101 in 1001 update

Oh dear, I haven't updated this since May! This doesn't bode well...

Start date: 30 August 2009
Finish date: 27 May 2012

1. Research family tree - I've done some more of my tree but not much, I need to write it all up properly so that will be the aim for the rest of the challenge
2. After doing family history, visit some of the places my family lived
3. Make my first quilt - all done. I'd like to make a single-bed size one next
4. Build a website from scratch
5. Get married!
6. Have a go at geocaching
7. Write a book
8. Write menu plans- seasonal and cheap- every week for a month (0/4)
9. Grow potatoes
10. Join a screenprinting class
11. Go on safari
12. Move house
13. Do something creative every day for a week (7/7)
14. Do something creative every day for a month (0/30)
15. Run 5K (run the whole thing)
16. Eat 5 things I've never tried before (4/5)
17. Cook 5 things I've never cooked before (4/5)- Rabbit, liver, rice pudding and Christmas pudding
18. Make a scrapbook of my 30th birthday
19. Make a scrapbook of my hen do
20. Make a scrapbook of our wedding
21. Try waxing (at a salon, not eyebrows)
22. Write a routine for cleaning/house management
23. Go to opera for the first time
24. Go to the ballet again
25. Donate blood
26. Volunteer 101 hours (6/101)
27. Make & write thank you cards for Amanda & Kate
28. Perform 101 random acts of kindness (1/101)
29. Read the ones I haven't already from this list - ( only 3 so far: Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy & To kill a mockingbird, The Great Gatsby)
30. Participate in a craft fair
31. Blog daily for a week (7/7)
32. Blog daily for a month (30/30)
33. Finish the charity shop quilt I bought
34. Make a zine
35. Learn to make clip frame purses - did as part of 52 crafts in 52 weeks
36. Learn to knit- another one I did as part of 52 crafts
37. Learn to crochet granny squares
38. Organise and tidy craft room
39. Go to an auction
40. Document my tea cup collection
41. Get a promotion
42. Climb Snowdonia
43. Have another horse riding lesson
44. Select & take part in a “big” charity event like the Moonwalk - yes, doing the Edinburgh MoonWalk in June
45. Take part in a beach cleaning event
46. Get up at 7am every day for a week (7/7)
47. Get up at 7am every day for a month (0/30)
48. Learn another craft I haven't already done - yep I think I've achieved this one!
49. Set up bi-monthly craft nights/afternoons
50. Set up a water butt
51. And a compost bin
52. Take part in illustration friday, once a week for a month (0/4)
53. Visit a farmers' market or farm shop once a month-
54. Continue to run the Christmas giving tree at work every year (2/2)
55. Treat myself to a 'treatment', either in a salon or DIY, once a month
56. Go to yoga once a week for a month (0/4)
57. Make lunch to take to work every day for a week (0/5)
58. Make lunch to take to work every day for a month (0/20)
59. Write a love letter to Ben every month (6/33) 
60. Start a new collection- perfume bottles? Vintage clothes?
61. Go on a picnic
62. Visit a local attraction once a month e.g. beach, park, museum etc. (3/33)
63. Update my blog template
64. Make a skirt
65. Make a dress - yes, the maxi dress I made for my birthday
66. Go to a classical music concert
67. Polish up my French before next holiday in France
68. Buy a Diane von Furstenberg dress
69. Buy a vintage dress
70. Donate something to freecycle, or a charity shop, once a month, on average- 
71. Turn down plastic bags for a month (0/30)
72. Make some reusable shopping bags to fit in my handbag
73. Visit five countries (4/5) - USA, South Africa, Mauritius and Dubai
74. Write a letter to myself to be opened on my 35th birthday
75. Find a photo of myself that I like and frame it
76. Make a cake for Ben's 36th birthday
77. Have a session with a personal shopper
78. Learn about a historical period (Tudors?)
79. Read 10 biographies (1/10) Read Julia Child's
80. Have a boudoir photo session
81. Make something from each of my craft books- donate to charity any books I don't make anything from
82. Finish working through the book, “ The Creative License: Giving Yourself Permission to be the Artist You Truly Are”
83. At least once a month, go to sleep without reading first
84. Buy new glasses
85. Go to New York again (with Ben)
86. Re-stock etsy shop
87. Find a new band/singer every month and listen to their album (4/33)
88. Get my hair cut every 8 weeks
89. Go to motocross or fishing with Ben once every 2 months without complaining (on average, season permitting!) (0/17)
90. Eat a piece of fruit every day for a month (0/30)
91. Pay my naughty library fine and don't get any more fines!
92. Make something and give it to a friend for no reason
93. Make 100 handmade presents (14/100)
94. Plant a tree
95. Have a spa day, just because
96. Give snowboarding another try
97. Watch 20 of the Times top 100 films (1/20)
98. Read a newspaper every day for a week (0/7)
99. Learn how to use my mac (I really need to learn the shortcuts I'm so used to with Windows!)
100. Start an art journal
101. Sleep outside

I think it's time to update the list - there are too many that are similar, unachievable or that I'm just not interested in any more. I'll return soon with an updated plan.

