No Resolutions - Goal #1

 Resolutions:  Do you find it's easy to make resolutions but difficult to keep them?  I once read an article which indicated that most resolutions, whenever they are made, don't even last a day.  Frustrating. Yet, we find ourselves making the same resolutions the next new year with the anticipation and hope for success.

So, I've stopped making resolutions.  I'm making goals.  Why goals?  Well, first they follow the rules of having them attainable, measurable, and realistic.  So, first business goal for me this year: 

POST MORE OF MY CREATIONS ON MY BLOG.  I will post at least twice a week.  This is easily measurable, just check my blog posts.  It's realistic as I'm retired and so therefore, I "should" have the time.  And it's attainable...some people blog twice a day!  

It's amazing to me how many cards, boxes, scrapbook pages, etc. I make during the year and never post them!  It's like all the Christmas cards I make and yet, don't seem to make it to the mailbox!  I can't give any reasons why this happens...but I am going post at least twice per week! I'm not going to go so far as to say what days I will post...that maybe too much to ask at this point (LOL).  But if you receive my Facebook business page posts, you should be seeing when I post something new.  Or just come to my blog address.  So, I am asking for your help.  Please leave a comment here on my blog, or post a response on my Facebook business page! This will give me a feeling of support and enthusiasm to continue posting. Thanks!  

In keeping with my goal,  below are pictures of some of the cards and projects I created and haven't posted!

Here are my two submissions for a 3 inch X 3 inch Valentine exchange:

Several crafters sign up to make 3x3 cards and swap them.  There are nine crafters in each group. so you finish with nine new ideas which you can use to create a sampler picture, use the cards on larger ones, or just save them for ideas.  It's a lot of fun and it's always amazing how none of them are ever alike!  Let me know if you're interested in participating in a swap by leaving a comment below.

Here are cards I made for a recent crop I was to attend.  (My husband and I began feeling tired with sniffles and just didn't want to spread whatever we might have to friends and family. So we stayed home for ten days.).  But I was really disappointed in not being able to go to the weekend crop.

And finally, below are pictures of a small calendar book I purchased at the Dollar Store and the finished product with some simple changes.  I think they make a great little 'sumthin' for friends.  

The top picture shows the original appearance of the front of the tiny book.  To the right of it, shows the finished book.  Below it is a picture of the back of the book.  I did not alter the spine but used the color of it to choose the Designer Paper.  I love how the lavender matches nicely. 

So, this is some of the projects I've been working in recently.  If you'd like any directions or a list of supplies I used, please comment below.

I'll be posting some birthday cards in the next few days.  I'm trying to build my stash.  Another GOAL is to mail the cards I actually make!  

Keep creating and remember you can share your creations on my Facebook business page located at:  Creating Treasures with Janice.  And if you select "Follow",  you'll receive notifications of my blog posts automatically.  

Happy New Year Resolutions  GOALS!

--  Janice

Thank You Blog Hop with Bertucci's - January 2022

 Happy New Year!

Welcome 2022 !!! A new year, brings a new Stampin' Up!® Mini catalog.  On January 4th, the 2022 January - June Mini Catalog (often referred to as the 2022 JJ Mini) was released.  And wow, it's fantastic!  

Many fresh ideas and a Sale-a-bration catalog is released too!  This makes saving on new products easy while making creating especially exciting!   Plus several of the stamp sets in this new mini catalog coordinate with the Designer Papers found in the Sale-a-bration catalog. Having these new sets and papers has us bursting with new crafting ideas!

And speaking of ideas...this post is part of the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Blog Hop created through the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Training Program provided by Bruno and Kylie Bertucci. We are so happy that you could join this blog hop as you will find beautiful stamping ideas and creative inspiration from over 40 Stampin' Up! International Demonstrators.  Many of which will be using the new products in the new catalogs.  

We, Demonstrators, are in the training program provided by the Bertucci's to help us build a successful Stampin' Up! business and reach some goals we have set.  We really appreciate your support.

