I'm so excited!!! I just can't hide it!!!

Hee hee! But i AM excited!!! I've received a few responses from my new blog followers & will be sharing them with you soon!  But another reason that i'm excited is that tomorrow, i have scheduled myself in my studio!!! Woo Hoo!!!  Now, to most of you, this may be not a big deal but to some of you, who i've been friends & Facebook friends with, know the chaos, i feel like i've been in. But for you new friends, here's a little background....

In April, hubby & i moved from a 3-4 bedroom ranch home with a full basement & single garage into a 2 bedroom duplex with an upstairs bonus room. Now that bonus room is part storage & part my studio. I was only able to get one afternoon up there to unpack my supplies, etc, before it got too hot up there. Then the central air didn't work correctly & the entire unit needs to be replaced & new lines run through both sides of the duplex.  (Financially, i am VERY thankful that this is a rental) The landlord has gotten us 2 window units for now, plus a dear friend gave us a unit. So, last week, one of the window units finally got upstairs & tomorrow, i'm going up there to work!

Here's how it all started in May....

This is the narrow hallway that leads up to the kitties' domain & my studio. Not an easy climb for a wowee size woman. Hopefully it will be good for me though. lol.

At the top of the stairs - items that will go into storage in the closet when i get it emptied of my supplies. (An no, the box marked "CATS" does not contain any fur babies, just figurines.)

 Jewel & Princess are here to supervise.

Queen Jewely Jewel making sure it all meets with her approval.

My painting garret. Princess Tippy Tail is making sure that the table is sturdy.

 Empty shelves to move around & fill.

 I have one window & mostly i see the neighbor's house or the Caterpillar plant behind us. And now with the window AC unit, the view won't be near as good. =)

Now, after i took these pictures, i was able to get about half of my supplies, etc. put away. So hopefully, i'll get all set up tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Next week, i'll begin sharing the tips that have been sent to me & i plan to have pics of a working studio. I'm excited about that too!!! Be sure to invite your friend to share their tips too. Until then, have a great week! <><

 

Looking For Sales In All The Wrong Places.

I'm in the same boat as a lot of us. Looking for sales in all the wrong places. I've spent a lot of time lately studying. Studying & learning. Now these are good things to do. We should never quit learning. I've learned quite a few wonderful tips & i am doing the best i can to implement them. But i feel like i am so unorganized...well, yes, i am.....and i don't know how to put all these tips together for success. So this week's project for me will be scheduling. I used to be pretty good at scheduling. when i worked for someone else & they gave me the tasks to schedule. I'm not near as disciplined now. =)

So, here's where i need your help. I would love to hear how your day, week, &/or months are scheduled. What tasks do you do & when. How do you manage housework, or i should say, life, with your home business? How did you find your target market? What tools do you use, either online or not....planners, checklists, anything that makes your life easier? Where do you sell your work?  Any & all tips are welcome & needed.


I am looking forward to hearing what you have to say & especially sharing the info on my blog which a link will be posted on facebook & twitter. With your permission, i will definitely give credit where credit is due....to those who share their input.


What i would like you to do is to email me with your answers. (ifrogcrafts@live.com) Please put "Scheduling" in the subject line. Three people will be chosen randomly to receive one item of their choice from my etsy shop. I am so looking forward to hearing from you all! <><

Reprioritizing (or.... Here I Go Again)

Do you have an issue with getting things done? I do. If you check out my archives, you'll see that i first attempted blogging last year. Why didn't i keep up with it. Procrastination? Well, my husband says is reprioritizing. (I like that word so much better.) Personally, i've said for many years that "if i ever got it together, i wouldn't know what to do with it." But, someday, i'd like to give it a try. So...anyway...here i go again. And since i really don't know where to go from here, i'll give you a little background on myself & ifrogcrafts.


I started painting signs & what nots 10+ years ago. At that time, i was working 4 jobs to try to make ends meet. (1) I worked full time at a grocery store. (2) Was doing crafting as much as possible. (3) I sold Avon. (4) I cashiered at Target part time. Whew! It's a good thing i was younger, because there is no way i'd have that kind of stamina now! Fortunately, i got a job as a Retail Representative, where i made enough money that i could quit all my other jobs. I was so burnt out, that i did just that. After about a year, i realized that i really missed the creating, especially when i would go to a craft show or festival & see all the wonderful creations for sale. I missed crafting.


In July of 2006, i met my hubby. One afternoon, we went to a festival & walked around the craft area. I pointed out things like i used to do. A few weeks later, he informed me that when we got married, he wanted me to quit my Retail Rep job & get back into crafting full time. (The Rep job had changed & had started to be more tasking & was really wearing me down.) He told me that he saw my eyes light up, when i talked about what i used to make. He wanted to give me my dream. And he did.


