Sunday 3 January 2010

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year - Behind already!!





As my title says - I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and that your new year got off to a flying start! Somehow, I'm three days into the new year and ALREADY feel like I'm running behind! :0) After ten days at the beach with my family (which, apart from a few of the usual family dramas, was most enjoyable!) we had one day at home that I spent tied to the sewing machine, frantically trying to finish those monkeys I talked about last post for the nieces and nephews, then we had the weekend with my Beloved Geek Boy's family at the Crows News Caravan Park. Not too far from home, that one, but we worked out a few years ago that the self-contained cabins aren't too pricey, give each family their own space to retreat to if they need it, no one's house gets trashed with the family invasion and there's a pool and lots of open space for all the nieces and nephews to run wild - which they did! :0) We arrived back this afternoon and now have to wrap our heads around the fact that holidays are over and we're both back at work tomorrow - SIGH! Why is it that another week would always be good ... no matter HOW long your holiday is! :0)

And as well as being behind in wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, I'm behind in letting you know the three extra prize winners I was responsible for announcing for the end of the 2009 One Project A Month Challenge. May Britt has already announced the December winner and her three extra winners taken from the full year's tally ... but you'll just have to wait a little longer before you find out who gets MY three prizes while I have a little say about the OPAM Challenge 09.

When May Britt and I first 'chatted' about setting up a 'little' challenge, it was to give ourselves and our blogging buddies who joined us a bit of incentive and encouragement to tackle some WISPs and to actually FINISH new projects that we started during the year. And we did that, with a whopping 5694 projects completed for the year! WOW!!! HOWEVER ... it became SOOOOOOOOOOOO much more! Throughout the year, not only have May Britt and I been privileged to see THOUSANDS of your finished craft projects, large and small, we have been welcomed into your lives. As we 'chatted' with you all via emails or popped into your blogs to collect monthly finish tallies, we were also witnesses to your lives. During 2009 we joined with you to welcome new babies, sent condolences as you mourned the loss of loved ones, rejoiced with you over special birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and special occasions, worried and prayed with you through illnesses, accidents, stressful events and life-changing moves and laughed with you as you searched for the humour and funny side of life. The OPAM Challenge may have started off just as a craft challenge to encourage us all to take some time out for ourselves, but it ended up being a giant, world-wide sewing circle that linked like-minded ladies into a network of blogging buddies and friends. On behalf of May Britt and myself, I would like to say ...

THANK YOU!!

... to you all for sharing your craft and your lives with us. I'm looking forward to expanding my blogging buddy network even more in 2010! :0)

But before THAT happens, I'd better tell you the three winners of my extra prizes. Drum roll ....

1. Annette S.

2. Judy S.

3. Tudy

CONGRATULATIONS, gals!! If you can all email me your snail mail addresses, I'll get your surprise prizes into the mail this week.

Now ... for all of you who have been asking "Will there be an OPAM Challenge for 2010?" The answer is ...

YES!!!

May Britt has decided not to co-host OPAM with me this year due to work and other time commitments ... and she wants the extra stitching time, too! :0) And I would like to say a big

THANK YOU!!

to May Britt for her help and friendship as we ran with a much BIGGER 'little' challenge than either of us originally counted on! :0) May Britt and I were blogging buddies before teaming up to host OPAM, but our friendship has certainly grown and bloomed as we've worked together and gotten to know each other over the last 12 months. And I know that will continue this year, as May Britt says she will be the first person to sign up for this year's OPAM Challenge because she STILL has lots of kits and projects she wants to finish! Tee! Hee! Hee!

Now, I certainly wouldn't be able to cope with running OPAM by myself, so this year, I am really excited to announce that my OPAM Challenge co-host for 2010 is ...

PEG!!!

YAY!!! Some of you (like me!) were part of Peg's challenge in 2008 that inspired May Britt and I to change OPAM from a personal challenge amonst four or five blogging buddies to the huge beast it became, so you just KNOW she will be a wonderful co-host with me! :0) Peg is an incredibly talented and prolific stitcher who just AMAZES me with how many projects she finishes - in fact, my nick name for her is "SUPER STITCHER"! Tee! Hee! Hee! So ...

WELCOME ABOARD PEG!!

I just KNOW we're going to have a ball encouraging you all and helping you keep track of all your stitching projects this year!! Make sure you pop over and welcome Peg to OPAM!!!

Before you get too carried away, though ... sign up isn't open yet!! The OFFICIAL SIGN UP for the 2010 One Project A Month Challenge will open on ...

FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2010!!!
(Edit: Oops! Had the date there before, must have deleted it accidentally! Kept you guessing! Tee! Hee! Hee!)

Peg and I will BOTH post the list of Challenge guidelines and sign up will be by EMAIL ONLY to help us keep track. Make sure you read ALL the guidelines and follow the instructions outlined when you sign up, cos numbers for participation will be limited and if you don't do it right, you'll miss out on all the fun!!

PHEW!! I know that was a loooooong post with no photos, but as I said ... I'm playing catch up!! I promise photos next time. Stay tuned for OPAM details and sign up! Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS

23 comments:

Linda Lilly C said...

