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Give This Some Thought

‎"The WORST thing you can do in this economy is get a second job. The BEST thing you can do is start a home based business!" Dave Ramsey

 

Joining Stampin' Up! now is one of the best times to do it during the year.  

1.  Starting your own rubber stamping and scrapbooking business through Stampin' Up! has a LOW start up cost.

2.  The scrapbooking industry continued to grow DURING the recession and has NOT stopped.  You will be starting a business that pays.

3.  The training you get both in creativity and in business is amazing.

4.  A business plan is a must and I will help you write one.

5.  If you sign up during Sale-a-bration, will get free product EVERY month you are a demonstrator.  That will help keep costs low and profit high!

Contact me to set up an appointment!

Happy Stampin'!

Linda:)

 

Are You Highly Productive?

I'm not.  However, I'd like to be.  I just read a this great article from Inc. Magazine, that my business coach, John Sanpietro, sent.  I like having my own business.  I like that I'm challenged to do things I don't do well (like being organized).  I have real goals.  Do you?  Do you want some?  If you'd like to talk about this great business opportunity, email me now.  

7 Things Highly Productive People Do

 

Another great article from Inc. Magazine on what work habits the most productive entrepreneurs have in common.  They are:

 

    1. Work backwards from goals to milestones to tasks. 
    2. Stop multi-tasking.
    3. Be militant about eliminating distractions. 
    4. Schedule your email. 
    5. Use the phone. 
    6. Work on your own agenda. 
    7. Work in 60 to 90 minute intervals.

If you want to read the rest, click here.

Happy Stampin'!

Linda:)

Stampin’ Up! Colors in Fashion

I was shopping the other day in a BIG store when I kept noticing the colors in the merchandise.  I seriously picked out many colors from the Stampin' Up! palette and while my friends thought I was a little SU crazy, I knew that Stampin' Up! knows a lot about color.  

For instance, Real Simple sends fun tips of the day.  I clicked on an interesting article called, "The 4 Universally Flattering Clothing Colors."   

 

Real Simple: Eggplant

Stampin Up!: ElegantEggplant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Real Simple: True Red

Stampin' Up!: Real Red

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Real Simple: Indian Teal

Stampin' Up!: Island Indigo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Real Simple: Mellow Rose

Stampin' Up!: Blushing Bride

 

Color trends change and I love that Stampin' Up! not only keeps up, but stays on the cutting edge.  

Take a look around and see the various color combinations on clothing, in upholstery, in magazines.  This can help you the next time you are stuck trying to figure out what colors to put together on your next project.  

What is your favorite color combination? Leave it in the comment section below.

 

 

 

 

Happy Stampin'!

Linda:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How To Properly Light A Photo

 

(Here's a nice article from eHow.com on how to properly light a photo)   Proper lighting is one of the most crucial elements of a good picture, yet is one of the most commonly overlooked. Follow these simple steps to make sure your pics impress. Step 1 -  Determine the "dominant light source." An easy way to do this is to look at the shadows in the area - they will point away from the dominant light source. If there are multiple light sources, the dominant one will create the darkest shadows.  Step 2 -  Decide what type of shot you're after. Usually you'll be wanting a fully-lit shot of your subject with as little shadow as possible.  Step 3 -  If you're going for a normal, well-lit photo, shoot away from the light source. This will eliminate harsh shadows and make sure your subject is lit up in your pic.  Other Tips - Don't rely on the flash! Most digital cameras have an automatic flash that's there to "fill" in bad lighting situations. Problem is, it's usually a pretty harsh light, and can wind up reflecting off your subject and making them look washed out. If there's enough light in the area and you're following these steps, turn the flash off! If you're outside during the day, the dominant light source is easy to find - not much is going to outshine that big light in the sky. Shoot away from the sun whenever possible. Don't stifle your creativity. Odds are you've got over a hundred shots to waste on that camera of yours - use them. This is simply how to properly light a photo - sometimes improper shots can accidentally wow everyone with your artistic ability!

Hope you enjoyed the article.  Let me know if you did in the comments section.

Happy Stampin'!

Linda:)

Color Theory Part 1

So, are you ever confused about color?  Do you wonder what goes well together and why?  Do you wonder why a green you would have hated and probably even did 10 years ago suddenly appeals to you now?  Have you wondered why avocado green and mushroom were ever IN colors?

