New Years Crafty Resolutions

Each year, like so many others, I try to think of something admirable, constructive or weight-loss-ish with hopes of great achievement. Many things have gotten lost along the way due to life in general or just that perhaps my aspirations were a tad too unrealistic. I find every year I aspire to do something great I don't really enjoy doing, such as: running on a treadmill or finally stopping my nail biting, etc...
This year I'm hoping to create a New Year's resolution of something I enjoy doing- as well as crossing off some skills on my crafty bucket list. Since I'm a planner, of course I have outlined my bucket list and distributed the activities appropriately to be festive and therefore purposeful. However this plan does have an ulterior motive... I stink at blogging. I write about 2-4 a year. So for one year, once a month I will try to blog about my Crafty Bucket list of things "Mandy Made".

So here's the plan:

January! My birthday Month! This month's project is Tatting. Now, I know what you're thinking- You've never really envisioned me having or giving tattoos (and right you are!). Tatting in an old form of lace work! Not sure what it looks like? Just take a look in your Grandma's linen closet and you'll probably come across some. But just in case, here's some Wiki Facts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatting

This is a little sample of what I've learned. It's just a little practice chain. In tatting, one makes these little rings and then (when I learn how...) a series of picots that join the rings into a desired pattern making a shape. This project takes a tatting shuttle and crochet thread.
I'm not convinced I will make a whole lot of things with this craft, but I've always wanted to just know. You, know?
Over the years, I have threatened to raid a convalescent home to learn this skill (joking of course), but then, thankfully, one of my regular customers, at Starbucks, knows how and started teaching me! Awesome!

For the rest of the year I will attempt:

February: Candy making! I hoping to make Chocolate Truffles, hard ribbon candy and possibly peanut brittle or divinity (white chocolate fudge with walnuts).

March: Soap making using some of my Provence Lavender. I plan on signing up for this class at the Urban Craft Center with my Mom.

April: Learning Entrelac, a semi-advanced knitting technique.

May: Intro to sewing class(es). I'm hoping to acquire some basic skills and possibly learn how to install a zipper. Urban Craft Center

June:Quilting? I think there's a class for that at the Urban Craft Center.

July: Spinning Wool.

August: Canned Preserves of summer fruits

September: Dying yarn (natural fibers) with acid dyes.

October: Pumpkin Carving.

November: Paper Crafting- like a whole project with quilling or something like that.

December: DH and I are thinking of wood burning...

Whew, I'm overwhelmed just thinking about it... but I'm so dang excited to get started! I'm not exactly looking at mastering one of these crafts, I just want to be able to say, "Oh Yeah, I know how to do that!"