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Reusable Grocery Totes

With the approach of the plastic bag ban in our town approaching (officially in June) I have begun making some reusable grocery totes.  Of course, these aren't the plain ones you can buy at the grocery store...these have to have some style!  Currently I am offering four Boston sports teams, the Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins, but I do plan to branch out to a few more teams (I have an order in queue for the New York Yankees and New York Giants, and as a Red Sox fan it pains me to make these, but I will do anything for a customer).  I also have some Harry Potter, Star Wars, Looney Tunes, and nautical fabric to turn into stylish bags.  They are the same size and shape as the current plastic bags, but they are lined and much more durable.  Easy to toss in the washing machine to keep them clean and bacteria free!  The price may seem a little steep at first (licensed fabric isn't cheap), but in the long run the bags are worth it!  I use mine all the time and always get compliments on them.  Please take a look at JoatmonCreations.com and let me know what you think and if you have any ideas for patterns please feel free to comment.  I am always happy to take custom orders!

Reusable Grocery Totes in Boston Sports Patterns available at JoatmonCreations.com

Danvers Family Festival Ornaments

This past holiday season my customized ornaments were a huge hit and kept me really busy for the last three months of the year.  I loved creating all of the designs that my customers asked for, no matter how challenging they were. One ornament in particular was requested by a friend for an entry in the local Parade of Trees raffle.  The tree was being donated by the Danvers Family Festival Committee, a group which organizes two weeks of events for our town during the summer.  For their tree I created a basic blue glittered ornament with the DFF logo in red and white and it was regarded so well, a few more people ordered them for themselves!  This gave me the idea that maybe I could come up with a way to continue the same success with my ornaments at other times of the year.  I asked my friend if the committee would be interested in selling these ornaments during their June and July events as a fundraiser, where they set the price and I donate a portion back to them.  My friend loved the idea, and took it a step further by suggesting I create 9 more designs depicting each of the events the DFF committee would be organizing!  I was so excited about this idea, I built some of my 2019 Goals  around this potential partnership.  I stocked up on as many ornaments as I could carry before they left the stores in December, then I created mock ups for all of the possible designs.  The committee chairperson loved the idea, but then I didn't hear anything for a month.  Then two months.  Then I thought "maybe they forgot about this or decided not to do it."  I was disappointed, but I didn't want to be a haunt about it and figured they would reach out if they ever decided to pursue it.

Then last night I got the call!  Due to meeting cancellations, the committee hadn't had a chance to see the ornaments until this month and they LOVED them!  It sounds as if they were just as excited as I was about this partnership!!  They would like me to be present at the events to help sell them, which makes total sense and I am very happy to do!  I have always wanted to be a part of the committee, but had no idea what I could bring to the table.  Well, now I know!  It will be a very easy way for them to make money for the festival with minimal effort on their part.  For me, it will be an awesome way to get my brand out there for others to see.  I was told to have plenty of business cards on hand and there could be opportunities to work with other groups in town!

It is usually pretty hard for me to put myself out there, other than posting my products on my Facebook page, but I am so happy that I made the move this time.  It will be a lot of work, but I love being able to be a part of such an iconic event!

If you are interested in ordering a set (or individual ornaments) please feel free to pre-order yours at JoatmonCreations.com.

Adding some depth

A few months ago my son, husband, and I took a walk to a small rocky beach during a family birthday party and discovered a wonderful treasure-trove of sea glass. As there was so much strewn about amongst the rocks, we figured the area had to be relatively unknown; a hidden gem of sorts.  As with all of the sea glass and beach treasures we have collected over the years, I put it in a pretty jar to display in our house and left it at that.  Over time whenever I'd look at it, I thought about collecting more and more, so despite the bitter cold of January, I convinced my family to go back to our new favorite spot to hunt again.  However this time, I wanted to do something with it.  Something decorative.  That's what I have always wanted...something creative and artsy to add to my shop.  We gathered up a bagful of pieces, took them home for cleanup, then I just stared at them.  I thought of many different things I could do, but nothing really resonated.  On a lark, I wrapped some wire around a piece and posted a picture on my Facebook page.  My comment beneath it was something about not planning to make jewelry, but it's fun to make a few pieces while trying to decide what to do with the rest.   Immediately my friends started commenting on how pretty the piece was and encouraging me to make more.  So I did. Lots more.  So many pieces that I am overloaded with pendants now, but luckily people are still interested.  I just need to get those sales going on Etsy or JoatmonCreations.com, but I am confident they will start rolling in soon.  It's just too fun to make them, so I won't give up. 

