Check-In Post February 6th 2021

[badly_knitted]

Hello to all members, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.

Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?

There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.


Today's Question: No question today.


If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.

I now declare this Check-In OPEN!

Comments

[badly_knitted]

Not feeling great today, but I think I'm three-quarters of the way through the Valentine's cross stitch, so yay!

[m_findlow]

I hope we get to see it when it's complete. :)

[badly_knitted]

I hope so too! It will all depend on whether my camera and this new mini laptop are compatible!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Good job! I worked a little bit on a puzzle today, but yesterday I bought two little kits for my boys to make dinosaurs out of something called 'foam clay.' I don't know if it will be fun or not, but it was something different.

[badly_knitted]

Thanks!

Puzzles are always good for unwinding.

Sounds interesting. Who doesn't love dinosaurs? I've never hear of foam clay either, do let us know what it's like when you try it out! Foamy dinosaurs... *grins*

[m_findlow]

A few more cards this weekend as my mojo continues to wane on writing projects. Twice this week I've been foiled on my writing: once as I rush a piece together and then realised it was for Slashthedrabble and wasn't a slash fic, so I had to write a new one; and again today when my idea had already basically been used and I didn't feel right replicating something really similar. Nothing is really falling into place at the moment. Just feeling a bit lethargic on all fronts.

More cards:

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Lovely!

Ha, ha! Yes, I know your pain. I've written something for Watson's Woes and forgotten the Watson :)

I had to buy a Valentine's card and a birthday card this week. I wish I had yours to choose from. I don't buy many cards, as a rule, but the ones at the store are never what I like (googly eyes and chihuahuas!) or very expensive.

[m_findlow]

Thank you. I keep wondering if I should just load photos of them all and let people pick a bundle for me to post to them to make it cheaper. The trouble is I'm so attached to them, like an art portfolio. I've never made the same card twice, but usually that's because supplies are hard to come by and impossible to replace. Most of what I buy came from craft exhibitions so you never see those bits and pieces again as they're often end of stock items.
It does seem rather criminal to pay upwards of $6 for a mass produced card that usually has an awful punchline and gets binned three seconds later.
I don't think I've ever made a valentines day card - never had a need for one!

[badly_knitted]

Such beautiful cards!

I've done that before with slashthedrabble prompts.

I'm so sorry, my bad, I just couldn't think of anything for the challenge and then I got an idea. I was going to say great minds think alike, and I'm sure yours is way different from mine, roles reversed for a start and mine is more cute and fluffy and anxious. Still, I saw what your other one is and I'm psyched to see more of that story!

May your writing mojo return soon. You're still doing well on your GYWO goal!

[m_findlow]

No need to apologise. My energy levels just weren't really there for writing two lots of pieces but I pushed through. I didn't want people bored by having to read a second similar submission, but I was already halfway done with it before I saw your post and didn't want to abandon it entirely.
Tomorrow I have to gear myself up to write my Fan-flashworks piece, another idea I don't feel all that inspired about. Guh!

[badly_knitted]

Writing can be such a hard slog when you're not feeling inspired. I feel for you. I've been there. Just remember, fan_flashworks doesn't need to be a massive story. It's not a particularly inspiring prompt this time around, unfortunately. I struggled with mine, although I think it ended up better than I expected considering I was completely winging it. I knew I had to write something, but the ideas weren't there. Some prompts are just harder than others. Good luck with yours!

[m_findlow]

I'm glad it want just me that struggled with the prompt. I went to your social post for fresh ideas but think I'll stick with what I've got. I generally don't like to do less than 1000-1500 words as so many other comms have shorter limits. I'm sure it'll turn out okay.

[badly_knitted]

True, it can be hard to constrain oneself for the shorter word counts. It's why I sometimes end up with two versions. You'll get it done, you're determined! *cheers you on*

If you're looking for more inspiration, there's a newish community on LJ, lovers_corner, with a monthly prompt, any length fic, voting and banners. The current prompt is open for another month since the mod is having computer issues. Not many members yet, but Jae and I are both there.

[smallhobbit]

Yes, not the easiest prompt. All I can say is I'm glad it was BK's turn for the social post!

[badly_knitted]

I didn't find the ffw_social post that difficult, but coming up with fic ideas is a whole other problem!

[pensnest]

I have created twelve - yes, twelve! - Twiddle Muffs!

[badly_knitted]

I need to know more about twiddle muffs, they look like such fun!

[pensnest]

They're intended for use by people with dementia, although I've heard that sometimes people with autism also find them comforting. They can fiddle with the different textures and objects inside and outside the muff, and it helps them be calm.

A friend of mine from chorus asked for them a few years back, so I'm hoping that she'll be able to pass these along to the right place, though possibly not till After COVID.

[badly_knitted]

Wonderful!

They could also work as stress / anxiety relief for pretty much anyone. Fiddling with something can be very calming.

[pensnest]

This is true. Perhaps I should distribute them locally! ;-) Lockdown is hard on us all.

[badly_knitted]

Exactly! Everyone should have a twiddle muff or something similar to calm and soothe in these difficult times.

[m_findlow]

Those are so eclectic and look lovely and warm. Is that a frog I spotted on one of them?

[pensnest]

There is a frog, yes! I have a handful of frog and lizard buttons (somewhere - my giant bag of buttons has mysteriously disappeared), and I thought they'd be fun objects. My squirrel-like habit of saving Stuff turns out to be quite handy for constructing these. I have put a firmly-tied piece of sweetie wrapper inside many of them, as apparently the crinkle can put a smile on the user's face!

[m_findlow]

I'm the same. Never chuck away anything that might be useful for crafting. I sieze on those silly ribbons they sew into clothes to make them stay on the hangers and chop them off as soon as they come home. They're perfect little ribbons for cards and come in all glorious shades you can't get in the shops. Ribbons on gifts and flowers are great too. And yes, spare buttons for clothes you no longer own! Anything that adds texture.
I hope your bag of buttons turns up. I'm sure it's somewhere!

[pensnest]

Absolutely! I always save the ribbons/ties from Christmas crackers, for example, and this year used them all to make gift labels for next year, with cut-up images from this year's cards. And, of course, card-making, absolutely.

I must have put the wretched button bag *somewhere* in the house! I haven't been out! Gah.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Very cool!