No?  Then, you might as well stop reading.  :)

If yes, then continue on, my friend.  

Believe it or not, the fashion industry sets the color trends for everything else and I do mean EVERYTHING else.  There is actually a group of 10 people whose names are kept secret that meets in Europe twice a year once in May and another in November to discuss the next color trend.  Isn’t that crazy?  Anyway, you’ll see the same colors all over the place perhaps within the year.  

That was just an interesting tidbit.  What I really want to tell you are the qualities of color.  They are called:  Hue, Value, Temperature and Saturation.

Hue is simply the name of the color...it’s identification. Red, yellow and blue come to mind.

Value is how light or dark a color is.  So, adding white or black to a color will change its value.  Further distinction is a shade which is adding black or gray and a tint which is adding white. Pink is a tint of red.

Temperature is how warm or cold a color is.  Red is hot while blue is cold.  

Saturation is the brightness or dullness of a color.  It can also be called intensity.

How is this helpful?  Great question.  Pairing a color and bright color might not look so great to you and now you know why.  For instance, the Regals Family has higher saturation. The color is intense.  The Subtles Family has lower saturation because the color is lighter.  Pairings between the two are often more difficult to make.  

 

Here’s an example of the Stampin’ Up! 2011-2012 in storage: http://www6.homedepot.com/storagesolutions/index.html?&locStoreNum=1518&cm_sp=homepage-_-wk24-_-hero_2-_-shop_now

Isn’t that funny?  I see Lucky Limeade, Pool Party and Wonder Wisteria.

 

I will discuss this more in other posts. Look for more on this next week.  Hope this helps a little!

Happy Stampin’!

Linda:)

Balance, Balance, Balance Part 2

Continued from last week...

by Maria Gracia from Get Organized Now

6. Family Meals. Make time for, and make it a priority to have, family meals together at least 5 nights a week. This time is the best time for the family to connect with each other. No matter how busy our schedules get, we all have to eat. Make it a priority to eat together as a family each night.

7. Let some things go. We could all very easily be scheduled to do things twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. There are many things competing for our time. Most of them are usually good things. But, even filling up our schedules with many good things may cause us to miss out on the few best things. It is also more than okay to say no to the many things. Simply say that your schedule has no free space.

8. Schedule regular family time. Set aside one evening each week where you and your family members are there to spend the evening together. This can be an evening of board games, card games, watching a movie together, or just plain talking. The time spent together is wonderful for keeping the family even more deeply connected than spending just meal times together. This also shows your children that you are committed to their well-being as well as your own. 

9. Take care of all aspects of your health. There are three sides to your health, physical, emotional and spiritual. By getting enough sleep, eating right, and exercising, you are not only addressing the physical aspects of your health, but also the emotional. Exercise and eating right are great ways to combat stress. Don't neglect the spiritual side of your health as it plays an important role in maintaining good overall health and balance.

10. Have fun! After all, what is the point of anything if you don't have fun along the way? Several years ago, while I was employed in corporate America, my company showed a motivational video made by the employees of a well known fish market in Seattle. These employees talked about enjoying their jobs because they chose to have fun. The employees rarely left the employ of this fish market because the job was such fun. Who would think that the turnover rate of employees could be near zero at a fish market? If you've ever visited this fish market you can see first hand the fun that the employees have. Choosing to 'enjoy' plays an important role in keeping our lives in balance. Don't be afraid to have fun!

As you can see in the last point, having fun is VERY important.  I have fun by scrapping or making a card for someone.  How do you have fun?

Pikes Peak Academy Life Skills Day

I don’t know if you remember this post, but I talked about sharing your skills, talents and smile with other people.  There’s a great school called Pikes Peak Academy where kids who have been frustrated by traditional schooling and are in danger of not graduating can come and be loved and helped. They come from all walks of life.  Every month they get some classes called Life Skills where they learn from members of the community.  I have been involved for about 3 years and it has been wonderful.  

Here are some pictures:

Want to see some of the projects?  Go to my Facebook Fan Page!

Here’s the sweet email I got after being there.  

Linda-

Again, you did a great job today.  I was so thankful you were comfortable coming in and leading the girls through the activity.  You did a great job explaining details and made the girls feel comfortable trying their hand at being creative.  It is fun watching them have a chance to be creative.

 

Thanks for showing Jesus’ love today to our girls, being an example of a godly mom to Tori, and providing a creative opportunity for our Lifeskills Day!

