Oh My Gosh, It's October!

Hello fellow Ultimate Blogging Challengers. I feel a bit remiss because here we are almost in the middle of the month and I haven't mentioned my Etsy shop or my crafting work at all! Very poor in the marketing division. I'll have to speak with someone about that! (I AM the marketing division, along with every other division - LOL).

For about 10 or 11 years I have had an Etsy shop where I sell my handmade greeting cards, mini scrapbook albums and other paper crafts. In the last five years I have begun attending craft fairs, mostly around the holidays but I'm beginning to branch out to other times of the year as well. A lot of my creations are interactive and I find that they are best shown in person, although Etsy does now have a spot for videos of your items.

At any rate, one of the things I did recently was be a vendor at an outdoor evening event. It was at a local church and as part of their festival they were having a holiday night market. I have done outside events but none at night so I thought I'd give it a shot.  We just recently got a canopy so that outside events would be possible and I must say that we put it up really quickly. 

I knew that it might get a little windy, especially as night came on, but the days had been really warm so I wasn't too worried. Still, I didn't display everything as I usually do because most of my products are made of paper and I didn't want to have to chase everything if the wind came up. Which it did. Forcefully. I had weights around the legs of the canopy but it almost blew away. Thankfully my vendor neighbor helped secure it by sharing some of their weights. One of my items did fall off and unfortunately it was a glass frame which broke. 

Since it was going to get dark, I bought some twinkle lights to spread around the table. I really liked them and decided I was going to get more for the upcoming holiday craft fairs I have scheduled next month. 

 

Sadly, I didn't make any sales. I think it will be a while before I attempt that venue again. It is was definitely not worth setting it all up and sitting in the cold and wind for 5 hours. It was a three day event but I only could do Friday night. Perhaps if I had done the Saturday one it might have been more profitable. 

These are examples of the products I make. 

Here is a little tour of my studio. This was from a few years ago but it is basically the same, just more crowded with stuff! 

I also have a YouTube channel where I share some of the processes for making my items. That's another aspect of the business that I want to enhance. 

And that's about it for now. Hope you enjoyed the tour of the studio. After watching it again I can see how much has actually changed in the 5 years since I made it and I'll have to do an update. If you are looking for unique handmade greeting cards or need an album for a special occasion I'd love to work with you. Send me a message on the Etsy site! Happy Saturday!

November Novelties - 2019 - I'm a YouTube star!

Got this message yesterday:

You can't tell from the screen shot but the little specks of color were floating up and down like someone throwing confetti. 

I have 17 subscribers!  It is a far cry from the 1000 I need and the 5.083 watch hours don't quite make the required 4000 hours that are necessary for me to start making any money off of my YouTube channel BUT it's a start and getting this little pop-up was kind of exciting.

There are 37 videos on my channel and most are songs taken from the concerts we go to.  There are a few miscellaneous ones like fireworks on 4th of July and the Holiday Train that comes by every year but I also have 4 up that have to do with crafting. 

Now if everyone reading this post will head over to my YouTube channel and subscribe, watch a video or two and give me some thumbs up or comments on there, maybe I can make it to 20 subscribers and 310 minutes.  Waddya' say?  Help a girl out.  (No pressure really!)   

Observations in October - 2018 #31Things - Work

Is it really work if you love it?  I have to say I have been truly blessed by being able to do what I love for most of my working career.  As I've mentioned, my first job was as a "Page" in our local library.  I can't think of one time when I didn't want to go to work.  Granted that was 45 years ago or so and memories of bad times can fade but really, who wouldn't want to work with books all day?  Plus, as an introvert (even though I didn't really know it then), in a library you don't really talk to other people much.  Sometimes it was frustrating to find that the books were not put back in order and it was kind of a pain to put the book cart in the elevator to take it to the second floor because the elevator was old and small (more like a dumbwaiter) so the cart was put in the elevator and then you had to take the stairs to get to the next floor and pull the cart out of the elevator.  But I was much younger then so the stairs didn't bother me.  We even went through a reorganization process where the books from the second floor were relocated to the first floor and vice versa.  That was kinda fun as we made a chute and one person was on top putting the books in the chute and the other was at the bottom catching them.  I even made it into our high school yearbook under the Work Experience section.  Only time I was in the book other than my yearly picture (except for that crowd shot I was in at a basketball game).  My coworker signed the yearbook with some pretty nice comments. 