And so was born, ifrogcrafts. I started doing show & festivals in the fall or 2007. And the rest, as they say, is history. This year, i have decided to not do the shows & festivals & focus on my online shops. The loading, unloading, setting up, tearing down, loading up again, has become too much for me physically. Let alone, being out in the heat or shivering in the cold. Then i think of the weather issues i've dealt with - well i won't miss all that. I do already miss the people & friends that i made along the way. But at this point in time, i feel this is the best decision for me.


So now you know "the rest of the story".

His Eye Is On The Sparrow & I Know He Watches Me

It never ceases to amaze me, the wonders of God's intricate world.

The other day, i glanced out of our bay window & there was a bird that caught my eye. Nothing out of the ordinary, just a common sparrow. But it looked like this sparrow was repeatedly flying into the trunk of one of the large trees in our front yard. It was one of those, "What the heck?" kind of moments. Of course, i had to watch to see if i saw what i thought i saw. I hadn't imagined it. The sparrow was flying into the trunk of the tree. Pretty soon though, the sparrow came & landed in the landscape area below the bay window. I looked closer, & the sparrow had a live cicada & was pecking at it. I couldn't help watching for awhile. Again, the sparrow picked up the cicada & slammed into the tree again a few more times, then back to the pecking position. I was just fascinated by the process that this bird was going through to get this big hard shelled bug.

We see birds fly & soar. We see them fly in the V formation. Look at the intricacy of a bird's nest, their home. Such wonderful architects they are. They certainly have a different spin on feeding their babies than humans do. How do they know how to do all that? Answer.....instruction from our awesome God!!! Some may say instinct. But where does that instinct come from? I defy anyone who looks at such things & deny that God made the heavens & the earth & everything in it. Go ahead....try to explain how such intricacy could come from a "big bang". That's foolishness.

Jesus is quoted in Matthew.....10:29-13 NIV...... "Are not two sparrow sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of you Father. And even the very hairs of you head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." I love this passage. God provided that sparrow with its needs. And each & every one of us are much more valuable to God than the sparrow. When i think of how intricate a world we have, it humbles me. I'm thankful to be a part of it, to be able to experience little things that only God can show me & share with me. His eye is on the sparrow & i know He watches me.

Enjoy His Work

"So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot........" Ecclesiastes 3:22a NIV

The last regular paying job that i had, towards the end, i did not enjoy at all. But i knew that God had brought that job to me when i needed. It also provided me the opportunity to share my faith with the many people that i came in contact with on a daily basis. I was doing HIS work. Right now, with the economy the way it is, jobs are a commodity, & those who do have a job, may not enjoy them, but they pay the bills....hopefully. Me...well, i enjoy the job that i have, but it certainly doesn't pay the bills. That's ok....because i'm doing HIS work. I'm so looking forward to the shows this fall, with my new inspirational inventory. I'm looking forward to sharing God's love with all the people that enter my booth. I'm looking forward to talking with them & praying with them. It's going to be an awesome fall doing HIS work. I'm also looking forward to using facebook & twitter, to meet even more people & share more. The internet is a wonderful thing, even though it can be a bit intimidating to some....including me. =) But i look at it as an opportunity to spread God's word. To unite with fellow Christians. What an awesome opportunity!!! Doing HIS work. And the pay? Well, it's priceless....

Now i know that i gave this Bible verse a different meaning & i normally woud not intentially do this. But it is something to think about. There is nothing more rewarding than doing HIS work.
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ifrog crafts Grand Reopening!!!

It's official!!!! I'm so excited about THE GRAND REOPENING OF IFROG CRAFTS!!! And to celebrate....buy ANY item & get the second item of equal or lesser value for 50% OFF!!!

I've added 5 new items that focus on God. The featured item today is Romans 8: 28 sign....

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose."

It's important to remember that in ALL things - good & bad - God is at work. I have learned important lessons from bad experiences. Just because you are a Christian, does not mean that life will be without struggles. But i've grown closer to Him during each struggle. I have rejoiced & thanked Him for the lessons learned, & the growth experiences. He created us for His purpose & my prayer is that He direct me down the path that He wants me to go to glorify Him.

Who's Show is it Anyway?!

I have spent a lot of time lately researching how to get my business some exposure, increase sales, etc. My loving & insightful husband gave me some food for thought the other day. Guess i should start at the beginning.....

When i began my craft business, i said that i was dedicating it to God, beginning with the name....ifrog crafts. (I Fully Rely On God) The original plan was to have inventory that brought glory to God. As i look at my inventory right now though, it's only sprinkled with spiritual items.

This past week, that began to change. The focus of my inventory will soon reflect that my business is dedicated to glorifying God. I was in the studio last week, beginning work on my original business & spiritual plan. I am excited to see where God will take things. I learned a long time ago that if i give it to Him, He will take care of things. I had gotten caught up in the cutesy, secular items & forgot what i had promised to do. God has given me this opportunity, & now a second chance at it. I'm so looking forward to working on new inventory that REALLY makes a statement!



So in answer to the question....It's God's show!!!

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