Thursday 5 November 2009

I've started....


We were talking at this morning's Cute Christmas workshop. Not in itself an unusual thing, to be honest! But it turned out to be a cutting-heavy workshop and there was some whingeing about it. Of course, by the time I finally offered to help with 'all the cutting out', it had been done. Thus, magically, I was spared twice: once from any more whingeing and once from the peculiar feeling of having cut these particular images out before....which of course I had, because I made the samples. The cutting doesn't happen by magic, especially when the reindeer card is in its third incarnation because I kept lopping off his horns. See. I'm so much better at whingeing than anyone else...after all, my workshop, my rules!
S'cuse the digression, I felt it needed saying. At the lunch time end of the workshop we fell to talking about the unfinished jobs around the house that just drive you mad. The Librarian waited seven years for a bath to be put in. I have a room with a section of skirting board missing, since sometime in the last century. There has been no carpet on our bottom stair since the day after we moved into this house. Fourteen years then, shockingly. But you live with these things long enough, you stop noticing, or you develop strategies, huh. Same with my craft stuff. For example, ages ago I made a 'word' album - the word was HOME and although it was used as a Workshop sample, I was so pleased with it that even as I was making it, I'd selected the photos and embellishments for it. Well, it was in the summer. It remains photo-less and distinctly un-embellished. For example, my friend the Colonial did a super Workshop a couple of weekends ago; we made a really nice folded tag album. It (the workshop) became a bit manic toward the end when people try to finish in a panic - so I didn't finish - a couple tags to stamp and some colouring to do - nothing major. But it's still in a heap on my desk and really, it'll only take 5 minutes. So how come? I do not know. The motivation - rather the lack thereof, is rather like the one that stops me re-visiting old scrapbook LOs. I could - probably should, but don't wanna. And I can find any number of excuses; lots of you have read them before. So what do you leave unfinished cooking, crafting, reading, is it part of the pleasure, to finish up in your own time and perhaps using something that you didn't have to hand initially? Or are you obsessive about finishing? These days, because I know that I'm unlikely to go back and fully finish something, I don't bother starting it unless I can see the end in sight. Like reading, as I've said before - all or nothing. It's obviously a personality trait, but I wonder what it's called. Idleness probably. I just hope that after my third effort, the reindeer card that the Librarian took home to cut out and finish gets done..before Christmas would be good!

17 comments:

Unknown said...

Mmmm that is a tricky question ... because if you are talking about little finishes like the odd embellishment etc., then I always finish straight away ... but if you are talking inserts and cello bags finishing ... well that can run into months!
I have made several wordbooks in my time and I have one I started 18 months ago which is "believe" and I have a humungus stash of Be Good papers that I dare n't touch in case I do not have enough ... which is bonkers because I sooooo do .... however I would not term that unfinished ... to me it comes under the category of ongoing ... Do you think finishing comes under the glass half full school of thought??? I wonder!

Unknown said...

Why does this only happen on your blog??? I ramble away and forget to comment on your lovely card ... now if you could be a mate and cut me about 50 of those ickle reindeer out ... well I could get on with finishing my ongoing projects :0)

Neenie said...

Love that super-cute reindeer, particularly his fabby nose and gorgeous vellum too. I suffer from the same condition as you, I like to think of myself as a Champion Procrastinator. I'll always sort this or that out later, my head's full of plans (sometimes quite wonderful) but they never quite make it to my fingertips - perhaps my brain is misfiring? I think my main problem is that I get distracted so easily, that I flit butterfly-like from one thing to the next, never quite resting long enough to achieve my goal. I get bored so easily but am also rather obsessive about things, once they capture my imagination. I am very good at organising other people, though...... You are not alone, m'dear.x :)

Pam said...

Count me in the one that never finishes (sometimes don't even make a start!), take last night my desk was tidy as I was just about to start stamping up some images did I finish no I didn't even start. Although I did manage to finish my glass of wine I topped up does that count? Lol Pam

Carmen said...

Definitely not alone :) I too have a nekked step though mine is the one down to the kitchen. You beat me on time though - ours has only been chilly for about 5 years. It used to be the kitchen floor as well but we got round to laminating that earlier this year, we just couldn't work out how to laminate up a step and we can't be bothered to recarpet the hall and come down the stair just yet.

When I first started scrapping I would concentrate on one page and finish it to the end before I started anything else... now I have unfinished bits and bobs everywhere. Half way through a swap (but I blame my printer for that one) materials bought for some Christmas pressies but can't find suitable containers (teacup in this case) to combine it with, so do I hold off and finish what I'm doing. No I go and sign up to two christmas swaps starting end of this month. Arg!

