2015 was a big purchase year for me.....I bought a lot of new tools and product to use those tools. It seemed like I ADD in the crafting tools department last year. I got something new, tried it until I could work it, and then repeat. Life was good to us last year in that we each expanded our hobbies, because after all the bills and savings there was actual money left to do and buy things.
In 2015 I learned how to use alcohol inks (thank you Far North), and I of course increased the amount of alcohol inks I owned along with the knowledge of how to use them. In 2015 I learned how to foil anything that doesn't run off. I played with that darn cricut imagine more than I ever had before, I still dislike it but was determined to use it. I still hate provo craft with a passion especially their online software which only works occasionally with the imagine. In 2015 I acquired all sorts of mediums, watercolors, colored pencils of all sorts, paints, and distress product. I had a lot of fun trying each and everyone of them and now know when, where, and how to use what I acquired. I should purchase stock in the youtubes because I spent a lot of time there in 2015. I didn't realize it until I started thinking about this thread but I learned a heck of a lot watching other people craft.
Ok, so in 2016 I would like to be more consistent with my crafting and open in my thinking about my crafting. I do a lot of crafting that never sees the light of day. I would be ashamed to show my art journals to anyone because the work looks like a 2nd grader invaded my craft area. Most of the finished pages have notes of what medium I used to make the finished mess so that is useful but most just look like scribbles and stripes with words and saying thrown on top. I need to decide that this is part of my process instead of feeling ashamed to have finished work that looks like a 2nd grader got turned loose in my craft space. That is where the youtubes are bad for me, the work people do in their videos seems pretty darn finished for a "I decided to try this technique today".
I am not sure if there are techniques that I want to explore this year, I just want to expand......my thinking, my crafting, and the way I craft.