Shop Your Stash First Archives

December and January seemÂ to mark the time when I feel an enormous urge to clean up, organize and get rid of junk. This is also a low budget time of year. I hate to donate half used craft supplies (I suspect that the charities I donate to just throw it out) or throw yarn out! Â So, this year, I am hosting a Use Your Stash Board on Pinterest once again for Â the Use Your Stash Challenge 2017.

The Use Your Stash Challenge has been an incredible motivator for me to finish my works in progress that I have sitting around–theÂ half-finished this-and-that items. It also encourages me to work with what I have on hand which is incredibly helpful to our budget after all the Christmas shopping we’ve been doing. Every year I change up the rules to keep myself interested and engaged.

Use Your Stash Challange 2017

One year, I challenged myself to make 100 items in 100 days. It was incredible and so much was completed.

Another year, the challenge was to create 200 items in 200 days–it turned out to be too much and too long of a challenge.

This year the challenge starts January 15 and runs until February 15, 2017. I usually take some time off in late December/early January to spend time with family and to just relax and clean up the studio/house after the holidays and before the stash challenge. This is the time when I pull out all the half-done projects and organize what I plan to do. You should do that too!

I always make rules (you could call them guidelines) that fit what is going on in my stash. If you need different rules, feel free to alter these or make your own. As I have said before, there are no Use Your Stash police, but I do force myself to keep the rules for the time of the Challenge.

I will create a Pinterest Board for all those interested in seeing what others are doing. You can create with any stash you have on-hand at home: arts and crafts, fabric, recycling, paper — anything goes! Signing up for my email list will help me add you to the Use Your StashÂ Pinterest board. That’s where we’ll be showing off all the beautiful items we make from our stashes. I can’t wait to see what you create!

Stash Challenge Rules

These are my rules, for me. You’re welcome to adopt them as your rules, too. I hope you will join me in the final push to finish all those unfinished projects and move them out of the house!

If you want to join the Use Your Stash Challenge – sign up for my email list and send me a Pinterest message on the Use Your Stash Challenge 2017 board. I will be glad to sign you up!

There is no stress in this challenge–it is just for fun. This is a great way to jumpstart my creativity in the New Year and it also forces me to use up my stash. There is also the incredible rush of creativity and accomplishment that comes with finally finishing so many projects.

Talk to you later,

Karen

PS- I’ll let you in on a little secret: I plan projects out ahead. It is just a running list in my mind, but still, it gives me a boost! I don’t start any projects until my designated start time, though. Otherwise, that would be cheating, besides I’m still finishing up Christmas gifts!Â

Sometimes we have to go back to the basics. Do you know someone who would like to learn to crochet? The single crochet is one of the most basic stitches they will need to learn.

Recently, my daughter-in-law suggested that I create some videos which show basic crochet stitches. Here is the very first one. Since I used to teach art, the teacher in me just had to write on the whiteboard background so you could see the abbreviation used for the single crochet stitch.

I hope you enjoy the video, and I hope it helps you or a friend learn to crochet!

Single Crochet Stitch

Fall in Oklahoma

This is my favorite time of the year. I remember my first fall at Oklahoma State University. The school had these lovely trees planted down the middle of the main walkway through campus. It led past the Life Sciences building, down to the Student Union. That semester I took that pathway every day.Â The trees started turning when the weather became cool enough for a jacket in the morning. The leaves glowed with brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges. They were simply breathtaking! Â The sun lit up the trees each morning, making them appear so alive. It moved me to tears (odd for a college kid, I know) the first time I saw them. Now every year at this time I remember how beautiful the trees were. There is a small area on 71stÂ Street, here in Tulsa, that reminds me of campus. Unfortunately, I am usually driving and cannot take theÂ time to slow down and enjoy the colors. Back in college, I was on crutches and moving really slow, so I had plenty of time to enjoy the fall colors.

Don’t Forget!

Remember to always shop your stash first! And take theÂ time to enjoy the beautiful fall weather! I’d love to hear about the trees and beautiful colors in your area — share about them in the comments!