Pretty little things

As many of you know, I have to really limit my art making time this year, due to other commitments. But that doesn’t mean no art; that wouldn’t be good for me, or for the people around me. I’ve been following Tim Holtz‘s blog lately as I really like his style. I loved his 12 tags of Christmas but didn’t have the time to tackle them. I already have a few of his Distress Inks and love using them so hopped on Ebay and did some shopping. Guess what turned up in the mail this week? That’s right – pretty little things in bottles and stamp pads – gorgeous temptations to get my hands dirty…heaven 🙂

Crusade No 59: turn to-do into ta-da!

This month, over at the GPP Street Team site, Michelle asks us to turn to-do into ta-da! Instead of coming up with a whole lot of resolutions for 2012, she suggests celebrating our successes from 2011.  Although I do have some specific goals in mind for 2012, I was more than happy to look back over 2011. I had a quick shot at it a few posts back, but Michelle was suggesting something a bit more, well, rigorous. I have done two lists – the public one is seen here on the layout that’ll go into my personal album – it’s A4 layouts, unlike my usual 12x12s, and is designed for stuff that’s important only to me. I record things like my reaction to huge world events, changes at work, personal  goals or disappointments. Anyway, behind the patterned paper there’s some other ta-da’s listed, ones that are a bit more personal, tucked away for me to remember in years to come. My scanner has decided to cut one edge off no mater what I do – sigh…

Ice cream!

It was so hot the other night everyone had an ice block, and I had a small tub of ice cream. Somehow, I got the messiest face. Not sure why…

Learn – my guiding word for 2012

Learn: 

1. To gain knowledge, comprehension, or mastery of through experience or study.

2. To fix in the mind or memory; memorize: learned the speech in a few hours.

My guiding word for 2012 is LEARN. Why? Because, like DETERMINED in  2011, I think it encapsulates what will drive me through the coming year. I am anticipating quite a lot of change for me this year, both personally and professionally, and I need to learn to:

• get up earlier in the morning
• study every week day to ensure I do 12 hours study a week
• get enough rest so I can achieve the study
• eat better
• wear makeup every day to protect my sensitive skin
• leave time-wasters and energy-sappers behind me
• plan my time very carefully
• watch the news then move away from tv straight away
• let other people do stuff to take some load off me
• use my diary every day, for everything

If I can learn to do even half of that regularly, 2012 will be a great year. Bring it on!

Crusade 58 – girls on film

Michelle’s challenge for December was to get out from behind the camera and appear in film. All too often we’re invisible, even as we document the lives of those around us. I’m a couple of days late getting the Crusade done, but this is one I really wanted to complete. I had decided I would do this on the 1st of January, a day when I knew I had some time up my sleeve. I don’t see the new year in and was asleep by about 10.30pm. I got woken by screaming fire crackers at midnight. Tony’s ambulance pager went at 3am – some poor person in trouble needed help – and I woke again when he got back home at 5am. Then the alarm went at 7am.

I woke feeling, and looking, less than stellar. I told him about the challenge and asked him to take some photos. He said he didn’t really think he should. Oh dear…I decided to go ahead anyway. After all, this is real life – my life. Here’s the final result. Look at your peril 😉

Statistically speaking…

Crunchy numbers

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,900 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people. In 2011, there were 49 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 500 posts. There were 107 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 101mb. That’s about 2 pictures per week. The busiest day of the year was August 25th with 65 views. The most popular post that day was Pear-ing at my canvas – new pear painting.

(or so WordPress stats tell me in their annual report – I am surprised I managed so few posts – bad me!)

The year that was – 2011 as I remember it

At the end of each year I think back on what I have done; it’s easy for achievements to sort of slide on by barely noticed. Knowing what we have done, and where we’ve been, helps map the road forward – so here a quick recap of things that stand out from 2011. When I first started thinking about this post it seemed I had not achieved much, but that’s not the case. It’s just that this years list is less dramatic than last year’s which had things like an art exhibition in Italy. Not the kind of thing that’s going to crop up year after year!

• Joined in many of the Crusades with Michelle Ward over at the GPP Street Team site.
• Re-elected as Co-Chair is PubSig, a national organisation that supports librarians, to serve another 2 years.
• Did all the ‘stuff’ that needed doing when Aunt J passed away after years of suffering with dementia.
• Accepted for Post Grad Diploma in Museum Studies at Massey for 2012 – they take quite a limited number.
• Enjoyed another year of love and friendship with Sandra; 40-mumble years and counting!
• Officially recognised as Deputy to the District Librarian at work
• Co-presented an interactive workshop on Koha at this year’s LIANZA annual conference
• Kept Mum at home for another year; safe, happy and reasonably well.
• Appointed to the communications committee for the 2012 LIANZA annual conference
• Supported another Kiwi artist who was offered a residency overseas

My guiding word for 2011 was DETERMINED and I did about half the things I was determined to do. But I also did a lot of things that were not on my radar when I wrote my original list. I’m happy with what I achieved for the year. I have a fair idea of my word, and to do list, for 2012 but am not clear enough to capture it here yet. In the next day or two I’m sure I’ll post it…