giveaways – Josephine's Designs

Craft Supplies 13 Stock Photo

Hello Dear Friends,

Ok, like I need another reason to craft?!?! 😉 I really love that this is a time to recognize and support your local and online favorite artist/crafters and craft companies!!

I have a long list of favorites. Every Wednesday I plan to share a quick note of thanks to those for helping to create such a wonderful industry!! I will also include some of my favorite crafting companies that have kept us all well stock all of these years!! Their efforts to create great and encouraging designs and the wonderful supplies continue to encourage us all!! 🙂

My two crafters this week are:

Shannon Greeen can be found on YouTube channel and her blog.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/byShannonGreen Blog: http://shannongreen.blogspot.com/

and

Amy Rysavy can be found on YouTube channel and her blog.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PrairiePaperandInk Blog: http://prairiepaperandink.typepad.com/

My two favorite craft companies this week are:

Graphics 45: http://www.g45papers.com/

and

Stamps of Life by Stefanie Barnard: http://www.stephaniebarnardstamps.com/index.htm

If you have time…please go check these great artists and great companies. I do not get paid or am I affiliated with any listed. I am just a follower of these ladies’ work and consumer of the companies listed.

FYI: I will have a fun giveaway later this week that either come from one or both of the companies listed. And/or something that helped me to learn from these two artist. So keep checking back!! 😉 FUN! FUN! FUN!!!!

Have a wonderful week,

Photo credit: http://www.dreamstime.com/

Art supplies Stock Photos

Hello Dear Friends,

How many of you acquire more than you create? I have suddenly realized as the “acquisition officer” in my home…and the busy-ness of our home, I have become the best and yet biggest shopper ever!! We all go through the typical…gonna cut back on spending. But I am going to cut-off my craft spending!! My goal is to save money by using what I have, give great handmade gifts for all occasions this year and fill my Etsy shop to bless others!!

Today begins a new journey for me. I have through the years accumulated a “large” stash of supplies. I have had a Spinning, Weaving and Sewing business as well as Scrapbooking business. I am planning on spending the next month (and each month for the next year…baby steps, baby steps) using my stash. I will take each month at a time. I will have to be creative and shop my stash!! 🙂 Don’t panic…yet!! 😉 There will be a very small allowance each month ($20) for custom orders useage of: adhesives, ink for my printer, printer paper, etc.

Now don’t get me wrong…everything I buy is usually ALWAYS on sale or clearance….or I use a coupon or even double stack the coupons. I had become fascinated with extreme coupon-ers. But enough is enough!! You can only have so many supplies…the room is full and it is time to get busy!!

I also will begin next week tracking all expenses. With the online world of debit/credit cards I have totally given up tracking each spend…like we did all those years ago with a simple check register or even envelopes of cash. As I go through this process, I will do my best to share my experiences.

Honestly…I LOVE a good cheap buy!! I always feel as if I have climbed and conquered a mountain with my checked off shopping lists!! Now as a good steward of all I have been blessed with…it is time to get to work and begin blessing others!! The first is to bless my Sweet Husband who has worked hard in the “work world” to pay for most of these goodies!! And then next is to bless my family with hopefully (in time) freeing up space in our home by eliminating the “store”. (I literally have my inventory from my store in my basement!!) Then it is to bless others with gifts of handmade love from our family. And then finally it is to get busy growing and creating in the skills the Lord has given me!! It is all His.

I have loved watching some of the YouTubers share in there journey. I am currently watching ‘OCD Must ?’. Amy does a great job as well as the first video I ever watched…running her home like a business. YES!! Why has that been so hard for me? I have endless experience running and working in businesses? I now see how I need to implement that complete record keeping and accountability to if only myself in written form. I see I have let things slide with the online daily check of our accounts. It is too much with as busy as life can be to try to mentally keep a running tally. Time to tighten the belt and get to business!! 🙂

Now you may read this and think…what a downer!! But I am happy and content to say…honestly, I will miss the looking/shopping but it will be great to get the hoarder monkey off my back!! As well as working to bring in money and not spend out money. Can any of you relate?

On my other blog, I am doing a series of organizer/binders/journals etc. to help better prioritize myself, my family, our finances, my blogs and my YouTube/Etsy shop. I will reblog here to encourage you all as well. There are some fun creative mixed in with the everyday “planning”. 😉 Hey…I can still have fun in the “planning” game too!! 😉

So I could look at this as the glass half full or half empty. I am determined to see the glass half full!! I am excited to see where I go as a Christian/wife/mother and artist. I am excited to live within my budget and my stash…so to speak and see what is created!! Some of my best recipes when cooking dinner come from using what’s in the fridge!! So here’s to “fridge” shopping my stash and creating some fun new projects this next year!!

I will also have some fun giveaways beginning next week to encourage each of you throughout this next year!! So keep coming back and see how it’s going. Hopefully you will be encourage and inspired as well!!

Have a wonderful week in the Lord,

Picture credit: dreamstime.com

Tag: giveaways

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