Hello lovely Kris, which Friday January 2010, there are a couple to choose from..hehehehehe
Kiss Noises Linda

Anna said...

Happy New Year Kris! I look forward to this year's OPAM!

Judith said...

LOL have the same question as Linda, which friday it will be.

Peg - Happy In Quilting said...

Congratulations Kris, both you and May Britt must be so pleased and I hope so very proud of yourselves...what an aweseome number of projects...just think you two have encouraged all those finishes.....three cheers to you both.....I am thrilled to be your co-host thankyou so very much for your very warm welcome...Like I said to both you and May Britt I have some pretty big shoes to fill..but I will give it my best shot.......OPAM 2010 look out here we come....

Oddbjørg said...

Happy New Year!
Thank you so much for the great work you and May Britt have done hosting OPAM! It has been fun, and I hope i can join this year too.

Janice said...

Welcome back from your break. I'm also groaning about returning to work tomorrow. I can't wait till the new OPAM starts. Peg will be a terrific co-host.

Joy said...

Welcome back!!! So glad you've had fun :o) .... missed ya!!!
Don't know if I've said it before, but THANK YOU SO MUCH you gawjus lady for all you've done with OPAM!! I've just loved being a part of it all :o)SUCH fun. I'll be signing up with you and Peg this year for sure!!! Now I'll pop on over and welcome Peg :o)!!!
Hugs,
Joy :o)

Dawn said...

ooh this sounds like a challenge I may be able to keep... I will try anyway... 'Bring it on' he he
Hugs Dawn x x

May Britt said...

Both you and Peg will do a wonderful job hosting OPAM 2010 and I will for sure be a part of it. It has been a wonderful OPAM 2009 year and I hope I some time will be able to come to australia to visit you and Peg.

Unknown said...

I'll be there on Friday 2010 you bet ....mmm now which one , lol !
Glad to see you're back and behind like all of us , Happy New Year !

Inger said...

Happy new year to you too. And thank you for hosting OPAM 2009. You and May Britt has done a wonderful job. I'm glad there is a few days left to decide if I am going to join the OPAM 2010. I still have a lot of kits and patterns I haven't used, so I think it would be easy. But I haven't made up my mind about contiuing blogging, so this can stop me from joining.

Hanne said...

Happy New Year to you Kris!
I will sign up on Friday :-)

julia said...

Hi Kris,
I'm glad to hear that you've had a great time at the beach!
Wow, so many projects finished - I'd say: congrats to us all!
I'll definitely sign up to this year's challenge, too! Although I wasn't so good with posting my finishes or even mailing them to you, the challenge helped me so much to finish more projects than I would have without it! Thank you both for this great opportunity.
Big bear hugs,
Julia
P.S.: I know I've said that many times before - but I'm actually working on a new blog post...with my first finish for this year ;o)
P.P.S.: Oh, of course I marked my calendar so that I won't forget to sign up...

Jo said...

Hi Kris nice to see you had a good break over Christmas and all the best for the New Year.
Seeing as last year was my least productive, ever, sewing wise I am seriously considering signing up for the challenge this year hoping it might get me kick started again.

Kiwifruit-Shiree said...

Hi Kris, Happy New Year! Looking forward to another OPAM, hope I can do a bit better this year!

Anna Rosa Designs said...

Hi Kris,
Ah, holidays are never long enough!
we should all book an extra week to stay at home after our holidays and catch up on washing and bits and pieces(sewing) before returning to work.

Hm, the OPAM sounds interesting.
I'll wait until the 8th Jan and read all the instructions before committing myself. Things have been a bit hectic lately and not much ME time or Mojo going on.

Wishing you and Mr Geek health, happiness and heaps of creative ideas in 2010
Hugs,
Anna

Noela said...

Just a quick comment to THANKYOU for hosting OPAM last year. It encouraged me to get more projects completed than I normally would have done. Look forward to joining up again this year. Cheers for now and of course a Happy New year....

Sheryl said...

Happy New Year Kris, sounds like you had a lovely Christmas break...
Thank-you for co-hosting last years OPAM, this year I WILL try harder and finish more than I did last year...

RebeccaMom said...

Kris, thanks so much to you and May Britt for being the wonderful hosts of OPAM 2009! It was wonderful for me :) I plan to do 2010 with you and look forward to Jan 8Th :)

Sue said...

Kris, Thank you for hosting OPAM 2009. You and May Britt were inspirational!

Kerryanne @ Shabby Art Boutique said...

Glad to have you back in blogland Kris.

I think this year I had better join in OPAM. Didn't think I had time last year but OPAM might just be the motivation I need to do something for myself.

Well done to you and May for such a huge effort in co-ordinating the challenge and best of luck to you and Peg for the 2010 challenge.

Hugs ~ Kerryanne

Litamora's Quilt & Design said...

First of all: I'll be joining the OPAM 2010 too! It was so fun! I'll bee checking in on you on Friday again!
By the way, there's a greeting for you on my blog ;o)
Hugs,
Laila

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year! I can't wait for Friday's blogpost :O)
toni xxx

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