Strategic planner.

A few weeks ago I read about strategic planning, and how to make ones own planner. I liked the idea and got started at once. I came to this place through ihannas blog. If interested take a look here.
I wanted to make my book a little different and started the process. I used all kinds of material and tools. The process of making is what I like the most and it's really fun too.
A few days earlier I bought a pale pink dotted paper ( just love dots)and that would be how my book is on the outside.


I have dated it to 2011 cause inside are my goals for this year, and next year I have the full history of my planing and doing. Important as a tool for further planing. Easy to spot weak points and easy to change. In fact this is a very good idea.

Let's have a look inside.





Once I open my book there is a pocket full of calendar sheets. That way I always carry my plans and do not double book any more. :-)
In the middle I have a pocket for my planing cards. Here I have written down my goals and been very specific when talking about: Amounts, time limits and how to do it. Totally new way of doing it for me, but to be specific gives me the possibility to see what I'm actually doing during a year.
And, as Lisa said, one should never underestimate the power of down written goals! I have made myself different cards for what to do.



There is my vision card, my goal setting card and my activity card. I have decorated them and therefor it's fun to even look at them. And it's easy to write down my own progress. I really recommend this method to all of you.
And the very best part is to have the history next year to plan even more accurately.

Could I stop making when ready with my first book?




The answer is NO!
This book I made for a very good friend of mine, she was going to celebrate her birthday and I gave her this book as a present. These colours were chosen accordingly to what she normally prefer and she liked it a lot.

Another friend of mine was going to arrange her first public arrangement and I wanted to give her a book as well. Just as a "well done" gift. She fell in love with it immediately and have later told me that the book feels so precious to her that she finds it hard to write in it.



Elisabet just love turquoise, blue and a mix of both so I felt quite sure she would like it. There are pockets in her book too, and I'm sure she will find the timing to get started.



Elisabet told me a childhood story about a ladybird and she became a bit overwhelmed when she saw it in her book.



This last one isn't for anyone special but I couldn't resist making it. Can you see the little one at the back of the book. I really love that image. She stands as a visual example of strategic planing. Her VISION: to get a greater overview. Her STRATEGY: to fly. Her TACTICS: wings and balloon. Isn't that something?

Still working........

I'm still working the postcards. I've lost my count by now but it doesn't matter. This has been a thrill since I started. My 10 cards are ready ( think the number is 14 by now)and all I have to do is to choose which cards to use. If all the participants have had as much fun as I have, there has been a lot of fun going on the last week.



These are my last 4 cards, but I'm going to make at least 3 more. (if I can ever stop again)These four are slightly different from the others and has been very fun to make. Hope you all have a good progress.

This is my 7th card.

Let me just tell you all to join this swap, you can sign up until the 18th this month! It's so fun. You can join here at Hanna's place.
I have been working on these cards some days now and it's fun to notice how one idea leads to another and before knowing it I'm almost done.
My photos don't have the quality I want and the cards turns better in real life. That's a good thing. Mostly I have been drawing and painting since I enjoy it and it feels relaxing.
Probably I'll finish this weekend and then the looooooong waiting starts.

My cards so far.

I have been busy all day making cards for this swap I have joined. My "catcard" came out pretty well I think ( hopefully the reciever like it too) It's a bit scary to think I'm going to send these cards to people I don't know and what if they get dissapointed.


This next image shows a card in progres. I know it's going to be just as I have thought. Strange thing that one can feel when things are on track.
This have been a snowy day so I have stayed indoors all day. I long for spring now and don't want more snow. But it helps doing funny things.



I wrote this post yesterday evening and now I have finished 4 out of 10 cards. Don't know how much I can do today though since there are other things to do too. But it's difficult to leave this cause it's so fun and housekeeping is not.
A nice and creative day to you all.........

I am participating in a postcard swap !

This is going to be fun. I'm already going and my first card is ready. The second one is in progress and I'll show you some pictures,


This card is a result of some trouble I had with my cellphone the other day. And I was thinking back how easy it was back then. Just to dial......(wouldn't be back though)


As you see this is in progress. I don't want it too sweet so I'll have to do something more at the background.

This swap is open to everyone so I hope a lot of people will join in. If you read this just go to this place to join.

As promised !

As I promised here are the image of the heart. It turned out quite well, and inside the card I'll sew on a little pocket to leave something in. As you can see I did zigzag around the whole card just to make it "familiar" to the motif. As a result of sewing the heart I got an Image of the heart inside the card. Good space to write something nice to the receiver.




The colours are a bit brighter than the image shows, probably something I don't know about using images in these posts........

It's been a while now !

I have been occupied doing other things for a while, but now I have done something to blog about.I have played with my watercolours again. I had almost forgotten how fun that is. It's all these different colours that inspires me. The other day I passed a shelf full of coloured pencils in a bookstore and I had to buy some. The following pictures are the result.



First I made these two cards. They look quite easy to make, but it's time consuming after all. I intend to make a lot more cards, always good to have when in need.


Actually this was what I started with. As you can see it's in progress and it's not a card. I don't know what it ends up like but time will show.



This last one is just a sketch ( just passed Valentine you know)but I ended up painting it and right now in this writing moment I know how to use it.
I'll cut the heart out and use my sewing machine and sew it onto another cardboard. Wow that will be exiting perhaps it ends up as a card after all. Promise a picture when finished.
Have a nice weekend.