Stamp Club Coming Soon!!

For some time now I have been working on two new areas of development for my online workshops and on Friday I ordered the first batch of goodies in preparation.  Today I have started setting up the first of the two areas.  It is my plan to running a Stamp Club.

I have been teaching card making classes for over 2 years now and it is my experience that most people, myself included, want to get the most out of the stamps they buy.  They are an investment and we want to make the most of them.  Although I am still working on the details, the intention is to sell a set of stamps with 10 online classes.  I can supply to anywhere in the world subject to postage and packing and if people have the stamps already they can opt to purchase the online classes without the stamps.

Each set of card classes will include simple and more complicated designs and they will all explore lots of different stamping and card making techniques.  There will be itemised tool and material lists and the lessons once purchased will be available to use day or night 24/7 always.  Once you have purchased a set of lessons you will have the links to the tutorials so that you can use them whenever you want to make a particular card.

Whilst I am making my videos I also intend to make tutorials for things like how to create inners for cards, all the different card folds, tips and techniques, etc. which will eventually grow into a useful library resource - particularly for those that are new to card making.

I am really excited about setting this up.  I will still be working on workshops to fill up my ETSY and Blog sidebar shop.  These workshops will focus more on home decor projects and mini scrapbook projects.  I think I am going to be very busy!!!  There is a fun Advent project coming soon!

Today I fired up Photoshop and set too making a new intro slide for my Stamp Club Videos.  I think you can still recognise it as belonging to The Craft Project but it looks different to the videos that are on my free You Tube Channel.  So here is a sneek peek!!!

I have also set up the credits (you know the bits at the front and back of my videos!!) and I have changed the intro music.  It is very odd hearing a different tune on one of my videos but again I think it is worth doing.  By the time I have made the first set of tutorials and am ready to launch my first kit I will know for sure if I want new music!!!

I videoed the first tutorial yesterday so I am ready to edit tomorrow!  I will keep you posted of my progress.  If you want to leave me some feedback on the kinds of things you would like from a Stamp Club I would love to hear what you think.

It has taken me two years to get to this point and now it is time to step up a gear!  Wish me luck!!!!!

Thank you for popping by X

MY ETSY SHOP IS NOW OPEN!

Today is the day I have been working towards for over a year now.  I have learnt much (so much that I am surprised my brain hasn't exploded!) and finally I am putting all that knowledge to the test - so fingers crossed for me.  I feel like I want to add a fanfare to this blog post but there is always something new to learn!!!!

This is the banner for my new shop.

I will be selling templates with photo and video instructions.  As yet the shelves in my shop are a bit bare but I will work hard to fill them.  So today I am announcing the availability of my first project template.  If you follow my blog you may have seen a sneak peek of this project on one of my WOYWW posts.  The lovely comments I received made me choose this as my first item to offer for sale.  Here is a taste of what you can make if you decide to purchase my template and the two video tutorials that accompany it.

As you can see it is a very versatile template that is great fun to make and great fun to give.  I will be releasing more design ideas for using this template over the coming weeks so if you intend to purchase this item (and I am keeping my fingers crossed that you do!!) don't forget to sign up and follow my Blog and my You Tube Channel to make sure you do not miss out on the inspiration.

I hope to add a links page soon (.....again when I learn how to do it!) so that anyone that purchases a template can share their own interpretations and design ideas for using my template.  I can't wait to see what everyone makes.  It is so exciting.

I started this blog at the beginning of the year to keep a track of my progress towards starting my own internet crafting business and almost a year later - TODAY IS THE DAY!

My Blog has introduced me to all the other wonderful folk who blog and craft out there and I have had and am having such fun.  I have met lots of lovely people (virtually!) and thank you for all your kind words of encouragement.  I am definitely going to carry on blogging ('cause I love it!) and hope to still make time to participate in the wonderful challenges I have been playing along with.

So without further ado here is the link to my brand new shop:

TheCraftProjectShop

and here is the link to my relatively new You Tube Channel:

ACraftProject - You Tube Channel

Watch this space.....More coming soon!

WISH ME LUCK!