Now this is where I start thinking about my last blog entry which was all about "Guiding Words" and how my word for 2019 was "DEPTH".  I love that I am adding more depth to my offerings.   The tagline for my shop is "Handmade Novelties and Gifts" so offering jewelry really falls into this classification.  I want to be a one-stop shop for people that are looking for unique items as well as functional ones. Of course adding a new product line will bring it's own challenges, as I already have way too many things on display when I set up at craft fairs.  But I am hoping to be better at judging what the customers want at each event I attend, so I can limit what I set up.  It can be difficult to do this, since every fair in 2018 had quite a mix of different product sales.  But this is why "depth" is so important to me.  I hate limiting myself and I hate limiting my customers.  My ultimate goal is to become the first shop someone thinks of when they need to buy a gift. I do already have a nice base of repeat customers (whom I love!!), but I'm hoping to get someone new to my site to see the pendants and then next thing you know they are clicking around exclaiming "wow, you make that, too?!" 

A girl can dream...(with depth)...right?

Guiding Words

Last year I saw an ad online for a piece of jewelry that asked "what's your word" for the year, with the intent that you would have this word embossed into the jewelry as a reminder.   I thought it was a neat idea to come up with a word to guide me through 2018 so I gave it some thought and chose the word "Change."  I wrote a list of what types of changes I wanted to make and I set about doing them for a little while.  Now that I look back at the blog post on this subject, I am sad to see that I wasn't very consistent with my changes and the word didn't guide me as much as I had hoped.  

This year I didn't start with a word, but I did think about new changes I wanted to make.  I always set goals for myself instead of making resolutions, that way I am not disappointed when I fail the first few times.  Instead, I have all year to strive for these new habits (or removal old ones).  One of my goals for this year was to be less timid.  Over time I have found myself retreating back in conversations, not offering much because I feared I would sound stupid or not have anything to offer.  When people ask me about myself, my typical answer revolves around being a mom and crafting, but nothing much outside of that.  I am in my late forties and still feel intimidated by others, therefore I don't want to participate in a conversation for fear I have nothing of value to add.  If I don't understand what is being said, I just smile and nod, hoping the discussion would be over soon and I can move on.  I wasn't always like this, so why did I feel this way now after so many years?  

That's why I decided one of my goals for the year was to be a little more confident and try to speak more, and with substance.  I want to learn more, read more, absorb more, so I gain that confidence in conversations.  If I don't understand what is being said, I will ask for clarification so I can really participate fully and with relevance.  I still want to talk about my son, husband, or crafting business, but do it in an interesting way so others will want to listen.  I want to become more profound, more engaging!

It was shortly after I decided on this goal when a friend who is a Pastor in Washington, posted about a project she does each year at Epiphany (January 6th) called Star Words. "As the Magi followed the star, so we find light that guides us."  She was offering to randomly select a "star word" for people to help guide them through 2019.  This sounded exciting, so I asked for one, and this is what was chosen: 

Depth: Complexity and profundity of thought.  Deepness, wisdom, understanding, intelligence, discernment, insight, acumen.  

How perfect was this?  It just seemed to fit right into my plan! Immediately I started engaging with people more.  I enjoyed socializing again.  I make it a point of starting meaningful, thought-provoking conversations with my husband, more than just recaps of our day.  At work I don't shy away when peers gather around my desk to chat.  It's not an instant change, but I definitely feel my confidence coming back.  So for the next 11.5 months (and beyond), I plan to have more: 

Depth in my conversations

Depth in my relationships

Depth in my business acumen

Depth in my planning

There are so many ways that this word can guide me this year in my personal and professional life, and it has lit a fire under me that I needed!  

I highly recommend everyone do a search on Guiding Words and randomly pick one for yourself.  Even if it doesn't make sense for you at first, really think about it and I am sure you will come up with multiple ways that it will lead your way through 2019.  If you do this, please comment and let me know what your word is.  I'd love to check back as the year progresses to see how it is going for you.

Happy 2019!!

x

2019 Goals

Happy New Year!!

