Handmade Cards: View

View:
 You can't purchase what you can't see...

I love to create cards and my dream is to have a successful etsy shop (or successful craft show, or a successful spot in a local store)... but I don't have the marketing skills, I don't have the business skills... (Translation: I don't have the discipline for the necessary work).

But I did something yesterday in anticipation of this month long series on my handmade cards! I added a few new cards to my shop. In reality, they are all cards I have listed before and they haven't sold, so they are still sitting in my inventory in my craft room.  But I did it, I listed some cards!!

And what to my surpise happened before dinner?!??!?! I made a sale on one of those cards!!! HOW AWESOME IS THAT!!! (just a little excited and it's just one card) Every sale gives me a boost of confidence. Every sale reaffirms in my heart that this is what I want to do. Every sale makes me wish I could afford a virtual assistant! ;)

Masculine birthday cards aren't always easy to come by when you are looking handmade. But this one is simple with a touch of class... just like your dad! 

But I know that that sales won't come unless people can see them. So that means taking the time to take quality pictures and edit them, and upload them and give them a description, and take the risk to post them. I also need to share them... Social media is an awesome tool... but only if you use it, because you can't purchase my lovely cards if I don't give you a way to buy.

The question is this: Do I upload 10 new cards to my shop in one day... or should I do one a day for 10 days in a row?

My word prompt came from Kate Motaung who is doing 31 days of 5 minute free writes this month!
Five minutes of writing is about all I can squeeze in these days, but it's better than no writing!!

Thanks for taking the time to read and comment as I get moving again in writing and creating... (it might just benefit you at the end of our time this month)

Handmade Cards: Move

Objects in motion tend to stay in motion

Objects at rest tend to stay at rest.

My pen and my card table have both been at rest for far too long. There is always a reason (or an excuse). I'm busy... aren't we all? But when I go a month without making cards, it becomes even harder for me to get down there and ignore the laundry or the vacuuming, or give up a chance to veg on the couch and watch a movie. I often choose to stay at rest when it comes to creating. But the longer I go without creating (whether in writing or in card making) the crankier I get.

And when I get cranky, I'm not much fun to be around. So this month of October will be a month of moving... I will jot down a few words on this screen, I will share some cards I have made in the past... and before this month is over, I will move and I will get back to down to my craft room and I will create some new cards to share here... and to list in my etsy shop!

Sometimes it just starts with a little paper, a little stamping and a little bit of coloring. I start with flowers and I color and cut... the cards will come later.

When I will realize that I need to send a note to one of my kids' teachers, I will whip up a little set of stationery, because notes on fun paper is so much more enjoyable.

So today's share isn't even a card... it's just a perfect paper for a little note, or a long letter!

The question is this: Do people still send actual letters? Would you buy a set (10-20 sheets) of handstamped stationery with envelopes to match?

My word prompt came from Kate Motaung who is doing 31 days of 5 minute free writes this month!
Five minutes of writing is about all I can squeeze in these days, but it's better than no writing!!

Thanks for taking the time to read and comment as I get moving again in writing and creating... (it might just benefit you at the end of our time this month)

Five Minute Friday: Belong

It's a little far from Friday... closer to the next Friday, but I've been itching to try my hand at writing, at blogging again, so here it is...

I found Five Minute Friday hanging out at Crystal Stine's place this week... She's a treasure, be sure to check her out! She'll make you feel like you belong!


Here's my five(+) minutes on Belong

Start:

Somedays I wonder where I belong... Is it in the bloggy world, in the crafty world, in the writing world, in the continuing education world, in the just-a-mom world?



I recently took a social media break to figure it all out... and to finish strong in two online classes that were stretching me a little farther than I wanted to stretch (one of them was a PE class, haha). I'm still on the social media break, but I cheated recently and perused a little bit of twitter, a little bit of instagram, a little bit of facebook. And it reminded me of what I loved about the online community.

For one thing, when you disappear for a month, there is always someone to welcome you back (or even notice that you were gone in the first place). Not hundreds of people, but it was my people. An email here, a Voxer there, and a twitter conversation, too.  And I realize that I still belong.

