Thursday, September 13, 2018

Looking for Answers

I haven't posted on here in too long. Looking for answers to why I am so tired all the time and not motivated to do anything at all. Tried bribing myself but that did not work either because I just don't care right now. I have been dealing with this for some time now but it is making my life awful to say the least so I need to check with my DR to see what is going on inside me. Somethin' ain't right.

So, if you want to see what I have been forcing out of my creative brain, follow me on FB on Shannon's Craft Studio because that is all I have the energy or ability to do right now. Blogging, posting pics here and doing videos is just more than my tired body can handle right now. If I manage to make one card a week that is pretty good.

Hopefully I will get some answers soon and figure out what to do that will change this state of my mind/body. Thanks for hanging in there with me and hope to be back to normal me soon.

See ya,
Shannon

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

FSJ Design Team Card #1

Every year FSJ says goodbye to the current Design Team and welcomes in a new group of Designers. Several weeks prior to announcing the names of the new team, they do a design call for submission of designs from anyone who is interested and willing to meet the requirements. This year in addition to submitting designs, FSJ required us to have specific social media requirements in place as well. Long story short, I completed everything, sent in photos of my all new design creations and was lucky to get selected to submit round two requirements. It was so exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. After submitting my round two stuff, won't bore you with details, then we all had to wait until the choices were made. I did not get selected to be on the new Design Team. Insert very sad face here. Won't go into details on my feelings, let's just get to the good stuff and I will just show you what I submitted in the next several posts, ok? All these designs are complete originals created by me. They depict my style, my favorite colors and are all things I really enjoy creating. 


This first card I made uses the Cottage Blooms stamp set in the Good Life suite in the large 2018-2019 catalog. Saying I love this set might be an understatement. It is just so pretty and I love flowers and I love the stamp style of them too. It is an outline image but with some shading to make coloring them really fun but still easy. The wood grain paper behind the bouquet and the blue buffalo plaid paper are from the Good Life Prints paper. I sponged the edges of the blue plaid with the matching Chambray Shirt blue ink. The doily behind the wood grain oval is die cut using our doily die and the oval using our FSJ ovals with pierced edges. I fussy cut the flowers right to the edge of the stamped image leaving the stems on and positioned in a bundle with the blue bow holding them together. All coloring was done with the Color Burst pencils before I cut them out. I filled in the center of the three flowers with Journey Glaze and then sprinkled on Sparkle Cuts to make them shimmer. The greeting is from the same stamp set, fussy cut that too then placed on bottom left of bouquet using foam squares. The yellow flower in the bouquet is also raised up on foam squares as is the blue bow. Layers are doily, wood grain oval, flowers, bow then the greeting. Before attaching all this to card front I tied three rows of Natural Twine around the left side of the buffalo plaid on Chambray Shirt blue layer and attached this to Oatmeal Cookie card base with foam squares. I also rounded the corners of the blue layer and buffalo plaid printed paper. Final embellishment is three pearls at the top left edge of twine. 

Everyone puts their cards together differently so I hope these directions make sense to you. Everything on this card is a design element I really like and will probably use a lot. Very country sweet which makes my heart happy. Hopefully you enjoy it too. I am working on getting a supplies listing gadget so I can add that to the bottom of my post. Until I figure that out just leave me a comment if you need item numbers for ordering or have a question for me. Subscribe to follow my blog so you don't miss the next posts of what else I designed. It's up there, under the About Me blurb on the right hand side of all my posts. See you next time friends! 

Happy Stamping,
Shannon 

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

In the Tropics Card Tutorial for Design Team

Yes, you read that right. A card making tutorial for you! I am trying out for the FSJ Design Team and part of our round two submission has to be a project design tutorial with photos posted to our blog. This is my first time doing anything like this so I would welcome any feedback you have. This is the card I will be showing you how to make. Hope you like it!


 

I will be using my favorite set from the large FSJ catalog on page 46 called In the Tropics. Everything I have made with it so far I have loved and I am also loving the ideas I am seeing on Pinterest for it. It also has a matching die set to go with it. OK, let's get started.

