home Facebook My Shop Current Challenge Videos Current Winners Ask Jo

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

It's Talk time Tuesday with Ask Jo~



Hello my sweet friends!
Welcome back to another Talk time Tuesday! I hope everyone had a great weekend and a beautiful Easter! Our family always gets together every year for an early dinner and a fun filled afternoon and evening down on the boardwalk here at the New Jersey shore coast. It was a very cold and dreary day. We even had a few rain drops here and there. So most of our boardwalk time was spent inside an arcade. We did have a great time overall. Here are just a few photos from my Easter Holiday with the family. 
Family Dinner
 
Ski Ball-Left to right, my niece, cousin and daughter

Carousel Ride L-my cousin, R-my daughter 

The entire Family

So moving on, today's question comes from Karen L. who wants to know, " Do you usually finish a project within a specific time frame or do you work on it over time? Also, do you have any unfinished crafts that you never seem to complete? How do you motivate yourself to complete those projects, or do you just scrap them (or take them apart) after a certain period of time? Those unfinished crafts always seem to haunt me and I wonder if they'll ever be finished?"

  Hello Karen!

Well Karen these are some great questions and I am willing to bet there are a ton of my readers that are facing the same problem.  Okay so let me answer your first question first. When I sit down to work on a project, my mindset is to finish it right then and there. I have always worked this way. I would go to crops and see people working on more than one album or would be working on a new project while the other one was sitting there drying from stickles or whatever. I could never understand how people could work on more than one project at a time. Today, I still don't know how they do it lol. I have to finish a project before I start another one. That is just my mindset. Now because I do have health problems, there are times that I'm unable to finish a project. During those times, I will work on a project until the pain becomes too much to deal with. At that time, I will just walk away from it, go rest and come back to it later. But I still will not start a new project until the one I was working on is finished. 

Your second question, " Do I have any unfinished crafts that I never seem to complete"? YES! I have quite a few craft projects that I have set to the side that I know I want to do, but just haven't found the time to do it. I actually have a crate full of altered wood projects that I would like to get to. I also have a running "to do" list of projects that I would like to cross off my list. I hope to get to them very soon :)

How do I motivate myself to complete my projects? I honestly can say that I talk to myself all the time (i know sounds crazy lol) and remind myself that those projects are still sitting there. And when I do this, I keep my mind on it and I keep it at the top of my list of things to do once some free time opens up for me. I am a very busy person. While I do not have a job that I go to work at ( I am disabled), I do still have a job at home. I am a full time mom to a 12 year old that I homeschool. Schooling my daughter takes up a good few hours during the day and when I am not in teacher mode, I am in mom mode. Anyone knows that being a parent is a full time job in itself. Also, I am a designer and I am currently on a few design teams and so those obligations come before my personal crafts. Add to that, I am disabled and I suffer from a great deal of ailments that cause my body to be in pain 24/7. My body can only take so much and then I need to lay down and rest. So when that small window of "free time" does open up for me, I will go get crafty. So those crafts that sit neglected right now, will eventually become a finished project as soon as time allows it. But I never think negatively about it nor tell myself that I'll "never get to it". I keep it in the forefront of my mind and I look for those windows of time for me to go grab a project and work on it. 

I have never taken a project apart and redone it and I have never thrown anything out just because I couldn't get to it. I enjoy looking back at my work when I first started crafting because it shows how far I have come in the crafting industry. My work in the beginning looks like a 5 year old did it LOL ... but it was who I was back then and it allows me to look back and see how much my style has evolved. Never redo your projects, they are a small fraction of the crafter you are now... you had to start somewhere right? :)

As far as having those unfinished projects haunting you... My only response to you Karen, is why? Why are you allowing them to haunt you? There is no time limit. These are YOUR projects that you will do at your own pace. These projects do not need to be rushed. 

 Look at those projects as a positive for you.. a way to have some alone time, something to do when there is nothing else to do. And if you are that worried about getting them done, schedule the time into your days so that you are making time to craft. If you see a window of time during the week of an extra hour or two that you have open, set that time to craft a project that has been sitting there for awhile. :)

I hope my answers have helped you a little bit today Karen. I really do appreciate you taking the time to write in. I hope to hear from you again soon! 


Well friends, that is it for today. Please write in with questions you want answered or topics you would like to see talked about during our Tuesdays together :) 

 Thanks for stopping by and until next time.... Enjoy life's blessings~




Monday, March 28, 2016

Winners FFC #130 announced ~


Hi there friends...
We have the Top 3's and winners from Fun~day Friday
challenge #130! Are you one of them lucky ones???

Our TOP 3 winners from  FFC #130
 "Happy Easter":



                       #13----->  Diane H.
                       #26----->  Pamela
                       #50----->  Margaret A.


 And now our winner of the 4 digital stamps from:
Little Blue Button Stamps
------> #09 Nannieflash





All Winners & Top 3's Please email me at:
Joann6274 at gmail dot com!
You will have 2 weeks to claim your prizes!

  
Well my friends that is all I have for today. I hope you have a great day! Thanks for stopping by and until next time.... Enjoy life's blessings~
  


Sunday, March 27, 2016

Happy Easter!




Hello my sweet friends, 
I am going to keep it completely simple today. Our Savior Jesus died for me. He died for YOU. He died for YOUR loved ones. He then ROSE up for us all so that we may all have eternal life, as long as we believe in Him and follow in His path. I do believe and I know that sharing eternal life with the Lord and all my loved ones who have passed on before me and who will pass after me, will be the biggest blessing I could ever hope for.