Happy new year!

I spent Christmas and new year in the beautiful Breckenridge mountains in Colorado.

It was strange not being at home with the turkey, tree and family but it was a great place to spend 10 days. The skiing was brilliant and I think I looked rather fab in my new pink helmet and goggles!

(photo effects thanks to instagram on the iphone.)

I'll be back soon with more about my holiday and the crafting delights I found in the town. And I'll be looking at my 101 in 1001 list and updating it (I dread to think how many I haven't done).

Tell me isn't so

15 October! 15th? That's shocking - it can't be true! Blogger must be fibbing. I have no excuse for being silent for nearly two months - well I have one excuse - my (not so) little project takes up all my blogging time at the moment.

It's now half-way through 52 crafts in 52 weeks and I hope you're finding it inspiring and interesting. I've been featured on blogs and in a magazine which was very exciting. I don't know what the next 26 weeks have in store but it should be fun and I hope you join me.

My current favourite project is last week's:

I've been using the clay hearts and stars on all my Christmas wrapping and very pretty I think it looks too.

I hope you're having a fabulous December and enjoying the run up to Christmas - it hardly seems possible that it's only 2 weeks away now. I really plan not to leave you for two months again.

Dubai - a city of sun & shopping

I've been to Dubai before - that time it rained the whole trip and I was struggling with sciatica so it wasn't the best experience. So when the opportunity came up to go again I decided to give it another try. I'm so glad I did as this time I loved it.

I loved the sun.

The sights.

The shopping.

There was one shop I particularly loved - Kinokuniya Dubai is the biggest bookshop in UAE and contains more than half a million books. Book heaven! It's a Japanese-owned shop so as well as all the usual books you'd expect they have a section I know you'd all love: Japanese craft books! You have no idea how excited I was to find this gem. I somehow only bought two books but look at them all:

Sigh. I wish could go back again.


I'll write more about the two books I bought soon - maybe "making a dress from a Japanese craft book" could be a future 52 crafts project?

I whipped up a guest post

Hello to everyone who has found me via Whipup.net. Thank you for asking me Kathreen - I really enjoyed writing my guest post.
I hope you found it interesting and maybe you've been inspired to try your own crafting challenge - let me know if you have.

Latest 52 crafts projects...

I'm now on week 17 of 52 crafts in 52 weeks - doesn't time fly? My last two projects have featured tutorials on making jewellery and clocks.

If you want to know about my latest projects as they happen, keep an eye on my 52 crafts 52 weeks blog, follow me on Twitter or "like" my Facebook page.

year one

this is the love that will always be true.

Blog of the week...

Well  I can't promise this will actually be weekly ( I have enough of a weekly challenge on the go as it is) but here's this week's blog of the week (a blog I've literally just stumbled across...)

yes and yes - because yes in more fun than no

I've been reading it all evening - so inspiring. Sarah Von is about to embark on a 7-month trip (not her first adventure) and I can't wait to read all about it. Some of my favourite posts (so far) are: 101 Ways To Cheer Yourself Up: Part 1 (and part 2) and 31 Things I've Learned in 31 Years but I'm pretty sure I'm going to find more. Go, read, and enjoy!

Pretty cushion (my latest 52 crafts project)

I'm very pleased with my latest 52 crafts project...

I just love the colours - the fabric is by the wonderful designer,  Anna Maria Horner.

I'm now on week 15 - isn't time flying?

A lovely Cornish holiday

I spent last week in beautiful Cornwall on a much-needed break. I haven't spent time down in that part of the country since I was a lot younger and on a family holiday in our caravan so it was great to go back as an adult.

We stayed in a beautiful cottage near Bude which had the added bonus (for Ben) of fishing lakes and lovely views over the farmland.

We went to loads of places: Bude, Boscastle, Newquay, Looe, Padstow, Polperro and the Eden Project (when we had torrential rain). I took loads of photos so I'll just bore you with a few....

Tintagel

Knitting by the lake

Boat at Polperro

We had fish and chips in Padstow

Sunshine in Newquay

I only wish we'd gone for longer as a week just wasn't long enough. Cornwall is definitely one of my favourite places to go in the UK now. Where's yours?