2017 The Year of Change!

2017 Year of Change

Hopefully everyone is having a better start to this year, then many previous. I am not going to bring the mood down just yet, but will discuss some happenings during my journey. 

Since we last spoke I have been trying to make changes all around my life. Mentally, physically, spiritually, financially, and many more. 

I am having an AMAZING time watching my Granddaughter grow, learn and become her own little person. 

And her mother happen to remind me that I'm going to be 40 in 4 months!!! Well she didn't say that directly, but pointed out Gwendalyn will be 2 in 4 months.

So where do I go from here? I'm not really certain. I am in the long process of trying to clear out my craft room and sewing areas first. I've been listening to The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up By Marie Kondo. I can say it is helping me along the way. I will be doing a YouTube video soon showing my rooms and the items for sale. Really, IT'S A LOT OF ITEMS!!! Pretty much 300+ Stamp sets, inks, embellishments, fabric, tools, punches, any and everything will be sold. 

And now on to some of the not so happy stuff. I've been going through some extremely rough times physically! And after doing a little digging and making appointments with new doctors. I have come across in my medical files that they already have FIBROMYALGIA 

listed as one of the many issues. 

Yes, I have been on meds, from different doctors for different things. But at no point have I been treated for Fibromyalgia or was it discussed at any time from my doctors. This information would have been very helpful MANY, MANY YEARS AGO. Instead of making me suffer and not knowing what was actually wrong. Going to different doctors over the years for different symptoms, to never come to an actual diagnosis. When this whole time I could have been treated for the actual problem, knowing that someone put that in my chart but it has never been addressed has my slightly upset and confused. 

And so I try to carry on. I have my bestie, who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. Guess we just have to start our new chapters in our lives. 

If I must forgo much of what I enjoyed before to become a better me for tomorrow then I will have to try my best. Not that I don't want to give up most days, but for today I will press forward. 

Thanks for listening to me about some of my journey. Hope to see you around soon and you purchase tons of things from my HUGE closing up shop SALE. 

Here are just 2 pictures of some of my craft room. 

See you soon,

be Determined to get things scrapped😁

Find Your Mojo Friday!!!

Good morning Crafty Friends

Today is the first of my series, Find Your Mojo Fridays. I hope this will be a fun adventure that we all can learn from each other and get our Mojo in gear.

I have had many years go past where I was not sure what I was doing with all the craft items I had accumulated. I could go for months at a time and not even look at my desk. Then it hit me. 

At first I thought I was just a collector of awesome crafting supplies. I had to have the newest and greatest items, only to let them sit on the shelf. The problem wasn't the items. The problem was me. I wouldn't even say that it was a problem other than the fact that I'm sure there are Thousands of dollars wrapped up in my crafting supplies. 

Here's a little backstory to explain. Years ago I had started to lose feeling in my hands and was not sure what the issue was. After 2 1/2 years of doctors, traveling to different cities and back again. We had finally located the issue. I had TOS - Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. It had gotten so bad that I could not feel my left hand anymore and began to drop things all the time. The last straw was when I dropped a gallon of milk in the middle of the store and it exploded.  

Not only was I dealing with my own medical problems but I had attended 14 funerals in one year. Family and close friends seemed to surcome to the world that we live in. And then there was my mom. At the same time my medical problems were being laid out for surgery, my mom was told that she had to have surgery to get the possible cancer out of her leg. This all came as a huge shock since she was just having a sore spot. I won't go into that whole thing but will let you know that she did have the surgery to remove the spot and fill it in. It was cancer free. 

Enough with all the backstory. On to the good stuff. It has taken me a very long time to start to find my Mojo again. I thought that if I can find it, ANYONE can.

Sometimes it takes a little work but that is what we are all here for.  I know that I spend a lot of time organizing my craft supplies only to be worn out by the end of the day and don't have time to craft. I am now making a point for myself to make a schedule.

I think that once I have all my stamps cataloged... which I am almost done with. I will have plenty more time to craft. Cataloging my supplies has helped me tremendously. I have been able to go through every item I own and see, touch, and remember why I purchased it in the first place. TO CREATE. 

When I first started to scrapbook and create I was always comparing my work to everyone else. YouTube and Blogs were my biggest competitor. The thing is, I don't need or want to compete with anyone else.  I simply want to create things that I enjoy. If I make something for someone else and they don't enjoy it, I would hope that they pass it along. I have always had the fear of rejection and people not liking what I make. But in the past year or so I have been working on that and learned to let it go.

I create because it makes me feel good. It makes me feel free. It makes me happy. 

When your Mojo has gone missing, try organizing your items. Challenge to use something from your stash that you haven't used in years. Or make a list of 5 items, draw a craft from a list things such as cards, 3D, layout, quilt block, sewing project, or multi media. With the 5 items you have chosen create something. The first thing to come to mind. The internet is there for a reason. To learn from others. If that is part of your problem... turn it off and see how long you can go without being on the internet until you have come up with a project. 

I promise, your Mojo is just around the corner. 

Sorry this has been a long post and somewhat all over. But the next FYMF should be fun. 

Until Tuesday, have a blessed week and find your Mojo.

WOYWW #258

And here were are again for another week of  WOYWW #258

If you don't know what it is or you really would like to find out. Please join us and travel the world. It all starts over at Julia's. She tells you what it is all about and you can connect with people from around the world in just a few clicks. 

