Janet's Smiles

I was going to use Queen for the letter “Q” and then talk about things related to mothers, because you know we are the Queens of the house.  Then I realized that that was just more of the mini-albums and cards that I had already talked about so I decided to use “Quotes” as my word for today.

I suppose when I am making cards I could leave the insides blank.  That certainly would be easier but then the cards seem unfinished to me.  In the post about Overlays I showed the example of tags I had put in with the sentiment stamped on them.  There is always room for people to add their own messages too, but sometimes I think it takes the “pressure” off of having to think of something to say.  Know what I mean?

I am a collector of quotes and am always on the lookout for stamps and other things with good quotes on them.  One of my sources is the desk top calendars with a different quote on each page.  I have quite a few of those. 

New Job

Birthday

Birthday/Wedding

Mother’s Day

Graduation

Just because

I also love to use stamps.  Some have just words on them that you can mix and match to make your own quotes and some have the whole sentiment.

Would you rather have a card that is blank inside so you can write whatever you want or do you like ones with appropriate sentiments already?  Do you have favorite quotes that would be good to use?  Share!

I hope you are getting a chance to visit some of the other 10th Anniversary A to Z Challenge bloggers out there.  I know that some are new and would appreciate the love.  Tomorrow is Saturday so see you here for some R and R! 

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Any good business person knows that in order to sell their products they need to promote them in some way.  I have an Etsy site and whenever I make something new I take pictures and post them on the site, here on my blog and to Instagram and Facebook to let people know about them.  I know that Pinterest is a good way too and I am learning how to navigate that as well. 

Another way I have used for the last few years to promote my crafts is by signing up for craft fairs and Holiday Boutiques.  I had never tried anything like that before but I know that with my type of crafting, sometimes it is better if people can touch the products so I decided to give it a try.  The Etsy site has teams that you can join and one of the teams I was in posted different upcoming events we could register for.  My first one was at an Elks Club event.  My husband had been an Elk in the past and so I was familiar with the building and felt comfortable in the area.

This was my display table from that first vendor event.  It was held in conjunction with an Antique Car show and there was a lot of activity in and out of the showroom.  I didn’t make very much money but it was definitely a learning experience and it showed me some things about how to place my items so they would attract attention.  It also helped me get over my nervousness.

It was a Holiday Boutique so I switched the banner to the gold side to make it more festive.

The events cost money to participate in, anywhere from $30 to $60 depending on the size of the table you get.  I try to feature as many things on the table as I can without having it look too cluttered.

I have a little cup at the end of the table that has my business cards in it and am getting better and better at the displays I think, making it easy for people to pick up things and/or ask questions.

Almost every time I have at least made back the money I spent to reserve the table.  If I do that I call it a win.  At the last Holiday Boutique I actually had a request for some custom made items and that was really exciting.  I have a “Square” device that I can put on my phone or tablet to be able to collect payment with credit cards and that is great.  It also syncs with the Etsy site so if I sell something at an event, it automatically takes it out of my stock online.  I almost had a snafu though because while I was selling at the boutique, someone online bought some cards.  I had to make sure and take them off display right away so someone else wouldn’t try to buy them!  Good thing my phone sends me a notice when I make an Etsy sale!

I am also using this A to Z Challenge as a promotion since I am linking to my Etsy site with each letter.  So far no sales – come on people ~~ just kidding ~~ not really.  Please feel free to share the links with anyone you might think of who likes this personal touch to their cards and gifts.

Okay, enough promotion.  Now on to the letter “Q.”

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Koala’s have always been my favorite animal and I have pictures or statues of them all over the house.  Lately though I’ve been drawn to owls.  Maybe I’m looking for their wisdom.  Anyway, at the recent Stamp and Scrapbook Expo I found these kits with some really cute owl overlays.  Overlays are clear acetate pages with pictures or words printed on them.  You lay them over papers to get different effects.

 The first step is to cut apart the pictures.

 I stamped a sentiment on a smaller card and adhered it to the inside.

Here is the finished first card.  I used some of the colored stickers on the envelope and chalked the edges of the front of the card black.  I thought it came out really well.  This is the first time I have worked with these kits and they are pretty easy to use.  Other than tips about how to put the glitter paper on the back there are no “directions” with the kits so you can do whatever you want with the pieces.  They give you a lot too so I know I’ll have some extras.

 I decorated the corners of the front with these stickers and used some glittery pen to color them in.

I used some chalk ink to go around the edges to give it a little pop of color and a more finished look.

For the inside I used a tag and stamped another sentiment on it.

Here is the second finished card.  I used some washi tape on the envelope.  I’m pretty happy with this one too. 

But just so the Koalas don’t think I’ve forgotten them, these two have prominent spots in the studio as well!

Another letter down!  This year the A to Z 10th Anniversary Challenge has been going very smoothly.  One year I didn’t finish all the letters in time and had to go back to add them.  I don’t think I’m going to have that problem this year, thank goodness.  Hope you liked these behind the scenes examples.  Come back tomorrow for the letter “P.”

