Or go after it with scissors, shredder and glue.
That was me yesterday when it came time to write what is my 100th post. I had ideas, a few pages of notes and pictures, but I think I psyched myself out over the idea that I needed some kind of sparkly masterpiece.
Worse I knew that without a solid plan, I would be spending hours working on a post that I wasn’t even sure would turn out the way I intended.
So I scrapped it all and decided to work on a craft project. 
I have a few bulletin boards that I wanted to change in order to use them for inspirational story boards (as much as I LOVE Pinterest, I can’t be online while I’m writing).
So I started with this:
Then I picked out some paper.
I used leftover scrapbook paper, books with torn pages and a couple of greeting cards. I decided on a neutral color scheme and picked pages that were black, white or gray.
Then it was time to cut the paper into strips. I have a Scrapbook paper-cutter, but suddenly I had a light bulb moment.
Well, a light bulb on its last filament moment, because I tried my office paper shredder, thinking I would have a pile of strips ready to lay on the cork board.
I forget about the whole cross shredder thing.
Can you find Waldo in there?
(And this is the same brain I was planning on using to write my 100th post masterpiece.)
Anyway, I cut the paper into strips and then glued them down.
Until I ended up with this, the finished project:
All ready for tacking on inspiring things–I started with a heart.
Do you like to play with scissors and glue? What are your creative outlets?
I love it when you comment!
Have a GREAT week.
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Congratulations on your 100th blog post, Coleen! I love what you did with that bulletin board. Now, it serves two purposes: an inspirational story board for novels to come and a reminder of what you’ve already accomplished with your blog.
Pat O’Dea Rosen recently posted..Life Lessons Learned from Reality Cooking Shows
Thanks Pat! Now I will think of it as my 100th post “prize.” Awesome, and better than it reminding me that I need to stop waiting until the night before to actually write my blog posts for Monday. Once a pantser, always a pantser?
Oh. My. Gosh.
I want one of these boards …
And my craft-challenged self is saying, “You can do this, Beth … all you have to do is shred paper …
“
Yes, but NOT in a cross shredder.
Thanks Beth!!
Congrats in 100! I get to take a glue stick and scissors to an upcoming conference. Excited. Just call me sticky fingers. That’s a great board! May it be filled with inspiration.
Stacy S. Jensen recently posted..Perfect Picture Book: The Splatters Learn Some Manners
Thanks Stacy–I remember you mentioned taking a mixed media class! I love that kind of stuff
I love your creation!
I got a BS in art so that is right up my alley! I haven’t been on Pinterest in a while, but had made a board for my book. I am trying to cut back on time sucking activities on the computer… I had a crazy week and this is my catch up week!
Great project!
Congrats on your 100th!
Thanks Susie! Yes, Pinterest is crazy addictive, like falling into a time portal or something! You did illustrations for a living, didn’t you?
Wow! That is gorgeous and so creative! I am WAY not talented enough to pull off anything like that, but i sure like yours!
Thanks Susanna! You are talented in my book! Other than your picture books of course, the fact that you post three times a week and run all those contests is mind boggling!
Congrats on 100 posts and how beautiful is that picture. So creative! I’m so glad you did that instead of another post. It’s beautiful
Aw thanks Catherine!
Congratulations, Coleen! Your 100th post, that’s awesome. I love your inspiration board! Glue, glitter, scissors, they are all my friends. I adore making crafts, but don’t have the time/inclination to do it much anymore. I’d rather be writing, but reading this post has got me thinking that maybe I should get out the craft supplies more often because it’s like zen to me.
Happy pinning (for real, not virtually).
Thank you Tameri! Crafting got pushed to the side when I started social media and blogging, but recently I’ve come to realize I need that zen too.
Fabulous use of scissors and glue, Coleen! I love that you bypassed the “Um… What should I write?” lockdown for something creative and fun. I gave that Where’s Waldo book to my nieces, by the way. I dig yours more.
And man, are you great at utilizing quotes. Another great one, up top.
Cut and paste happens to be the only craft-like thing I’ve engaged in over the past few years. I love that messiness is part of it and you don’t need a specified plan or precision. I suddenly have the urge to shred….
August McLaughlin recently posted..Social Media Fitness for Authors: Happy Findings
Digging for quotes is almost as fun as crafting
Thank you August!!
Wow – I’m impressed. I haven’t done it for a long while (and I miss it) but my creative outlet is to design and create chainmaille jewellery. I like working with silver, but typically my metal of choice is stainless steel – more bang for your buck. Now I feel like crafting something…
Okay I just Googled that jewelry. Beautiful! That’s seriously cool Lisa
Thanks! Before I committed to writing full time, I almost went into business full time. Still have a bunch of inventory – which has become my personal jewellery box
Time consuming, because you have to open and close each individual ring – but it’s cathartic. I should go visit the Ring Lord…
I just saw the bathing suit top made that way on Ring Lord. It makes me think of crocheting but with metal. I can imagine the time and care that method takes. Wow.