After high school I went to a year of junior college and while there I continued working at the library.  I was studying to be a nurse but my older sister made a suggestion to me one day about going through the Bryman School course for Medical Assisting.  It was a six month course with a month of internship and then I'd be working in a doctor's office.  That sounded really good to me so I quit junior college and took the course.  Sure enough seven months later I was working in a doctor's office.  I quit the library job reluctantly because the internship was a full time position and I wanted to concentrate on that.   

True, it wasn't nursing exactly but I did give injections and take EKG's, blood pressures, etc.  I brought in the patients and got them ready for the doctors to examine.  I enjoyed it.  It was more interaction with people than I was used to in the library but it was helping people which is what I wanted to do.  After I had been on the job for about two years the receptionist quit to move to Lake Tahoe and the office manager asked if I wanted to take over the front desk job.  It would mean less nursing and more paperwork but she felt that my even temperament was suited to the busy reception area.  We had 6 doctors at that point.  She knew that there were occasionally irritated patients that needed delicate handling and she knew I could diffuse the situation.  She knew I didn't stress easily.  About five years later we added another doctor to the practice and moved to a larger location.  I was promoted to Medical Office Manager and things were great.  I mean, not always perfect but really nothing to get worked up about. 

When I got married and had our first daughter I wanted to cut back my hours and work part-time.  The doctors felt that it wasn't an ideal situation so I quit to take care of the baby.  I figured I'd go back to work after she was a little older.  Funnily enough, six months later they begged me to come back to work.  Things had gotten out of control while I was gone :)  I told them that I'd have to find a sitter for our daughter but that then I'd come back.  They told me they couldn't wait so I said, "Let me bring her to work with me and I'll come back tomorrow."  They did!  For a year our daughter came to work with me everyday.  We set up a playpen in an unused room and that's where she took her naps.  When she was awake she sat next to me in a file box while I worked.  Isn't she cute?

   

When I got pregnant with my second child a year later, I found a place to leave Amanda and brought my son to work.  Boys are different than girls though and he was not as content to sit in a box.  I worked it out so that I could decrease my hours to part time and found someone to work in the mornings.  Things went well until the practice of medicine underwent a shift due to the growing HMO insurance issues.  Our office went from a fun family practice to big business overnight and they hired a new Financial Office Manager.  When she started interfering with the Medical side of things it started to be not as fun.  I'd have to say that this was the worst period of my career, and there were a few days that I felt like staying home but it wasn't unmanageable.  It ended with me getting fired after 18 years with the group (for which I won a wrongful termination suit).

I went through a short period of mourning and then got a job with a wonderful husband and wife eye doctor team.  I worked for them for six years, starting as a receptionist and ending as office manager.  When they decided to retire, I worked out a plan for me to continue working for them from their home office to help with medical records requests and collecting the last bits of revenue.  That led to my starting my own transcription business which I have been doing for the last 18 years.  (Yes, I am old).  Here I am in my office dressed this time but note the slippers, and no, the desk is not always that neat!
 

Now that the transcription business is decreasing, it's time to set my sights on the next phase of my career, the crafty side.  I did try that job at Michaels but after six months I knew that retail was not really my thing.  Now I am really focusing on the Etsy shop, participating in craft fairs and setting my sights on supplementing my income with some kind of online presence through blogging or making videos or something in that line.  Here is my new workspace:

My husband has a hard time identifying this with work but he fully supports my goals.  He's been proud of the fact that I've been able to work from home for so long and make a decent living.

So, again I say, is it really work if you love what you are doing?  How about you?  Love your job?  Been as lucky as me to have minimal hardships at work?  I'm sure I'm not the only one.     

Just Jot January - 2018 - Passionate

I'm participating in #JusJoJan hosted by Linda G. Hill and today's word, "Passionate," comes from Rosemary at Rosemary Carlson, Writer.

