Completion, and new beginnings

Nine days into the new year and I am thinking about completing.  As in...finish putting away the holiday decor (number one priority for today)

...it's hard to say goodbye!

 A frosty cold day is perfect for getting things done.

Or, napping.

These two have me in constant danger of being sidetracked by leisure!

Here are a couple of things I have just this year been finishing:

I purchased this sampler from Pam Garrison last year, and began working on it last summer...

and finished it this week!  It's a great project to keep with you for those idle moments, like waiting for appointments, and makes for a fabulous feeling of "completion"!

Also last year (or maybe EVEN the year before...) I began working on one of those "cage doll" decorations.  Mine is a metal cage, topped with a vintage china cup...

and then with a china "half doll"; I found one that was just the right size in Kansas City last month.

  On new year's day I got it out, glued it on and began embellishing.  It's hard to see the actual china cup, as it is almost completely covered in different laces and trims.

I still have more frothy lace and ribbon to tie to the "cage" and then will add some crystals, beads and other tiny embellishments.  When finished, it will be along the lines of this creation by Robin Sanchez -- only she used a frozen Charlotte style head:

photo by ArtisticBliss

Don't you love the feeling of completing an Un Finished Object (UFO)?

Another item on my long, long list of creative "to dos" has been to begin making Zentangles.  I was first inspired to do this by Lorraine, literally years ago, when she began blogging about her Zentangle  adventures on her blog, Paper Vernissage.

So, right after the new year I purchased an e-book, Beginners Guide to Zentangle from Tanglepatterns,com.

I followed instructions to cut 3-1/2" square "tiles" from watercolor paper, gathered fine tipped pen and soft pencil, and began experimenting with several "beginner tangles" -- above is my VERY FIRST attempt!

I kind of fell in love with this pattern -- it is mesmerizing to draw.  Which is the point of Zentangle -- it is like doodling, only with the idea of repetitive strokes in satisfying designs that, when you are doing it, literally relaxes you.

I have to say -- it totally works for me.

The next new beginning for me is a free online class I have just signed up to take from Kathy Shaw who blogs at Shawkl.

photo by Kathy Shaw, http://www.shawkl.com/

It's called BCQC, for Basic Crazy Quilt Class!

Won't you join me?  She is taking sign ups/registrations through January 13, and you can read all about it here.  As part of the class, you will be invited to post your projects/progress on a blog that is exclusive to participants.  How much fun is that?  I have done plenty of crazy quilting and stitching, but never taken a class so it's time to learn something new!

Well, can't procrastinate any longer -- it's time for lunch and then a marathon packing-away-the-vintage-glass Christmas ornaments!

Please tell me I'm not the only one still working on getting Christmas down!