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Most of this A to Z 10th Anniversary Challenge I’ve been showing you the cards I make.  Yesterday I talked about the mini-albums that are a favorite of mine as well.  Today is sort of a combination of the two of those.

I called it the Name Game because I take the letters in the person’s first name and use descriptive words or phrases to celebrate them.  I made the first one for my cousin, Lynda, on the occasion of her birthday.

I think everyone likes to see their names on things, I know I do.   These make great card/keepsakes for people who have everything and don’t need or want presents for their birthdays or who are going through some tough times and need to know people are thinking about them.  Plus, these are small and don’t take up much space. 

It was relatively easy to find descriptive adjectives and phrases for these names.  Can you think of a name that might be harder?  So far I have just made these as personal gifts but I’m thinking of adding them to my Etsy site.  What would be a good name for them?  Would you buy something like this for a friend or relative? 

Plenty of time left to visit the other A to Z folk.  Stop by tomorrow for the letter “O” although truthfully I have no idea what I’m gonna talk about!

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We are starting the second half of the A to Z 10th Anniversary Challenge!  Has it seemed like the month has gone fast to you?  In my A to Z this year I am showcasing some of the things I make and that are available on my Etsy site.  If you haven’t visited it yet, I’d love it if you would!

I make a lot of cards but I also like making what I call mini-albums.  They are kind of like scrapbooks because you can put pictures in them and there are spaces for journaling but they are usually about one specific event or theme.

I started making School Days Mini’s like this:

Another style is using the bags with handles.  I made this one as an engagement gift for someone. 

What do you think of my mini’s?  Have a special occasion coming up that you need a one of a kind gift for?  Keep me in mind.  Stay tuned tomorrow for the letter “N.”  It’s a fun one!

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In the A to Z of Card Making and Paper Crafting, L stands for Love.  I am a big believer in love and I really enjoy making things to celebrate it.  A few are here:

This is a mini-album I made that is like a book but with many interactive pages. 

I have a whole section in my Etsy Shop devoted to “Love” cards and things. 

Well, half way through the A to Z and I bet you couldn’t tell I was winging it the whole way!  “Lips” is our #SoCS prompt so I had to fit that in too.  Multi-tasking at its best!  Hope you are having a good time with the A to Z.  I’m going to try and find some new people to investigate tomorrow.  You do the same!

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I have to be absolutely honest.  I am a crafty person but sometimes I need a little kick start to get the creative juices flowing.  Occasionally I use kits to fuel the spark, like these from Paper Wishes.  The kits include the blank cards and the extra pieces to decorate it with.  Sometimes I follow the directions and then add or take off things to suit me.  This kit came with the metal stencil of the baby hands and feet that I can use over and over again.   

I do have to say that with every card or album I make, I always add something or change the design a little so that I feel comfortable selling them as one of my creations.  I give credit to the company that I got the kit from as well.  I mean, anyone can get a kit and make the cards so I have to make them my own in some way.   

Now you know my secret.  Hope it hasn’t tarnished my image as a creator but I have to be truthful in my business.  I wouldn’t feel right if I wasn’t.   

We are rapidly moving through the alphabet!  Hope you are enjoying this year’s series.  Please go visit some of the other participants in the 10th Anniversary A to Z Challenge.  

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I was walking down the aisle at Michaels one day and I saw this package:

Ever been walking down the aisles of Michaels and find something you weren’t expecting?  Have any special family recipes you’d like a mini-album for?  Come back tomorrow for “K” and go visit the A to Z family.

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“But Janet, where do you get all your ideas for these cards and things you make?” you may (or may not) ask.

Let me tell you! 

Some of them come from books and magazines.  I have one book that is called “A Card A Day” and I’ve been thinking about giving that a try, just like I did my 365 pictures. 

So many ideas, so little time!  What inspires your creativity?   

Visit some of the other A to Z participants in this 10th Anniversary round!  You can also find them on Facebook  See you tomorrow with “J”

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Some people say that men are the hardest to find cards and gifts for since most of the things out there usually have flowers and frills on them.  I take that into consideration and try to make some more “masculine” looking things.  Here is one of them.

Everyone knows about the “Honey Do” lists we women make for our husbands/significant others, etc.  This one has a little twist.

There are also some blank tickets so you can write in your own “Honey Do’s” – for whatever suits your fancy.  I’ll bet you could come up with some really great ideas for your special guy. 

You could also put some tickets to his favorite sporting event or concert in one of the pockets.  Very customizable.

What do you think?  Have a “Honey” who needs a to-do list?  Find it and other fun stuff on my Etsy site.

We are working our way through the alphabet with the A to Z gang pretty nicely I think.  I am thankful that I’ve been able to keep up, especially since I wasn’t at all prepared to begin with.  Make sure to check some of the other peeps out.   

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