The Christmas thing...

Text: Hero Arts, Background: Stampers Anonymous and Spellbinder dies. I think that's  all...see, I'm trying to remember to give credits....so you don't think I can draw and write eight million different fonts by hand - well you might have!

I'm still visiting WOYWW desks, but as you know this isn't unusual.  There's no science to any of this of course, but I gather from WOYWW comments and posts that it seems we roughly fall into four categories. Those of us who cannot or will not face Christmas until the seasons change and the time is right.  I must say that this group of people includes Jo of Jozarty.  And it's easy to tell why.  They are prolific non-procrastinating crafters.  They do, and talk about it afterwards - no prior blog whingeing about how much has to be done, or how difficult it is to make time or how un-christmassy the mojo feels.  So when Autumn turns its face toward Christmas, such crafters will allocate some time and create their cards.

Then there are the crafters who are organised through fear.  They love Christmas and all that it means and brings to their doorsteps, but are afraid of being bogged down by all the work that it inevitably involves.  And let's face it, you can't enjoy anything if you're constantly under pressure about it.  And so, for fear of not having time and ruining their own holidays by being behind, these crafters make a few Christmas cards here and there throughout the year.  Or to a set pattern of monthly/weekly.  The trick with this plan is  not to beat yourself up if you can't do this week/month's allocation for some reason, and catch up if possible.  Although I think in the case of such organised beings, it may well take a broken hand to prevent the card box being topped up!

And there's the majority, who move with the Seasons and can tell that Christmas Day is the same date every year and know how long they need to make their cards.  And enjoy doing them within the context of the approaching season.   Probably by the end of November they'll be considering their stock and making a few, calmly accepting that not all things are possible so handmade cards go to the appropriate people. 

 I can't tell you how much I dislike the part that I play in making Christmas last 4 months by producing card workshops in August.  But these are not 'thank you cards'  to be sent after an event.  And so people want ideas and er, inspiration 'up front'.  And if you send the cards you make at a workshop then you probably need to come to a handful of workshops to make enough, huh!   The Christmas cards I make now will be recognisably different from any cards I make in December...after all, the 'spirit of the Season' is far easier to lock into when you're actually in the Season!    

And then of course, comes the panic driven crafter.  Amongst my favourites, they are frantically crafting till the small hours, often in bad light, to meet a last posting date or create something particular the night before the get-together or the big day itself.  I have learned that panic is not a good thing for me..it blocks me instantly and causes me to make 15 rubbish cards in an attempt to get one simple idea from brain to card stock.  I like a deadline sure, indeed a deadline is motivating.  

Just not motivating enough for me if it's more than about 3 weeks away!  Then it becomes a procrastinator's dream and the whole cycle is fulfilled.  Again!