 

Have a great day with Jesus-

 

Kristin

Hope you can share your gifts, talents, perhaps a smile or hug with someone today!

Happy Stampin’!

Linda:)

P.S. Come back tomorrow for a special promotion!!

Balance, Balance, Balance

I like to send on these tips to you because they’re helpful and I like to be helpful!

Work, Family, Self--The Art of Balance 

 by Maria Gracia of Get Organized Now

Do you feel like you are being pulled in multiple directions at the same time? Many of us do. There are so many things competing for our attention and it's a difficult task at best to maintain any kind of balance, but it is possible. Here are a few tips to help you get things into balance.

1. Take care of you. It may sound selfish at first glance, but think about the logic of this concept. When flight attendants give instructions on what to do in the event the oxygen masks are deployed, they instruct you to put your mask on first, and then help your child or seat mate. Keeping all of the plates that you are juggling requires the same thing that you need to be able to take care of others-- taking care of you first.

2. Taking care of others, by taking care of you. Taking care of yourself doesn't mean being selfish to the exclusion of others. It can be something as simple as taking 30 minutes after you arrive home from work to decompress and change gears. Having this transition time enables you to shift over from work mode to home mode. You're more present for your family for having taken the time for yourself.

3. Don't try to do it all yourself. One of the mistakes we make is in trying to do it all ourselves. We simply can't do it all. Not one of us is Wonder Woman or Superman. We are humans and when we try to do it all ourselves, things get out of balance very quickly. In light of this, either delegate to other members of the family, hire help, or just let the less important things go.

4. Prioritize. In order to maintain balance, it is important to prioritize. Every item wants to be a number one priority, but not every item is. There are some things, like work, that take up a set number of hours in a day. The remaining hours should be split between yourself and your family. Don't let outside distractions take too much time away from self and family, otherwise things will quickly get out of balance.

5. Don't short yourself on sleep. When scheduling the remaining hours, don't short yourself on sleep. Sufficient sleep is crucial to your health and well being. Aim for 8 hours of sleep each night. It will make a huge difference in your ability to function well each day.

See the rest of this article next week.

Take some time to be creative today because that’s part of a balanced life!

Happy Stampin’!

Linda:)

 

Top Three Reasons to Own My Digital Studio

1.  It’s SO easy to use.  Even if you don’t know what to do, then you can go to mydigitalstudio.net and see a PLETHORA of videos to help train you how to use this wonderful program!  

2.  You will be scrappin’ your memories in no time.  All the included content will keep you busy and inspired for a LONG time!  Need to see what’s included?  Click here! 

3.  You can scrap your memories THE day they happen!  How great would that be!  You can get to your home, hotel room, even tent site, download the pictures and scrap away.  No materials necessary other than your computer!  You won’t mess up ANY products or worry that this is your last button, piece of ribbon or card stock.  Like a certain layout? You can copy it and change the various elements in it to your hearts content!

Have some more questions?  Click here for some Q&A.  If they aren’t answered, then ask me and I will make sure I find out an answer for you!  

Ready to order?  Click here! 

Why YOU Want to Be on my Virtual Inking Newsletter List!

1.  Virtual Inking newsletters will help answer the question, “What do I do with _____?"

I know many of you have bought product over the years both in (ahem) big box stores and from me. Then you get it home and wonder what to do with it, how it works and why you bought it.  I am not only able to answer you, but I am also wanting and waiting to answer those questions.  If you have a question, you can bet others do, too, so I put those questions and answers in my newsletters.  You will also find answers to questions that you haven’t had a chance to ask yet but someone else did.

2.  Virtual Inking newsletters take less time to read than searching the internet.  

You have only a limited amount of time and so that makes your time precious.  I show you ideas, tips and tricks, step-by-step exclusive content.  You will find that the projects in the Virtual Inking newsletter are completely doable and probably easily done with the product you already have on hand.  I always provide the item numbers for ease of ordering when you don’t have it.  I’m here for you, you know!

3.  Virtual Inking newsletter subscribers get discounts off of EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY CLASSES.  Sure, you can sign up using the links I give you in this blog, but you WON’T get the discount no matter how much you beg.  You must be on my list, end of story.

There are lots of other reasons, but I will stop there.  Go ahead, sign up.  You can check it out and see if what I am telling is true.  Go on, just do it!

Happy Stampin’!

Linda:)