WOYWW 174

I can't believe it is Wednesday again already - well actually yes I suppose I can.  This week I can actually account for why the time has seemed to whizz by in an instant.  I took a massive step towards my goal of setting up an online crafting business.  Which incase you haven't guessed from reading my blog is very much about designing and tutorials.  I posted my first online tutorial - not my first video as you all saw that here first on WOYWW!

So on my desks this week are the remnants of the chaos that ensued as I embark on putting my first tutorial and pattern combo together.

What a lot of mess!  Gotta love that Basic Grey Christmas Paper though!  I am using it for the photo tutorial part of my project.  I still have a couple of samples to make so I think I will be tidying up a bit first!  I have just noticed all the sweetie wrappers in my bin - my son was the culprit not me - he was revising in here this week - he just about managed to find a spot!  He is very  much looking forward to his cast coming off tomorrow.  Unfortunately he has an Art exam today!

Photo tutorial almost finished - well the photo part anyway - the words are still to be written!  I think you can see what I have chosen to work on as my first template and pattern combo with video tutorial.  I have filmed it already so only have the editing to go.  I promise that all the mess you see before you was not included in any of the photos I took!  I have created the illusion I am very organised ha ha - so you all know the whole truth!

I also waived bye bye to my eldest yesterday as he headed back to Gibraltar to live so I am a bit sad today so it is just as well I have a busy day ahead to keep me from thinking of him too much.  Oh and a good dose of desk hopping too I hope.

If you want to join in then follow this link to Julia's desk and discover a whole new crafting experience.

My First You Tube Craft Tutorial!

I suggest you have a chocolate biscuit in your hand and a cuppa nearby if you want to read this post!  You are gonna need sustenance!  I have written a novel!

I am sitting patiently waiting for my 11 minute video to upload to You Tube - I had no idea it would take so long.  I am impatient to press play and to see how it turned out....but since I am still waiting I thought I would write this post so I am ready to share it with you.......If it is decent!

Three days ago I started filming my first video - I wanted to show you how I made my blackberry and sugar stick embellishments.  Remember these two tags?

I got my camera working and filming in the correct format for my Mac and off I went!  It was a very strange experience talking to myself - making sure I stayed in shot and trying very hard to make sense!  I had to wait 24 hours for my blackberries and sugar sticks to set and then I recorded the final stage and viola video tutorial complete......

Nope - then I learnt how to get the tutorial off my camera and onto my Mac - easy peasy and then I had fun taking out all the fluffed bits of my tutorial and suddenly I am sounding a bit more professional.....I said a bit!!  I have to say iMovie makes the editing very easy indeed and I even managed to put on titles at the front of the tutorial and credits at the back even with a little bit of music.   I was pretty pleased with myself at this point..... big mistake!!!

Next I created an account on You Tube - no problem...... went to upload and the computer he say 'no chance!!'  After another round of reading and learning (which is all I seem to be doing of late) I realised I have to finalise my masterpiece in iMovie (2 hours of finalising later) I discover that it also has to be less than 15 minutes long and less than 2GB to upload it to You Tube........My finalised movie is 18 minutes long and 4 GB.   Oh no!  (it really wasn't as polite as that!)

Any of you recognising this scenario at all?  My hat goes off to all those crafters out there making video tutorials that's for sure!

Back to the drawing board - I decided yesterday to make another shorter tutorial - this time of a card I have blogged before that I designed to use up some of those ribbon scraps we all lovingly hang on to....just in case! :-)

No worries - Learn some more great stuff along the way:

1)  Make sure the house is quiet or you get much opening and closing of doors on your soundtrack!
2)  Leave gaps when you are filming so you can edit easier.
3)  When I edit I can fast forward myself so my viewer (if I have any!) doesn't have to watch me tie on a million ribbons or so!
3)  Must remember to take off the sound from any fast forward sections or you get chipmunk sound bites!
4)  I can add on screen notes - great if I fluff my lines!!

So once again I finalise my movie and right now I am publishing it to You Tube - still 2 hours to go - I hope my internet connection doesn't drop out!