I cannot believe we are already one week into 2019!  I know I say it every year, but I just don't understand how 2018 went by so fast!  It could be because the last two months were a blur for me. I always tend to be very busy at the holidays, but this past November and December I was completely blown away by how my Christmas ornaments really took off! I first did glitter and vinyl ornaments in 2017, with some success, but for some reason this year after custom designing one for my high school alma matter, it snowballed into close to 200 customized ornaments depicting school mascots, favorite sports teams, movie characters, and more! My ornaments were even part of several fundraisers for different organizations!!

A sample of some of my custom designed ornaments in 2018

The best part of it all?  I never got bored.  Frustrated, maybe, but never bored.  Often times if I am doing the same thing over and over I just yearn for a change, but because there were so many designs to work with, that feeling never came over me. Of course some of the designs were really difficult to recreate and I wanted to quit many, many times, but I found that if I put the file aside for a day or two, then went back to it, I was able to take an "I just can't" and turn it into a "look what I did!!!"  What a great sense of accomplishment and pride!!

This achievement also gave me greater confidence in marketing myself.  I often post my creations on both my business and my personal Facebook pages, but sometimes feel silly (or guilty) for flooding my friend's timelines with "crafts."  However when I started getting messages from strangers that saw what I was making for other people, I realized my work was getting out there and recognized.  People were sharing my creations because they loved them so much!!  This led me to approaching a friend  on the committee for our town's summer festival about making an ornament to sell as a fundraiser.  I figured I could offer one ornament that had the name of the festival on it which they would buy at a discount and mark up a few dollars to raise some money.  My friend had the brilliant idea to take it a step further and asked me to create 10 different designs, one for each of the events happening during the two weeks leading up to July 4th!  So, no longer will my ornaments be just a Christmas product, but I'll be selling them in the summer as well!!

With this great new opportunity, I started to think about how I can make 2019 my best year ever for Joatmon Creations.  What can I do to sustain a profit all year round, instead of just making most of my money at Christmastime?  How can I make my hobby business into something a little bit more?

While I was giving this some thought I stumbled upon a challenge on Facebook.  The timing could not have been more perfect!   I actually cannot even remember how I found out about this or what group she posted in, but I joined this three day online seminar of sorts called Create Your Profitable Craft Business.  The challenge is now over, but if anyone is interested in checking it out, perhaps she will be offering it again in the future.

The challenge really did not take up much time, but it did cause me to really think things through.  The first thing I needed to do was pick my right goals for 2019, figure out what sales channels to focus on, how to create a bigger impact, and how I can give more value to my customers.  These are some things that I never really sat down and thought about before. It made me realize that by utilizing my blog more or posting questions on my Facebook page, I can really engage my customers and see what kinds of things they are looking for all year round. The reason I have so many product lines is because customers are constantly asking me if I can make certain new things for them.

This brings me to where I disagree with the challenge facilitator slightly.  She has excellent points about creating products for just one specific customer, but I feel that my business has grown exponentially by being able to customize and cater to a wide range of people.  When I recently did a craft fair at a microbrewery I was exposed to more male customers than ever.  They weren't interested in my headbands, but they did like my beer mugs and ornaments.  If I just stuck with my original ribbon items, I would have lost out on a lot of sales (or not gone to this fair at all, which ended up being one of my more profitable ones this season).  The description of my business is "handmade novelties and gifts" but it really should be "customized solutions for what you really need right now."

Now, see, I have digressed from the important information I gleaned from this challenge, but that actually segues back into our second day assignment... creating a project calendar.  I am so easily distracted, as you could see above.  This happens mostly when I am telling stories, but also when I am crafting.  I see a shiny object and I start focusing on it, until something else catches my eye.  It also sometimes results in lack of follow-through.  Not because I don't want to finish a project, but because I am too afraid to start it, or don't know what the right time to start would be.

By creating a six-month  plan I could see what big projects are on the horizon (like the 100 piece order for a local high school hockey team or the ornaments for the two-week family festival in June).  Then I can plan out when I need to start working on these projects to be successful.  Interspersed through those will be my regular sales and promotions.  I have a bad habit of advertising my products the week before a big holiday, but now I can see when there will be some down time while I wait for the hockey ribbon to be made, so I can whip up some Valentine items and put them in my shop, like this frame I made today.

