Welcome to OPAM 2010

Welcome to........
The One Project A Month (OPAM) Challenge 2010
Guidelines
The idea of the “One Project A Month Challenge" is pretty simple ... To try to finish at least ONE craft project by the end of each month. This can be something you’ve had partly done for a while (a Work In Slow Progress WISP), a pattern you bought ages ago that you finally get around to making up, or a completely new project - it’s entirely up to you. This is meant to be a low-stress challenge - if you don’t finish a project every month - that’s fine! We understand that sometimes life interferes with our best laid plans. We also realise that some projects are meant to be long-term and have a LOT of work involved, like a quilt or a cross-stitch. The main aim of the OPAM Challenge is to give us all a little bit of a motivational boost and to give us all a big cheer squad to encourage and inspire us.

However, as May Britt and Kris had discovered last year, there is quite a bit of time and work involved in running the OPAM Challenge, so we have made a few more guidelines this time that we would ask people to please take note of AND please only sign up to join us if you intend to follow through. If for some reason during the year you decide you don’t wish to remain part of the OPAM Challenge, just drop Kris or me (Peg) an email to let us know. Your name will stay on the list so that any finishes you DO register will go into the end of year draw, but we will make a note not to check your blog each month.
Please read through all of the guidelines before you sign up.

1...Participants must have an ACTIVE BLOG. (sorry non-bloggers, but it was just too hard to keep track of people who didn’t have a blog and dropped out of contact with us.)

2...The number of participants in the 2010 OPAM Challenge will be limited to 150 - first in best dressed! (Sorry, but numbers just got so high last year that it became a LOT of work to keep things running!)

3...Participants can sign up via email to Kris or Peg or via a comment on EITHER blog AS LONG AS it includes all asked for information.


4...Participants MUST provide all info asked for. Name, email, blog address, country(??)

5...Participants MUST have the OPAM Challenge badge on their blog sidebar and link it to either Kris or Peg’s blog.

6...Participants MUST keep a list of each month’s finishes on their blog sidebar and update it BEFORE the last day of each month. (This is easiest if you add each project as you finish it, so if something happens and you don’t get to email your finishes or update the full list near the end of the month, your finishes are recorded and can be counted)

7...Only ‘soft’ crafts are included in the OPAM Challenge, ie. Projects made from fabric or wool. Some examples are: embroidery, patchwork, quilting, cross-stitch, knitting, crochet, practical sewing (curtains, clothes etc), long stitch, appliqué.

8...QUILTS: A quilt will only be counted as a finish if it is COMPLETELY finished ... Quilted and bound. Flimsies/tops won’t count as finishes.

9...BOM’s: Blocks that are part of a BOM (Block Of the Month) program will only be counted as a finish when they are joined, quilted and bound. Individual BOM blocks DO NOT count as a finish.

OPTIONAL: If you are able to email Kris or me (Peg) your list of finishes each month BEFORE the end of the month, this would be appreciated, as it cuts down the amount of time it takes to check finishes for the month. (and save Peg and Kris from getting square eyes! Tee! Hee! Hee!)

Lastly, participants MUST ... Have fun! After all, the reason we craft and create is to relax, have fun and take some time away from the “Have to” tasks to the “Like to do” ones! :0)

OK....here we go, please if you are unsure about anything at all.....just contact us...if you have a problem linking the badge to your sidebar, drop us an email......this is going to be one awesome journey...sit back and have fun....this challenge is all about self satisfaction, inspiration and fun.........

On a personal note.....my goodness you have all touched my heart, thank you so very much for all your lovely warm wishes of "get well" for my mum.....she is tough....xx