Cupcake Love

I mentioned awhile back on my Facebook page that I was ready to take the digital scrapping plunge! I guess instead of plunging I am dipping my toes in; testing things out 

because I still love the texture and feel of PAPER! 

So, I have been dabbling with hybrid projects like this stash of custom cupcake notepad/pen sets I recently created...what sweet gifts!

This was such a fun order to design...you know how Mama loves Cupcakes! The client asked for something girly, with a damask print and this is what I came up with. The damask paper was printed on textured white cardstock from digital paper over at Cupcake Cutiees Designs...love her stuff!I remember the cute felt cupcake diecuts that I've had in my stash for a few years now...yes, that long!  This was the perfect project to use them on and topped with a flower for a little vintage flair!

 Thanks for stopping by!

4 Boxes, 15 Minutes a Day!

I know you've been waiting to see how my plan (see plan details here) 

is taking shape...I'm happy to report that 

4 boxes and 15 minutes a day 

have actually EMPOWERED ME to take charge and organize my craft room! Thanks to an awesome tip by my Aunt Jean, I spent my 2nd 15 minutes looking for suitable boxes and labeling them "Trash", "Recycle", "Keep" and "Another Room". The Trash box is for just that, items I don't want and that can't be recyled. In the Recyle box, I'm putting reuseable materials like old shipping boxes (these can be used to ship some of my etsy items) and one-sided printed paper the kids can use the blank side to color on. This morning, I almost filled the trash and another room boxes, so I am making progress and actually EXCITED about it!  Those feelings of being overwhelmed and frustrated, and quite honestly of being an organization failure, are gone!

What can YOU do with 4 boxes and 15 minutes?

Journey to Simplify My Life

Happy Spring my friends!  Well, with the recent 70 degree weather we've been having, it sure seems like Spring to me.  In that vein, I'm starting my spring cleaning.  No, I'm not talking about the traditional scrubbing the house from top to bottom; I'm talking about decluttering my home but more importantly MY LIFE!  Somewhere along the way, I have succumbed to "retail therapy" and been "seduced by busyness".   The good news is I've decided to do something about it!  We all know the most important things in life are not "things".  So I hope you'll join me on my journey to rediscover the best things in life; me, my family, and the memories we are creating.

Bargain Hunting Led Me to Excess and Clutter

When I worked full-time outside the home and had just 1 child, my house was pretty neat and orderly. Now, I work from home and it seems as though each time our family has grown, so has the size of our home, and I always seem to

 find a way to fill up the additional space with "stuff". 

I no longer go clothes-shopping as often, but since I opened my paper crafting shop, I find myself buying unnecessary crafting supplies, just because they were "good deals".  The problem became apparent a few months after we moved and my dream-come-true sized craft room was still not organized.  

Yet, I kept buying more supplies. 

like the Sizzix Boutique Embosser, more Cricut Cartridges and my ultimate weakeness: cute stickers!

The craft desk I can't use because there is too much stuff on top, 

oh and more unpacked things underneath!

I have plenty of craft storage, but it isn't truly organized *sigh*

 It is going to take a lot of self-discipline but I've decided to identify needs vs. wants and put the needs first (thanks Aunt Jean for this tip)!  I'm happy to say since last week, I haven't bought any "oooo, that would be perfect" scrapbook paper, embellishments or tools I've only purchased what I have an immediate need for (can't say the same for clothes but baby steps right?).

Now comes the hard part, clearing out all the excess stuff that I don't need and probably won't use.  As for the supplies, I could destash them in my shop; sell them on Ebay, Craigslist, have a yard sale.  With so many options, sometimes I find myself doing nothing.  Why the sense of urgency?  Not only is the clutter stifling my creativity, but we are moving yet again this summer and I don't want to carry any "extras" with me.  So, I've committed to

spending 15 minutes a day 

decluttering my craft space.  Yes, I think that breaking the task down into bite-sized bits of time, I won't get overwhelmed and run away (or log onto Facebook!).  You can check my weekly progress here on my blog!

How do YOU get rid of your excess supplies and tools?  I've love to hear, so leave me a comment!  Now, I'm off for my 1st 15 minutes of purging!

Grow Your Business with Social Media

Hi lovelies!

Wanted to share an exclusive event my EtsyMoms team is hosting over on our team blog. It's a 4-week blog series on Social Network Strategies for Building Your Business, from the perspective of mommies like you and I. We've invited some hugely successful women, both on-Etsy and off to talk about how they use the Etsy Forums, Facebook and Twitter to build community recognition of their brand. Our guest bloggers will cover a new topic each Wednesday. Whether you've been on these networks for awhile or are wanting to test them out, you'll surely find some nuggets of wisdom for your use! Follow the EtsyMom blog to stay up-dated: http://www.etsymom.com/.