With this project plan I can also see when I may have time to fit in some craft fairs, something I want to add to my calendar all year round, not just at Christmas time.  I've looked into new fairs that I'd like to participate in, as well as their deadlines so I am not jumping in last minute.  By doing this, I'm guaranteeing a little income throughout the year, but I am also getting my name out there and my products noticed.  Just today I got an email from a customer that bought an ornament from me in November based on a posting in a local Facebook group, and now she is looking for some matching decals.  There is nothing that I love more than a repeat customer!!

Finally, one of my biggest takeaways from all of this is that I need to give back a little, so if you order from me in 2019, expect to find a small token of appreciation with each order.  It could be a small decal or a little bookmark, but just something to say "thank you and I really appreciate that you thought of me for your handmade items."  So far, I think 2019 is already shaping up to be pretty great.

Cricut Easy Press

So, I am a huge fan of Amazon Prime Day, even though I know that I buy too many things that I don't really need, but momentarily tell myself I must have.  In other words, I am the sucker they look for every July.

However this year I got something on my wish list and I have no regrets!  It's the Cricut Easy Press which is a 9" x 9" mini heat press.

Since I've started using my cutting machines (both the Cricut Expression and the Silhouette Cameo) I've wondered about making t-shirts, but was always intimidated.  There are too many variables and a lot of opportunity to make a less than stellar product, which I won't sell. Plus the market for custom shirts seems to be oversaturated, so it's not a ring I cared to throw my hat into.  Nonetheless, I still thought it may be fun to eventually make a few shirts for myself and my family. 

Now I am addicted!  So far I've only made three identical shirts because I only had one color heat transfer vinyl, but I have an order expected this week with 8 more colors.  I also have a rhinestone starter kit that I can't wait to try out. 

T-shirt for our upcoming trip to Hershey Park

Then this morning I realized I could probably use this for my notecards!!  I used to love cutting scraps into different designs and then using heat bond to adhere them to cardstock.  

It would take a while to make sure the glue warmed up enough, but now with the Easy Press, it's going to be a piece of cake!  I tried it out with this piece of Belle fabric just to see how it worked, and 30 seconds later I have a cute little card. 

I asked my almost ten year old son if I could make customized t-shirts for his upcoming birthday party that includes an overnight and he emphatically said NO!  But I do still plan on making something..... even if it's just for myself.  I am thinking of a shirt that says:

Sleepover for 9?

Where's the Wine!

Stay tuned.....

Video of Wine Glass Decal Application

As I was finishing the final addition to the 80 wine glass order I was doing, I thought I should video the steps for posterity...or at least to remind myself of what I did in case I need to remember in the future.

Note that I did not include the decal design (using Silhouette Studio), the cutting (using my Silhouette Cameo), or the weeding (removing the parts of the vinyl surrounding the cut or the tiny pieces that lurk inside the 'h' or the teeny triangle that separates the 'y' and 'e' into separate letters, etc).  Honestly, in this case the weeding took the longest time in this process.

Finally, I also did not film the cleaning of the glasses, but that is a must.  They should be washed and free of any fingerprints or smudges before applying the decal.  I did all of that the previous night so they could air dry upside down without needing to use a towel (and risk lint).  In the past I've used alcohol as a final cleaner, but I found that it made adherence of the vinyl difficult this time around. 

So, here is a video of the actual application of the decal to the glass. 

Mulberry Recipes

So, as mentioned in my previous post, I was planning to try several mulberry recipes with my recent "harvest" from our tree.  I had about 2 3/4 large mason jars filled, which was probably 6 cups of berries.  

I had to start by trying to remove the little green stems that were on every berry.  Some recipes say it's okay to keep them and others suggest removing them by using your fingernails as a little "clipper".  Just pulling the stem out didn't work since it's so long and deeply embedded, the berry would just fall apart with the pull.  I will admit that I did give up and only about half of the berries were de-stemmed.  Since I eat them right off the tree, stem and all, this really did not bother me.  And my hands are now a lovely shade of purple... 

The first recipe I tried was this Mulberry Cobbler, which I adapted from: http://sharonglasgow.com/2013/06/mulberry-harvesting-10-ideas-of-what-to-do-with-them/

The original was very health conscious, using gluten-free baking flour, organic sugar, raw milk, etc.  All the stuff I do not ever use.  So, my version was basically this: 

1 cup self rising flour

1 cup granulated sugar 

3/4 cup 1% milk 

2 teaspoons vanilla 

1 stick of butter. 

