Day 287: Lotsa fun today making prints with the gelli plate and working with @Obajoo!

Day 288: Making a larger version of the collage from Day 282. Trying to get the yellow house just right.

Day289: Yarn: Doctor Donna. Pattern: Oswin Shawl. Started: 11/23/13. #loveeverythingaboutthistweet

Day 290: @kingjrd and I are co-crocheting a comfort blanket for a grieving friend.

Day 291: Secret Christmas project.

Day 292 & 293: Last Christmas present finished!!

Since returning from Nepal, I’ve thought a lot about if I would continue making something every day. Frankly the decision wasn’t all that hard.

I’ve had a couple of people ask me about the year and what it’s meant to me. Every time I’ve responded that I’ve loved this year. I’ve love the freedom to spend time on creative things combined with the structure of every day. I feel like the body of work I’ve produced in this past year allows me to call myself an artist.

When I started, I wanted to work every day. That was the goal. To be in practice every day and to recognize and call out for myself when I accomplished that. From that perspective, I feel like the year was a success. My end total was 303 days out of 365. The only thing I would change would be the number of days that I wasn’t able to work or the work I did was crochet instead of paper and paint. A challenge for the next year, right?

So I will be continuing with a second year of Making Something Every Day. Here’s a refresher of the guidelines:
• Every day.
• 20 minutes.
• Post a photo.
• No more than 2 yarn posts per 7 days.

I’m adding one more thing. I want to finish 4-6 larger pieces of work this year so I will add that as a guideline. I finished several large pieces this year, but it wasn’t intentional at all.

Since returning from Nepal, I’ve thought a lot about if I would continue making something every day. Frankly the decision wasn’t all that hard.

I’ve had a couple of people ask me about the year and what it’s meant to me. Every time I’ve responded that I’ve loved this year. I’ve love the freedom to spend time on creative things combined with the structure of every day. I feel like the body of work I’ve produced in this past year allows me to call myself an artist.

When I started, I wanted to work every day. That was the goal. To be in practice every day and to recognize and call out for myself when I accomplished that. From that perspective, I feel like the year was a success. My end total was 303 days out of 365. The only thing I would change would be the number of days that I wasn’t able to work or the work I did was crochet instead of paper and paint. A challenge for the next year, right?

So I will be continuing with a second year of Making Something Every Day. Here’s a refresher of the guidelines:
• Every day.
• 20 minutes.
• Post a photo.
• No more than 2 yarn posts per 7 days.

I’m adding one more thing. I want to finish 4-6 larger pieces of work this year so I will add that as a guideline. I finished several large pieces this year, but it wasn’t intentional at all.

This week has been a crochet heavy week and I’m sorry about that since the challenge has been primarily about paper and paint. I’ve been working against some pre-Nepal trip deadlines so I’ve been using a lot of time crocheting to get things done before I go and in preparation of teaching the ladies in Nepal. I promise to get back to the paper and paint soon! Or, you know, more like in December.

Day 265: progress report.

Day 266: Weaving in end threads.

Day 267: Working on my travel journal.

Day 268: While working on the edging for the blankie, Anwyn has decided she likes it very much.

Day 269: Starting the last row of a crochet project I’ve worked on longer than any previous crochet project.

Day 270: I’m finished! I’m finished!

Days 271 & 272: Nepal project prep.

Thoughts on this week:
I have 100 days left on this challenge. Becky asked me this week if I’d do it again next year. When I answered I didn’t know, she and Stephen both encouraged me to continue. I still don’t know. I’m wondering if I should do it again but change it somehow. Of course, there’s something to be said for don’t fix what isn’t broken. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts and suggestions.

I’ll be traveling (you might have heard something about a trip to Nepal) in November. Not sure how much daily work I’ll be doing during that time or during Thanksgiving week. Either way, that extends the last leg of the challenge well into the new year. Still processing what I think about that. If it matters or not about whether I do it again next year.

I do know it has been an incredibly fulfilling and fun year. I’ve got so many memories wrapped up in these daily pieces of art. An unexpected bonus to what started out as training exercise. I can say I appreciate all of your encouragement and comments on the stuff I’ve made. Art is so personal and subjective. So I am especially appreciative of all of the positive things people have said.

