Farewell, again

I have let my consultant account expire - my annual fee was due in November and I chose not to renew, for many reasons (the annual fee being one of them). Still a fan of the product!

My clients have been defaulted to Jen, my sponsor, though I'm encouraging them to transfer to Elizabeth - something I need to do soon! Not that there is anything wrong with Jen!

I haven't been making many products - I did holiday cards, soccer posters and a new planner, have a few projects in the works and recently pledged to do12 projects in 2012.

I will also be attending digi-crops and retreats when possible, so keep an eye out for those notices!

Traditional vs Digital Scrapbooking

I have not traditionally scrapbooked in quite some time...a year at least?? (traditional = paper, stickers, scissors, adhesive, etc) because it's sooooo much easier to sign into my computer than it is to print the photos (after organizing and selecting the ones to print), look through the stack of papers and color coordinate them, see what stickers/embellishments I have to go with the theme, find a layout, cut the photos, adhere all the doo-dads to the pages and journal.  Journaling is the part I put off until forever.  I know what I want to say, but then I gotta type it out on the computer and print it and hope it's the right size...yeah, I could hand write, but I get so sloppy :(.  Ok, so my kids are going to know that once upon a time I could use pen and paper to write down my thoughts and see my typos or other mistakes.  My mom has great handwriting.  I do not.

Digital scrapbooking eliminates most of that "hassle".  No table to clear, no photos to print (though organizing them is still time consuming), no glue/stickers/embellishments to buy.

With Heritage Makers, I can crop and enlarge my photos or easily swap them.  No glue!  Darn Xyron machine always got stuck after I switched the glue cartridges anyway.  I can design my journaling around the layout, any size, any shape, any color.  There are kits with matching papers, ribbons, letters, stickers, etc.  I can use one piece from 40 different kits...or use that one piece 40 times.  And now I can take one part of a project and save it to another - woohoo!!

No running to the store to buy stacks of paper, 2-3 different adhesives (vellum, "pop-art"), ink for the stamps, cleaner for the stamps, stamp organizers, every color pen/ink, stickers for known projects.  My supply store is open 24 hours a day!!

If a project is damaged, I can order another.  If I need three sets of projects for each set of grandparents, I order 3 at once.  If I am sending a baby announcement to my cousin in Oregon, HM will slap the stamp on it and address it for me.

There are templates to let me drap and drop my own photos into pre-designed pages.  Change the journaling and it's done.  HM has a facebook page that issues challenges, I've only done a few, but its a great place to get ideas.


I have thought about all this many times, but I was reminded yet again when I attended a digi-crop.  I used to go to scrap-a-thons; packing up everything I own and using 2-3 trips.  Even several hours long craft days took some planning if I wanted to work on select projects without having to bring everything (and even then I always forgot something).  For digi-crops, I bring my computer.  One trip.  Maybe two if I am bringing show and tell projects (I am not carrying my 18X20 canvas with my 20 pound computer at the same time).

Having said all that, I still have my scrapbook supplies.  I do like to make cards, I do like to make pages.  I have mounds of printed photos.  I just don't like the set up and take down.

These are some of the reasons I do digital scrapbooking, the reasons why others do (or don't) are as varied as the ideas used to create.

What Can I Say..

...That hasn't been said. What can I do that hasn't been done. What can I sing that hasn't been sung.

I actually enjoy "writing", but it's hard to write about yourself and accomplishments without having a reason (like getting a job, answering a question). Thus, my blog has been ignored.

Much like my business, lol. I've done a few shows/events/digi-crops, but only one has really been worth the time. That hostess became a consultant after using HM for about a year - she's was a faithful paper crafter. (the down side, most of my income came from clients that are now hers!)

So, in the past 18+ months, here is what I've done:

7X 5 School Thank you notecards
7.5X 10 Wedding album (matte cover)
12X12 page for school tiles
Mom's planner, wire bound 6X9
Wyatt's swatch book
Wyatt's 8X8 board book
Girl Scouts 7X5 memory book
Beach canvas (LOVE!!) It's hanging in front of me...just above the sad face Wyatt drew on the wall a few days ago
12X12 calendar page with uv coating for dry-erase markers
2010 holiday card
2011 6X9 planner
12X12 post-bound album cover for Joey's paper pages
7X5 invitation card for new baby
2009 12X12 yearbook
2010 12X12 yearbook
Another 8X8 board book for Wyatt
7X5 love book for Joey
Another girl scout memory book
11.5X8.5 gift which I'll share after it's been received ;)

Phew!