Congrats on your 100th post! I love the board!!!
Thanks Em!
Gorgeous. Wow. You are so creative. I couldn’t have even envisioned the idea. I am not visual that way in any way. LOL!! But it’s stunning…love it Coleen!!!
Thanks so much Natalie
Happy Hundredth!!!! Love your posts and I love the red pin you used on the black and white board. I do a lot of crafting. I made a large very graphic black & white quilt and used a very narrow strip of red as one of the borders–just that tiny touch–like the pin on your board.
Love.
The last time I was at my mom’s house she showed me some of the cards you made and I remember something at Maggie’s–made with mosaic tile i think. All beautiful!
Thanks Trisha!
This is a wonderfully creative 100th post. Congrats! I love your finished project, nothing at all like I would have imagined it turning into. I love it when art is unpredictable like that.
I used to scrapbook a lot when the kids were younger. But I couldn’t keep up with it all. Just recently I started scrapbooking with them, but that’s more of them scrapbooking and me making sure they don’t cut or glue themselves.
I make my own Christmas cards.. And I throw a Halloween party and birthday parties for the kids every year–these are the times I get to play with my art supplies.
I couldn’t keep up with scrapbooking either. I really enjoy it, but I also feel like I need to be on top of all the photos that are coming in. Once I started with Shutterfly digital books I stopped with the big scrapbooking sessions!
Halloween parties–now that sounds like a lot of fun. I’ve never done one, but I love reading all the ideas in the magazines this month.
Thanks Kate!
Congrats on the 100th post, Coleen. Love the inspiration board. Looks like it took a lot of patience. Besides writing, crafting and painting are two of my favorite creative outlets.
Ruth Schiffmann recently posted..Novels in Verse Reading Challenge Update & My Take on a Star Rating System
It didn’t take too much time, but my back and neck would tell you otherwise, ha ha. Thanks Ruth
Such a beautiful board, and congrats on your 100th post!!
I wish I had more time for crafting. I used to have a couple things I did that were a great release but they’ve fallen by the wayside. The hobby I want to get back to most is playing my flute. I miss the sound of it.
Marcy Kennedy recently posted..Why I’m Thankful for the Stress Tests in Life
You play the flute? That’s so awesome. I love learning new things about everyone, each time it gives me more of a picture of my blogging friends
Thanks Marcy!
It’s one of my favorite things. I used to regularly play publicly at fundraisers and things, but haven’t had much time for it the last 6 months or so. Maybe I’ll have to record a piece and post it to my blog for Christmas
Absolutely! That would be so cool!
Coleen, I had to giggle when I read the cross shred comment. It sounds like something I would do–Catherine of C.D Hersh, not Donald. He always double and triple checks things. Anyway, the end product is lovely, and congrats on the 100th post!
Giggle on! It’s the kind of thing I do on a daily basis. I think it’s because I’m often in my head making stuff up that I miss stuff like that. And my better half would never make that mistake either, he’s a triple checker too! Thanks for stopping by Catherine!
What a gorgeous use of cut-up paper! I was an art major in college, and worked in graphic design for ten years, so that might have quashed the crafty impulses in me, I’m afraid. I can’t just take something like this and wing it, and as a result, my crafty projects come out stilted and uninspired. Luckily, there’s software, and sewing, and of course words! Big congrats on your 100th post! My post-iversary came and went without me even noticing.
Jennette Marie Powell recently posted..Misfit Monday: Home on the Web
Thanks Jennette. Every time I logged into my site I saw the number of posts, so when I hit 90, i thought, I should mark the 100th. Ugh, I spent far too much time the last couple of weeks thinking up stuff I’d never do. Hence the arts and crafts post.
I always thought it would be interesting to be a graphic artist, but maybe not if it quashes crafty impulses!
What a good idea – I’ve never thought of crafts as a way to spur creativity. good idea.
Thanks Louise
Congrats on your 100th post! I agree crafts are a great way to get your creative juices flowing. It also gives your writing mind a little break while your hands get to play.
I so agree! Thanks Lauri
That is cool! I’m gonna make me one. Yes, I’m copying you. I have my cork board but it’s not on the wall yet, because I’m waiting for the room to be painted. But I have the stuff to stick on it. Before I put up my fun pictures, I’m gonna decorate the board itself. Who’d have thought. I’m thinking shades of pink or purple or blue. Maybe even a rainbow. I have all kinds of fun paper and crafty stuff. I’ll come up with something really uniqu.
And congratulations on your 100th post! That is super duper. Keep it up. Always fun stuff on Colleen’s blog.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
I’d love to see a picture Patricia!!!
100 posts already! Congrats, Coleen. Your storyboard is really beautiful and all the more special because you made it yourself. I suck at crafts so Pinterest is a perfect visual channel for me.