Day 258: Morning meditation on Hope, Peace, and Love. One to go.

Day 258b: It’s a good day! I’m finished!

Day 259: Working in my tiny art journal again feels good.

Day 260: Faith, Hope and Love.

Day 261: Watching the paint dry on the cover of my mini Smash Book. Gonna use it as my journal in Nepal.

Day 262: Beginning assembly of the granny square blankie.

Day 263: Outermost squares are tied on, not sewed to the middle yet. This is how much I’ve done since last night.

Day 264: Race to the end! I’ve got 10 squares to make and I’ll have all the squares for the boarder.

Day 120: Star of Cracker Barrel for 1/3 of a year!

So yeah, I’ve being doing this for a third of a year now. In my mind, it’s kinda a big deal.

Day 121: It’s not blue! Gonna make some more postcards.

Renée said it was the end of my blue period. I don’t think it’s the end, just a pause to enjoy some different colors. Also, you can see the backwards letters that I printed in this shot. While I was using the gelatin plate, I took my letter stencils and plunked them on the plate. Too bad I forgot that it would be backward. Sometimes the art side of my brain overrules the brain part of my brain.

Day 122: I’m so in love with this postcard this morning!

Yep, still loving this one. I might have to get it framed.

Day 123: Flight, feathers, and song postcard.

This one turned out well, I think. Not as well as Day 122 but hey, not every album can be The Joshua Tree. What I wrote on it is actually, “feathers, flight, and song” I got it transposed when I tweeted it.

Day 124: Background. Yeah, I don’t know what it’s going to be either. (Hint: not postcards!)

Oh, the time when the thing is only a background and I wonder to myself what will I do with this one? Will it be a flop? Will I end up having to trash it? Will it be something I love forever and never want to part with? Will it be something that someone else will love? Oh, the fake agony.

Day 125: Experiment! (With art!) Sadly, no trees.

Day 126: Added a sheep but I’m still not happy with it. It feels like a big muddy mess.

I’m just not happy with how this one is going. It may end up in the trash. I’ll give it one more look tomorrow and then I may call it done/trash. Meh.

This Week!
Wow! This week! So I sold a piece.

Ann bought this for her living room and I’m so glad it went to a loving home! It’s not the first piece of art I’ve ever sold but it has a great deal of meaning for me since it comes from this year long project. The bonus is the money she paid me is going to my Nepal trip fund!

Another friend is trying the Make Something Every Day Challenge. You can read about the beginning of Jeanetta’s adventures on her blog. Her first piece is so excellent!

Day 92: Be of good cheer, daughter.

I’ve not been giving away the things I’ve made this year. I have a giant stack of stuff. This one however, I gave to a friend because it seemed like it needed to be with her.

Day 93: What sort of art supply/tool am I making? Answer tomorrow!

So I got Liza this book for Easter. I figured that we could work through some of the projects this summer. It’s like art camp! But for the price of a book! My kind of camp! The book is really great for intro projects to a lot of different art techniques. I found the one for gelatin printing particularly interesting. I made one plate, had to go to the store for more gelatin. Used that plate until it fell apart and then made another with the help of Becky and Ashley at craft night.

Day 94: first mono prints from my gelatin plate!

What I’m coming to realize about the gelatin printing though is that I need more stencils. I knew that before but didn’t have a good enough reason to buy more. Now I do!

Day 95: My favorite prints from today’s session with the gelatin plate.

I’ve got a ton of good material to work with from the plate and stencils.

Day 96: I made a storm hidey-hole for my craft today. (Here’s hoping we don’t have to get in it with the dog.)

Such a long, stressful day! Kids got out early from school because of the weather. Then we ended up all in the hidey-hole for about 30 minutes. So. Not. Fun. I was too tired by the end of all that to think about anything but going to bed.

Day 97: Using one of the gelatin prints as a background for a collage.

I used the plainest print from my sessions to start a collage.

Day 98: I am pretty pleased with the way this picture is shaping up.

Not finished with this one yet. I think I’m going to put a quote of some kind on the tag. Don’t know yet. Still thinking…