Using the stamp set BEST DELIVERY and the Designer Series Paper (DSP) titled DAFFODIL AFTERNOON, I created the Thank You cards shown in the picture below. These are a sampling of cards I'll be sending my customers during the month. 

Flowers with a delivery truck might be a strange combination.  However, if you purchase stamping products on line, you know how exciting it is to see a delivery truck stop at your home.  The best kind of flower delivery has arrived!  Fresh flowers are lovely, but Stampin' Up! Designer Paper in floral patterns are the best delivery!  

I love the color combination of yellow, black and white together.  And the flowers rushing by make me feel that spring is coming. The Designer Papers I chose have one side in a beautiful floral print while the other side is a smaller monochromatic print. All the papers in the pattern pack coordinate, so you can easily add layers that will match.  Creating is so easy!

The Daffodil Afternoon paper DSP (#158026) used on the card above is one of the Free items you can choose from the Sale-a-Bration catalog. When you purchase the stamp set and a few supplies making your order $50 or more, you can receive the paper for FREE!  

The stamp set includes the sentiments, loving hearts, and birthday balloons in addition to the adorable truck.  The stamp set is so versatile... just change the designer paper.  As shown below, the color combination matches the HEY SPORTS FAN Designer Series Paper (2022 JJ Mini Catalog #157882). This makes a great card to send your birthday wishes to your favorite athlete or sports fan or to create a colorful scrapbook page.

If you don't have a copy of the new mini catalog, be sure to write a comment below requesting one, or email me at creatingtreasures123@gmail.com.  

You may have started your blog hop travels here or have arrived from another blog - either way you can continue to see other Stampin' Up! Demonstrator blog posts via the link list found below.  Select each link individually or use the links to "hop" to the next blog.  Have fun hopping!  And thank you for leaving a comment.

Blog Hop Links:

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Welcome New Year - 2022

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Welcome to 2022.  Each new year the first thing I must accomplish is to remember to use the new numbers.  Do you find that it's difficult not to continually remember that the new year means you must write the new number...2022, not 2021.  I seem to just start to remember the new year's number when it's changing again.  Like the saying, "the days are long but the year is short".

And today brings the ending of the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog for 2021.  It's sad when one ends, especially the one for the holidays.  The anticipation for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, always seems to bring me joy and excitement for all the wonder of the seasons.  The ending of the catalog reminds me of all the things I planned on doing over the holidays and yet, just didn't seem to find the time to do.  There's so many projects I planned to complete, but just didn't have time.  Well, next year...

And so with a heavy heart I begin to look at the new catalog...and as I glance through it, I realize there's bright colors and flowers and happiness and excitement starting to flow through me again.  Winter will soon be Spring!  No more heavy clothing (yes, even in Florida, where I live, we wear sweaters and even sometimes coats!)  But Spring brings flowing clothes, sandals, soft and bright colors!  And summer soon follows with sunshine, blue skies, sandy beaches, splashing in pools, picnics in the park, and cool dips in the lake...yeah!  I'm excited to get started on Valentine's Cards, Easter Cards, End of School projects...Wow!  

The new catalog to be released tomorrow brings all of that to us.  All the beautiful colors shown in Rainbows, beautiful delicate flowers, and playful animals swimming in the cool waters.  This week I'll show you some of the new stamp sets and dies and gorgeous Designer Series Paper that are included in the new January to June 2022 Mini Catalog (JJ 2022 Mini).  If you don't have a demonstrator and would like to receive one, please leave a comment below and I'll send one out for you to see the delights of Spring and Summer 2022.

Here's a taste of some of the cards I'll be posting here...

I know you're as excited as me to finally be able to order from the new catalog.  Get your list made, and don't forget it's Sell-a-bration (SAB) time too!  For every $50 of product you order, you can choose a Free special items from the SAB catalog.  The items in the SAB catalog are beautiful alone, but many of them coordinate with the new products in the new JJ 2022 Mini catalog too!  