However I do find if I start a scrapbook page these days that's the one thing I carry through and finish in a oner - allowing for drying times of course :)

I think it's commonly known as Crafteritis ;)

Carmen said...

p.s plus Ruby has even started coming down of a morning bare tootsied and doing an exaggerated step down onto the cold step and going 'oooh, cold. Oooh, cold' for about 5 minutes. I swear she is going to be some sort of theatrical diva!

Ann said...

No. I'm a finisher!
Have to start and finish crafty projects, because if I haven't finished and put it all back into the cupboard at the end of the day, I cannot find bits of it the next time around!
Love the reindeer stamp.

CoventryAnn said...

It must be in the name then Ann, as i'm a finisher too. I just know that if i leave a project half done and have to clear away, that i will never complete it, and i will lose the thread of what i was going to do.
Love the reindeer, i don't do cute, but this one, i like!

Kaz said...

Yep I have unfinished stuff too. I went to a crafty retreat in May and started a journal thingy. Did quite a bit but it's sat waiting to be finished for ages untouched. Trouble is, there's another retreat this May! No betting on if I get this finished by then.

Love the reindeer card xx

Angie said...

I am a mix of both ... with scrapping I usually finish LO's or put them aside for a week or so and then finish them but mini books can get left unfinished ...the trouble is if they are put away they may never get finished. Other crafty things I try get finished if I am happy with then ... but if something goes wrong or I dont like the item ...they may never get finished.

Love your card ...he is so cute.
I got organized to start on my cards today...stamps ... pens ... plain card scraps ... PP ... ribbon ... and glitter ....BUT NO CARDS ...DD had used our stock Grrrrrrrr

Paige said...

Nope I'm a big finisher as well. It has to be completed, normally in one sitting. I can't stand leaving a project on my desk only partly done. I have however, a pile of started cross stitch projects that have been un-finished for over 8 years :( theya re packed away so i can't see them :)

Paige said...

Meant to say as well! Love the card and I think I'll get an order in there for a few of those lovely stamped and beautifully coloured Reindeer as well as Linda please ;) I think 50 so do me as well ;) lol

Teresa said...

LOVE the card Julia, and as you are going to be doing a round 50 of those oh so cute reindeers for Linda, you will not notice doing a few more for little ole me, so I too can have a go at finishing the mountain of UFO's that I have too! lol "runs and ducks for cover to avoid sharp pointy object that I know is heading swiftly in my direction"

I blame my lack of finishing things that I am playing with on being a Gemini, the original butterfly brain. It is a good excuse and for now (until I think of a better one) I am sticking to. I try to complete LO's as I know I will not go back to them, but as for experiments, when I run out of ideas/mojo/time/project not going the way I had invisioned or whatever reason seems good to me at the time, it starts off sitting on the side of the desk waiting for inspiration to strike for a while then it gets moved to the UFO box. When said box is full I do go through it and start a day of dismantling/finishing or binning ............ SHOCK HORROR! I do throw things out that I realise are just not going to get done in my lifetime, poor fairy house looks to be heading in that direction as I just cannot find the "right" stamps to use on it.

Ginny said...

im a great starter but a lousy finisher..lol

love the vellum on ur card and that reindeers a cutie :0)

Charlie said...

First of all - this is a very cute card. Secondly thanks for visiting me and your nice comment. Not quite sure if you feel weak because I take too long or not long enough making such a card?? WIP - don't even get me started - I have lots of UFO's in a box on a shelf - those things you start during a course - but don't really feel you desperately need to finish right now. ALWAYS something more urgent on my craft to do list. I only make individual cards - I would DIE if I had to make more than 4 of the same - even my xmas cards come in sets of 4 - silly as the same person will only receive 1 of them and therefore nobody would know if they were all the same - but that's how silly I am. I get BOOOORED if my crafting goes into mass production. Maybe having limited time on my hands due to a full time job is part of it. On the other hand my DH is such a gem - he even cooks and cleans and certainly takes his share (and sometimes some of mine) of the housework here. But in short (to late for that isn't it...) I see what you're saying - and mostly I make things on the spot for the card I am working on.

Nerdy Girl.... The Life of Linda said...

I love the little reindeer, so cute...

Anonymous said...

Yes, I did finish the reindeer card, 2 days after the workshop - and I didn't cut off his antlers - and I stamped Merry Christmas on the vellum bit - and I remembered to make his nose shiny!
Glad I did that card last, the cutting out took me forever and if I'd done it first I wouldn't have finished any of the others.
Oh, and come to think of it, it was the washbasin I waited 7 years for, not the bath!