Directions:

1.      Melt butter in bottom of baking dish (I used a 9x13 glass dish). 

2.      Mix flour, sugar, milk and vanilla together then spread on top of melted butter. 

3.      Mix 2 cups of mulberries in 1/3 cup of sugar- heat to melt sugar.  

4.      Pour on top of flour mixture in baking dish. 

5.      Bake for 35-40 minutes in 375 oven–or until done.

I will admit that the 1 stick of butter seemed so excessive.  I almost was going to pour some out, especially when I added my flour mixture in and so much of the butter was rising to the top.  I swirled it around to try and mix everything and it made a very rich base.   I added the berries, and swirled some more. 

I cooked it for 40 minutes, but probably could have cut it down by a few.  It has a nice brown top and was definitely cooked through.  And all that butter?  It definitely was perfect, although I do notice it still sticks to the bottom a little, which I thought the butter may help, but maybe now when it is melted? We aren't about eating pretty in our house, so as long as I can scrape every last morsel off the pan the family is happy.This one is a keeper!  I love the mild flavor of the cobbler, with just a little sweetness.  It ended up being my dinner last night!

Next up were Mulberry Muffins, adapted from: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/18516/mulberry-muffins/

Boy, did I screw this one up. My dad always says to try a recipe exactly as it is written the first time around, then you can start making adjustments the next time. I wish I did that with this one.  Instead, I listened to a few of the commenters and made some of my own tweaks.  I saw that the original recipe only made 6 muffins, so I doubled it right off the bat.  Then I added brown sugar based on some suggestions, and finally the original called for applesauce, which I didn't put in and that was a mistake!  These were stuck to the paper wrappers and very dry!  My husband slathered them with butter and said he would definitely eat them again, but I am not sure that I will.  Here is the original recipe without my changes....I will probably make them again, but definitely follow exactly as stated.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 pinch salt

1/2 cup fat free sour cream

1/4 cup skim milk

2 tablespoons applesauce

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup mulberries

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).Grease 6 jumbo muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

2.      Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. In a medium bowl, mix together sour cream, milk, applesauce, egg and almond extract. Stir in flour mixture until batter is smooth. Fold in mulberries. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

3.      Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

My final experiment was Mulberry Jam which I found here: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/06/mulberry-jam.html. This one was so simple, it was easy for me to follow it exactly.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups mulberries, rinsed (the tiny green stems do not need to be removed)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons water

  

Directions

1.      Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Drop heat to medium-low and add jars and their lids. Simmer for 10 minutes to sterilize. Using tongs, remove jars and lids and place on a clean towel to let cool.

2.      In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat, combine mulberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil, boil for one minute, then drop to a simmer. Cook fruit, stirring occasionally, until foam subsides and mixture thickens slightly, about 7 minutes.

3.      Using a ladle, carefully transfer hot jam to sterilized jars. Wipe mouths of jars clean and screw on lids very tightly. Let cool at room temperature for at least 8 hours before using.

This was my first time canning anything, so I am glad I found a very easy recipe to start with.  I sterilized my little jars just like it told me.

And melted my sugar into the berries and water.  So pretty to watch it boil down!

 

Then I let it cool overnight, just in time to have some on my Dave's Killer Bread this morning. 

OMG, YUMMY!  Not too sweet (I may actually cut back on a little bit of sugar next time) and it spread on nicely without being too runny, which I feared.  This was a definite make again!

So, here are the FRUITS of my labor on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

I've already started picking more berries, and I can't wait to see what other recipes I can find. 

Mulberries!!!

So, last year we discovered that we have a mulberry bush.  Well, not really a bush, but a tree.  There weren't many berries on there, but what we saw, we would pick and eat right then and there.  However this year, the tree seems to be BURSTING with berries.  Unfortunately part of the tree hangs over our pool, so cleanup has been a nightmare.  The berries are constantly falling and staining our patio, unless the birds -- or our bulldog -- get to them first. For some reason, it never occured to me to pick them in bulk and do something with them!

This morning during my "pool walk" (I literally just walk back and forth beside the pool while reading my Kindle so I can start the day with some extra steps) I decided to grab a mason jar, throw on some rubber gloves (these suckers stain), and see what I could pick.  It took no time to fill this jar up ..and that was even with three berries falling to the ground for every one that I picked. 

