{personal image}
Blog Archives
Don’t Stop Believing…
Sing along, it seems everyone is!
Don’t stop believing,
in whatever it is you have your sights set on,
even if it’s just getting to Friday this week.
Treasury Thursday :: all buttoned up.
I know I say it every week, but it’s so much fun to assemble a treasury based on a challenge…it gets me out of my own zone and on the hunt for things I might not otherwise seek out. It’s good to see things differently!
When I was a kid, my mom was always asking, ‘what do you want for dinner?” I never had a good answer and couldn’t figure out why she was always asking ME…she was the mom! 
Now, I get it and gosh darn it if I don’t do the same thing! Thinking of what to cook is harder than pulling the meal together…once you have a plan, the rest is fun. And, the same is true here!
So, this week, my hat is off to Kate over at A Creative Cookie for her idea of buttons! And, once you spend even just a few minutes on her blog, you will realize she really is in fact one creative cookie. Wow! I have visited her blog many times and have a few ideas bookmarked, so it was great to spend a little more time ‘getting to know her’ so I could introduce her to all of you!
What’s fun is that one of her recent tutorials is the perfect match to the buttons…a necklace made from a spool of thread! You can find tutorials for all things creative over at A Creative Cookie…from holiday fun, jewelry, fun for kids, creative organizing, tips and techniques and ideas for parties. And that’s not all, she has a super duper list Link Parties, and if you are looking for a little bit of the spotlight, go see Kate and chat about advertising and give aways …she’s got that covered too! Stop by and say hello; you can find her on Facebook too!
I love buttons, and check this out. When I put the word button into the Etsy search tool, any guesses on the number of items that popped up? Go on, take a guess. Did you guess 371,673 items? Didn’t think so! Buttons show up in so many ways: necklaces, bracelets, every kind of vintage button you can imagine, fabric, painted, wood, ceramic. There are giant buttons, oh so petite buttons. Buttons you can eat, buttons you wash up with…there is a button for everyone! Kate, I hope this inspires your creativity…it will be be fun to see what button projects you come up with.
Hope you all enjoy all the amazing items made by such creative Etsy shop owners. View the Treasury in Etsy and below…
{ Hope your day is all buttoned up! }
Treasury Thursday :: Inspiring Minds Need to Know
Last week’s Treasury challenge was so much fun, we are back for a second round! For this week’s Treasury Thursday, I posted the challenge again on my Facebook wall. I asked for a word, phrase, color, concept, etc. and I would choose one idea to create a Treasury, include an item from that person’s shop and give them a shout out here. Pam, of Bates Mercantile Co. suggested ‘inspiration’ followed by a . So, I went in search of inspiration all throughout Etsy {not hard to find, by the way!}, and what fun! I found so many inspiring works of art, and a few that also made me – just following instructions!
Pam runs a great shop on Etsy, with so many ‘original art prints, printables and must-have vintage finds‘. You will be inspired when you see her work; I know I am! A true creative – she helps small businesses position themselves for success, is an artist, photographer and has a heart for the stories behind the vintage items she finds. Though she and I have never met in person, it’s obvious she’s got to be one of the most genuine folks around.
Be sure to check out Bates Mercantile Co. shop on Etsy to get your inspiration on. Take the time to stop by her Facebook page and say hi and tell her {PaperKeeper} sent ya! All of us need to be inspired. And, it’s great when we can inspire others – it means that what we do has value and meaning for others. As creatives, isn’t it great that we be on both sides? I hope you enjoy all of the great work here, and I hope you find inspiration among these fabulous artists. If you do, share, stumble, tweet, pin, post this collection, because after all, inspiring minds need to know!
Think you might want to play next week, leave a comment with an idea for next week’s Treasury Thursday challenge!
{ go inspire }
 PRINTABLE Typography Wall Ar… $9.95
|
 Positive Quote print Typogr… $20.00
|
 Inspirational quote necklace… $62.00
|
 Don’t Forget To Be Aweso… $30.00
|
 Silver Be Necklace Inspirati… $30.00
|
 Throw Pillow – Laugh $26.00
|
 Create Pendant Inspirational… $8.95
|
 Inspirational Quote Photogra… $21.00
|
 Peace & Tranquility- inspira… $32.00
|
 woman art print – the grand … $20.00
|
 Custom Inspirational Neckla… $46.00
|
 Tree Photography – Birch Tre… $25.00
|
 Inspirational Art Print – If… $15.00
|
 Seaside Dream Fine Art Photo… $28.00
|
 Retro Inspirational Quote Gi… $13.00
|
 6 Hand Stamped Spoons Inspir… $62.00
|
What I learned from a blue dinosaur, a geek and a little green monster
I realized the other day that it is often the little things that make a big impact on me. I was having a conversation about this with someone who realized that a single red flower on a bush she walks by every day inspired a slew of creative thoughts and insights. Amazed at how something so ordinary could break open a pathway to ideas, it got us to talking about this and before I knew it, I was getting some ideas of my own. I realized how some things, that may seem minor or insignificant can be our best teachers.
For as long as I can remember, I have read signs, cereal boxes, shampoo bottles, what ever is in front of me; I just like reading. At some point in time, the reading started to become entertainment as companies took some liberties with their packaging. I found it amusing and uplifting, for example, how the Kashi brand took off with the idea surrounding ’seven whole grains on a mission”. I love Luna Bars, and even before the girlie version hit the market, I liked the original Clif Bars. I am not sure if I liked them so much because of their taste, portable convenience and nutrition, or if it was because of the great packaging. They always had a story to tell on the wrapper and it just seemed to make it a whole lot more personal and therefore I kept buying. When the ladie’s Luna Bar came out, I was over the moon [yes indeed, pun intended!]. The flavor was great, calories were reasonable and I loved how on the back of each bar is a message from one woman to another, thanking her for her inspiration. I have one in front of me now, and the message on my Peanut Honey Pretzel says this,
“Audrey, you taught me how to walk to the edge, listen to my heart and choose with no regret. Thank you for believing in me.” - Erica.