Teach yourself to be giving and to be grateful. Share your blessings with others, show others how they too, can be grateful and share their blessings with others. For thanking the Lord for your blessings and opening up your heart to be grateful of those blessings, is the true essence of Easter Sunday. Have a very meaningful, blessed and happy Easter. 

Until next time, Enjoy life's blessings~

Friday, March 25, 2016

FFC #131 "Anything Goes"


Hello sweet friends!
Welcome to another Fun~day Friday Challenge!!

I wanted to take a moment to wish you a happy Good Friday!!! I still cannot believe that Easter is just a couple of days away. Gosh time does fly. I hope you all have a blessed Easter Sunday and Passover this weekend.  

 This week's Challenge:
"Anything Goes"
Create a card, layout or project with
this week's theme!

Our Sponsors this week are:
Bugaboo Stamps
  The winner will win 7 digital stamps of their choice from Bugaboo's online store!
and
Di's Digis
The winner will win a $12 voucher to the Di's Digis shop!
 So make sure to play along this week~


    Starts: Friday, March 25th  12:00AM

Ends:  Friday, April 01st    6:00PM
(Eastern time)

Now let's see what the FFC Design Team has created for this Challenge:











What do you need to do to enter?
Challenge Rules

1. Please post a direct link to your card/project post that includes your challenge,
using the linky tool below.

2. Be sure to include a link back to our challenge

3. THREE entries per person and you must post a separate blog post for each entry.

4. All entries must be NEW and created for the current challenge.

5. You may combine with other challenges as long as you link back to us in your post.

 * All entries that do not meet the challenge requirements
Will not be eligible for top 3 or random wins (optional from sponsors prizes)
Any random wins will only be mailed within the US and Canada only.
You have until Apr. 01st by 6:00PM (eastern) time to link up.
All winners will be announced during the week of Apr. 04th.
Have fun and we look forward to seeing what you create!
Until next time, enjoy life's blessings~
Thanks for stopping by!



Thursday, March 24, 2016

UPDATED: My Online Yard Sale~ Lots of Retired stamp sets need a home~




Hello my sweet friends! 
This is an updated version from the original post.

I have been going through my craft room and trying to downsize. I need room and I need to reduce the amount of product that I have in it! It literally looks like a cyclone has hit my room! I honestly feel like I am getting to be about as bad as that show on TV called hoarders! LOL . ...   well ok, so I'm not that bad but I do hoard a ton of stuff and it is now time for me to declutter and organize, one tiny baby step at a time. I decided that an online craft yard sale would be a great way to get rid of some things. So fair warning, this post is photo heavy and long! 

The items for sale in this post are stamp sets. Most of them are retired. I will have an asterisk above each photo with a short description. Although most are retired, most of them are brand new or have maybe one or two stamps that were used once or twice. These are great stamp sets and I hope to find them a home. If you are interested in anything you see, please email me at Joann6274 at gmail dot com and I will then send you an invoice through Paypal. This sale will only be sold and shipped to the U.S. & Canada. Prices are firm and does not include shipping. 


*Across the Card-Neat & Tangled
Only 1 stamp was used twice. Like New. $7.00 

*Daisy Frame- Inkadinkado
Brand new, never used. $4.00

*Framed Sentiments- Inkadinkado
Brand New, never used $4.00

*Pocket full of Posies-Unity Stamps
Brand New, never used $5.00

*Polished to Perfection- MFT
Like New, 1 stamp used. $4.00

*Howdy Friend- MFT
Brand New, never used $6.00

*Indie Chic- My Mind's Eye
Brand New, never used $5.00

*Beach/Summer Set- Stampin Up
Used $9.00 Sold

*Far East- Hot Off the Press
Brand new, never used $10.00

*Pazazza- Loralie Art Stamps
Brand New, never used $10.00

*Journal Words- Your Next Stamp
Brand new, never used $7.00

*Fairy Fiona- Your Next Stamp
Brand new, never used  $2.50 Sold

*Mother Hen- Your Next Stamp
Brand New, never used $7.00

*Football Dude- Your Next Stamp
Brand New, never used $2.50

*Ellie with Pressies- Your Next Stamp
Brand new, never used $2.50 Sold

*Thankful for you- Your Next Stamp
Brand new, never used $2.50 Sold

*Fiona & Friends-Your Next Stamp
Brand new, never used $2.50

*Finish Line-D1216-CTMH
Like New, 2 Stamps used $10.00

*Do Nothing D1143- CTMH
Like New-2 stamps used $10.00 Sold

*Daydream D1297- CTMH
Used $8.00 Sold

*A Chocolate Affair-S1308 -CTMH
Brand new, never used $12.00

*Happy Day D1041- CTMH
Brand new, never used $12.00

*It's Your Day D1352-CTMH
Brand new, never used $12.00 Sold

*World's Best Dad D1342- CTMH
Brand New, never used $12.00

*Make new Friends B1127-CTMH
Brand New, never used  $8.00 Sold

*You're Invited B1207- CTMH
Brand new, never used $8.00

*Tender Tags D1350- CTMH
Brand new, never used $12.00

*Celebration Blocks B1274-CTMH
Like New, 2 stamps used $4.00

*Baby Impressions A1037- CTMH
Brand New, never Used $5.00

*Simple Beauty D1261 - CTMH
Like New, 3 stamps used $7.00 Sold

*Sweet Treat Sweetie- Avocado Arts
Brand New, never used $12.00

*Perfectly Perfect Day- Avocado Arts
Like New-1 stamp used once $9.00


Thank you for having a look! Only serious buyers please. I will be updating this post as the items sell. This is first come, first serve. And I will have more items for sale that I can hopefully post over the weekend. Have a great day!

Until next time, Enjoy life's blessings~