So I will in effect be publishing my second video first....

I noticed something strange whilst making my second video - there is a huge difference in the two tutorials file sizes considering there is only a 5 minute difference in length.  I am going to try downloading the first file again before I make the decision to chop it into a Part 1 and Part 2 of my first ever video tutorial - Just a novice and making serials already ;-)

I have finished writing this (is that cheering I hear?) and there is one hour to go until I can learn what I hope is the final step:

Linking my tutorial to my blog so you can watch it - if you are still awake!

Thank you for staying with me and I would really appreciate any feedback you may have so I can perfect my technique.  I definitely need to buy a better rig as I think you need to see a little more of my desk.  When I do get the rig I am also going to try videoing from my perspective rather than from in front of me to see which looks better.

I hope you agree though that I did end up with a video that you could watch and have a go at making the Ribbon Rainbow Card!

Watch this space for the first video second :-)

Of to set up for video 3!  END TRANSMISSION X

More Playing Cards!

As I have been learning to Blog I have been finding more and more interesting things that everyone is doing out there in Crafty Blogland.  I particularly love all the challenges I keep finding.  As anyone that knows me will confirm I love a crafting challenge!!!  It is like a creative workout - wish I relished a physical one as much.  I'd definitely be slimmer if I did :-)

I was thinking of entering a challenge I had spotted whilst pottering around in Blogland and as you know if you have popped in to visit me recently I have been working on card designs using up playing cards I had squirrelled away (for far too long to admit to!)  If you want to see the other designs follow this link and then this one!

Yesterday I started making a flower using larger playing cards.  I cut out petal shapes and threaded them on to a brad before shaping them and fanning them into a flower shape.  So here is another design using up playing cards and my entry into the April Challenge on the Truly Madly Crafty Challenges Blog which just happens to be Handmade Flowers!  Perfect.

Here is a close up of one of the flowers.  I love the way my flower centres worked out.  I had laid my design out and was trying to decide where I could put a greeting as there wasn't really much room when I thought I could put the greeting on the flower centres.  I printed out my greeting circles and cut them out before running my embossing tool around the edges of them the shape them into a cup shape.  I attached them to the flower centres and gave them a liberal coating of Glossy Accents.  

I have to do some work on my website today.  I have been putting it off as I am finding it hard to write the text.  I think I just have to do it and then update it if I need to.  Otherwise I am in danger of having a great looking website with no words at all!!  Stop stressing and start doing I think.  Wish me luck!

Too Nice to Stay Indoors

Today I just could't stay in and craft - though I was torn.  It was so nice outside I had to get out there.  So I took Comet for a walk along the canal.  It was warm and surprisingly quiet as it is a favourite walk for a lot of people when the weather is nice......And we have to make the most of any decent weather we get incase we don't see it again for a while!!

I think he is smiling!

Yesterday I had another meeting about my website and it looks like we are on the final straight.  It is exciting to see it all coming together but I need to keep my logic head on now as it doesn't matter how pretty it is if it is hard to use! 

I know that the websites I like to use best combine style, clarity and ease of use.  So that is my goal.  By far the hardest thing for me has been the text.  Every time I think I have finished a bit I go back to it and change it again!  

I have been learning about how to make my website more likely to be found when someone is searching for a particular topic.  Sometimes I get a bit bogged down with jargon I don't understand.  But I am learning the language slowly.  So I now know what a meta tag is and that my website will be crawled by Google and other search engines and that I want to have great SEO and if I get really hungry I can follow the breadcrumb trail back to my home page!!  Hey ho if my body was as exercised as my brain has been lately my jeans wouldn't be so tight!

I am off to finish my Graphic 45 challenge project now.  I might be able to post it tomorrow if I get on with it.  See you soon!

My Website - Update

I thought I would tell you a bit about my website today and where it is up to at the moment.

When I had my 'light bulb moment ' and at last realised what it was I want to do for a living and came up with the idea for my business, the first major job to tackle was to get a website built.  I spent quite some time trawling the internet trying to find a company to work with.  I read a lot of articles as I wanted to be as clued up as I could be.  I spent many hours reading and eating a fair bit of chocolate along the way... only for stamina you understand!!!