Reetta Raitanen recently posted..Myers-Briggs Personality Types: A Tool To Understand Ourselves and Others Better
Thanks Reetta! I do love Pinterest too–it’s eye candy
Congratulations on the 100th post. I always marvel at how creative your posts are. And, now to know you create with your hands. Loved the story board. The Picasso quote was so appropriate. I used to do needlepoint years ago. And, would spend hours at the piano. Where did you download those circles? And, how did you write on them?
Thanks Patricia! I made that picasso graphic using picmonkey. It’s a free photo editing site. I used some of the geometric add ins and colored them and resized them to the way I liked. Then I added on the text.
I love this post. The Jack London quote had me laughing out loud. I’m still laughing. It’s so true! I’ve got to write it down…
Thanks!
I love the visual I get from it too
Thanks Emily!
Congratulations, Coleen! One hundred posts is a huge milestone! And I love your board. What kind of glue did you use? My corkboard looks kind of ugly now.
Kristy K. James…Living, Loving, Laughing recently posted..Stupid Is As Stupid Does
Thanks Kristy! I used Elmer’s memory book glue pen, but if I had a spray adhesive I might’ve tried that first. Using the pen though allowed me to do one strip at a time, but I also had to rinse my hands off every now and then because my fingers got sticky.
I have my crafty moments, but not lately. I’ll have to live through this post! Oh, and congrats on your 100th post!
Thanks Lydia!
Wow, that is exactly the kind of creativity that I DON’T have! Would you like to come over and finish my scrapbooks that have been sitting undone for years? Looks beautiful! And congrats on the 100th post.
I don’t do the scrapbooking albums anymore, it started to feel more like work than fun. I use Shutterfly to make books now–so easy. I guess I don’t like making the same thing all the time, which is what scrapbooking started to feel like.
Thanks Julie!
Wow, congratulations on your 100th post! It turned out great. You always come up with the best titles, and that photo of the quote with the line paper and paperclip, well, how perfect for this post. I love to do altered art scrapbooking, so I really dig your new inspiration board. What a clever idea. I say you pin a pic of your new board on Pinterest. I bet lots of crafters will be inspired to make one, too!
Thanks Lynn.
I remember those awesome altered books you showed on your site–so cool!
Congratulations, Coleen! 100 posts. And an inspiration board that started as an inspiration and ended up a prize. Great job!
Lynette M. Burrows recently posted..Powerful Words
Thank you Lynette
Happy 100th, Coleen! It seems appropriate after this long that you would chase inspiration with a pair of scissors…but you’ve pulled it off yet again
My arts and craft days are pretty much over. So I’m not sure I would be safe with a pair of scissors…
LOL. My husband would probably say I’m not safe with scissors either–I’m a little haphazard like that! But all my fingers are still intact after this project thankfully.
Thanks Alarna!
Creative. And the final product is beautiful! I love that line, “go after it with scissors, shredder and glue.”
Really made me smile. I’m sorry Waldo got cross threaded. That’s a shame. Congratulations on your 100th post. That’s fantastic!!! You are an amazing blogger and I know I’ll be following you for years to come.
Debra Kristi recently posted..A Legend and A Werebeast Makes an Immortal Monday
Aw thanks Debra! Here’s hoping we will one day get to meet in person
They will not let me play with scissors. But they make a great tasting glue with water and flour. I sometimes add salt. I like your heart!
Thanks Paul! I think I’ve seen that recipe on Top Chef, no?
Woo Hoo — 100 posts! That’s awesome and a huge accomplishment. And I adore your board. It’s gorgeous with that bold black heart right smack in the middle. I mean, shouldn’t the heart of a matter always be at the center of things? How did you glue all the strips so that they’d stay down, like which type of glue. I adore crafts and don’t take nearly enough time for them. You remind me that it’s a very important part of my process. In fact, I think I have an idea!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!
Thanks so much Ginger! Happy crafting and I hope you will show your work
I’d love to see it!
OH and I used Elmer’s memory book glue pen!
Happy 100th post! You’ve really made a cool and inspiring creation to celebrate!!
Thank you Barbara
Okay Coleen, please except my apology for my rudeness! I saw this announcement on Facebook earlier in the week and well, I don’t know what happened. Life, I guess. I must be living in a cave because I had no idea this was your 100th post and I missed it! I’m an idiot! “Congratulations girl!” I love your idea! It turned out great. And you doubted yourself. I love what you did with the scrap paper. You are so clever Coleen. I, on the other hand am not crafty at all. That part of my brain must be under-developed or something. Do not hand me the scissors! Or if you do, stand back! You’ve been warned. LOL!
Karen McFarland recently posted..Beyond the Jungle: Suzi Eszterhas
Karen you always make me smile!! Thanks
So you did post on your craft project and I missed it.
I like it. Great idea on the shredder, except for the cross-cut. Good for fries but not for this project. hehehe
Hmm. Potatoes in my office shredder. That sounds like a recipe for Pinterest . . .
Thanks MJ!