I don't write for days, weeks on end, but when I sit down and focus the words will still flow... sometimes a little choppy at first, but they are still there, I just have to work at them. And I realize I can still call myself a writer, I just can't be lazy. Sometimes it takes a little effort to belong.

Those classes I worked so hard on, I got an A in both of them... and the anticipation of on-campus fall classes has me a little giddy and I realize I can still belong in the higher education arena, too.

I peruse Pinterest and am overcome with great card making ideas and when my classes are finally done, I sit down at my craft table and I create, and I create, and I create...



and I love every single card I make and I am giddy with the thought of sending them to some of my friends to bless and encourage others... maybe I don't belong in the etsy world full time yet, but God can use my gift of creating to show others they belong!

I take my kids to swim lessons and watch them improve and have a blast. I make rainbow loom creations (including a Queen Elsa).

We go on vacation and I enjoy the pool with them a bit, they ride bikes to the area park, we enjoy a day at the Creation Museum, etc... Back at home, I cuddle with my kids more and take them to the park and the library. I make little successes in parenting and I realize that above all I belong to these kids and they belong to me and I can be a mom ... and all the other things too. It's just an ebb and flow, and not so much a balance of it all, but a belonging and a taking turns on where my focus is.

STOP

so be a little gentle as I stop in to see if I belong in the blogging world still  ;)
Hope to be back again soon, but no promises!

God-sized Dreams continued

In 2013, I was blessed to be a part of Holley Gerth's God-sized Dreams Team. What was intended to be a 6-month encouragement, accountability, and resources has turned in to so much more... Lifelong friends, an amazing prayer team, and continued encouragement. While I'm still floundering in my dreams and whether now is the right time or not, I have a few friends that are reaching for the stars and following God's leading and launching some awesome dreams come true.



One dream I'm excited to see launching is a way for all of you to get a glimpse of the community that began just a year ago... and to join this community and dream with us! Today, we are linking up a blog post about our dreams, so be sure to check it out and subscribe to this fantastic resource for dreaming God-sized Dreams!!!


When I look back at my dreams a year ago, I sometimes get a little discouraged. I wonder why I'm still floundering and I often fail to see the little successes and the baby steps that have happened in the last year. But I know that there have been successes and there have been steps in the right direction and for that I am thankful.

I think about how I always have good ideas and I'm great at starting stuff... but the executing and the finishing just doesn't happen. But then I remember that God is still working on me and as long as I am still on this earth-- I am NOT finished. So me and God and my Dream-Team Sisters are just gonna keep working on this together.

Here's what I started with last year.

I believe God has created and called me to serve and support my family through encouraging, serving, cooking, and listening. (Not that these are my strongest skills, but the ones I need to grow for the sake of my family)

I also believe God has created and called me to encourage and support other women through writing my stories, creating handmade cards, and connecting through both cards and stories.


And here is where I feel I am right now...

Being a good wife and mom seems so relative. This is one area where I really struggle to see the little successes. Instead I see every little failure and blow it up into something way bigger than it is--- which in reality shows a little bit of pride. Truth is, overall I am making good meals for my family (and lots of good Christmas cookies, too). I've been improving on my listening and encouraging and celebrating the little successes with them. I'm making an effort to "catch my kids doing good" and praising them. ... and I am listening... maybe still not as well as I could, but improving over the past. And when I have a bad day and I don't do these things well, I focus on truth, these moments do not define me!

In the area of writing, I just wore myself out. Taking some college courses where I had to write challenged me something awful... and awesome. I loved some of the writings I worked on during my classes, but I was too chicken to share them here... or submit them somewhere else.  FEAR keeps creeping in.

And in the area of cardmaking, I launched an etsy shop!! And even had some sales!!! Christmas was a discouraging time for me, so the fear is creeping in again and I wonder if I have what it takes to be successful in the handmade world. But when I focus on truth, I see that I did step out in faith and in all things there is an ebb and flow...

I am so excited to keep dreaming with the friends that God has given me... they rock and are such an encouragement!