I read those messages and I can’t help but be inspired, and in that way how when you car is clean it seems to actualy run better; those personal messages make it taste better and I bet it’s even a little healthier too! I feel like I am part of something good when I enjoy a Luna Bar. Which is just about every single day. Really.
Reflecting on this I realized how important it is to let these kinds of things inform me; be my teachers. Not too long ago, I ordered something from the company called PhotoJoJo. Their website alone is a ton of fun; full of whimsical charm, fun information and great products. I look forward to getting their emails and spending time on their website. Being a photography fan; when I had some extra cash, I ordered a couple of items from them, and as with any online purchase, it’s so fun when the package arrives . When I opened the box, I was just happy to get my new toys, but then I saw a little blue dinosaur. Apparently, they send a stowaway with most orders; and the receipt? It felt like a party on paper! Those two elements transformed my purchase from a simple transaction into an experience.
I am not afraid to admit that I get my geek on; I love devices and technology and am a self-proclaimed gadget girl. So, for me to purchase soemthing from Think Geek was like any other day; I bought a great mini speaker for my iPhone that I discovered through DigiTwirl. Turns out the mini-speaker was perfect; I loved it. The crazy thing was, my dog loved it too; so much that he chewed the cable to bits. Literally bits. I emailed their customer support to see about purchasing a replacement cable, and when I explained the situation; the reply that came back to me was,
”is your dog ok?”
and followed up with a replacement policy so unbelievably customer friendly. I was blown away.
I’ve kept that little blue dinosaur on my bathroom shelf ever since, and every day he’s provided some inspiration to me; in intangible ways. I’ve considered how it would feel to run a biz or organization with a focus on that kind of creative freedom and fun, to give customers an experience. I’ve thought of how freeing it must be to care about your customer’s dog.
Little did I know it, but many months down the road, I would come to open my own Etsy shop; and while noooooooooooo where near the scale of any of these awesome companies; I realized that they have inspired and informed me. No matter how small my creative biz may be; I think about how I felt when I interacted with those companies and if I were able to replicate even a fraction of that; I would feel like a success. The handmade community is exceedingly supportive; creative {obviously} and positive. On the contrary, I work full-time in an environment where those elements are not found easily, or in abundance. It’s challenging some days, to not let it get to me and permeate my overall attitude. It takes an almost daily restart to stay on track with an attitude of gratitude and generosity. Yet, I make a daily point of approaching my Etsy shop; and as much as possible all areas of my life, with that sense of abundance.
I was mulling this over on the drive to work one morning; but I was feeling those hints of self-doubt and struggling with the questions of “can I do this?”, “will it work”, and wanting to dream even larger but instead feeling small and defeated that particular morning. Shortly after that, I saw a post on Facebook where a person in my community was really starting to make a name for their art. Without missing a beat, I found myself being critical; judging them, their art. Trying to convince myself they weren’t really that good. Immediately I could feel the difference in me. It felt awful. I noticed and I caught myself and literally reminded myself out loud to refocus my energy towards abundance, generosity and promotion of others.
I felt better almost immediately.
I realized though, that I had been paid a visit by a little green monster. I was feeling self-doubt and small; and so when I saw someone rising, as they should be, my initial response was envy and to avoid that uncomfortable feeling, I instead attempted to try to diminish their success in my mind. As if that would make me feel bigger? I know, right?! I am not proud of this; by any means, and it’s hard to admit, but there it is! The little green monster has joined ranks with the dinosaur and the geek as my own personal teaching faculty in well-to-do abundance. Do you think they have good snacks in the teacher’s lounge?
Later that morning, I checked my email and I see a message for a new blog post from Lisa Jacobs’ blog, Marketing Creativity. The post is titled, “Competitively Speaking, Think Abundance“. After picking myself up off the floor {ever have that feeling a blog post was written for you?}, I read on and this paragraph more than validated my early morning anguish.
As we are all human, we all are capable of that sudden jolt of envy when we see the high sales and huge success of another. What I try to do is transform that scarcity thought from envy to admiration. Do you realize that small business magazines, like Inc., are doing articles on Etsy sellers, like Ashley G and Drew, who are reporting six figure salaries with their handmade craft? SIX FIGURES! With nothing but the most respectful admiration, I shout, “Yes, please! That’s for me! Hallelujah!” By keeping my creative juices positive and forward-moving, I work toward success.
So yes, when I am feeling abundant and generous, I am contributing in my own small way to the success of others and because I believe that one action begets another, I am in fact working towards my own success; on a variety of levels. So, I am abundantly grateful to the little blue dinosaur {he’s back on the bathroom shelf after a romp in the grass for his photo shoot today!}, the geek and yes, even the little green monster. They have each taught me such important lessons; and I would like to leave you with another perfectly stated comment in the same blog post by Lisa Jacobs:
Here’s a new thought…..: change your affirmations in a direction that leads you away from competitive, scarcity thinking and toward that sea of interested people. If you take one thing from this article, I hope it will be this quote from Wayne Dyer: “Abundance is scooped from abundance, and abundance remains.” That’s Universal thinking, and to that I say, “Yes, please!”
{cheers, go live abundantly!}
