What was and what is yet to come...

Holy cuss. I kind of forgot how much and how many different things I made this year. It's good to put up the retrospective of the year and acknowledge all that I actually managed to get DONE. I think my favorites were the Two-Faced Friend pattern, the Bitty Birdies, the vintage button barrettes, and the plush alphabet magnets. But looking at all I made this past year, kind of made me realize now why some people give me that look of question as to the likelihood of whether I might be some sort of Martha stepford crafter, if you know what I mean.

At the end of one year and the start of another the fact remains though that I just love handmade--both handmaking stuff myself, as well as buying handmade. Few things make me as happy and peaceful as when I am working on some sort of project in my workshop. Sometimes when I am just sitting at my work table, quietly applique-ing numbers onto beanbags or whatever, well, I find myself smiling--yes, just smiling all for me and the happiness handmaking--especially something of my own design--brings me. It's as good as a Prozac chased with 3 glasses of Malbec, I tell you.

And over the past few weeks as I have been furiously working on the completion of Christmas gifts, I have also been doing a lot of thinking about what I want to commit myself to for the coming year...and I want to share the list because some of it pertains to you:

1. Weekly craft projects with Beeper (especially now that I have managed to go down to a part-time work schedule--did I mention that before? Yeah, it's kind of a really big deal since I have never, ever worked anything less than fulltime...)
2. All new monthly tutorials and project downloads for my Chez Beeper Bebe readers (starting tomorrow with my latest...)
3. Monthly give-a-ways to my blog readers--yeah, that's right. Last year I did the Toy Society thing each month--this year, the benefactors of free and randomly-doled out handmade goodness will be one of you!
4. Speaking of the Toy Society--well, I kind of pooped out on my year long commitment for November and December--so, I am going to make those two missed drops up this year and create a special plushie pattern for Bianca and the Toy Society to offer for free
5. At least 4 new pattern designs available for sale in my Etsy shop...what they will be yet, who can say, but I have a notebook filled with ideas already
6. Selling my wares at more craft sales and art fairs--I so missed the No Coast Craft O'Rama this year and am now aiming to be in the Craftstravaganza, as well as No Coast next year, at a minimum (and maybe the PowderHorn Art Fair...)
7. Improved Beeper Bebe purchase packaging--I love packaging and think it adds so much to a purchase that the buyer does not anticipate, but it has the power to delight like nobody's business, non?
8. More handmade attention for my own damn home-- just needs more love and attention to its colorfulness
9. New Beeper Bebe plushie and other toy designs for my shop--the ideas in my notebook are proliferating like rabbits left unchecked and I need to get some of them out of my head and into my shop
10. And just more of what already is--more recipes from Chez Beeper Bebe, more sharing of children's books we love, more sharing of bloggers and crafters that give me a little extra spring in my step...just more of what makes me happy and might make you happy too. I want to share more, and ask more questions of all of you and get to know more of you better than I do--I mean, if you are stopping by here on a regular basis, we should get to know each other better, don't you think? Let's have coffee sometime or something and share what's on our minds and what we are making and what is happening in our lives. Because, really, you--yes, you--you all mean the world to me. Having started this blog and devoted more time to it this past year has been so worth the late nights and lost sleep--the connection I have with you, well, it gives my heart a smile. Connecting like this means something--even if it is only via a comment box on Blogger. I say that like I really think this is silly--but I am serious. Some comments that have been left for me this past year have brought tears of gratitude, and some have made me laught outloud, and many just make me smile--and make me curious to know more about you. So, this year, let's make a point of connecting more.

And hey, Happy New Year to all of you. Thanks for stopping by this past year--I hope to see you around more this year.