Sunday 31 December 2017

Goodbye 2017, Hello 2018.

2018 is just around the corner hours away, so here I am having my traditional nostalgic look back over my creations of the past 12 months and picking out my favourite projects.

Before I do, I will share the results of my 2017 Resolutions which were as follows:
1) Make a minimum of 2 Christmas cards per month
2) For every card using a newly purchased image, make 2 featuring an older image and
3) Make one masculine card per month.

The results are as follows:
1) 44 Christmas cards made, but a large proportion of these were in Nov/Dec and even then I discovered I needed a lot more than I'd made so I really need to increase this target to 3 per month next year to avoid the panic rush in December!

2) Newly purchased:Old image ratio was 39:52, so I didn't quite make this target.  I don't think it is worth trying to improve on this because if i look at the pile of unused stamps I have, I've probably already failed on this for 2018 too before we've even hit 1 January!

3) Masculine cards total was 37 (although some of those were edging towards males who are very much in touch with their feminine side!)  I think I need to focus more on masculine Christmas cards because I really do struggle with those in particular.

I'll make my 2018 resolutions at the base of this post. While I ponder what they'll be, I am doing my customary annual round up of my favourite projects from the last 12 months.

You'd better brace yourself for a photo heavy post, or just scroll to the bottom to see my aspirations for 2018 ...

Thank you for staying with me this past year. I know many bloggers are moving towards FaceBook or Instagram etc, but I'm not a huge fan of FB and am not a member of Instagram, so I'm staying here for the foreseeable. I really do appreciate the comments you leave me, because I know that it takes much longer to write a comment than simply click a 'like' button, but I hope you'll stay with me in Blogland!  :0)


I was really pleased with this 'no lines' image and have a new-found soft spot for hedgies:





I reverted back to my customary fussy style for this wedding wall hanger:




I love this panda and found the 'no lines' technique really worked well on her. I want to continue to work on my no-lines technique in 2018.





Some lovely new releases from Lili of the Valley included this comical pony which I loved ...





... and this adorable image called 'Bedtime stories':



I continued my love affair with Stamping Bella images with Orchid:








And found new love with Gerda Steiner images:


These Christmas Mice arrived from LOTV later in the year and they became one of my favourite images for a long time:





I tried something new with these pop-up boxes using Adorable Elephants from MFT ...




... and re-visited one of my oldest images, giving her a colouring facelift!





I tried new techniques with backgrounds and masking (the moon)...



... but still loved one of my oldest layouts (complementary papers on top/bottom halves, covered by a central panel, with an array of flowers around a circular image)...



... but clean and simple became more common on my blog:






Finally, I finished with a project which took many hours, but I loved the end result - an advent box calendar. Click on the image below to see the whole project!


So, my new year's Resolutions for 2018?

1) Make at least 3 Xmas cards per month which must include at least 1 suitable for a guy,
2) For every card using a newly purchased image, make 2 featuring an older image.
Let's see how these fare! :0)

Thanks for staying until the end. 
Have a lovely New Year and I'll see you on the other side!
Happy crafting
Annette
xx



9 comments:

Aileen said...

Annette I have loved visiting your blog throughout the year and will continue to do so. I have Instagram and though its nice to add cards there it doesnt beat having a blog and being able to add the personal touches. I love all the cards you have added, always enjoy your fabulous style and colouring and look forward to many years more.

I dont do resolutions as I am lucky to last a day on anything I resolve to do. I always promise myself I wont buy anymore stamps till I have used all I have and used each set fully but the rate Im going at my new and unused nearly outweigh my used. So much temptation. I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year and loook forward to catching up again soon xxxhugs Aileen

Lisa xx said...

Don't always get time to comment, but I've loved many of your cards, this past year.....I think you've done pretty well with your resolutions too.

Not an Instagram user, and I tend to use FB, for chitchat, so I will be sticking with my lil' blog too!

Aquarius said...

I love visiting your blog and am very happy that you are sticking with blogs in preference to FB or Instagram - they just aren't quite the same in my opinion and not everyone is happy with their format. A super roundup of your cards too and it will be interesting to see how the resolutions fare this year. I've made a couple but don't really hold out hopes of complete success but not to worry. Have a Happy, Crafty and Healthy 2018.

Sarah said...

A fabulous selection of your works Annette, your no lines cards have been really impressive. I am definitely sticking with blogging, Facebook and the like are far too techy for me!! As for resolutions I am hoping to find more time for crafting/blogging now that the dogs are older and hopefully my working hours will settle, so fingers crossed.Happy New year xx

Wendy Nicola Jackson said...

What a fab line up Annette! I think you did well to even attempt those new years resolutions last year! I'm amazed how well you've done. I love seeing your crafty adventures and the CAS style you embarked on most recently has resulted in some truly stunning creations. I do so love your more fussy and fancy style too though! Happy New Year hun. I look forward to your crafty adventures in 2018. Hugs, Wends xoxo

Deborah said...

I love visiting your blog and seeing your fabulous creations. All the best for 2018.
Deborah A

Craftdee said...

Happy New Year Annette. Love each and every make in your "round up"... but you knew that ;-)
I will be following your blog "for the foreseeable" - I too don't have Instagram and find Facebook to be too "clunky" - so busy-looking and hard to wade through; I joined a few groups (because as you say many blogs are going to FB) to enter challenges and haven't entered one, takes too much wading, lol.
I added one "Friend" (a cousin in England) and I've got to say the number of notifications I get with just ONE "Friend" has stopped me from adding any more... not even my sister, lol. Cuz obviously has waaaaaay too much time on her hands!
I like to comment on projects that really catch my eye, I'd like to comment more but it DOES take time; all -
my take out of that is if people DO leave a comment it's because the project stood out to them. That said you'll have to take this as a "like" from me for all your lovely makes:-)
I'm probably gonna get run out of town for my anti-FB stance... but nobody will know - unless you read it on Facebook, lol
Hope you have a great 2018, I am SO impressed with how well you did with last year's resolutions; I've decided not to make any this year... that way I haven't failed, lol. Donna xx

Larissa said...

Love this post Annette! Although I am on instagram and facebook, I really love my blog. I know I haven't been doing really well on commenting the past year. It has been a though year. I hope 2018 will be better!!

I love seeing your cards. Your (no-line) colouring is amazing. I love your CAS cards, they are really amazing!

It is real fun to read about your 2017 resolutions. You did better than me with your christmas cards. This year I am also trying to make them all year long. I want to try 2 each month.
I should do the new and old image thing...I also have a huge amount of unused stamps. I am going to try. ;)
Masculine cards are not really my thing, so I am not follwing that resolution. ;)

I am looking forward to see all the crafty things you are going to do in 2018!! :)

-xxx-

Anne said...

Really lovely selection of your makes Annette, I have my favourite, I'm looking at it now!!
I'm still a blog fan too, I do use Facebook but not for crafts and the advertising on there is getting out of hand at the moment. I haven't tried Instagram, as there aren't enough hours in a day as it is!

I think you did pretty well in 2017 with your resolutions, male cards was very impressive! Christmas cards is a biggie for me and I'm determined to get ahead this year - as well as using old stash (again!)

Anne x