My crafting review 2020

On Monday I shared my favourite photos from this year. I am back today, on this last day of 2020, with a review of my crafting.  I regard my crafting as one of the key things which has kept me positive, motivated and sane. It is a hobby in which I can completely immerse myself and I have spent many many hours in my studio creating a huge number of projects this year.

I learnt how to "zoom" craft with Daisy during the first Lockdown which was an amazing way of keeping in touch with her during those awful early months when we were separated. 

I continued as a design team member for Country View, Visible Image, STAMPlorations and Creative stamping Magazine.  I enjoyed spending many hours creating over 100 makes for them this year. I want to thank them all for their support of my work this year and every year.

 Dotty's Teahouse in Carshalton High Street, where I sell my cards endured a very challenging year with Lockdowns and endless restrictions.  Sadly the Tea Garden which was to have enjoyed its inaugural year remained shut. Rebecca, Dotty's owner always remains so positive and she branched out into home deliveries and cake-away takeaways and kept going no matter what. As I did not need to make as many cards as usual I also diversified my makes. I made lots of artist trading cards and coins, some of which I swapped and some Daisy and I made and sent to one another.

 The other person I have to thank this year is the ever amazing Tim Holtz who has managed to inspire not just me but thousands of crafter worldwide during 2020. He gave a whole serious of live demos over on Facebook. What I loved about Tim's Facebook lives was that he gave his time completely free and everything was available to everyone.  His enthusiasm for crafting is so infectious and in my humble opinion he remains the most inspiring crafter in the industry. New distress colours were also released which further fired my creativity. 

The makes I am sharing are not a "top 9" but my personal favourite 9 I have made for my design teams, for Daisy and my Tim Holtz makes. I made a collage for each.  I have already shared these over the last few days on Instagram. You can check me out/follow me here. 

Here they are;

Country View

Visible Image

STAMPlorations

Creative stamping magazine.

(Included in this collage I some of my previously unshared "practice"/spare makes).

 Some of my mindful moments artist trading card and coin swaps with Daisy.

We were able luckily to craft together in the summer and at Halloween. We made drippy candles which were such fun. Sadly I have not been able to see her again since the latest Lockdown which began in early November, just before her 7th birthday. 

and finally 9 of my favourite Tim Holtz makes

I must admit I even surprise myself at how much I make each year. This is just a fraction of my total output!! 

For today I have also made a special card to see out 2020 and to look forward to a brighter, Covid free, safer and kinder 2021.

The perfect stamp to use was of course my Phoenix rising set by Visible Image.

I adapted this design from one I made as a sample when it was released in November.

The background was blended using my beloved Distress inks.

a couple of close ups;

and one final shot

The other sentiment in this set is the word "HOPE". How appropriate that is on the last day of 2020.  The vaccines are looking very promising and together with all the other measures we hope to bring Covid19 to its knees. 

I would like to enter my phoenix card into the following challenges.

Allsorts sparkle and shine

Simon says stamp Wednesday sparkle and shine

Die cut divas 1/3 anything goes my numbers are Tim Holtz thinlets dies

The house that stamps built 1/3 anything goes 

Simon says stamp Monday celebrate 

I will close Jane's Journal for 2020 with these following words. 

“And when all that was left was ashes, she would again clothe herself in flame. Rising from the dust of her past to rekindle the spark of her future. She was a Phoenix, her own salvation; rebirthed, renewed, resurrected.” — LaRhonda Toreson

Let's hope we can get our lives back in 2021 and finally rise like the phoenix from this terrible pandemic which has caused so much darkness. 

Happy new year,

Take care and stay safe.

I will be back in the morning with my first 2 design team posts of 2021.

Jane x