Chick Challenge 001!

Hi Chicks!

Now that we talked about challenges, here's one from me to you!  Below is a sketch I've come up with.  If you're in my downline, create a card based on this sketch & upload your photo to our private FB group by August 5th.  Let's see how creative we can be!  Not a Chick?  I'd love to see your creations too!  Email me your photo with the subject line "Chick Challenge 001" & I'll post them here on my downline blog!  Be sure to place a watermark on your photo & if you have a blog, send me the link so I can credit you & send some traffic your way!  (Sorry, I don't know how to do a linky for free & don't want to pay for one yet til I see if there's much response to my challenges :) - you understand!)

. . . and here's a card I came up with using my sketch.

That's it for now, my peeps!

Jeni

Challenge Yourself!

Hi Chicks!
Today's post is inspired by a thread over on Split Coast Stampers (the private "demo" side) from my online friend, Mindy.  Mindy, or "Minders" (as she's known over on SCS) has a great blog and is one of the most creative stampers EVAH!!  She's on a couple of blog design teams as well, one of which is Hand Stamped Sentiments.  Mindy also was a finalist for the Artisan Design Team contest Stampin' Up! held for Convention.  Unfortunately, she didn't win a spot - but her entries were amazing.  So as you can imagine, she's pretty darn talented :)

Anyway, Mindy started a thread using the "I Am . . . " theme from Convention 2012 and invited us to share some of our own "I Am . . ." thoughts.  It's really fun to see what other demos are thinking of doing, or things they want to accomplish for their hobbies or businesses.

SO - here are MY "I Am . . ." statements from the thread:

I AM going to Convention in 2013 come he** or high water.
I AM going to start doing challenges on a regular basis to push myself to be more creative.
I AM going to enter at least one of the SS monthly contests this year (this one is scary for me - I NEVER think my stuff is good enough to enter in Stampin' Success).

With that in mind, I also wanted to explain what "challenges" are, if you don't already know.  Many blogs post design challenges for papercrafters to submit to.  They design a sketch and you are invited to create a project based on the sketch and post it online.  Sometimes it's not a sketch, but a technique or product to use.  Split Coast Stampers also has challenges, both on the demo side and the public side.

Check out these links to find some challenges and play along!

Mojo Monday
Pals Paper Arts (SU! Demo Mary Fish's Blog)
Hand Stamped Sentiments

Challenges are a really great way to stretch yourself and get the creative juices flowing.  I haven't done very many myself, but that's a goal for me this year.  If you're anything like me, you probably DON'T make time to just stamp for fun a priority.  Challenges are an excuse to do that!

Here's a post from my creative blog about a challenge I did on SCS a while back:  SCS Monday Challenge Clean and Simple (June 2011) . . . and here's another:  SCS Ways to Use It (6/23/11) "No White Cardstock".  This next one was a sketch challenge, but I have to say, I really DON'T like this card looking at it a year later:  SCS Card Sketch 6/22/11   I was trying to push myself to use different colors - it really wasn't THAT orange-y - but it's pretty butt-ugly, isn't it??  lol

So, all that being said, I'm off to try and design something for this week's Mojo Monday sketch.  What are you still doing reading my blog???  Go stamp something!!  :)

That's it for now, my peeps!

Jeni

A Nightmare Only a Demo Would Have!!!

I have a class at 7 tonight & again at 6 tomorrow night, and woke up this morning from a horrible nightmare!!

First, I dreamt the class was being held in the dining room of my mom's old house on Madison Avenue (that's not the nightmare part - I liked that house!). I was running around trying to make sure the house was tidied up, when I looked at the clock and it said 7:35 - oh no!! I'm still cleaning, and my guests are also LATE!!

Then they start arriving, and I realize I don't have my cardstock cut!! I settle them into the dining room, and frantically run to the living room - where my supplies are scattered EVERYWHERE!   I am trying to find Whisper White and Very Vanilla cardstock to cut in half for the cards, and all I can find is non-Stampin' Up! cheap paper from the dollar store!! Oh no!! Meanwhile, my guests are rooting through my mom's fridge and finding all kinds of crazy things to eat and drink, totally messing up the dining room table!!