I then decided to put a towel on the ground and shake the branches gently.  SO MUCH EASIER.  I wish I had more time...and another jar....to continue, but I had to get ready for work.  But I do plan to grab some old sheets, lay them down under the tree and shake like crazy later on.  I cannot wait to try mulberry cobbler, pie, and granola!!  I found some great recipes on Pinterest, of course.  If I try some that are real winners, I'll post them here and on my new "Favorite Recipes" page on my website!! 

Change is good!!

For days I have been trying to come up with a word that will guide me through the year. One that will represent what I want to focus on in 2018, and I think I may have it. CHANGE.

Now, I don't mean that I want to change my job (I like it here) or my relationship (hopefully my husband will be happy to hear that), but just change the things that would make me feel like a better person. 

Change how I react to adversity
Change how I eat
Change how I prioritize
Change my boring routine
Change the things that bother me
Change perspective
And even actual Change (nickels in a jar eventually start to add up).

I find my fuse has been short lately when it comes to my nine year old. I always forget he is just a kid and I have thirty-plus more years of experience than he does, so when he pushes my buttons I want to CHANGE the way I react.  I want to CHANGE how he sees me.  

My husband and I have been married for 12 years (as of New Years Eve) and we are very comfortable, but I want to CHANGE how we spend our time together.  Just simple things, like moving closer to him on the couch so we feel connected again, or going to bed earlier when he does so we have a few more minutes together at night.

I want to CHANGE my lifestyle to be healthier and to be a better role model for our son.  I want to find a way to balance my sweet tooth with proper nutrition so my family feels better about themselves.  

I don't need to make really big changes...just small things each time I notice something I don't like. I tend to complain about things a lot, or get down on myself when I look back on situations with a "woulda, shoulda, coulda" attitude.  But now I want to actually do something about it.  

I know it is such a broad word, but every time I think of what I want to accomplish in 2018 and how I am going to do it, one word just pops into my head and that is CHANGE.  So, that's what I will focus on, then maybe in 2019 my word will become MAINTAIN.

What do you want to change in 2018??

Family time!

Last night I fished up all of my outstanding orders! What a liberating feeling!!  Nothing is hanging over my head.  My official custom order deadline has passed and everything was completed in record time.  Now, I can finally concentrate on my home and family.  I was able to decorate the house for the holidays over the last two weeks, but it felt like a long, drawn-out process, since I couldn't carve out one entire day to do it all, as I have in the past.  I was always running to my craft studio to finish one thing or another.  I even have bins still in the dining room waiting to make their way to the basement because I've been doing everything piecemeal. 

But today I am leaving my full-time job early to go see my son's winter concert (first year trumpeter, so this ought to be good).  Then I am heading home for the afternoon so I can just relax with my family.  It will be nice to sit on the couch and watch cheesy Christmas movies with them, without having to run upstairs for "just one minute" and then come down two hours later.

Of course, don't get me wrong - I truly LOVE making custom orders.  I really enjoy those emails that start with "I was wondering if you could do this..."  In fact, these were two of those such requests that I completed last night:

 This time of year is already so hectic with lots of gifts to buy, baking to be done, presents to wrap. I am always a procrastinator, so it is nice to have just a little extra time to breathe.  But of course, I know myself.  The minute I get that "by the way, would you mind doing...." message, my first reply will be "I'm on it!!"  But at least for today, I am all caught up!

Evernote and the Cluttered Mind

Have you heard of Evernote?  If not, then let me open you up to an amazing app that is basically your brain in software form.    First, I will state that I have no affiliation with Evernote, other than being a very grateful customer.  I was not asked to give a review, nor do they even know this review exists...and it's really not even a review, more of a big THANK YOU to the company for keeping my sanity this holiday season.

See, to me Evernote is an online notebook that helps me capture and organize my thoughts, lists, web clippings, audio notes, etc and share them across different platforms.  I rely heavily on the Evernote for Windows app so I can create or refer to notes while at my desk, but then when I am on the fly I can open my phone app and have all of the same information right there at my fingertips.

I screenshot like crazy and save to Evernote.  I bookmark sites and save them to Evernote.  I forward emails I want to keep to Evernote - then if I have several emails referring to the same subject I can merge them all together in one note so I have a running history of everything I need to know about that subject all in one place.  It's amazing.

