A Long, Long Time Ago {Finally Finished Fridays}

In what seems like another lifetime, I set myself the dubious goal of working through all of my unfinished, unloved and otherwise abandoned projects. I started by sorting them into categories - barely started; got going; halfway through; a couple of tweaks; and almost finished. Believe me there were many that fell into that last category. Shame on me!

Once sorted, I then challenged myself to complete a project each and every week in the run up to Christmas - Christmas 2010! Challenge completed, I then promptly started on lots of new and exciting projects. Which are now lingering unfinished, unloved and otherwise abandoned!

I think it's time for another round of Finally Finished Fridays. It's a simple idea. Each and every Friday, I'll share some of my 'in progress' and 'finally finished' projects - it's my way of holding myself accountable. Let me know if you'd like to join in!

I'll be starting this weekend with a project that can definitely be categorized as 'almost finished'. All this mini-album needs to finish it off is some journalling. That's it. Handwritten, printed, stamped - it doesn't really matter. It's been waiting too long. But who knows, in a week it might be finally finished!

Learn Something New Every Day {Finally Finished Fridays}

After categorising some of my works in progress at the beginning of November and promising to complete at least one project each week - a promise which I managed to keep for all of three weeks before I became ill - it looked as though the pile of unfinished, unloved projects would once again be forgotten. But the sense of satisfaction that came from finally finishing a project that has been sat gathering dust was hard to forget and I've decided that the idea of Finally Finished Fridays is worth continuing on into the New Year.

I admit that it will be hard to pick up those old, unfinished items when new projects are beckoning but, thankfully, I have you - my lovely blogreaders - to keep me on track and tell me off when I don't post something each week. You will help me, won't you?

Anyway, just to prove that I'll be following through on my promise this time around, here's a completed project to round off 2010. (There's so many photographs of it, I've had to pop them into a slideshow!)

I started this mini-album in September, when Shimelle's annual Learn Something New Every Day project began in earnest. I was determined to keep up with the project but, I had some extremely bad news not long into the project, and although I continued to keep notes, take pictures and jot down my journalling, it was too difficult to complete the actual album at the time. (And it's easy to see why once you start scrolling through the photographs.)

I'd made a start on putting together some of the pages at the beginning of November, because I felt that since I'd managed to keep on journalling and taking photographs, that I should be able to finish the album without too much trouble. But, because there were some very hard lessons for me in September, looking back was difficult - and a little overwhelming, and I only managed a few pages at a time. I finally finished today (though the photograph from Day 18 seems to have gone missing!) and it feels just a little bittersweet.

But, if I can finish this little album, I can finish anything and I feel as though I can let go of the events of 2010 and move forward into 2011.

Have a Happy New Year x

A Proud Moment {Finally Finished Friday}

I know, I know. I'm cutting it a little fine with my Finally Finished Friday project this week but, since I actually managed to complete something earlier in the week and didn't save it until today, I'm not too worried. And, after all, it is still Friday.

For one reason or another, this project has been worked on in several stages. I first misted the background onto my cardstock about two months ago and absolutely loved the effect - I thought it looked like a starry night - and wanted to save it for the perfect project.

Back in October, the perfect project finally came along in the guise of a monthly challenge over on All About Me - a proud moment or achievement - but due to the timing, I was unable to take part in the challenge at the time. Over the next week or two, I got as far as finding the chipboard elements, trinkets and wording that I wanted to use but, until tonight, I never got as far as actually sticking them down on paper. Oh, how I love sticking things down on paper!

I even managed to squeeze some journalling on there - not always one of my strong points - all about how I managed to buy my own home at the tender age of 24.

It feels wonderful to have this layout finally finished and, thankfully, it looks just how I envisaged it all those months ago. Now maybe I'll have chance to play along with this month's challenge?

Colours Of The Rainbow

Each week on Operation Tackle That Beadstash, Liz puts together a Monday Moodboard with the aim of inspiring contributors and followers alike to dig around in their bead stash and make a little 'something, something'. There's a new one up today, so check it out!

A little while ago, Liz posted a rainbow themed moodboard and I managed to find a small tub of plastic seed beads that had come free with a papercrafts magazine. At the time they had been separated by colour, but at some point I must have mixed them altogether - perfect for making something multi-coloured. Mainly because I could never be bothered to try separating them again. Ahem!

I had intended to turn them into one of my safety pin cuff bracelets but, in the end, I had far too many safety pins for one bracelet and not enough for two. Having spent so long threading the seed beads onto the safety pins, I was loathe to start all over again. So I've had a pot of safety pins, sat in all their multicoloured glory, on my desk for several months.

The other day, I came across a length of pure white ribbon and decided to try threading it through the backs of the safety pins to create a choker style necklace. Lo and behold, it works - and it looks pretty cool with my white shirt for work.

Now, I must confess that I started writing this post with the intention of scheduling it as this week's Finally Finished Friday, but figured that if I posted it tonight, I'd have extra incentive to complete another project by the end of the week. I'm pushing myself people!

A Small Start {Finally Finished Friday}

Although starting a new job seems to have caught up with me this week and the energy with which I enthusiastically tackled spreadsheets last week begins to wane, I didn't want to have to admit defeat in the very first week of my attempt to finish some of my (many) works in progress.

So, I'm starting small and have finally finished a small pair of earrings, using the leftover pink crystal beads from an earlier bracelet project - a project which had also been on my 'to do' list for a long time.

Finishing these wee beauties might have been a fairly simple task, but I still feel a sense of achievement and I've finally crossed one 'work in progress' off my list.

Progressing Nicely

I spent some time this weekend trying to categorise my works in progress - barely started; got going; halfway through; a couple of tweaks; and almost finished but too lazy to add the last, necessary component. Is it just me that has this problem with completing projects?

I'm going to try and finish at least one project a week between now and the new year - when I shall be recovering from the excesses of the holidays; when my probable detox diet will be creating issues with my manual dexterity; and when I shall, most likely, abandon all ideas of completing works in progress and start afresh.

I'll be sharing all of my 'in progress' and 'finally finished' photographs as incentive, but it won't work unless you, my lovely blog readers, hold me accountable. So watch out for Finally Finished Fridays and, please, tell me how you find the motivation to start working on old projects!