Today my super talented Art With Heart Team ladies are showcasing their creativity again, in a team blog hop. We thought it would be fun to share some Easter projects, seeing as Easter is only about 3 weeks away!
Blog Hops are full circles, so you can start hopping here and then at the end of each post is a link to the next one. There is also a list of participants at the end in case of any broken links. Now let’s get started!
There's just 10 days left to get your hands on this 6x6 multicolour glimmer paper pack as a free Saleabration gift. It makes fabulous Easter eggs when cut out with the Oval Layering Framelits.
The Designer Paper pack I have used here (Succulent Garden) has also been added (for the last 10 days of Saleabration) as one of the free choices with a $90 order, along with 7 other items.
Here's the other 7 newly added items you can choose as your free gift with a $90 order - but just 1 week remaining. You must order by March 31st for your free gift!
Now it's time to move onto my lovely team member Kate Morgan's blog. I am sure Kate and the other girls listed below will have some lovely projects to share with you.
I love this big 'thankyou' stamp from the Stampin' Up! So Very Much stamp set in the 2017 Saleabration catalogue. These were the thank you cards for last months online hostess club customers. Just place an online order using this months hostess code and you can receive a card too.
I have gold embossed the greeting onto Shimmery White cardstock. The beautiful background paper is from the Falling in Love Designer Series Paper. Just a few bits and pieces of embellishments finish off the card (see all the links below for product I have used).
The beautiful metallic gold flecked ribbon is one of the Saleabration choices too. You get Pack which has 6.4m of the gold flecked and 6.4m of the silver flecked. Awesome ribbon!!
I think this Falling in Love Designer paper would be perfect for scrapbook pages, wedding and engagement projects and much more. It's just so pretty, Find it HERE in my online store.
I love the Classic Label punch I have used for the 'so very much' smaller part of the sentiment too. It too me a little while to warm to it, but now I have it I LOVE it! It's a more modern version of the Word Window punch for me, and is perfect for those smaller sentiments. You can view it HERE in my online store.
Thanks so much for stopping by today. See you back here again soon,
Claire
Don't forget - just 16 days to earn those Saleabration bonus products(see my post below re the list of what you can choose).
Also just 16 days to take advantage of this fabulous offer to join Stampin' Up! and save over 60% - more details HERE.
A lovely friend recently had a baby girl, so I got to make a girly card. This was lots of fun since I have a house full of boys here. I turned to the lovely Stampin' Up! Moon Baby stamp set from the 2017 Occasions Catalogue. This stamp set has been proving very popular for colouring, but I decided to use the paper-piecing technique instead.
The beautiful Sweet Sugarplum Gingham paper is from the Succulent Garden Designer Series Paper. There's also a little bit of the Falling in Love DSP in there (the small banner piece behind the banner and paper-pieced in the umbrella.
Here's a look at the lovely Moon Baby stamp set.
I hope you like today's card. You can check out all the supplies I have used to make this card using the link at the end of the post.
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Saleabration & Monthly Hostess Code
Just 18 days left to earn your choice of these free goodies with a $90 order. If you are placing your order online (see three ways to order HERE), then don't forget to use this months Hostess Code to get a free extra gift in April.
Oh and if you want the absolute best deal of all - don't miss the amazing offer to join up as a happy hobby demonstrator! Details HERE.
Thanks for popping in today. See you back here again soon,
Special Mum = special birthday card! It's fun to go all out on a special card sometimes, and my Mum definitely deserves that!
I went for the pretty colours of Sahara Sand and Blushing Bride with a touch of gold. The background paper is from the Falling in Love DSP pack (links to all products at the end of the post) and it's on a base card of Sahara Sand. There's also a little of an a coordinating sheet of paper behind the lace doily.
I have cut the floral die cut from Blushing Bride cardstock using the Flourish Thinlits and my BigShot. The gold embossed greeting is from Rose Wonder stamp set. A few coordinating embellishments finish off the card.