So this week in the world of The Determined Scrapper... I am still trying to recover from my visit to the ER last week. I don't think I had mentioned it because I woke up Thursday morning with a pinched nerve in my neck that left my right arm in terrible pain and completely numb. But I will try not to continue to complain about my pains and troubles. They are not nearly as much fun to talk about as the crafty things we all have going on. 

Now that I am trying to find my MoJo, I was able to get my desk cleaned off a little and get almost all of my stamps and supplies listed in Evernote. I really am still working on getting a post together about that. It will hopefully be very informative. 

I think my MoJo is at the bottom of my clean desk. Yesterday was my birthday and I was able to do whatever my little heart desired.... Pretty much nothing. No, not really. My BFF picked me up and took me to breakfast. After that I had gone and looked at some flowers. I did end up getting a couple of starters from the garden center and came home and planted those in containers and by the time I finished up it started to storm. It was a beautiful day and I received wonderful Birthday wishes. Thank you for that. 

Today, I have finally. Finally! started to plan out the beginnings of my quilt. 

So I decided to hang some fleece on the wall since the little piece of batting that I had was definitely not going to be big enough.

My quilt is going to be 16 squares across by 15 squares down. I am going to be able to do about 6 rows down on this piece of fabric but that should give me enough of an idea for my planning board. I think I will be able to get it mostly up there and then start sewing. Hey, I figure it is my first quilt and so far it's working. 

Well so far it is working and I decided to stop after I had gotten 2 rows completed on the board. Hopefully I will be able to get to a little more tomorrow.

The next 2 days are going to be pretty busy. I am attending the women's conference at church, which is going to be the highlight of the year. 

I've been a little chatty Cathy tonight. I'm running a little late, but later than never right.

Until later this week (hopefully). Or until we meet again. Have a wonderful time traveling the world from the comfort of your desk and have a blessed and safe week.

Mindy

The Determined Scrapper 

WOYWW #255

Another week,

another WOYWW

If you don't know what this is and just have to find out more, play along with us and travel the world in just a few clicks. 

Julia - The Stamping Ground

I know I have been missing again for a week but in my house right now there never seems to be a dull moment.

Today for example, things were going not so well as the rest of my week. I woke up this morning with one of the worst migraines I have had in quite some time. So my day was spent in bed. Boy that sounds fun huh?

So that lead me to miss my church life group (AGAIN), which I really do not like to do. As the evening was just beginning, I had received a call that one of my daughters baby bunnies had passed away while she was at school. We didn't even know that she was pregnant a couple weeks ago until she had the babies. Out of the 4 babies, 2 are doing well and one is probably not going to make it through the night. Trying to mend a teenagers heart that cares so much for creatures big and to her preferably small, is a very hard thing to do. It didn't help that I still have a migraine. 

Okay enough of that. I hope everyone had a WONDERFUL and blessed Easter. Around here the weather was perfect and the company was great. I have to say this is one of the best dinners I've had with my family. Not because of the food, but because I had the chance to sit and talk with my dad. 

Growing up my dad was not a religious person by any means, but within the past year and a half, I have seen the most amazing changes in him. He has been baptised, attends church, and is in 2 life groups.  This Easter I sat and talked with my dad the entire time about different scriptures and how God is using him. It was a wonderful time spent with my family.

So this week in the world of crafting for The Determined Scrapper. (sorry it took so long to get to the point) I have all 240 blocks cut for my first quilt. I have about 80 more to finish squaring up and then I can begin to assemble. Now looking at things and seeing how long it has taken me to complete this step, I don't believe I will be able complete this before May 11th but I can always try.

I'm still working on getting all my stamps and other supplies listed in my EverNote database. When I was busy with invitations I had gotten a little behind and now I have a pretty big bin on my desk that still needs to be entered. I also have been working on getting together a tutorial on how I use EverNote to organize and document my crafting supplies.

Wow, a lot of words and only one picture. I promise next week I will not be as boring. A crazy life makes for a boring blog sometimes.

Have a blessed week and I hope to see you soon. 

Mindy

The Determined Scrapper

WOYWW #253

At this time during the week, I try to join others around the world for a quick look at each others work spaces. This week on WOYWW, I have two desk to show. If you're interested in knowing what all of this hubbub is about, make sure to swing by Julia's and she will give you a quick view.

Don't you just wish sometimes that there were more hours in the day?.?. Not to do things we don't enjoy, but to do things we DO enjoy. I've noticed since I've started quilting that I am enjoying myself much more. 

For the most part I am a self taught quilter and I am being told that my first project is too big for a First timer. Well my theory is Go Big or Go Home!

I have not taken any classes in person, I have not been taught from a family member, and I haven't joined any groups. (yet) All I have done is watched some YouTube and researched it on the Internet and well.... hopefully I am getting it all figured out.

As for, WOYWW, my sewing area has the makings of my first quilt. I am piecing the top of it and I'm about half way through cutting the pieces for it. 

Only 200 more pieces to go and then I can sew them all back together again.

And for my craft room desk, well that's another story. It was in shambles since I finished the invitations. So yesterday I worked on cleaning it up a little so I could at least see the top of it. The stuff that is on top is all things that I have to get into my supply inventory that I keep updated in Evernote. If you haven't checked out this program, I suggest giving it a try. I will have to do a post about it some time to show you how I have all of my supplies organized. 

Well for tonight my friends this is a look into my world. Time for me to go for a trip around the world and hope to see you before next weeks WOYWW.

Blessings

Mindy - The Determined Scrapper