I finally made my choices based on my website designers own website design, personalities and of course last but definitely not least, as I am on a tight budget, cost.  I really appreciated that my business idea excited and interested my eventual choice of web design team.

I am working with a company called Petrol.  I thought their website really stood out in a crowd and I felt their unique style of web design was also reflected in their portfolio.  It has been great to work with Peter (the designer) and I am so pleased that he has managed to get his head around the world of paper crafting (al completely new to him) and I think that this understanding, mixed with his own style, has resulted in a really great looking website.

I wish I was ready to show everyone now!  This starting a business journey is like waiting to unwrap a present that has been sitting under the Christmas Tree for weeks just tempting you to look for a few clues, have a little shake of the box to see if you can guess what is in there!

On Monday I worked with Glen (the technical guy) to get things in place to finish the site off.  So it is nearly there and then it is over to me to put all the content on the site (another big learning curve ahead).  

I am wondering if I should show you a little bit of my website hmmmmmm!

What a teaser!  This lovely butterfly actually flutters.  How cute is that?!

Watch this space.  Christmas is a fair bit off yet but I know it is coming!   I am keeping my fingers crossed that you all like what I eventually unwrap!!  Hope you pop in again soon.  Helen

Steep Learning Curve

Today I spent time looking at UTube and learnt how to publish videos!  There are some very strange things to watch......and one strange thing seems to lead to an even stranger thing!  It is very addictive.

I also had a quick peek at FaceBook but I think I will let my sons teach me the intricacies and etiquette of that new world.

One common thread that the business seminars that I went to at the trade show came back to time and time again was the power of social media for the small business.  So my next gathering of information will be about Twitter (sounds cute!)

It is funny how life sometimes seems to know exactly what you need and sends you a gift.  I volunteered to help with the publicity of a sponsored virtual round the world cycle ride for Erewash Valley Gymnastics Club recently and as a result have gained invaluable information for the setting up of my business.  I must remember to post a link to the clubs Facebook page when it is ready.

I will be teaching some card classes soon so today I got on with designing some cards in preparation.  We will be having a play with distress inks and blending brushes so I have designed 3 cards that are a variation on a theme.  Hope you like them.

Using Wild Honey, Peeled Paint and Broken China Distress inks to create  a Wild Flower Meadow

A kaleidoscope of butterflies

Spatter water on the inky background for an interesting effect

I am going to sign off now as I need to design 3 more cards.  I think I may try using the stamps to create a watercolour effect and I want to make tags so 3 designs combining both is my plan.......

See you soon

Trying Again to Blog Regularly!....

I have been busy but I really do need to make time to Blog.  I am going to set myself a reminder on my calendar to see if that will help.  So what have I been up to?

We had a half term break so we went away for a couple of days.  Check out the beautiful sunset we watched from our hotel room.  In fact the view from our room was so amazing it was difficult to believe we hadn't even travelled abroad!

At the end of the day

Look how calm the sea was

I have also been to my very first Trade Show.  It was exciting to see all the new products that we can expect to be playing with in the coming months.  It was very strange bumping into people I felt I knew!!  The power of television.  I had a lovely chat with Leonie Pujol as she demonstrated for Crafty Notions.  It was great to see her infectious enthusiasm and I am really looking forward to getting my own hands on some of the lovely products she was using.......and getting equally as messy!

I also attended a couple of very interesting seminars focussing on starting a new craft based business.  It gave me food for thought and a renewed impetus to get things done.

Note to Self:  Must find out if there is any protocol about adding links to my blog.  Do I need permission I wonder?

Off to start designing for my next set of card classes.  I will be getting inky this month I think!  Bye for now........

A Lesson Learnt

I was reading one of the Blogs I follow and I noticed a link to a free background.  I clicked the link and found it directed me to a wealth of information for the novice Blogger.

Over my next couple of Blogs I will try to put some of what I have learnt to practical use.  I have already learnt how to publish a post but I have yet to insert an image on my Blog and I would also like to know how to create a link to somewhere........ to somewhere interesting I hope!