Got a Big Stampin' Up! Wish List?
Why not take advantage of the awesome Starter Kit deal on at the moment until March 31st (only 23 days left)? You can join just for yourself as a hobby - no parties, no obligations, just lots of products and fun! For just $169, you can get:
$235 of anything you like in either catalogue
2 extra free stamp sets up which can add up to $179 to the value of your kit
FREE postage
FREE catalogues (8 Annual, 8 Occasions)
Me and my fabulous team to support, guide and inspire you.
Find out all the information you need HERE or contact me for an obligation free chat or to have any questions answered by completing this form.
This is me, in 2006, with my two beautiful children.
They had both taken a while to conceive (the first over 3 years), which to me gave me a feeling of wanting to hold on tighter (although I now know every parent holds on that tight). Up until having children my employment had been a big part of my life. I had worked in state Health Departments in both practitioner and management positions in nutrition and health promotion, as well as in the Anti Cancer Council and Heart Foundation. I loved those jobs, worked hard and had developed great skills in many areas. But then came children.
I am sure that every Mum (and probably many Dad's) have that feeling that nothing else matters once their children come along. That deep feeling of wanting to be there to help them grow and develop and navigate their way in their early years before they start school. I just don't think I was prepared for the depth and strength of those feelings.
We don't all have the luxury of being able to manage on one income (my family certainly didn't), so it can be a real dilemma about what to do with work. I tried to go back to work part time. Work at that stage was my own private practice as a Dietitian. I could set my own hours as I owned the practice, but it also meant hiring more staff which meant more work behind the scenes. It also meant leaving the home, which meant juggling child-care (and a few arguments with my husband about who's work was more important when one of my children were unwell and couldn't go to childcare - I am sure many can relate).
In late 2006, my world came crashing down when my brother died suddenly. The grief exacerbated my working mum's exhaustion and I just wanted to hold on even closer to my children, having lost a family member who I adored and had grown up with. I needed a break from my practice, and decided to take one years leave to have some time at home with my children just enjoying them and life. Scrapbooking was a really important part of my relaxation and therapy at this time. I had started scrapbooking in 2002 when my first child was 6 months old. I loved it, but during the time after my brothers death it was even more important to me. I journaled about my children, my brother and how much I missed him and also about my life (so it was written down for my own children). This time was so healing for me.
It didn't take long for my entrepreneurial streak to raise it's head again though. I had enjoyed using stamps in my scrapbooking, and one day came across an advertisement for Stampin' Up! in Creating Keepsakes magazine. It had only been in Australia about 6 months and I loved the products, so bought the kit to save some money on some stamps.
That was 10 years, 2 months and 3 days ago.
I didn't really intend for any of this to happen, but in that time I have built a thriving business entirely from home, which exceeds the income I was earning in healthcare. It's not the money though. It is HOW I have been able to do that which has been the greatest gift to my family. It just suited us so perfectly (no more child care arguments) and most of all. met my needs to have something for myself and to to be continually learning new things and building on my business and employment related skills.
All for the price of my Stampin' Up! Starter kit (which at $329 back then was more expensive than it is now at just $169).
If you and your family are looking for a way to add a second income, DON'T dismiss direct sales, and Stampin' Up! You honestly can have this for your family if you are prepared to do the work around your children's needs. The cool thing is that it can also grow in size as your children become more independent.
So here are my 5 ways Stay at Home Mums can build their business skills and income with a low outlay online business.
One
First you need to purchase our Starter Kit, which is just $169. That will give you products to play with, but also importantly you get Catalogues of our gorgeous coordinated quality stamps and papercraft supplies. People LOVE these products, I remember people telling me in the early stages of my business that these products sold themselves. They DO! This is all the very basics you need to get started. If you are building a business, I recommend you get your Starter Kit from a demonstrator who has done what you are wanting to, especially when it comes to building the business around a family. That's so important as there is no point trying to duplicate something that someone has done who doesn't have that need, or is working 7 days a week day and night. I can help you of course, and you can read all the reasons why HERE. Importantly you DON'T need to be an expert papercrafter! I had never made a card when I started, and it's more about having a can do attitude and being prepared to work that will make you successful.