Supplies you will need are as follows:
Inks - Limeade Splash IP-0019
          Denim Days IP-0010
          Sweet Berry IP-0029
          Summer Days IP-0042
Printed Paper - RSVP Prints PP-0054, tropical leaf print cut to 4" x 5 1/4"
Card Stock - Cool Pool CS-0018, card base 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" folded in half
                     Whip Cream CS-0040 3 pcs, 2 1/4" square, 2 1/2" x 4 1/2", 3" square
                     Sweet Pear CS-0095 2 3/4" square
Stamps - In the Tropics bundle BD-0395 
               Embroidered Greetings SS-0057
Dies - Journey Squares Dies DI-0038
Other - Natural Twine AC-0005
            Fashion Gold AC-0292
            Journey Stapler TO-0118
            Staples silver TO-0120
            Small and Large Foam Squares AD-0084, AD-0085
            Glue Dots AD-0083
            Journey Craft Glue AD-0111
            Sponge Wedge JM-0014 
            Crease Tool TO-0040
            Journey Platinum die machine TO-0090

Directions:
1. Fold Cool Pool card base in half and press crease flat with crease tool. Sponge Denim Days ink around all 4 edges of leaves printed paper using sponge wedge. Attach to card base with craft glue.

2. Use third largest cutting die in FSJ Squares to cut square from Sweet Pear card stock. Before cutting, put the slightly smaller piercing die inside the square cute die and hold in place with washi tape. Cut and pierce card stock using your die machine.


3. Stamp 'Good Luck' greeting in Denim Days ink onto 2 1/4" square of Whip Cream card stock. Die cut with second largest square cutting die. Attach greeting to Sweet Pear pierced square using one large foam square in the middle. Attach to bottom left corner of card front.


4. Gather Natural Twine into three circles on top of each other. Use Journey Stapler to staple ends together two times. Place a glue dot on back of staples and attach twine circles to card under the top right edge of the Whip Cream square. Spread apart circles.


5. Stamp large slotted leaf on Whip Cream card stock rectangle with Limeade Splash ink two times. Die cut each with leaf die. Attach to card front over the twine circles. Attach first leaf with glue dots, tucking under edge of Whip Cream square. Attach second leaf with foam squares slightly overlapped with first leaf. Make sure twine shows around edges of leaves. 


6.  To stamp small rounded flower, first ink stamp entirely with Summer Days ink. Then roll just edges of flower stamp in the Sweet Berry ink. Use a circular motion with the stamp tilted on the side never flat. Stamp flower on 3" square Whip Cream card stock. Repeat two more times cleaning stamp in between for each flower. Die cut flowers using the round flower die.


7. Attach one flower with a small foam square on the bottom left corner of greeting. Attach other two flowers over leaves in upper right corner of greeting using glue dots.



8. Finish off flowers and card with a medium Fashion Gold in center of each flower. Sign the back of your card and it is all done. 


Once again here is the finished card. 


I sure hope you enjoyed creating this card with me today and I hope you will shop for your Fun Stampers Journey stamps, ink and lots of other supplies right here.

Until next time, Happy Stamping!

Shannon 














Monday, August 6, 2018

Opening Session of Convention!

Opening session was held in the evening on Wednesday. I arrived at the hotel with just a few minutes to spare before the doors opened. I had elected to stay at my son's house during Convention but in the end I don't think I will do that again. It is just so much easier to stay at the host hotel so getting to events is easier and you can also spend more time hanging out with your new friends. Next summer I will definitely be staying at the host hotel.

There was so much excitement and anticipation in the air before the Journey Staff would let us in. 
This is what it looked like from where I was standing.

When they let us through that golden curtain there was dance music playing and everyone was moving forward to get the very best seats they could to see the presentation. People were milling about everywhere meeting up with friends, waving to friends and of course saying hello to the Journey Staff who were there to welcome us in.  I was so excited I know I was smiling like the Cheshire Cat. Of course, my first Convention and so much fun to look forward to. Here come all the photos!

First things first, a photo of me actually there. Woohoo! 
Then a picture of our theme, Better Together.  
My upline Julie Robinson. First time meeting in person. 
Before the presentation began I snagged this great photo of Nicole Westerveldt (General Manager of FSJ), Jenny Arabo (VP of Coach Development)  and I. Thanks ladies!
Time for the show to begin!

Kim Kesti, (Creative Director) gets things started. 

We got 6 new colors to add to our color palette!

Unveiling of a fresh, hip, new logo. Love it!

And finally our brand new 2018-2019 Annual Catalog.

Given to us in a lovely logo bag. 

At registration we got another canvas logo bag with all our stamps, supplies and other goodies in it. We even got a brand new Good Life Planner in black buffalo check. Sweet!!

We all got pins for different things. I got a first Convention, Convention Presenter, my Journey Station tour pin and the theme pin, Better Together. 


