Blunt and to the point

Are these words true? Let me know what you think.

Donna C.

Catching Up

Susan here. Just wanted to post something quick before running out to the old brick and mortar building. 

I am still working on Shutterbox 2013. I've actually made quite a bit of progress; the book has 52 pages now. I've added a couple of pages and consolidated others. Blurb has changed the way they calculate cost on their books so I need to tighten up the pages just a bit. I have one more topic I'd like to add also. It should be a fairly nice book when it is complete...just in time for me to begin Shutterbox 2014!!

I took a break from the computer last night and pulled together all the thread colors I need to begin working on one of the shepherds for the counted cross stitch nativity scene. Once I set up the cloth on the hoop, I'll be good to go. Sewing and cross stitch are nice breaks from the computer and cross stitch is something I can do while watching television (I do watch television every once in a while...but mostly I like the background noise it provides...).

I've also started organizing my photos for the annual Tri-Club competition. My submissions this year aren't very impressive...I've been kind of out of it in the realm of photography this year, so need to get back on track. I still have some time so maybe I can improve upon what I do have as they aren't due until mid-March. The one pictured here made it into the finals last year in the Weightless category; it is called "Ascension".

Lastly, Volume 2, Number 2 of Scrappy Scribers is out the door. There were only five submissions this time around. Prompt Number 3 is a photo prompt, I'm hoping that will spark the interest again. I love completing the writing assignment because it pushes me sit down and write; need to make the deadline! I've found, for some reason, that I work best with a deadline!

Anyway, that's about it for now. Enjoy the day!

Susan

Some Progress...

I thought I would write a quick post before running out the door to work. I'm happy to say Shutterbox 2013 is well on its way to completion. My editor has reviewed the essays and made some suggested edits, the photos, essays and haikus have been input into the book template and, I must say, it looks very nice. I've also pulled all the Tri-Club entries as well as the three submissions to the Quincy Arts Fest and added them to the book template. I have more writing to do...as well as massaging the layout...but I feel good about the progress made so far. Also, those two wise men who were imprisoned on my embroidery hoop for a few years...well they can finally stand with wise man number one next Christmas. They are complete! I mentioned my impatience at not completing this project in a previous post. The Shephard is next...what is a nativity scene without a shephard!

'Scrappy Scribers' Volume 2 began last week after taking a hiatus over the holidays. So far it has been extremely slow...but I am hoping it will pick up. This is a good concept for writers who need an outlet...but I may need to shake things up a bit to get more involvement. 

Until next time!

Susan

Uncluttering

My post today is about procrastination and how it leads to clutter which, we all know, is as an impediment to creativity. I get junk mail, I put junk mail on table, one envelope becomes a dozen, dozen envelopes are moved to office and placed on scanner. Pen does not write, put pen back in drawer, need a pen that does write, pull out some boxes, find pen, leave boxes on floor. See where I'm going here? If I shredded the junk mail when I got it, it would not have had twelve babies and took up a homestead on my scanner only to fall off, get scattered on the floor and be shoved into an 'I will look at this later' bag! If I put the broken pen in the trash, pulled out a couple of new ones and put them in the drawer and put the boxes back where they belong, I would not have tripped over them and cursed my cluttered room while looking for a pen. I can't work in this clutter...so today, I will quit procrastinating, un-clutter my office and get on with doing the things I love to do. 

Well, maybe I'll have lunch first.
Susan

Celebration!!

Well, I spent some time the past few nights and finished up the last of my short essays for Shutterbox 2013, the camera club portfolio I've done each year since I joined the SSCC. There are sixteen essays in all; one essay for each of the two images per month submitted into competition. I had written the sixteen haikus a while back and only made minor revisions to them. I just sent the package off to my 'editor' for review (photos, haikus and essays) and am looking forward to his suggestions for polishing them up. I have to pull some more information together for the book; the images I entered into Tri-Club and the two juried shows I entered images into. (I think it was two!) I want to complete this by the middle of February.

Anyway, I'm happy I've made some progress on one of my goals anyway. It's contagious; the more I write, the more I want to write. I'm looking for the inspiration I need so that I can get moving on my poetry book...hmmm, maybe it's under that stack of junk mail on my desk.

Swift Kick To Procrastination!

It is typical January weather tonight; cold and windy. I just took Neely for her walk and am tucked in for the night. 

I had a somewhat successful evening. I pulled together all the Scrappy Scribers essays done in Volume 1 and sent it to the Scrappy Scribers group as "Scrappy Scribers Compilation" Volume 1! Beginning on 1/26/14, Volume 2 will begin with a new prompt. I'm hoping to add a few more writers to the group, enticed by some thought-provoking prompts. I also wrote three more short essays for Shutterbox 2013. This is a small portfolio of my camera club experience which I have done every year since I joined in 2009...except this year I am about 6 months late!! I better finish it before I need to work on Shutterbox 2014! 

I feel like I'm on my way again, on my way to achieving a few goals and kicking my procrastination out the front door.

Just a thought