Two
Because you want to work from home (or maybe supplement another full time job) I strongly recommend our company maintained online store (yes company maintained!). You get your very own Online Stampin' Up! store (see mine HERE) where people can go to to place an order with you. When you first join, you get this free for 2 months. After that it's just $19.95 a month. That's basically the commission on one average order, so it easily pays for itself. You can be doing the school run, doing reading in class, shopping for groceries and your customers can still be placing orders in your online store.
Three
You will develop great skills in Social Media. or build on ones you already have (hey - who doesn't already have Pinterest or Instagram browsing or chatting on Facebook skills?). What we do is so beautifully visual (and if you don't create your own projects to start with, the company gives you LOTS of fabulous images you can use in social media through their great Demonstrator website). People are really int DIY these days and want to see beautifully visual creations. So while the children are having a nap, or the kids are at school, you can be sharing images of our beautiful products and creations on Social Media, and answering questions or chatting to customers. We provide training in setting up your pages, and my team even has a dedicated Blog and Social Media help forum, as well as ongoing training and social media tips. I had no skills in social media before I started. Now I have a Facebook Business Page, Pinterest and Instagram. You don't have to worry about any of that spammy stuff - I mentor my team members to act respectfully on social media.
Four
You will develop great skills in online selling and the internet sales cycle. Internet selling is my thing (I am one of the biggest Australian online sellers with Stampin' Up! and was blogging even before I started with the company). I do team training on blogging and selling online, and we also have a dedicated Blog and Social Media support blog. So on the days you aren't working on social media, you might find yourself writing a blog post and tweaking it with some tips I give you. I have been known to write blog posts and social media posts in the car waiting for school pick up. Our mobile devices make running an online business so easy.
Five
You will also develop great skills in business management and planning for success. I've learned a lot about direct sales in the 10 years I have been with this company and my biggest goal in my business is to pass that onto my team members so you can duplicate that success. That is what direct sales is all about, helping people to do what you do with selling quality products. You can practice goal setting and planning and tracking your success - all valuable skills to develop. You can choose how little or how much training and practice you want in this area. I offer weekly newsletters, 2-3 training events a month and 1 on 1 coaching calls, so you choose a little or a lot!
Honestly, that's all you need to get started on your journey with me - $169. There is so much I haven't even touched on in terms of the skills you can use and develop, and the ways that you and your family will benefit. I just wanted to touch on the basics here though, so you can take on more as your business grows and or your children become more independent.
Want extra value? There is up to $179 extra value in the starter kit for MARCH ONLY. You could end up with up to $414 worth of product in your Starter Kit, and I can help you choose. You need to sign on by March 31st for that deal though.
As my experience has shown, this isn't just something fun to do for a while. This can be something GREAT for your family. Extra income, a bit of pocket money for a retiree, a family holiday. Imagine the possibilities.
Ready to have an obligation free chat? I promise I won't share your details with anyone else.
Just submit this form with your details and I'll give you a call. You can also email ([email protected]) or text me (041 212 0498).
read through the demonstrator and online agreement and check the box to acknowledge
choose your starter kit and then choose products up to the value of your kit which is $235 (you cant go over, it has to be up to so it's a good idea to make some notes of what you want first and work out the totals. I'm happy to help with ideas.).
During Saleabration (4th Jan to 31st March you also get to add 2 FREE stamp sets of your choice which adds up to $179 value to your kit!)
fill in your personal details and pay the $169 for your starter kit by credit card.
You will then get your demonstrator number and invitation to join Stamping Connections, the online demonstrator community. I'll personally send you the details about how to get onto our team groups.