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And a happy new year!

OK I was late for christmas so i'll be early for new year! I'm hoping 2015 is better for me mentally than 2014 has been, but if it isn't it isn't. I will not get to midnight tonight and make a magical change from the neurotic mess I am. It takes work...and time. But any step is a step forward (hopefully anyway)

I'll start off with the crafts, then go onto the budgetting progress.

So...this week I have been working on the next project in the book, which is called Angel on High and is designed by Hels Sheridan. Here is the original piece


I didn't have any art parts, but I had scavenged another vodka bottle from work, so I decided to use that. Here is the finished result


I decided to try just painting on the bottle without decoupaging it first, and found out it worked! Saves me some decoupage paper for other projects. I used versa mark ink and mica powder with the crackle background stamp, and black ink with the script background stamp.



I used iced spruce paint and silver ink for the wings, and the dress is the foil from last week, embossed with holly leaves folder and sanded.


The leaves are grungeboard shapes, painted with tarnished brass. The rose is slightly funny. I tried spraying it with the lustre spray that came in the goody box. That was a bad idea! I didn't want to just throw it away though, so I used some brushed pewter distress paint on it. It actually turned out quite well.

I've also been working on the starry night cross stitch. Here is the progress this week.


Looks like small progress but that's a lot of stitches! I'm hoping this page takes less time than the first one did.

Right! Now for the frugal side. This week I have been a little naughty, but it has been the christmas money. Currently I have £7.56 of it left (6p now in jar), which I will be using today to watch The Hobbit again. I bought a Starbucks ceramic travel mug (£3) , some Baileys chocolates for mum (£4), a bag of Terrys chocolate orange segments (45p) and this


I've been walking past Samuels for months now, looking at this figure and not quite wanting to part with the £49.99 it cost. I walked past the other day and it had gone down to £24.99! Well within my christmas money budget. 

One thing that worries me is that when I have money in my purse I tend to get bored and wandering around the shops. So to combat that, once the rest of the christmas money has been spent I am not going to the cashpoint unless completely necessary. 

I've also bought cat food this week, and food for work, at a total cost of £14.47. So I am doing better, but it's still going to take a lot of hard work.

Speaking of hard work, as I've mentioned before, I wanted to complete tasks to earn the right to a treat. I came up with nine tasks in addition to the Starry Night cross stitch. Here they are:

1. Complete Starry Night cross stitch
2. Complete project book (I have twelve more to do)
3. Complete chapter book plan for books two and three
4. Read and review 100 books on Goodreads (so far up to 6)
5. Make 15 christmas presents
6. Make 12 birthday presents
7. Make calendar (the christmas kit) G45 box and tags
8. Hit minimum savings target (£4325.31)
9. Complete Kili cross stitch
10. Write 50,000 words

So ten tasks, none of them taking less than a month, and most taking a lot longer than that. There is a dual purpose to these tasks. The first is obviously the right to earn a treat. The second is that in doing the tasks it will keep me occupied and keep my mind off the idea of spending.



Happy crafting...and happy new year!
Emma x




Comments

  1. Inky and Quirky Designs1 January 2015 at 04:31

    You're doing just fine Emma,not spending money is a very hard thing to stop doing :/

    Hoping you have a fab 2015

    Big hugs
    Donna xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ems841 January 2015 at 10:45

      Thanks Donna, hope you have a great 2015 too :)

      I'm actually feeling a bit better about spending now I have no money in my purse. As far as I'm concerned, this means I have no money with which to spend. Plus these tasks mean that not only do I earn the right to a treat, but I actually accomplish something.

      Emma

      Delete

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