This is partly as a personal archive to remember what I did and why I mustn't do it again. At the beginning of November I started on some craft projects. I wanted to have some low-energy activities to do away from the computer, something to pass the time without taxing my mental or physical resources. The intention was quite reasonable.
Quickly [...] suggested I was taking way too much on. I ignored this.
However, here are the projects I started but didn't finish;
- A set of placemats and matching coasters. Eight of each, each with a different painted picture on them. I abandoned this earlier in December.
- A resin nativity set I was painting up. Wanted to give this to them in good time for Christmas but I ran out of time.
- Christmas cards. This was a failure of engineering. I made them, but couldn't persuade them to stand up.
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7679/823/200/crackers.jpg)
This was probably an inefficient use of time and energy. Christmas Crackers are so cheap and available, my crackers are not so special it was worth the effort.
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7679/823/200/decorations.jpg)
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7679/823/200/candlegreen.jpg)
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7679/823/200/candleblue.jpg)
The beads get everywhere. The contents of the clear drum of our Dyson vacuum cleaner sparkles with the volume of beads within. I keep finding them in the most bizarre places.
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7679/823/200/catsun.jpg)
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7679/823/200/swansun.jpg)
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7679/823/320/plumflowersun.jpg)
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7679/823/200/heartboxes.jpg)
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7679/823/200/sunclock.0.jpg)
Again, my camera has failed me in so far that the face doesn't look that skeletal in real life and there is a lot of gold and indeed, even glitter. The holes which give the face away as a former basket-base are filled with glitter glue and tiny gold beads so they look like stars. Well that was the idea.
In summary, I took on too much, turned a leisure activity into a source of pressure, learnt nothing new, got paint on the bedclothes and saved only a neglible amount of money. All this, and I wasn't especially pleased with the results. Ho hum.
Still, in principle it was a useful exercise. While I have been away, I have been introduced to Su Doku. I did an easy one which took ages, but having worked it out I did a mild one that took much less time. Then a difficult one and then a fiendish one which was by this stage, having got into the mindset, very easy. I then decided that it is probably better to spend that time which cannot be really usefully spent, making things rather than solving puzzles, watching television, etc. Not that there's anything wrong with puzzles and things to unwind when you spend most of your time being useful, but I don't.
Anyway, so far the feedback has been good. My Granny insited on keeping her cracker as a souvenir. The main mistake was putting a swanny-whistle, a kazoo and a trumpet mouthpiece in the crackers we had on Boxing Day. The light switch for my parents' bathroom is outside the door, and every time anyone went in there, the light would be turned off and the theme from The Great Escape would be performed for their torment.
I,ve up trying to do Su Doku. It all started really well. I thought "this is a breeze, I've finally found a logical puzzle wot I can do"! But alas, once I got on to the ones that weren't constructed for the under fives I was buggered. Ho hum, back to reading books.
ReplyDeleteHope you are feeling better and will be safely back in Whitby for the New Year.
yeah, crafts are like that...i have made some in the past for xmas or b-days that always end up being late...they take up a lot of time and are tedious...but also fun in this weird way. as you are doing the repetitive little motion, or trying to cut out that perfect shape or get that one piece to stick on, you think of quitting...but then ten years down the road if you see something you made it's kinda like...hey! that's cool...i made that...it's unique and it took me a heck of a long time...it gives it a bit more value than something made in a factory...yes?
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