scrapbook album I had on the shelf for easy access.

September-December Perfect Planner Paper Clips!

September-December Perfect Planner Paper Clips!

Then I made more of my planner clips (like the ones on today’s Helmar Blog), completing more than enough for the rest of the year. I love all my projects, but I really love how these turned out and that they’re something I can use daily. I like when my crafts are both pretty AND practical.

I love this bag!

I love this bag!

Then, finally, I finished the Conference Tote Sew-Along from So Sew Easy. The last few steps were pushed aside in favor of getting the first Creative Mischief Kits ready to roll, so the unfinished bits were hanging out in the completed shell of the bag. At least it was contained! Now that the bag is finished I’m planning on making it my new everyday-tote in place of my messenger bag that holds way too much.

That doesn’t seem like a bad thing, does it? Unless you’re me and have a tendency to carry a lot of things around “just in case” and your shoulders start to pay!

This bag is big enough to hold my planner, journal, pen pouch, and umbrella with plenty of room leftover. And it has monkeys on it, so, you know: perfect!

jvanderbeek_ufo_wip_projects-1

And speaking of the kits, the launch went really well, the first few have already made it to their new homes, and I’m now starting on the particulars of the upcoming October release. I also brought them out to the September First Friday and got some really positive feedback.

Of course, today is a holiday, so it’s more kicking around the house with no hard deadlines and later I’ll be grilling up some cheese-stuffed cheeseburgers. I’m looking forward to it!

For my fellow Americans, happy Labor Day! For everyone else, I hope your Monday is as good as it can be.

Finish any languishing projects lately?

the Finished Trivet

The Finished Trivet

64 Arts

It’s always fun to finish a project, right? Well, this is no exception.

I’ll be honest: I’m great at starting things. I’d even go so far as to say I’m great at coming up with ideas and plans and researching hows and whys and all. But finishing things? Sometimes it’s tough going not to get distracted by the next fun idea. It’s like projectile-ADD… or something like that. Something that sounds less gross?

And when I decided to go in a different direction with the heart trivet and turn it into a mixed media piece? Yeah, it was almost too easy to set the normal trivet aside and get absorbed in the offshoot.

But I had a little talk with myself. It went something like, “hey, wait, before you take off those gloves and let the grout dry, it looks like you’ve got enough to do the square one, too, and that way you only have to deal with the mess once, right? Doncha think we might?”

Apparently my creative side can be swayed by reason and logic. On occasion. But let’s not make a habit of it.

At any rate, I did get it finished.

Trivet In Progress

Pre-Grouting

the Finished Trivet

Post-Grouting

What a difference some grout makes, huh? I was really shocked how much the grout toned-down the brightness of the tiles. It probably has something to do with the light not being able to bounce around them as much (what will all but one side of each blocked in).

In the future I need to work on my edges: they sort of taper in some areas and that’s not always a desired feature. Still, it was a fun learning experience, a little messy and ultimately turned into a finished, functional item.

And that’s even better than perfect.