My 2024 Crafty Goals – UPDATE

Hi Crafty friends! I hope you’re doing well. This post is sort of an update to my previous one here where I recapped 2023 and talked about looking ahead for this year. I mentioned not having a set picture of what I want to do with my crafting this year. Since that post, I’ve taken some time to reflect and pray about it and I’ve come up with a few things I’d really like to do and so I’m sharing that with you today! I’m very excited 😀

I broke this post into these categories: Cardmaking, Felt Stitching and 3D Papercrafting, so let’s get to it!

Cardmaking.

Two of my favorite cards made last year using dies, alcohol inks, ink blending and dry embossing. The cards on the right are easel cards, one of my favorite fun-fold cards to make.

This is my #1 love and it has taken me into other crafts; it is my journey and my lifelong dream to do it full-time. So, first off, I’d really like to explore making different cardbase assembly designs. What I mean is, I love the traditional side fold/top-fold A2 size cards and I’ll always them. However, I would also like to make fun-fold cards like: Z-fold, double Z-fold, pop-up display, box cards, asymmetric cards, gatefold, belly bands…I think fun-fold cards are fun to make, they’re different and they make awesome keepsakes for the recipient.

Here’s some other goals I want to explore with my cardmaking:

• Use pattern paper collection, ephemera, pre-cut pieces, rub-on transfer elements. I am a big, big fan of using pattern paper collections with pre-cut dies and ephemera. I’m not a cardmaker that believes there’s only one way to make a card and it has to be 100% my own designing using various color mediums. I feel as long as I’m using my hands to work with cardstock, glue, tools, embellishments and the end result is a beautiful card, that’s a handmade project that someone will love. That said, I love stenciling, ink blending, gel pressing, watercoloring with brush pens, alcohol inking, etc., and I don’t plan on giving that up. I just want my cardmaking to be a mix of products that makes crafting fun for me.
• Use card sketches. I have this crafty binder that sits on the floor under my desk full of print-out card design sketches that I’ve never used. Time to start! Sketches are a great kick-start when I’m not feeling very creative.
• Make fun-fold cards without specialty dies. As I gave examples above of the types of fun-fold cards I want to make, I really want to learn how to make these cards without using specialty die sets. Right now, it’s not in my budget to buy crafty products and I know you don’t always need a die set to make different types of cards. YT is filled with tutorials on how to create many fun-fold cards so that’s where I’m heading.

So that’s all for this category, I’m looking forward to the challenge of where all this takes my cardmaking journey to!

Felt Stitching.

Two of my favorite felt stitching projects last year with specialty stitching dies by Memory Box and Simon Says Stamp.

Last year, I fell head over heels in love with felt stitching and I went out and bought a bunch of felt, embroidery hoops, threads, you name it! And I had a lot of fun making ornaments. You can check out my felt stitching projects here. So, I thought about what to do for this year, here’s what I came up with:

• For this Holiday season, I want to make all my own ornaments for our full length Christmas tree. I believe hubby and I are going to finally be first-time homeowners soon and this is a dream of ours to have our 1st Christmas in our forever home. That said, I’d like to start stitching ornaments in the Fall (starting in September). More than likely, I will have to invest in some stitching die sets and I’m thinking I’ll buy some kits late Summer.
• Incorporate my stitching into cards, journals. I saw a YT tutorial on using felt as a journal cover with stitching and it looks rather easy so I’d like to try that. I’ve always loved making books and in fact I have a Cinch machine that I’ve made many books with. But, I’d like to make some with stitching.

And we’ll see if any other inspiration comes up prior to the Fall season.

3D Paper Crafting.

These are 3 of my favorite 3D papercrafting projects I made: l to r: gift boxes and bags that I adorned using dies from Mama Elephant, Pop-up Box card made without specialty dies and beautiful pattern paper from The Paper Boutique + alcohol-inked die cut butterflies I made myself and an Explosion Gift Box made using various pattern paper designs with the We ‘R Makers Explosion scoreboard.

With regards to 3D papercrafting, I’ve had a ball making gift boxes and bags and I have a bunch of them in a basket that I need to do something with! I also enjoyed making the pop-up 3D cards that actually can fold and fit inside an envelope so I may make more of these. The explosion gift box was a LOT of work and I’m not sure I’m up to the challenge of making more of them, we’ll have to see! I also made a few mini albums but pretty sure I won’t make any more of them for now.

The important thing is that I’m making attainable goals that I can reach. I’m not putting pressure on myself to make a certain number of this or that, it’s just whatever I make that I had fun. So, I hope you’ll come along on my journey with me and maybe you’ll get inspired in your crafty journey too.

Thanks for Reading!

If you’re looking for specific products I used to make these projects, here’s the links to all them below:

Cardmaking:

1. Color Combos for some Pretty Fall Leaves: Fall 2023 Collection
2. Pretty in Pink: Honey Bee Stamps Lovely Layers “Coneflower” Easel Cards

Felt Stitching

1. Stitched a Matching Mitten Ornament
2. Stitched Plush Little Owls from Simon Says Stamp

3D Papercrafting

1. Winter Holiday Gift Bags, Boxes + Matching Card
2. Use up those Pattern Papers with a Pop-up Box Card
3. Mistakes Made, Beautiful Gift Box Born – Explosion Gift Box