Just like the word from the other day, Boisterous, Passionate is an extreme emotion in my opinion.  I am such an even tempered person that extreme anything is hard for me to wrap myself around sometimes.

However, there are some things that I truly am passionate about:

My family:

I would do anything for this group and that includes our extended family and friends as well.  We may not always see eye to eye but we are the core.

Crafting:  I love making things and sharing them with others.  I love trying out new techniques, repurposing everyday objects and I love my crafting room. 

Concert going:  We went to a whopping 11 concerts last year alone.  I am able to combine my passion for concerts with my passion for crafting in my scrapbook pages:

We've been lucky enough to see some great ones, include Tom Petty and Prince who are sadly no longer with us.  We are waiting for this year's "season" to begin.


Reading:  I've been reading since I was a child and my first job was in the local public library.  I read 22 books last year, not a lot by some standards but I usually only read at night before bed so I tend to fall asleep after a few pages unless it is an exceptional book.  There were a few days that I took some time to sit on the back porch and read for a couple of hours and that was very nice.  I'd love to have a house big enough to have a library room.   

Last but certainly not least, I am passionate about smiles.  I've made it my mission in life for the past couple of years to try and make at least one person smile every day.  I believe it has a ripple effect and I think it is good for both the giver and the receiver.  I am so passionate about it, I use it as my "brand" in my blog, Janet's Smiles, and my Etsy shop "ASmile4UfromJanet."   There is so much hatred and political strife nowadays that I can't do anything about but smiling is easy.  I've had a couple of customers at Michaels (especially during the holidays) comment on how I am always smiling no matter how long the line is.  That makes my day.

I'm looking for a "smile" I can use to as my "signature."  I don't want to use just a "smiley face" because those are too generic.  I want something that is a little more "me."  That may be one of the things I work on this year, finding my right "smile."  

How about you?  Passionate about anything?  Did I make you smile today?  Make sure to visit the #JusJoJan gang for more passionate examples.  

December Reflections - 2017

I have not been posting as often as I thought I would during this month but once again, time seems to be moving so quickly!  It is crazy busy at Michaels and I stand at the cash register my whole shift.  I don't mind that.  I enjoy interacting with the customers (yes, unusual statement for an introvert like me).  Just when I think I see the end of the line, I look down for a minute and the next thing I know it is winding around the store again!  Job security, at least through the holidays, right?

Some of the prompts for the December Reflections I've already posted about or are ones I don't have an answer for.  One of them was "10 years ago..."  2007 was a "boring" year as I look back on pictures to help me remember.  We only went to a few concerts, there were no graduations or anything, both hubby and I were just working at our normal jobs...nothing spectacular.  I guess we all have years like that once in a while.

Another prompt was "best decision of 2017."  I'm not exactly sure what that would be.  Nothing I've decided to do this year has been so dramatic to make me think it was the "best" one.  I did apply for Social Security to start in March when I turn 63.  Too soon to tell if that was the "best" decision. 

"Sparkle" and "I let go of..." were two others that I just couldn't quite get into for some reason.  There is a lot of sparkle around now but I just wasn't feeling it yet.  We got our tree yesterday so maybe some sparkly magic will happen now.  I didn't really "let go" of anything, except maybe our youngest daughter who turned 21 in November.  I'm forced to accept the fact that she is an adult and I no longer have any control over her, but I don't consider that "letting go."  She'll always be our baby. 

Favorite picture of me was this one:

Even though it shows me smoking (which I gave up long ago) and drinking, thin and before the surgery on my mouth, it reminds me that deep inside there is a playful, fun loving free spirit and I know she is still in this old body of mine.  I made that outfit, so I've been crafty for a while :)

"Brings me joy" is the next prompt and this is my take on that:

Crafting brings me joy and having breakfast with my girlfriend from high school brings me great joy as well.  I made this tag banner for her to show her just how much our friendship means to me.  She lives 4 hours away now so we don't have a chance to see each other as often as we would like but we have made it a point to at least email each other once a month all year to keep in touch and have had a chance to meet for breakfast a couple of times when she comes down my way on business.

I promised her that since my word for this year is Create, I was going to try to Create some time to go visit her for a change.  

