Card Class Preview

I have had a very busy week and the card party went well. I am sorry I did not report earlier but here are some pictures we took. Everyone had a very good time and made some really cute cards to take home. The food was good and plenty of it for all. Ten ladies showed up and 2 children. It only took an hour for them to make the cards and then we did interviews and took pictures of each person. We did not get anyone to book a party but I shall keep putting up flyers and talking to people. I want to be able to teach people a new craft. One they will find out if they enjoy before they invest their money. Our parties give people a chance to see if they like card making and how easy and fun it is. We bring all the supplies to make the cards so the only output is your class fee. We always have a good time. We have cards of different levels to pick from for beginners to the experienced card maker.

Work Source

I went to class the other day for unemployment at Work Source. It was a wonderful meeting and I learned a lot and the resources seem endless. They offer all kinds of help to find employment and get education and they have special programs for those of us over 55. I was very impressed with the whole program and our instructor Ken. There were 5 of us in the class and the three women were all named Linda. Pretty bizarre, however we were all about the same age. I guess that was when Linda was a popular name. The instructor thought it was very unusual.
I was just reading how logo’s are important to get people to recognize you and your business. How does this sound? “Card Making Class at home, we bring the fun to you” Would this be a good logo?
Our test class is tomorrow and I am excited about the people that are coming. It should be a lot of fun and I hope we get some good film and interviews.I shall post some pictures for those that missed it.

Knowledge

I went away with my sisters and daughter this weekend to have a good time and get their feedback on our business ideas and plan. They had some very good suggestions that I shall follow through with. I am getting very excited about our card making class this Sunday and I think that will be fun and a good learning experience. We hope to have a lot of people show up and teach them how to make a card and get their feedback on our process and ideas. We also want pictures of everyone having a good time making the cards. I have some good treats I am going to make for our guests.
One thing I did learn was that we needed a business plan and a plan for what our hosts will receive for having a card a making class. We also need to have several sample cards for our hosts to pick from for their party. This is the fun part, making up the cards. Heather and I did that today and made some cute cards. We posted them on face book. I am going to get busy now putting kits together for Sunday. Hope to see you all here on Sunday it will be fun.

Woman against laptop

I tried to put a Palm Tx that Todd gave me onto my computer and I did something wrong and the whole thing went wacky. I could not go online, every time I hit the web button an error would pop up. It said windows was gone and that I had no restore button or access. I am not very knowledgeable in this area and so frustrated I started playing around and I think I really screwed up. I got all my pictures and files I wanted onto disks and I figured I would just put in the restart discs and things would be good. Not true, I have loaded all the Cd's that came with the laptop and I still can't get the Internet working. This is Heathers computer I am working on because I have been trying to fix mine for three days and I am very frustrated. I want to just trow it out and get a new one. I know this is ridiculous but it is the way I feel. My blood pressure is soaring and my head hurts. To top it off everything is in giant font and I can't seem to change that. I had a few articles written in word but I lost those. I haven't been able to create because I have been working on fixing this problem. It is amazing how long you can sit there and try things.
Last night I was up till one and when I finally got to sleep a toy started talking and I jumped up. I stopped to listen and it talked again. I thought maybe Toy Story had come to life in our room. My grandson sleeps in the bunk above me. Maybe the toy was with him. I searched but found nothing. I layed back down and it spoke again. This time I answered, " I wasn't sleeping yet and they could not get up." I finally feel asleep but I do need to find the toy so he can go elsewhere. It is weird having someone start talking in a weird voice in the middle of the night. Today I asked my grandson what toy talked and he said Optumus Prime and that he was in the toy box. Tonight he shall sleep somewhere else.

Craft Display

My daughter and I built this craft display for the many shows we hope to put together for our business. We had a very good time but at many points we did not understand what the other was talking about. We had tried to enlist the help of her husband but he has this new fascination with motorcycles and redoing them. He had no time. Time was running out so we just started planning and building. Out first trip to the hardware store was $107.00. That bought us 4 4x8’ pieces of tag board and 24 pieces of 1x2” pine strips for backing. We looked at hinges but could not decide which ones to get so we decided to wait and talk to hubby. We had the hardware store cut the wood for us into 2x6 foot lengths so that we could carry them ourselves at the fairs without a lot of struggle. We thought at some point we might be alone and need to do this ourselves. We did not want a lot of weight. When we got home we had many discussions so Heather just went out and put one together to show me what she meant. Great idea so we built all the panels in a few hours. The nail gun really helped. I love it, it makes building such a breeze and fun. We then needed to figure out the hinges, they need to go both ways and be easy to put together. Heather again came up with a great idea. “Let’s use eye hooks”, she said, “ and put bolts and nuts threw them.” Again brilliant idea and it worked great and very easy to assemble and take down. We set it up in the living room to see how it would work and look. We were both very pleased and we started hanging items. The first show is going to be Heather’s art with our cards in Stanwood, Wa. April 2. Then after that we are going to play with my sisters in Birch Bay for the weekend. What a wonderful busy weekend. After this show we are going to paint the display to go with our “Chic Boutique” line of cards. We have picked up some great props. I will share that picture when we get done.

Still Learning

I think one of the hardest things about blogging is thinking of the titles. This always stumps me. Sometimes I have to just walk away until I come up with something.
I have been doing research this weekend from my library and have reserved many good books on paper crafting and doing business. I can't wait till they come to my library for pick up.
I had a friend over last night and we made a card for her to take home and to show her the cabin. We had a very good time and she had some very good ideas about where to sell my business. I stayed up last night way past bedtime thinking about them. My brain would not shut down. When I finally got to sleep my grandson came in in a panic saying his head really hurt and his stomach was upset and he needed to be with me. I tried to comfort him but ended up getting mom. She has the magic touch and they both went back to bed. He woke up later in the morning feeling much better. He was worried about missing school. He has not missed a day yet and he wants to keep it that way.
Anyhow, back to business. Today in the Bellingham Herald there was an article by Kim Komando on technology and she wrote about making a page for your business on Facebook. I am going to do that when I finish writing this. It sounds pretty easy but I won't know till I try it. I have not been very creative this weekend. We decided to take a rest and my daughter and husband took their bikes for a ride on this glorious sunny day. I went out and worked in the yard.

Senior Discounts

I checked this great book out at the library called "Discounts,Deals&Steals" by Readers Digest and it was published in 2011 so you know they are still good suggestions. I found great recipes and ideas for saving money and to ask everywhere if they have a senior discount. They can only say no. It even suggested you ask at the supermarket about senior discounts and what days. It even tells you where to get help being an entrepreneur. I also decided I would keep a gallon of white vinegar around, it seems to be good for everything including our environment and cleaning. The great thing is it is cheap. Rubbing alcohol works on getting rid of ants and it is going to be that time soon. It even tells you where to get more education free and places to volunteer in your area. Just lots of good info. Here is their Early Bird Mantra
" I will strive to unearth every discount I deserve, in every part of my life.
I will proudly ask for senior discounts, in the knowledge that those who offer them want and need my patronage today and in the future.
I will be a savvy consumer not only because having extra money is useful, but also because I believe in the values of simple, frugal, clever living.
I will enjoy the spectacular rewards of being over 50 and share my Early Bird wisdom with others.
I will understand that part of being an Early Bird is being lighthearted and joyful about everyday life, and that the pursuit of savings is a game I will always win!"
I love this, Thank you Readers Digest