So much fun and just for the first day! After picking up our logo bags at Registration that was it for day one. The coaches with the title of Manager and above gathered to attend a special event just for them at a location away from the hotel. Hopefully next year I will be attending the Managers Reception and will be able to tell you about it. That is one of my goals, to get promoted to Manager so I can enjoy that perk with all the other Managers and above coaches. I know Julie and several of the Journey staff will be helping me to plan and achieve that goal. That is what I love about being a coach with FSJ. Everyone is eager to help you and cheer you on. The Journey staff and fellow coaches from all levels are sharing and motivating to help you be a better coach and upline for your team. 

Well, that was a long post for today with plenty of photos. I just might have a few more to show you so stay tuned for the continuing Convention adventures.

Happy Stamping,
Shannon  


Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Convention Photos, finally!

In mid June I got to attend my very first Fun Stampers Journey Convention. I had such a wonderful, amazing time!! I went alone as none of my downline could go with me but I wasn't alone for very long. I made new friends right from the beginning starting with driving to tour the head offices of the Journey Station in North Phoenix. I volunteered through the coaches FB page to take some coaches with me since I had lots of room.  Pam Fieber, Colleen Jacobsma, Heather Granger and Chellie Beaudot were great car pool buddies and took me under their wings for most of convention too. Thanks ladies for making me feel like we had been friends for years! Now we really will be!
        
Here are a few pics of the Journey Station: 

Beautiful décor.

I got to meet, and hug, Lynn Leusch, first time!

Lovely ribbon in the crafting room.

Just a peek into the warehouse.

Behind the cameras in the FSJ recording studio. Wow!

It all got off to a wonderful start the first day and just got better from there. This was just the beginning of four wonderful days. I would really love to have you join me at next years Convention in Phoenix so you too can experience all the same fun that I did. Sign up to be a Journey Coach on my Vista Bloomers team and I will tell you how you can get there too.  I would love to share all the details with you. 

OK, I will be back soon with more photos of Convention 2018. 

Happy Stamping!
Shannon 


Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Thank you Mr. Tech at GoDaddy!

A new day, a new outlook and a resolved problem. Yay!

Mr. Tech was able to fix my domain issue with two different blogs and I am once again up and running. On the newer version. This pretty soft blue one that I love.

OK, so still some changes to be made and a lot of learning ahead of me. At some point I will get some pretty stuff added to this blog and also the necessary stuff like a shopping cart and the link to the new 2018-2019 Fun Stampers Journey catalog, among other things.

For now, bear with me while I try to suck in as much of this social media training as my tired brain will allow.

In the meantime, I have catalogs for anyone who wants one. I will give out the first five (5) free to whomever gets to me first. After that, you can earn a free catalog by hosting a Make It party with me or by placing a $50 order for FSJ product. Let me tell ya, that will not be hard to do. This new catalog is full of amazing stamps, dies, accessories and mixed media product. I am loving it!!

Perks of hosting a Make It party:
  • FREE 2018-2019 Inspiration Book & Catalog
  • FREE Journey Holidays trends mini catalog (when I get them)
  • $20 Journey dollars to spend on whatever you want from current catalog (s) when party sales reach $150; plus one free ATS stamp of your choice
  • $35 Journey dollars to spend on whatever you want from current catalogs when party sales reach $250; plus 3 free ATS stamps of your choice
  • $60 Journey dollars to spend on whatever you want from current catalogs when party sales reach $400; plus 4 free ATS stamps of your choice, PLUS 1 half price item.
And the perks just get better and better the higher your party sales are! Plus you and your friends get to make pretty cards or gift items that they can share with friends and family or keep for themselves.

The Journey Rewards chart is on page 9 in the big catalog.

Want to know how to become a Journey Coach and save at least %20 on everything you sell or buy for yourself? All those details are on page 14 and 15 in the large catalog or you can give me a call and I can tell you why you should do this today. You won't regret it!!

FSJ has two new kit options that make it so fun and rewarding to be a Journey Coach and you will also love being a member of my Vista Bloomers team of coaches. 

OK, lots of info to digest so I will leave this post at that for today. Please contact me if you have questions or if you would like to book your Make It event. 

Happy Stamping!
Shannon
 

Monday, July 2, 2018

Delete old, start new.....

Trying to, running into issues (of course), and getting really frustrated. I tend to do that.

So, let it go for today and begin again tomorrow with a fresh outlook and a cooled down attitude.

Right? Right.

See ya tomorrow.

Happy Stamping!
Shannon