And there we are.  Less than a week to Christmas, two weeks to the end of 2017.  Are you ready?  

Marvelous March - 2016

March 26 - About 22,300 trips around the sun...

That's what I have taken in my life to date.  March 10 was my 61st birthday.  Here is my selfie for March.

I definitely feel older but I am not feeling old.  In fact, I am getting a sense of new beginnings.  So much has changed in just the last year or so and there are many more changes coming soon.  Bill is about to get his official diagnosis of being permanently disabled, which while that sounds bad, is actually a good thing.  He is disabled in that he cannot be a maintenance mechanic or a packer at the chocolate factory for which he worked, but not so disabled that he is actually helpless.  He still has trouble reaching things in the back of the fridge or getting a pot or pan off the bottom shelf but he can do the dishes if there aren't a lot, or empty the dishwasher.  He can still fix some things around the house, just not the big, heavy stuff.  The main thing is closure for the Workers' Comp situation we've been going through since 2009!

In addition, all the kids have moved out of the house.  Rachel is in college now and is just finishing her second year.  She has gotten the taste of living on her own and does not want to come back.  I am a little sad about that but am so proud of her for being an independent, strong person.  Isn't that what we try to raise our children to be?  Jeff and Amanda are doing well on their own too, so while the parenting job is never really over, it is definitely not my primary function anymore.  

I am increasing my activity in my crafting business by signing up for craft fairs and getting my Etsy site more productive.  At the same time, my transcription business is getting more portable so our plans for travel may be able to happen as well. 

All in all, not bad for 22,300 trips around the sun!  

Jazzy January 2016

January 9 - Vision Cards

For the last three years I have been making vision cards, something I learned from watching Jamie Ridler.   She shows us how to use vision cards to channel your focus on the things that you want to make happen in the year ahead.  She makes 10!

I made three the first year...

Health 

Craft Business

Our House

By using these cards to remind me of the things I wanted to work on, I was able to work toward some goals for each area.  While I did not accomplish everything on my list, I did make some movement in each area. 

In 2015 I made four cards:

Our House

Healthy Me

Craft Business

Finances

Our house and fixing it up remained one of my priorities, as did getting myself healthier.  

Increasing my craft presence by blogging and getting out there selling my creations was still a desire and I added a vision card to remind me about planning our financial future.  We are getting older!

Again, each area got some attention.  In the "Home" area we got a new fence and had a clean out of the backyard.  For my health I had a physical and started taking steps to lower my blood sugar.  In the crafty sense, I participated in some blog challenges and had a table at two craft shows.  Financially, we got some credit cards paid off and plans for our retirement started.  Not bad.

For 2016 I have made five cards.  I love the process of deciding my focus points and then gathering pictures and words to bring them to life:

The process

Our House

Finances

Our house is still a big one but this year instead of just concentrating on the outside, I want to do a huge cleaning and reorganizing project.  The dynamics have changed with the kids mostly gone so it is time to get things more functional for two instead of five.


Finances are still a big issue as well, with Bill turning 65 this year and with his Workers' Comp claim coming to a close, thank goodness.  We will be experiencing some income differences I'm sure and I'm going to need to keep on top of what our options are.

Health

Craft Business

 My health is also still a priority.  Healthy eating with the Hungry Girl plan and continuing to monitor my diabetes is key.  I am still not a fan of exercise but there is a new craze called "housewalking" that I may try.

As far as the crafty business, I need to organize the space I'm in and concentrate on making more items, in addition to finding new ways to get the word out there about all the neat stuff I can make.  Adding some new products will help there.   

Travel

                                                                                                                                                                    

My fifth card is Travel.  We did some traveling in 2015 but they were quick trips and for specific purposes (the family reunion in July and Oregon at Christmas) and they were fun but not relaxing.  I have something more like a romantic getaway to Carmel or a splashy trip to Las Vegas in mind.  (The finances card is going to come into play for this one as well!)

Well, those are my vision cards for this year.  I usually do a follow up after about six months to see how I am progressing.  

What about you?  Ever try making vision cards for your goals?  Love to hear about it!