AND, if you've considered joining Stampin' Up!, THIS is the time!  You'll receive $125 starter kit of product (you choose) for only $99, PLUS you can select two FREE stamp sets along with the starter kit. And then earn a 20% discount off your orders afterward!  No selling, no parties, no hosting required!  Contact me at creatingtreasures123@gmail.com or leave a comment below letting me know you'd like to learn more about purchasing a starter kit.

It's s WONDERFUL time of the NEW YEAR!

--  Janice

Thank You Blog Hop With the Bertucci's - December 2021

WELCOME!  to the Stampin' Up!® Demonstrator Training Program Monthly Blog Hop! We are so happy that you could join this blog hop as you will find beautiful stamping ideas and creative inspiration. We are a group of Stampin' Up!® Demonstrators from around the world that are participating in training provided by the Bertucci's to help us to build a successful Stampin' Up!® business and reach some goals we have set. We really appreciate your support.

You may be starting here or have come from another blog - either way you can find the link list at the bottom of this post.  You may select each link individually or may use the link to "hop" to the next blog. Comments are really appreciated. Enjoy!

Do you sit and stamp haphazardly trying different color combinations?  Do you like to make your own backgrounds?  Are you new to stamping?  Or, have you been away from stamping for a while and want to "get back into it"?  If any of these are you, there's a new stampset made for you!  The stamp set is "SENTIMENTAL SWIRLS"!  It'll be released on January 3rd with the new January - May 2022 Mini Catalog.

To get your creative juices flowing...please look at the following cards:

As my favorite color combination is red and black, I just had to make the card shown above.  Talk about simple!  Basic Black and Real Red ink and coordinating card stock along with Very Vanilla card stock, Mini Ruffled Red Ribbon, and BAM!  Card done in less than 10 minutes!

During ONSTAGE @ HOME held in August, the new stamp set, "Sentimental Swirls", was introduced by Sam Hammond, a Million Dollar Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.  As soon as she started demonstrating the stamps, I was enticed.  The stampset includes 27 stamps of which one is the major stamp that can be used as the center of your creation.  There are also 26 additional stamps which you can use either. with the larger stamp or in a combination.  You decide!  No rules!  Each card you make is unique! THIS is what stamping was meant to be.

The cards below use the Sentimental Swirls stamp set along with one of the new Designer Series Papers, "Daffodil Afternoon", which will be available on January 3rd, with the new mini catalog release.  I used the largest stamp in the set and created areas for the smaller stamps. The Flowers and Leaves punch, (#155373) shown in the 2021 - 2022 Annual Catalog, was used to punch out the stamped flowers.  The punch matches the flowers and leaves in the stamp set, so you may want to buy it, if you don't already have it. (I used the punched flowers and leaves to hide a mistake! Don't you just hate being almost done and, yuck, you smear the card).  

I just added one of the sentiments included in the stamp set and the Garden Gem.  And Bam...Done!

Below is a close up of the flowers.  I used the Garden Gems at the center of each flower and the oval gems on the petals of the one flower.  I love how these Garden Gems (#159277) work on so many projects.

The card below is an alternative to the one above.  The same card stock and DSP, punched flowers and sentiment are used.  However, I split the sentiment to make two lines and used Stampin' Up!'s Crystal Effects on the petals instead of gems.

During the month of January 2022, when you place an order for any amount, you will receive a Thank You card using this showcased stampset. And in January if you purchase the Sentimental Swirls stamp set on my online store, you will receive a kit which includes precut card stock and a FREE package of the Garden Gems.

Thank you so much for stopping at my blog.  I would appreciate your leaving a comment on my cards presented here.  And when you're ready to move to the next blog, you can hop to the next blog using the list below.  Keep Hopping to the Blogs and Have Fun Creating Treasures!

 BLOG HOP LINKS:

--  Janice