week end | 26

Another productive week of designing + making. I may have illustrated my favorite stamp set yet for the Studio Calico September kit. :) I also added a few more designs to the next paper pack which is nearly there as far as pulling things together. Production starts next week! As soon as I have some sneaks, I'll put up a presale, promise. I had a few emails asking about this because I did mention I would do a presale like last month. Oy. Truth is, my confidence level isn't so high when I come up with my own designs. You should see my reject pile. We're getting there though.

No set plans other than a little work for the weekend. But it's the good kind of work. :)

Happy Friday! Tina

I took the weekend to ponder my own question I presented on Friday and I've come to realize I've confused what it is to be a successful blogger. After all, we define our own success.

“If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs, is more elastic, more starry, more immortal — that is your success.” - Henery David Thoreau

Whether you're starting out or in a "what am I doing" slump like myself, I think it's best to write a list of expectations when it comes to your blog.

Here are a few things off my own list....

I'm not necessarily looking for a million followers but having a boost in readers would be nice, especially if I've spent a day putting a DIY together.

Do I want to make money from my blog? No, not really. Not if entails having said followers and posting everyday. Time spent on blog management is better spent in my studio working on current and future designs. That is where I want to generate more income.

I do want to use my blog as a platform for my business but I don't want to just post shop updates and what I'm up too. I want to reach out to other creatives and this is where I'd like to change things up.

Here's where I've confused things. I thought in order to be a successful maker/creative that I also needed to be a successful blogger, which I think I can still be on my own terms. I want it all sometimes but I am not that person and I need to play up on my strengths rather than work against them.

There were so many great responses to my question. Thank you for taking the time to write. It helps put things in perspective. That is the biggest thing I didn't think about when I wrote that post....connecting with your peers. I want more of that as well. That is ultimately what blogging is about, no?

Tina

week end | 25

 

IG feeds have been inundated with ALT captures. Seems like a great venture for those who really want to push their blogging capitol forward. This was something I thought I wanted. Until it came down to the nitty gritty of actually blogging.

I wonder if that is the main goal these days. Is casual blogging a thing of the past? Is there a future for those who just like to post pretty things and speak their mind once in awhile?

Bloggers and I'm talking fierce bloggers work really hard at what they do. They probably (like many creatives) don't get the credit they deserve.

Shit ain't easy folks.

So what's left for the rest of us? I'm curious to know your thoughts on this whether you're an income producing blogger who pulls together styled shoots and tutorials like nobodies business or if you're like me and just blog whenever the inspiration hits or maybe you're just thinking of starting a blog.

I'd still really like to push myself here but I'm 80% sure that it will never happen.

On another note....I've been playing with my watercolors a lot lately. It's been my getaway from some of the not so great things that are surrounding us. I try so hard to stay positive for everyone because that's what all my Pinterest quotes tell me to do (& no one likes a complainer) but I can't help but be swallowed whole sometimes by the negative shit. This is where family tickle fights and playing in my (still being updated) workspace comes in.

There is no major life or death situation happening here. Just the usual everyday middle-class stress. Money, trying to conceive a second child, trying to figure out where I stand in the creative world, money, preschool, money, etc. Stuff I shouldn't be complaining about.

So I'll stop.

Now that I've got that off my chest, I'm ready to take on a Friday full of errands and a weekend full of love and adventure. Happy Weekend! Tina

finished!

For me to actually complete a mini album is a great feat. The start of one is all sunshine and daisies, then it ends up in my never ending box of unfinished projects.

This one was different. I think having cute little page protectors helped A LOT. Also keeping it simple and to the point was key. Like with all of my scrapbooking, journaling is kept to a minimum since most of my writing is done in one of many Field Notes notebooks.

I started with this  We R Memory Keepers gold 4x4 Instgram album. I purchased a few of these in different colors from the Studio Calico shop. (fyi...the gold is IN STOCK right now) The albums come with 5 sheet protectors but I ended up getting a few extra packs.

I used a lot of items I had in my personal stash like screen prints that were for practice and a vintage flash card with the number 36. The flash card was really cool and had a nice black frame on the backside....perfect for a little photo. The number and photo are "floating" in a 4x4 protector. Simply sew around the square to achieve the look.

I added in bits of wrapping paper and handmade cards. The Stay Wild illustration is from my favorite publication, FLOW.

I ended with another "floating" element and backed it with a great quote that I printed on a transparency.

That's it! Easy peasy which is pretty much how I do things these days. :)

Do you like to document your birthday in a special way? Tina