How Doth the Little Busy Bee Improve Each Shining Hour..

I've been a very busy bee this week and yet, still didn't tick off all that I had hoped to accomplish. I suppose I should be upset that I still have a gigantic To Do List, but I'm trying to be practical and not stress out. Everything on the To Do List has a priority level and most of them fall into the 'Nice to have Completed' category. More importantly, every week I get better at managing my time.

Time management is a habit that you have to create. When you are younger it's much easier, your parents, teachers and coaches guide you where you need to be, when you need to be there. Almost every part of your day is planned out, so goofing off time is actually pretty hard to fit into your day. But when you become an adult, that's all up to you. Most people don't have a job that dictates where they should be at any given moment; you're assigned tasks and it's up to you to have the discipline to complete it in the time you've been given. When you work from home, (I include Stay Home Parents as Work from Homers), it's much easier to get lazy and be distracted and that's the trap I fell into over the last year or so. Now it's up to me to create more structure and believe it or not having The Craft Adventure Venture has really helped me to improve that. It's been an unexpected bonus from starting this project.

And now back to your regularly scheduled program..

This week I completed two Craft Adventure Ventures and they are both gifts. Which is a little sad, because I am excited to share them with you. You'll just have to wait, though. The Birthday Guy & Gal haven't received them in the mail yet, so until they get to see them, you'll have to be patient. It's worth the suspense. And that means an update blog! That's a little exciting, right?

I can tell you that they are both Paper Silhouettes. Here is the link to the pieces that inspired the Craft Adventure Ventures this week: Handmade Silhouettes Etsy Store
(She has some really cute stuff by the way.)

My creations actually don't look anything like these, they are more of a tribute. (Sorry, I couldn't resist) Anyway, these charming silhouettes combined with using my friend Becca's Cricut machine last week were the jumping off point for the weeks CAV. I don't have a Cricut machine, so these projects were all done by hand with an Exacto knife. (On a side note, if you have to use an Exacto knife or other craft knife for a project like this, try and find one of those squishy pencil rest thingies. I thought of that pretty late into my projects, but it really helps with the pressure and cramping.)

Here are the basics of the project - 1) Find a character silhouette, or a picture of someone special, or a pet or pretty much anything else that is iconic to you.

2) Print it out in black and white and use the B/W picture as a template to cut out your silhouette.

Note - Not everything is going to look good as a silhouette and layout is very important. Simple shapes work best. Similar to the cake topper project, look at whatever your subject is as it's simple shapes. And unless you are super good at using an Exacto knife, try and start with something with out a lot of detail or intricate patterns. It will look cleaner and there will be less chance of you cutting something important that should have been left in place.

3) Glue your pieces to a background.

The nice thing about this project is it can be as simple or detailed as you want to make it. You can layer up pieces to create depth or add small embellishments. It's a really fun project and I'm already thinking of other paper silhouettes I can make. They make great gifts and frame up nicely.

All wrapped and ready for the mail.

My time management goal for next week is to be up as well as dressed every day by 9am. School is a little over a week away, and I have a lot to get in order before I start. I need to set aside at least an hour working on math everyday, and I need to finish getting some things around the house organized for my Dad. Finally, I need to set aside at least an hour a day to get the rest of the baby items ready and sold on Ebay, which should hopefully help to clear up the clutter around here. Next weeks Craft Adventure Venture will be a baby shower gift, but I'm also trying to finish the crib sheet project for Ms. Bean.

Lots of exciting new things coming up, buzz buzz buzz.

Here's the count for this week: Two (2) Craft Adventure Ventures brings the total to 8!

42.5 Craft Adventure Ventures to go!