{ my free holiday gift tags in action. find the printable here. }
{ yummiest homemade sugar cookies from Alissa of MySweetViolette }
{ sweet Paperie fabrics gifts from Jenni of @zjsquiltymomma }
{ paperie charms made by Melissa of OhHowSweet.com }
{ Paperie ornament made by Renee of SewnWithGrace.com }
Anne came home from college for Christmas (we ate lots of soup, saw the new Star Wars, went to the Nutcracker, and then I got sick, boo) ~ and with a blink of the eye she was gone. I made these two pillow shams for her using Emmy Grace fabric by Bari J Ackerman, with yellow and grey AGF "round elements" as accents. And then I finished sewing the trees for the winter bed runner I've been slowly putting together for weeks. It's going to look great at the foot of our bed, against the soft grey gingham quilt we keep on all year long. I'm hoping to get this runner quilted asap and I can't wait to show you.
2015 was a very big year around here. A year of firsts. A year of dreams coming true. A year of hard work coming to fruition. There is so much I could say about the changes in my "work", about the path I never expected to take, and how that's affected myself and my family ~ but I'm not still enough at the moment to talk about it. There is a heap of work on my plate for the month of January. I've been joking with friends that I'll be able to rest in spring 2016, but I'm completely serious. Nobody told me how to shift gears between the stay-at-home mom who was sewing and crafting and blogging for fun, to the professional who is quite suddenly having to think like a 'business person.' To be blunt, I am the worst business person. I'm more of an artist, which is almost the polar opposite of a business person. I'm trying to wear both caps lately, and that has been the biggest transition for me. But I love the growth. I love the challenge. And I love the quote I found this year (said by the most unlikely of persons, Naomi Campbell) ~ "I am never overconfident about anything. I know I'm a work in progress." I am, and will be, a work-in-progress for the rest of my life. And I'm happy about that.
I keep these tiny jars of "sprinkle" beads on my desk ~ they're kind of dusty and ignored mostly ~ but I have them there to remind me of the start of this creative journey. I made so many "playtime" felt sugar cookies in the beginning, it was crazy. And I still think those cookies are cute, but I love the growth that has happened since then. I'm more than excited about the growth in my future. And it is never lost on me that I depended on your support, encouragement, and inspiration ~ every step of the way. I thank you so so much!
Here's a quick look back at the past year. I can never cram all my makes into one of these mosaics, so this year I've taken the liberty of doing two ~ to look back at a most amazing 2015.
{ nanaCompany makes of 2015 }
All of the pics can be seen in full at the main 'photos' link above.
"Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire!"
xo amy