Finish Your UFO's Challenge #10: Team Challenge

This week I am continuing with my Finish Your Unfinished Objects Challenge.  And working with the Anniversary theme, the 10th anniversary, this week's extra entry theme is tin/aluminum.  So work on a UFO that involves metal for an extra entry. 
Since the beginning of 2016 I have volunteered as an assistant basketball coach for my son's basketball league.  While this volunteer job was outside my comfort zone as I know little about basketball, it was important to me because it was important to my son.  The league was short coaches and I believed in volunteering and I believed in the importance of sports for my boys.  So in honor of March Madness, I thought I might share a few lessons learned in basketball to help you finish your UFO's.  One of the important lessons our children get from sports is how to be a valuable part of a team.   Sometimes, our UFO's become unfinished objects because they are team projects and our fellow team mates are unable or unwilling to finish the project on our time table.  So, if you have a UFO that involves more than yourself to finish the project, try the great tips on finishing an unfinished object inspired by March Madness and basketball.
How to Finish a Team Project

1)  Be Prepared-Most of us know what our final goal is for our projects but may not be prepared.  As an example of a team project in may own life, my husband and I have been working on remodeling our kitchen since October of 2015.  We replaced our counter top first.  Our original counter top was laminate and we chose granite to replace it.  We had decided to keep our cabinets, as we love the quality and design and weren't interested in refinishing them.  But once the counters were in we struggled to chose a tile back splash.  To be prepared for pick our back splash, I ordered samples, shopped for samples,  and searched the Internet for photos of tiles in kitchens with similar counter tops and cabinets.  We consulted friends and family.  We took photos of our kitchen and the tile and copied and pasted the small samples into our photos to help us decide.  Below is an example of one of our cut and paste photos made with photos of the kitchen and sample tiles.  Not sure why the hubby took a photo with dirty dishes on the counter!

2)  Learn the fundamentals-Research design principles and current trends to help you decide.  Save photos of things you like that will work with your
3)  If the Plays Aren't Working Readjust the Game-Remodeling the kitchen has been on our to do list for a while, but it simply wasn't in our budget as a one time expense.  So, when our appliance began to fail with age, we began to replace them.  Below you can see a mocked up photo of a tile we tried and determined wasn't working.

4)  Be a Team Player, Be Unselfish-My husband and I tend to have very divergent tastes and this is has led to much inactivity in our decorating and remodeling.  I stayed home for 10 years when my boys were small and remodeling the kitchen was not a priority.  Now that I am working again we discussed adding this back on our to do list.  As a fashion design student, I worked in the same department with many of the interior design students and saw the value of a design board.  My husband struggled to see a finished room from small swatches and wanted to make one decision at a time.  So, I have worked on one small goal for the kitchen project every few months and we are close to the finish!  At the top of this post you can see one of our small steps, the cabinet and drawer pulls.  On the left is the before (brass and white) and on the right is the after (nickel).
5)  Never Give Up-When we were unable to make decisions, I took a small break from trying to design our kitchen by ourselves and then asked my husband about getting help from a designer.  We have met with a designer and seen samples of his suggestions in our kitchen.  We've made a selection that is timeless and works!  Now to place an order and schedule an install!

This week I am continuing with my Finish Your Unfinished Objects Challenge.  And working with the Anniversary theme, the ninth anniversary, this week's extra entry theme is willow.  So work on any unfinished object this week for an entry with willow.  Any entries this week in March go towards March's prize.  Enter before March 1, 2016 for the February prize.  So, finish weaving that basket or making that wreath and get an extra entry!  Find information on this project here. 

#UFO Challenge 8: Be Inspired by the Next Holiday

This week I am continuing with my Finish Your Unfinished Objects Challenge.  And working with the Anniversary theme, the eighth anniversary, this week's extra entry theme is pottery or bronze.  So, pull out any unfinished project with clay, or metal and tell us about how you are going to finish your project.
To encourage you to finish your UFO's, I want to share a strategy I use to get some of mine done:  The next holiday!  My creative gene is strong, and as soon as one holiday ends, I am considering what I want to make for the next.  So, think about the next upcoming holiday and how you can use one of your UFO's to decorate or gift to someone you love and get it done!  Above I have pictured an Easter Egg technique I want to try found on a Polish crafters blog, here.  You can use Google Translate to see her tutorial.  She used black paint, but I would like to try some bronze embossing powder on my egg.  Now to persuade the hubby to loan me his Dremel!
You can use the Inlinz in this post or post to our Facebook group to enter and qualify for the February prize of Jamberry wraps.  Any work on any UFO is acceptable, using the weekly theme above gets you an extra entry. 

#Finish Your UFO Challenge #7: Wool or Copper

This week I am continuing with my Finish Your Unfinished Objects Challenge.  And working with the Anniversary theme, the seventh anniversary, this week's extra entry theme is wool or copper.  So, pull out any unfinished project with wool, copper, fabric or metal and tell us about how you are going to finish your project.
In the photo above I used some wool fabric and Art Glitter Fantasy Fiber to make a throw pillow.  You can find more on this project here.  To enter this weeks challenge use the linkinz in the post below.   

#Wear Well Wednesday: The Long Cardigan

With the current cold snap upon us, I thought it would be a great time to talk about a great winter layering option:  the long cardigan.  Pictured above is one of my favorite sweater brands Lieth, available at Nordstrom.  I love this fiber blend for warmth and care that will avoid the piling of an acrylic sweater and it's on sale too! The wool not only hold up well to piling, but wears well as it has great body.  You can find this long sleeve sweater here.

Finish Your UFO Challenge #6: Candy

When I looked up this week's theme from the traditional sixth anniversary gift, I had to smile!  The timing is perfect for Valentine's day, because the sixth anniversary gift is traditionally candy.  So, if you have a UFO that involves Candy or holding candy you may be all in! 
Above you can see a paper cake box I made with Art Glitter, Heartfelt Creations, and Cricut.  A great box for holding candy.  Find the information on the project pictured above here. 

And the prize for February's drawing is a set of Jamberry Nail Wraps, some tools and cream samples donated by Jamie Furst.  Thanks Jamie!  You can find Jamie's Jamberry info here.  To enter, just scroll down and use the InLinz in the post below, or post to my Facebook group. 
The winner of the January prize was Heather Neppl.  Thanks to all of you who joined in the UFO challenge, we had 37 entries! 

Finish Your UFO Challenge #5: Wood

 

This week I am continuing with my Finish Your Unfinished Objects Challenge.  And working with the Anniversary theme, the fifth week extra entry theme is wood.  So, pull out any unfinished project that wood or paper (paper's made from trees too!)  and tell us about how you are going to finish your project.  It could be a paper craft, home décor, etc.
Since we are almost into February and most of this week will be in February, any entries for this weeks challenge will go towards February's prize.  Please look for the info on February's prize tomorrow on the First! 
To enter the prize drawing use the InLinkz below, or visit our Facebook Group and post there.
Pictured above is one of my projects made with wood.  My boys are always finding rocks and sea glass on the shores of lake Michigan and I wanted a place for them to store their treasures.  Find the details here.