The 2014 WoW Year of Crafts

On this very last day of 2014 I am looking back on the year behind me.

It has been a year where I have grown tremendously as an artist, in fact, I have learned so much this year, I did not even think it would be possible! And I owe all that to you, my readers! Had I not started this blog back in 2013, and stuck with it as an outlet for my creative whimsies, I would have never learned all the things I now know!

• This year I have learned and experimented with several mixed media techniques, always combining things  my own way.
• I have learned and perfected several of my photoshop skills, which help me provide you with new free graphics!
• I have taken a giant leap into sharing my various DIY-projects with everyone, often times paired with ready made printables.
• I have hoarded thrifted more than ever, and have grown my stash of both vintage items to make over, and of all sorts of embellishments and tools to do it with, like a new Mac, a new iPhone, a new iPad, a Big Shot, an embossing gun, hey I even own a brayer now!!
• I have developed a curiosity about if I could make money on my crafts. For starters I hope this curiosity will push me to try selling some stuff at markets in 2015.
• Unfortunately all of the above mean less time for posting “pure” scans from my albums. Also, since I was anxiously working with my old Mac until late October, I had no room for new scans left on it, and since I got my new Mac up and running, I have only been occupied with the Seasonal stuff. But I promise, scanning new stuff is now top of my list! 
• I have a new STUDIO (since about July!) During the summer I rearranged my house, and finally have a nice big room as a studio. I’ve been trying ever since to get around to taking pictures and showing it to you guys, but for some reason it is always such a creative chaos going on here…lol
• I have made some wonderful new friends this year! I need to mention both Maryann in Denmark, Ingeborg in Holland, Dianne and Dobie in USA! With all the writing we have done to each other, I now consider you friends, ya hear!!! 😀
• Paper is and will remain my main medium, but I really enjoy combining it with all kinds of other whimsies 😀

My main 2014 projects were:

THE LOVE CIRCUS

45 VALENTINE HEARTS

THE VINTAGE SEWING ROOM

EASTER PEAT POTS

GENEALOGY PROJECT

EMBROIDERED PAPER

OLD BOOKS CRAFTS

DECOUPAGE ANYTHING

PAPER DOLL ANGELS

VINTAGE WRAPPING

NORGESGLASS SNOW GLOBES AND LANTERNS

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT SWAP

THE HOTEL – PETRINE’S JUL

Petrine’s Gjestgiveri, Norddal, Norway

As if all of this wasn’t keeping me busy, I also crafted decorations for a hotel for the Holiday Season, and got to re-create my Christmas Village and the entire set of Christmas Cones from last year, plus loads of Norgesglass Snow Globes 😀

My friend Susanne is running the small vintage style hotel, off the main tourist routes, but even more authentic and charming, called Petrine’s Gjestgiveri in Norddal, Norway. She loved my Village so much last year, she wanted to use it at the hotel this year! I had several people join a workshop, but it still took a full 12 hours to craft everything 😀

Christmas Workshop at Petrine’s, with Berit, me and Solgunn

Some of the decorations made at the Christmas Workshop

Petrine’s Jul 2014 – Custom Made Tag

Petrine’s Jul 2014

Petrine’s Jul 2014

Petrine’s Jul 2014

Petrine’s Jul 2014

And this was only the major projects! Tucked in between all of these were all sorts of goodies, scans and printables! And much, much graphics added to the Exclusive folder too!

All in all, I am very, very pleased with my craft year 2014! Looking back, I can’t believe how much I accomplished, and in the middle of all this I completed my masters degree, got a new job, and worked close to two jobs in November and December… I guess the word is: WoW…lol!

I can not fully describe how it makes me feel to see my vintage scans and whimsical designs customized and used, all over the world, but I can say it touches me deeply, and makes all my hard work worth it for a whole new set of reasons! I’d be designing and crafting for myself and my friends & family regardless of this blog, but I now put extra effort into my designs to make them worth sharing, easy to understand and printer-friendly. It also takes a lot of time to take and edit the photos I use here, and to manage all the different files and uploads I need to operate.

On New Year’s Eve one year ago, this blog had just passed 50.000 views. Tonight I can account for almost 245.000 views, so my number has quintupled in one year!!! Again I point to Pinterest for much of the traffic increase, as well as Free Digital Stamps, who very dedicatedly shares many of my whimsical creations! But my list of followers has also grown, and there is now 580 confirmed followers. I did not take proper notes last New Years Eve, but I believe the number then was around 100. 

Thank you to each and every one of you who have followed me this year, wether you have read most posts or just occasionally dropped in!

Thank you Harbin! I belive you have liked EVERY SINGLE POST I shared this year! It really means a lot to me to receive your likes, it’s like a stamp of approval 😀 And please know that I read and enjoy all your posts 🙂

• Thank you for all your likes!
• Thank you for all your comments!
• Thank you for all your emails!
• Thank you for downloading my images and printables and using them in your own art!
• Thank you for trying my whimsical DIY projects!!!

Best wishes to All Of You

for a prosperous, creative and happy New Year!

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