I want to do another canvas, with wedding stuff. Maybe biz cards.

Club HM was introduced a few months ago and when Elizabeth did her party, all 3 attendees purchased it, including me!

January...umm...goals?

Eek, January! Is it time to set goals? I am not a goal setter because I know I'll let myself down. So, why bother??

I *do* want to post more, which means I need to be busy with HM stuff!! And actually have kind of been.

I put together a last minute Mystery Hostess party on a school holiday, but was unattended. I do want to reach the 500 Club because it's a one month period instead of 3. After that happens, I don't know! I amazingly added a new team member, Melody, who is a member of Best of Boards. We've not had any interaction that I can recall, she lives in Iowa! I posted some info about HM in the scrapbooking forum and she followed my link and signed a few weeks later, much to my surprise! But, by doing so, Presidents Club is reachable because that's $1000 and a new consultant or $2000, with again just one month qualification instead of 3.

I placed a personal order of about $200 and Melody's sign up added $50 to my GPV.

The order I placed a week before Christmas took over 2 weeks, which was disappointing. I later learned that ordering various product types causes delays. Um, ok. But, the cards were cool and got mailed out - positive feedback from a few who received them.

The planner is also getting rave reviews; my mom asked for the exact same one, which obviously would be easy, but am going to make a different one for her. Her friend Benny wants a bracelet like hers, too. I am making a swatch book of Wyatt's favorite things.

I was asked to participate in a bridal fair, which put me in a rush to complete the wedding book. Thankfully it arrived in time for the fair!

I finished the thank you notes for school and tiles for the appreciation event. I'll get those published along with some other items, despite knowing it will take longer to have various products ordered *rolleyes*.

I think I might also order V-day playing cards for Jessie. Joey isn't interested. I also have some 12X18 poster credits for each of the kids to make a family tree. Scanned LOTS of photos for my mom and there are some really old family ones in there. I'm sending a disc to my dad, of the ones he might want to see.

Ms. Riha is having a scanning party on the 31st, which is also mom's craft day. I'm going to a baby shower that afternoon as well.

Completed Projects

I created Christmas cards (printing 50)

1 12X12 to embellish (just trying to get one on hand)

2010 Calendar

Bracelet for my mom's birthday, which will be late

Miley Cyrus concert fold

and

Hector, auction donation for Best of Boards

As of this writing, they are in the process of being printed. The cards will be sent to me so I can sign them and use up some stamps, but next year hopefully I'll be on the ball and get them completed early and have Heritage Makers ship them to my address book.

Since then...

I held my grand opening on November 15th, of the 10 people who confirmed attending, only 5 were able to show. The sales ended up at $213 and I received $50 free, which I used to purchase the bracelet for my mom as a gift.

I did have some interest in holding shows, and I have yet to follow up on all of them - yikes!! I was to have one show today, Nov 28, but it has been rescheduled. So, the deposit on my kit hasn't been paid for :(

As far as projects, I completed the bracelet and a family fold, which was the Miley Cyrus concert Jessie and I went to. I am also working on 52 ways to use the playing cards and a 2010 planner. None have been printed yet since I figured I'd do them all at once. Also considering a 5X7 album since it's one of the credits I have as part of the kit. Possibly a 12X12 or two.

I need to follow up to schedule workshops and 1 on 1's!!! I might have to do that at home again.

I'm Back!

My Heritage Makers business is renewed!

I signed up as a consultant back in 2005 because I thought I would do something with it and never did, so went inactive. Sorry Amy!

I still had friends in the scrapbooking industry and Jennifer Stratton has returned to my life and proposed the business to me, knowing my experience in direct sales. Despite my experience in direct sales (haha), I decided to give this another try. I am on Jen's team...sorry again Amy!

I am curious about where this will take me - if nothing, I will have published some great books and learned more about digital scrapbooking.