I discovered the software when I started to take on more and more orders for my crafting business, Joatmon Creations. I needed a way to organize my customers so I would know what they ordered from me before, or questions they asked, etc.  I tried several different programs but nothing really fit what I needed.  Then I discovered Evernote and played around with a few ideas.  I ended up creating a "notebook" within the program called Customers. Then within that I had individual notes for each person.  I added a table within the note that had the date of the order, what they wanted, a picture of the final product, cost, shipping fees, what was owed/paid, and when it was shipped.  As they improved their table function (thank you, by the way) it became so much cleaner to work with and it is invaluable to me now.  If a customer says "I love that ornament I got from you last year and I want another one for a friend" I can go and see exactly what they are talking about so I can recreate it.

To make it even more useful, I tag everything.  When I get an order I tag it "to be made".  When it is completed I change the tag to "to be paid".  Then "to be delivered".  Whenever I need to see what is in process or how many outstanding invoices I have, I just sort on the tags and I can easily see what is due.

But I use Evernote for EVERYTHING.  Not just my business. I keep track of gifts I have to buy, medical records, things I need to look up, my son's school work and class lists, etc.  I could go on and on and on. Everything I ever need to reference is right there at my fingertips.

My latest hack that has saved me this season is my Task note.  It compiles everything I need to do in one note with multiple links. I can do a quick glance to see what items need to be made, either for a customer or an upcoming craft fair, or what still needs to ship out.  I have links to my Christmas list so I know what stores I need to hit after work, or what online orders I am still expecting to be delivered (with links to the confirmation emails that I forwarded from my email program to Evernote).  My grocery list is also on that note so I can keep track of what I have to add to my Peapod order.  And once I receive payments from a customer I track it on that task note until I can enter it into my Excel tracking sheet.  With one look I can see if I am on track - or if I am overwhelmed!

Tomorrow I have my fifth craft fair of the season.  At most I normally do two a year.  To say that this year has been busier than ever for me is an understatement.  Just look at all the stuff I have to set up:

Plus tomorrow I will be offering my new Boston Sports ornaments which have already been a big hit on Facebook and Evernote has been instrumental in helping me keep track of my inventory so I know if I need to make more sets.  I also keep this picture in there as a point of reference for setting up.
If I didn't have this "second brain" to rely on, I'd be shuffling through post-it notes or paper files to keep track of everything I have to do.  Instead I can just concentrate on etching a few more wine glasses tonight.  Maybe I'll even fill one up for myself.....

Christmas Cards

In this age of social media I am struggling to make the perfect Christmas card because I have trouble finding a family photo that I haven't already posted on Facebook or Instagram.  If we have a really good picture with all of us looking at the camera (including the dog) I want to post it right away because, let's face it, those photos can be rare.  I have a nine-year-old that loves making goofy faces no matter how many times we plead with him to give us just one good shot.

As I scroll through my phone's picture gallery I'm thinking of using one from January.  I figure people won't remember it from that far back, will they? Or maybe this will be the year we do away with the photos and just go with an old favorite, Currier and Ives.   

Or maybe we will just use this one from our famous Labor Day Theme Party.  Merry Christmas from Betty Boop and Captain America!

Happy December!

It's the holiday season and I'm starting to really get into the mood!  We have our tree up and hopefully I will have the rest of the house decorated by the weekend.  I've been slammed with orders this week for my new Boston Sports ornaments, but that's a good thing! I just hope I have time to make more for the show I am doing this weekend.

Once I get the house in order and I am prepared for my show, I'm hoping to get shopping so I can check everyone off my Christmas list. If you are working on your own list, check out www.JoatmonCreations.com for some great stocking stuffers. My reversible headbands are great for young girls and women alike.  You get two headbands in one since they are reversible and you can always add more covers to their collection  at other holidays.

For boys, key fobs are always a great way to express themselves.  I have so many designs to choose from - Star Wars, Family Guy, sports, and so much more!  They are really functional, especially for someone that keeps losing their keys when they toss them in a backpack.

My newest line of car decals and decorated items are also a crowd pleaser.  For someone that has everything - why not give the the gift of expression!

My site really is a one-stop shop.  So check it out today to see how many people you can check off of your list!!  Looking forward to seeing you at Joatmon Creations today!