Baker's Dozen 2013

Hello everyone!

I'm taking a look back over 2013's crafty makes, linking up to the Catered Crop's Year in Review event.  It's so interesting to take a moment to look back at the journey, and spot the seeds of things which are now at the heart of the current work; or to remember stuff you loved doing and had completely forgotten about!

Catered Crop are looking for 12 favourite projects... but, as with last year's post, I'm afraid I'm doing it as a Baker's Dozen of 13 - whittling was hard.  Even now, there are some it hurt to leave out!

So, in no particular order (click on the links if you want to see close-ups and how-to details for any of these)...

This altered book, Once Upon A Time, was probably the easiest pick.

I still love the idea that came to me at 4am for the flying Steampunk Pumpkin (Steampumpkin?), inspired by the Steampunk Fairytale challenge at Sandee and Amelie's Steampunk Challenge.











I have to give you two photos of this one... front and back, or should that be inside and outside?



















The Silence Between was made as a Guest Design project for Calico Crafts, for whom I'm delighted now to be a full-time DT member.












Meadow flowers, wood, rust and a quote - by Mozart, no less - these are a few of my favourite things!















High time we had a tag, wouldn't you say?  And A Moment In Time gave me one of my great thrills of the year when it was one of the April winners of Tim Holtz's 12 Tags.



















(A Thousand Splendid Quotes, the project Tim made a Blogworthy Link I'm afraid doesn't even make the cut.  Of course, I was thrilled he liked it, but it's not particularly my cup of tea!!)













Probably the second easiest decision was this altered cigar box, now filled with Beautiful Things.












It was pretty fiddly to make, but I love the effect of the layers of Vintage Lace Decorative Strip Die... and it's useful too.  Has to be two photos again - inside and out!




















Tag time again - and a technique which was to become one of my favourites, combining inks and paints for varying translucency.



















And, of course, some of my much-loved meadow flowers and grasses - things that are becoming regular companions on this Wonderful Journey.















Another Calico Crafts Guest project has made the list... this is my Glampunk Birdhouse (yes, I made that word up - Glampunk, not Birdhouse, that is).





















Lots and lots of watch parts on this little chap - he's just over half an inch high!











There's a second altered book on the list, Curiouser and Curiouser.  

Actually, it's not curious at all.  Books have always been a huge part of my life, and they're playing a bigger and bigger part in my crafting journey as I go...










This one delves into the world of Alice in Wonderland, with the brilliant Artistic Outpost stamps.  Being selected for their Design Team was another thrill, and thankfully an ongoing one!!


















I've been doing more Art Journalling lately, and I can see it becoming a very important part of my personal creative journey (though maybe not always for sharing on here)... but there were flurries last year - as A Nature Journal Is Born shows.



















The meadow flowers again, kraft and white which make me happy together, and an early appearance for the splattering which is one of my current favourite things to do!

And this would be a good value post to visit as you'll get to see the extra tags I was planning to incorporate into the journal - not done yet!





















You see, looking back is such a great way to count your blessings... Another great joy in 2013 was guesting for The Artistic Stamper in February and then being invited onto the team full time.






















This mobile, Float Like A Butterfly, was one of my Guest Design creations for them.















Some more recent art journalling, and some pages inspired by music (another motif which echoes around here at Words and Pictures)... Write a little more often...













If you missed this, it's worth checking the post for the story behind the pages, as well as a link to the fabulous Marlene Dietrich delivering the song which inspired them.

















Another thrill last year - designing for PaperArtsy. Jeepers, it was a great year!!

Lots of my projects for them were highly complex, time-consuming makes but I think my favourite by far was this pair of relatively simple, natural tags.














They were made under severe time pressure in the midst of moving house (a stressful year too).

But I put on some medieval music and slipped away from the stress into a world of ink, paint and natural materials - a very real example of The Peace In Crafting.
















You're probably wondering whether I ever work with colour palettes outside of neutrals or blue/greens.  The answer is "yes"!!  And when I cross over, I really cross over...




















My favourite Artistic Outpost image, the little girl from Think and Wonder, and a riot of pink laciness... At least, I think it's pink!

This tag in a bag delights me in having arrived so unexpectedly - I didn't plan it this way. I didn't really plan at all... I find that's the best way for me.













There's another of Tim's 12 Tags that I really can't bear to leave out...  His July tag was dedicated to the Prescott firefighters who died carrying out their work.




















And this tag emerged from thinking of all those who risk or indeed give their lives to protect and save others.

Umbrella Man did his usual wonderful job of representing hope and sadness simultaneously, to Commemorate and Cherish.








Yes, okay, if you're keeping count, that's supposed to be it, but I just want to add my Blissful Baubles as an extra (Christmas) bonus.  Well, it's 2014 now - so have 14 on me!









One of the most enjoyable makes of the year - both to create and to look at afterwards - and full of the seeds of things that I'm really having fun with now and plan to have even more fun with through 2014.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I'm so grateful for all the opportunities that came my way in 2013, and for all the generosity, support and inspiration I've found in Craftyblogland.  I hope I've touched on at least a couple of your favourite projects, and I'll leave you in peace for a bit now!

All of us, every single year, we're a different person.  I don't think we're the same person all our lives.
Stephen Spielberg

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year.
Ralph Waldo Emerson




I'm linking up this review of the year with the Remembering 2013 Hop Challenge over at Catered Crop.  It's open until February 1st - so come and join in.  You can also link to posts you've already created if you've already done your reviewing!