Yeesh.  No wonder I woke up with palpitations :)

Have you ever had a class scheduled, and found yourself still running around minutes before your customer-friends arrive, trying to finish prepping cardstock or supplies?  Yep, I have, too!  I've learned that it's MUCH more relaxing and fun to have things ready well before-hand

Tip 1:  Don't post a class on your DBWS if you don't have some idea of what you're going to present.  It's fun to see alot of classes scheduled on your "Events" calendar, but don't overwhelm yourself just because you want to fill those spaces

Tip 2:  I've been trying to plan my classes around a product I love & really enjoy and feel confident working with, or a card I've created that I  am really pleased with - one that came together easily and is simple enough for a beginner, yet elegant or pretty enough to impress even a veteran stamper.

Tip 3:  I especially like to find new ways to use an old standby product or a stamp set I know one or more of my customer-friends already has, because, while of course we want to up-sell other items, isn't it nice to teach them a new way to use an old favorite?  I want MY customer-friends to know and feel that I value their FRIENDSHIP first and foremost, and not "just" the sales they support my business with.

Tip 4:  As far as getting things ready, get your cards or projects designed and made well ahead of time.  That way, you can tweak what needs tweaked, and make sure you've got enough supplies on hand for each guest in case you need to place an order for supplies.  I like to have my projects done a weekend or two before, and get my cardstock cut at least two days ahead of time.  That way, I have the day of class to redd up the house (with my DD17's help, of course!).

Tip 5:  About two hours before class, I clear off the dining room table and set out the class supplies.  This gives me time to check everything over once more and make sure I didn't forget to put anything out (although that HAS happened, which is why "My Way" of doing business means classes in my home, so I don't have to go far to retrieve what I've forgotten :P).  Then I sit down, collect my thoughts, and relax before everyone arrives.  I also always have some drinks and small snacks for after we're done creating so we can spend some time chit-chatting when the stampin' part of the evening is over - like I said, these are NOT just customers, they're FRIENDS!

Anyway, those are my tips for a successful class!  Hope there's something here you can use in YOUR business . . .

That's it for now, my peeps!

Jeni

Quick Class Idea

Hi Chicks!

Here's a quick and easy class idea for you.  As I've mentioned, I follow Lyssa Zwolanek's blog regularly.  Recently, she posted a technique I really flipped for, which she calls "One Layer +".  Here's an example I came up with yesterday (details on my blog):

 

Since I can only fit six students around my dining room table, and it gets a little crazy trying to have people stand up and "rotate", I've decided to run this card class a little differently than I normally do; which is three cards for $5 and they have to wait sometimes for someone to be done with the supplies before they can move on to the next card.  Sometimes I run a product-based class, where they purchase a product that is used on the cards; and sometimes I run a "free" class if they purchase a certain amount.

For this class, which I call "One Layer PLUS", I've designed six different cards using Lyssa's "One Layer +" technique.  I've also made sure none of the six cards uses the same ink colors, punches, or stamps.

Each different card design will go into a little organizer, along with the necessary stamps, ink pads, and pre-cut cardstock.  As the students finish each card, they will pass around the organizer, rather than getting up out of their seat.  Each card should take less than 10 minutes to make, and nobody should have to wait long for their next card (I hope!!!).

For example, this card's organizer will contain:  six pieces of Very Vanilla cardstock cut to 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"; Crumb Cake & Chocolate Chip ink pads; two stamps from Papillon Potpourri, one stamp from Elements of Style, and one stamp from Perfectly Penned; six small scrap pieces of VV cs (for the large butterfly punch-out); and the Elegant Butterfly punch.

I'll have Dimensionals and clear stamping blocks in the middle of the table for everyone to use as needed, and will tell them to bring their own Paper Snips.  I'll also provide envelopes for their cards.

For this class, I'm charging $10 to make six cards, but if they place a $25 order the day of class, I'll waive the class fee.

If you'd like more details, or have any questions about running a card class, email me!

That's it for now, my peeps!

Jeni