Where to Start

Do I clean the whole closet and room right now, or just one type of craft at a time?

I should start with a general clean up so I can start with everything put away in its place – however this isn’t what I’d call a deep clean, it’s more a stuff the shelves so my work table and floor is as uncluttered as possible.

This is why it’s hard for me to craft.  I have the closet, and the vanity, and the wall with the paper crafting, and even a bunch of file drawers.  But I hate to put away stuff that I am working on.  I’m afraid of the out of sight out of mind.  But it’s also depressing have to step over it all.  It would be so much more fun if I just clean up a little, then do something fun, then I will clean up some more.

Started with the beads, because I couldn’t get the box lid to close, which meant they wouldn’t fit back on the shelf.  My objective – get all beads into one box, and all bead making supplies into another.  Started by dumping everything on the floor.  Transferred the beads (many of them vintage from my mom) into small Ziplocs or into the bead containers that I bought many years ago.  Sorted them.  Look – there’s the broken coral necklace that Mario brought back from Italy – when I was in 9^th grade.  I wore it death, and when it finally broke I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of the beads.  I swear, that’s the only one I’ve kept.  Then not too long ago I was looking in a jewelry magazine and saw a very pretty necklace with a piece of white coral hanging from it.  I have the picture, the white coral, the pink coral and all the tools.  I’m going to do this tonight.  By the time I had all my beads and supplies put away nicely, I had pulled out four projects that I want to do right away.  The coral necklace, and a second one, a rose quartz kit, and a fabric covered button necklace.  I spent the rest of the weekend making the necklaces.  I finished them, posted them to facebook.  That was last weekend.  It feels good, friends like the necklaces, some more than others.  Everyone likes the pink coral – it’s the only one I have no intention to give away.

 

Next project – sitting on the floor under my window – two large bags of mardi gras beads, the hanging plant hanger, and the needed wire.  I had already made one hanging beaded chandelier (lights with an LED tap light) and I wanted a second one.  Both of them are for my NOLA lanai.  Kimi was busy finishing packing to head to Germany for three months, and had a friend coming over.  Blake was already away at school. And hubby Chris, was doing his favorite thing – reading the Sunday newspaper, made better because it’s the day before the Republican National Convention in Tampa, and so the newspapers, yes we get two, are huge.  I started to clean the next area of the home office/craft room.  You know, if I make the chandelier, it sure would clean up a big space.  Having already made one, I brought out my notes on the supplies that I needed, cut up the necklaces, precut the wire, and I was off.  The best place to hang it from while in process is on the knob for the cabinet right in front of my computer.  That’s when I got the inspiration to start the blog.  Oh I’ve thought about it before, but never had a focus.  So here it is 4 hours later.  Kimi has gone to the movie, will be back soon.  Chris is at the grocery store picking up dinner.  My parents will be here soon.  The chandelier is complete, and hanging in the lanai.  I started my blog in Word, until I can figure out how to actually write a blog on the internet. I got this inspiration from 

http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2011/09/video-make-a-beaded-chandelier/

 

It feels good.  I feel like I’ve accomplished something.  Not just by starting and completing a project for which I had everything.  I’ve also started a focus to craft intentionally.  Now I need to follow the rule above, and put everything away.  I took the left over beads out of the bags, and put them in a box so they sit on the shelf.  Tools need to go away, and I need to put away the next craft that I started to pull out.