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Archive for the ‘Creative Goals’ Category

It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like…

By on September 23, 2011   /   Cards, Christmas, Creative Goals, Holidays, Inspiration   /   Leave a comment
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…Christmas.

And, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and…

 

OK, according to many of my local retailers it’s been looking like Christmas since just before the 4th of July decorations were clearanced, but that’s another story for another day.

 

Are you already starting to prepare for the holidays?

Have you started your shopping?

More importantly, have you started your holiday crafting?

And, do you like to win FREE stuff?

 

Well then…

Here’s where I’m at:

  • I just purchased my first few Christmas presents – a surprise for the girls in the family – and am starting to gather ideas (pasting web links into emails I send to myself and store in a “Gift Ideas” file)
  • I picked up the supplies for my Christmas album and several gift Advent calendars
  • I’m already collecting the hard-to-find-at-a-reasonable-price components of the homemade candy I will make and distribute

And, I am thinking about our Christmas cards.

 

That brings me to the purpose of today’s post:

What will my cards look like this year?

It might not seem to be that urgent of a matter when it’s only September, but trust me, it is!

 

You see, I have approximately 120 to make and I need to start earlier than I have the last few years.

No, not because he (the husband who shall not be named – HWSNBN) says I should, because I think I should.

Staying up all night, hand cramped from the fussy cutting and hand-painting of that many cards, applying the finishing touches on the 23rd of December so they can be dropped in the mailbox on 12/24, is NOT the way I intend for the cardmaking to go down this year.

No way! Nope, this year is going to be different. Stop laughing HWSNBN!

 

First, I will NOT wait until the beginning of December to start on my cards. Again, enough with the laughter.

I WILL start on these by early October so I can enjoy the process and not want to poke out Frosty’s eyes with his stick arms by the time I have colored his carrot nose for the umpteenth time!

 

Secondly, I will NOT (said with emphasis) be employing a labor-intensive design that requires 17 steps to complete each card.

Again, no way!

This year’s design must be simpler, or at least offer me the opportunity to “automate” some of the steps.

After all, that is why I have tools like the Cricut, right?

 

This is where you come in:

What do you suggest?

What card designs would you recommend to a gal who tends to select a design that is way too time intensive?

I would love to hear about and see your suggestions – just post your ideas or link to them in the comments section above.

 

What’s in it for you?

Well, you get to be my hero!

What, that’s not enough of an incentive?

 

OK, then how about this:

If your sketch, idea or design is chosen as my inspiration (my muse), you will win a fun collection of holiday goodies!

Yup, I’ll send you a few of my favorite holiday crafting goodies so you can get a head-start on your holiday crafting.

Sound like a fair trade?

Then share away!

(Please note: idea submission deadline is 5 p.m. central time on 9/30/11 – remember, I have a date with early October to get my cards started!)

 

Good luck!

Steph

 

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Make Something! Anything!

By on September 21, 2011   /   Creative Goals, Inspiration   /   Leave a comment
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There is a saying that great things are accomplished through 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.

Well, it goes something like that.

 

I must admit that I agree with the overall concept: ideas are easy, execution is hard.

Ideas? I have tons of them.

Spend any time on Pinterest and you will too.

 

There are literally thousands upon thousands of great ideas out there just waiting for us. But, how do we make time for them all? For even a small portion of them?

There simply aren’t enough hours in the day to utilize even a small portion of all the wonderful ideas people share with us. But, we’re inspired and want to create, right?

So, what’s an inspired gal to do?

Read more →

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365 Project – The Journaling

By on September 20, 2011   /   365, Creative Goals, Fun Creations, Organization, Scrapbook Projects   /   Leave a comment
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Back in late December 2010 I got it in my head that THIS was the year for me to take on the 365 project. Yesiree, I was going to journal every day and take at least one photo every day…for 365 days straight!

 

You see that’s how the 365 project works – you take a photo and journal every day and then at the end of the year (365 days) you have a full accounting (the everyday stuff) of your life that year. What could be better, right?

Of course, you can adapt this project any way you want to – it’s YOUR life to document. Want to add bits and pieces of the everyday activities? Go right ahead. Add receipts, ticket stubs, box tops, wrappers, kids’ drawings, whatever you feel helps tell your story.

 

So, just before New Year’s I plotted my strategy, chose the perfect album and supplies, and set up my daily process.

The box album I chose-I won it from Anna Cabrera a while back!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cover pages - there is one for each month and I will add a recap and photo collage here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The page structure: Calendar w/date circled, day of week w/room for "daily word," journaling block and room for photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since I am never without my little point-and-pray and my iPhone, and I tend to take a ton of photos of everyday things, the photos would be no issue. But, I was not used to journaling every day.

 

I went on the hunt for a solution that would work for everyday journaling.

Would I choose a standard journal and dress it up a bit? Would I choose to use an app like Evernote to track my daily life, or would I find something else?

 

Then, just as it so often does, the universe delivered to me something wonderful, a wonderful service that would make journaling so very easy: OhLife

 

OhLife is so very simple – it does one thing and does it very well (I LOVE these kinds of products!).

How does it work?

Step One: Log in and set up your account.

Step Two: Wait for the OhLife email to arrive in your inbox every day. What’s the email say? “How was your day?” Better than we sometimes get from our loved ones, right?

Step Three: Reply to the email with the details of your day and hit send.

That’s it.

No, really, that’s it.

 

Then, when I’m ready to add my journaling to my 365 album I simply copy and paste the journaling from my online journal (yes, it takes every one of your email responses and creates an online journal for you) or export the file. So very simple.

In case you’re wondering, I do not work for OhLife, nor am I getting anything for talking about them. I just think what they offer is so very cool. And, I just had to share it with all of you. It really is that cool…and simple.

 

OK, off to catch up on my journaling.

Oh, I didn’t mention I am a bit behind on that part? Yup, I am. But, no worries. When I’m super busy I simply save the OhLife emails in my Inbox (in a folder titled To Be Journaled) and add the journaling when I have time. Again, I reply to the email with my journaling and hit send. It’s now part of my online journal…and it gets added in chronological order (something I am a bit, well, picky about).

Don’t believe it’s this easy? Try it! It really is easy…and cool.

 

Perhaps you have another solution that works for you? Please share it in the comments section above. We can all benefit from knowing about all the options.

Have a great evening,

Steph

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