2012's Mantra: Do and Follow Through

I've got a mantra for this year in the spirit of KISS (keep it simple, stupid!): 

do and follow through

My two weakest areas - stop talking and DO and make sure I FOLLOW THROUGH. I might get to the doing but then I don't always follow through. 

I've got an idea to help myself. I don't like to write to do lists because if I do, there are 35 items on it. I find 35 items overwhelming and then I move into procrastination or "what's the use" mode. So, I'm going to limit ANY list to only 3 items.

Yes, I said three - 3 items.

Hopefully that will help.

Hopefully.

So here is item number one:

Post book reviews for next week or so. I like to actually try the projects in each book I review so you get an honest feel for what the book offers. I've held off on the Jewelry for the New Romantic because I don't have many of the beads called for in the projects. I used to use beading wire quite a bit when I first started beading back in 1997 but moved away from it. This is a good reason to re-familiarize myself with what beading wire has to offer.

Jewelry for the New Romantic

I've ordered resin clay and am waiting for it to arrive. I made the rounds of the craft stores to see if anyone carried it and was out of luck.  There are lots of exciting projects in The Art of Resin Clay I can't wait to try out.

The Art of Resin Clay

Do you have a word to inspire you onward for 2012?

Tuesday Tangle: Digital Art Project

In last week's Tangle I shared my "DO" for the week. I was working on learning a new skill - creating digital art using the book Digital Expressions.

The book uses Photoshop Elements but will work if you have Photoshop (which is what I have). The concepts are the same but the menus are different in many places, so it takes some searching to figure out exactly which command will fit for the desired effect.

I worked through the first three projects in the book. Below is the third project called "Designing with Type." I can create a unique banner using the techniques for this project.

I took two images and overlayed them. I picked two that were on my computer. I wanted to have two very different images so I chose the flowers and a fuzzy image of myself.

I've had a phrase in my head that I've been working on incorporating into jewelry, "what matters most." I typed it out in different fonts and placed it willy nilly across the image.  I added a few more effects and this is what I got:

Next up will be bead images for a new banner and custom shipping/wrapping materials.

What did you "DO"  this week?

Tuesday Tangle...Keeping myself on track

Remember my word for the year is, "do" which lends itself to showing what I've made during the past week but this week, what I've done is less concrete.

I'm reading a book.

Digital Expressions by Susan Tuttle. I need a new banner, I need a new look on my website and in my business cards. So, I've turned to this book to help me out. Working 40-50 hours a week doesn't leave me much time to get to the computer to work on new skills, but I'm taking it one step at a time.

Cliche I know but sometimes a cliche works.

When all I want to do starts to overwhelm me and I start to wander off to window shop on the web, I  repeat my simple objective....

DO.

Right after I think or say do, I follow it up with don't look, don't think, do.

do

do

do.

It's keeping me on track.

Are you doing? What's keeping you on track?