Links First.......

The Blog I was reading was The Paper Trail  written by Laura, an extremely accomplished paper engineer.  She does some amazing work if you haven't visited her Blog yet I hope my link will take you there!!!

....And taking the advice of Sharon who writes the Plumrose Lane Blog I will add a second link and reinforce my learning.  Very important as I get older I find.  Thank you to Sharon for sharing her knowledge it was just what I needed at just the right time.

Now for the Photo.......

It is not the uploading of a photo that is going to be the problem, I think it is choosing the photo that may take some time.  Should it be a photo of me?  Should it be a photo of my work?  Or should I play it safe and upload a photo of the newest member of our family?.......  I opted to go for the Cute Factor........

Comet's first day with us...What a cutie!

Exploring my new Garden

SUCESS!!!!!

I know that these images should be resized but that is another lesson for another day..........

Thank you Sharon at Plumrose Lane.....

Developing the Blogging Habit

Today I have spent a couple of hours exploring lots of Blogs written by the many talented crafters out there in the big wide world and here is what I have learnt today:

1.   I will make time to Blog regularly.

2.   I must try to write interesting Blog entries that other people want to read.

3.   I would like my Blog to reflect who I am and reflect my love of crafting.

4.   I will try to learn how to make my Blog look pretty.

5.   A picture paints a thousand words so I really must learn how to upload photos and videos to my Blog.

I will work on Points 1 and 2 every couple of days and with Point 3 in mind I will continue this Blog entry by writing down a little more about ME!

I have always loved to share my passion for crafting with others (in my experience I think most crafters do).  Just over a year ago the opportunity came up for me to teach card making classes.  I started off with the aspiration to expand my classes to the point I could teach for a living.  But things change and I soon realised as I designed the cards for my monthly lessons that I really really enjoyed the designing part of preparing my lessons and that I wanted to explore all the many crafting techniques and trends with the ladies in my classes.  I wanted to inspire and I really hope that I have been doing that.  As you will see when I launch my business this realisation gave me the inspiration and the impetus to take steps towards fulfilling my ambition to craft for a living..... How lucky will I be if I succeed?

My first Poster to advertise my classes

At the moment I am waiting to sign off on the design stage of my website.  I am really excited each time I get to click on a link and up pops something on the web that is growing into my new business.  My website designer passed on some very wise words:

'Don't think that you are designing the Porsche today.  The important thing is to get the car on the road and the Porsche will develop as you drive it along'

I might not have quoted Peter word for word but the concept has stayed with me and it has helped me make decisions without tying myself in knots trying to think of all eventualities.  Nothing is set in stone and if something doesn't work I can change it.  I will soon be driving along the road!  I hope this Blog makes you want to come along to see where I end up........

My First Blog

On my 49th birthday I finally started taking steps towards starting up my own business.  I have often thought it would be great to be able to earn a living doing something you love and what could be better than doing that and being your own boss?

This year I will be 50 and I had hoped to be able to launch my business on my momentous anniversary!  I may miss that deadline but I could make it happen in my 50th year if I focus!

More and more business websites have links to Blogs, Facebook and Twitter.  These are all unexplored territories to me so today I will learn what I can about Blogging.  With each new entry in my Blog I hope to turn this Blog into something that looks fabulous and is interesting to read.  In the beginning I will journal the steps I have taken to get my business started and when I am ready to let others read this I hope I have created a Blog that is somewhere people may want to visit again and that is an asset to my new business.

Today that seems an awful lot to aspire to but I am going to follow the wise words said to me by my late father in law who was remembering the encouragement given to him by his father:

'Put your head down and keep going!'

I know these words encouraged him every day to fight on.  So my battle everyday is to get my business to the point where I can launch it.  Each day I promise myself I will accomplish something, no matter how small, that helps get me to my goal.

Today I created my Blog and posted my first entry on it.  I am now off to explore this Blogging world so that I can become familiar with it and to master it.  Wish me luck.....I think I am going to need it!!!

What Lies Ahead!