It’s that time of year again, when we all start thinking about the upcoming year. What are your plans for 2011? I have been thinking about what I want to be doing in 2011 and the list looks very similar to the goals I set in 2010. Some of which I met and many of which I didn’t.

By thinking about what I want to do and keeping those intentions in the forefront of my mind, I plan to do more creative work in 2011.

1. Explore surface design on various fabrics including felt, silk and cotton.
2. Explore combinations of machine embroidery, hand embroidery and felt.
3. Take further classes at the Gail Harker Center.
4. Make more work and develop a body of work in my own style.
5. Enter a piece in a local exhibition.
6. Place work in another gallery in the area.
7. Blog more frequently and include more tutorials.

 So the next question is, how can you follow through? There are a lot of people that pick a word for the year ala Christine Kane. She advocates starting off the year “instead of making resolutions, we would pick a word that would guide us throughout the year. It would be our touchstone.” I like this concept and having been thinking about it quite a lot this month.

I have also recently read a book by Susan Jeffers, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. This book centers on the fact that everyone feels fear when making a decision or doing something different. Some just deal with the fear and go forward, while others are too fearful to act on their ideas. And many times, you are comfortable in your safe, little cocoon but what are you missing? If you chose to break out of your safety net and called someone that you admired but don’t know very well, what would happen? Would you begin to develop a friendship that you otherwise wouldn’t have? What could that person add to your life? How do you know if you don’t try?

I, personally, can vouch that this works. There were four people that I admired and wanted to get to know better. I am typically very shy and don’t talk to people I don’t know (I’m getting better at this but it’s hard!). I got up the nerve and called them on the telephone and asked if they would be interested in forming a surface design group. To my astonishment, they were all thrilled to be asked. Our group is wonderful and I’ve already learned so much from these four people.

While thinking about the two concepts of picking a word for the year and feeling the fear but doing it anyway, I came up with my word. Choose. I know this sounds a bit silly but it’s what came to my  mind and it won’t go away. I have a choice in how I spend my time. I can choose to come home from work and veg out in front of the television or I can choose to play with fiber or play in my studio journal. I can choose to spend my money on whatever strikes my fancy when I’m at the store or I can choose to save my money so I  will be able to attend a fiber art class. I can choose to just have my work in my own shop or I can choose to call other galleries and see if my work can be carried in a different gallery. I can choose to not show my work because “it might not be good enough” or I can choose to enter it into a local exhibition.

So this year, I will make my choices with intention. I will make sure that I am thinking about what I am choosing, not just letting a situation occur by not making a choice. Are you setting any goals or intentions for the year? Perhaps you’d like to pick a word for the year. Just follow the link above and read Christine’s post about picking a word for the year. Let me know what your plans are for 2011, I’d love to hear.

My friend recently lost her chocolate lab to old age. His name was Hershey. I sketched this card yesterday for her. I used my new Christmas art supplies and it turned out better than I expected. I hope she likes it. I know how hard it is to lose a beloved pet.

 I came home last night to a wonderful package from Germany. Ann sent me my December tree page. Isn’t it lovely?

 I really like the texture she achieved with the leaves. She made a sandwich of water soluble fabric, wool and bits of fabric. She then machine stitched it all together.

Here’s the back. It’s going to make another great addition to my book. I’ve got to get work on my covers soon!

 Here’s a vase that I made for my sister for Christmas. She requested the colors. I used falkland wool, Wensleydale curls, silk, silk noil. I love how the texture came out.

 This is another view.

 And one more look.

She wanted the vase to put on the desk under where this iris piece that I gave her hangs. Not exactly the same colors but I still think she’ll like it.