Each of you get to pick one of the following two workshops: How to Achieve Your Goals and Create a Life You Love which begins Thursday, January 5, 2012., and Organizing 101: Learn How to Get Organized which begins Tuesday, January 10, 2012.
Email me at czdesign@comcast.net!
One blog reader will win a spot in Clean & Simple Cardmaking, a new workshop from Jennifer McGuire, Kristina Werner and Julie Ebsersole. What a seriously cool new year's workshop for any crafter with a stash of supplies just waiting to find a home other than on a scrapbook page!
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: Join Jennifer McGuire, Kristina Werner and special guest teacher Julie Ebersole for Clean & Simple Card Making!
In this class we aim to take the mystery out of creating a minimalist card that looks “complete,” and wow you with numerous tips and techniques for clean and simple cards. This upbeat and inspirational class will include nine fabulous guest artists, discounts to our favorite retailers, giveaways and a few surprises along the way! Clean & Simple Card Making will feature over 25 new card ideas and over 15 instructional videos. What better way to start the new year than with a wealth of new ideas to add to your card making arsenal and simplify your creations.
How many of you out there are presently smokers or are ex-smokers? A show of hands, please.
As a card carrying ex-smoker, I think I know a thing or two about cravings. Smoking on and off—but mostly on—from around the age of 12 until the age of 40, many years of my life were ruled by cravings.
For those of you who've never had the unfortunate experience of being addicted to nicotine, I'll tell you how it goes: you smoke a cigarette, then you put it out and the nicotine levels in your blood begin to plummet. The happy, contented feeling you had while ingesting the nicotine leaves all too quickly, putting you into a state of withdrawal from the minute your smoke break ends. So begins the cycle of addiction.
Back when I was a smoker, every November the Great American Smokeout would roll around. Ask any smoker out there and I'm sure they can relate to what I'm about to say: when you are knee deep in the hoopla of your addiction, the very last thing on Earth you'll tolerate is some one or some group telling you what you already know: Hey stupid, you should quit!
If anything, on the Great American Smokeout day, I'd just smoke more. I'll be damned if you're going to tell me when and how to kick my own habit. Imagine plugging your ears and going, "La, la, la, la, la, la, la" and that's the attitude I always brought to the table.
I've thought a lot about when I quit smoking during the past two weeks. I brought it up in a discussion with my therapist recently, who seemed impressed with both the depth of my love for my former habit, as well as my white knuckle, cold turkey, non-negotiable approach to quitting back in March of 2006. She was also amazed at the level of self-destruction it brought to my life on a daily basis, but we'll explore that tangent on some other day.
(Did you know I cried every single day for a week that March? I remember calling my dear friend Tara and sobbing, just sobbing into the phone because I seriously had no idea how I was going to get through it.)
But here's the thing: any time you do something you didn't think was even remotely possible, you gain a slightly new perspective on everything in your life.
Take for instance me and running. Here's a girl whose idea of excercise was simply to inhale and exhale on a Benson & Hedges Deluxe Ultra Light Menthol, and then take a nap. And now I run 3 to 4 miles, three days a week? Get out. No, I'm serious. That wasn't never part of my skill set.
After I quit smoking and started to gain weight, it still never dawned on me that I could figure out a way to work exercise into my life. Much like those annoying people who would dare to suggest I should quit smoking, I felt the same reaction towards their ideas of me moving my body.
Last night, I watched one of Oprah's "Life Class" epsiodes on demand, specifically, Episode 17, in which she talks about what would you do if you stepped out of your personal box of limitations. Now you know me and Oprah, if she says, "Jump," not only do I say, "How high?" but I also say, "Wow, I never looked at jumping like that," and "Who knew that jumping could have so many ramifcations?" and "My God, I LOVE YOU, OPRAH!"
She was talking about the idea of trying something different. That if you you want change, you can't keep doing the same thing and expect it to happen. You have to take a risk. You have to step out of your comfort zone.
I think back in January 2010, when I decided I'd had enough of inertia and chub and embarked on the whole Move More, Eat Well thing, I did it because I really had reached an understanding: ain't nothing gonna change unless I step up and do something. But in making that choice, especially doing it publicly, I was taking a risk of it not working.
With smoking, it was the same thing. No one is going to do this for me. I felt like I was playing a sort of Russian Roulette with my health; that it was just a matter of time before some smoking-related illness crept in and took a hold of my life.
The idea of cravings is on my mind right now in a big way. As I am preparing to embark on my 2012 workshop, my own familar ghosts of personal limitation are swirling around my brain, messing with me and trying to get me to just say when.
I know that there are many of you reading today who seek to feel better and stronger. I also know that even though you might really want those things, the path to getting there can seem overwhelming. I know there are some of you out there who've resigned yourselves to a place in the box that you can't get out of, and I want to tell you that change is possible.
People are actually quite extraordinary in their ability to change and adapt. It's really just a shift in attitude and self-belief and the willingness to start.
What would you do if you had no fear of failure? And more importantly, do you believe that trying and failing and trying again has a value? Take it from this ex-smoker (who actually quit 5 times prior to 2006) and this chub fighter (who has lost and regained 20 pounds time and again): every time I fail at something, I have slowly but surely started to gain a sense of understanding and purpose from it.
What used to happen is I'd throw my hands up in the hair and say, "Screw it! I'm done."
Now, I keep my hands at my side and say, "Alright, how can I change my approach or focus to do what it is that I want and need to do?"
I know the end of the year is a time when we start to imagine the changes we want to make as of January 1st. It's that clean slate time; a chance to start fresh.
I just want anyone out there who wants change but isn't sure if they can make it to know, trying is the first step. Failing is the second. And trying again is both the third step, and a new way to re-frame your thinking towards making changes in your life that you can live with.
And you know what? Failure is an option. Just take it from me. It teaches me every single day.
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Join me in 2012 for my workshop, Move More, Eat Well 2012. In this class, we'll navigate the space in which women try to make positive changes in their lives for better health and nutrition. There's no whip being cracked during the class; just common sense ideas and the desire to make healthy changes in your life. We'll meet monthly to ask and answer questions related to the process of taking care of you and hopefully, find some things along the way that really do stick.
I'm pleased to announce a new mini workshop, launching in early February 2012, Ten Tips for Better Type.
This class is designed to give you some solid typography basics which in turn will make the type you create on your digital and hybrid projects more polished and refined. It'll help you to understand a few very basic approaches to choosing and using type.
In short: your stuff's gonna look better when you're done with this class.
This class isn't about making funky art with type, or doing funky anything for that matter. It's a very meat and potatoes approach to using type. But I will tell you this: the reason my pages look the way they do is that I am a very meat and potatoes type user. I believe in classic fonts and clean execution. I believe fonts should support the story and the design, but not overwhelm it.
I believe in a handful of basic guidelines to using type that revolve around font choice, size, leading and alignment. In this class, we'll touch on my top ten tips and we'll work to apply them.
I realize this class is still a ways out there, but if you're looking to get a stronger grasp of typography as it relates to scrapbooking, feel free to check out the description and if you have any questions, post away.
I'm excited to offer a workshop that lets me share with you the area I feel most competent about in scrapbooking: making type that looks dang good.
Hope to see you in that class on February 2!
My friend and former Simple Scrapbooks magazine colleague Lain Ehmann is bringing back her awesome online scrapbooking extravaganza, True Scrap. If you've ever wanted to attend a scrapbooking weekend event similar to Creating Keepsakes University but couldn't figure out the logistics of a flight, hotel and expenses, then True Scrap might be exactly what you're looking for.
I've invited Lain here today to fill you in on just what this event is all about, from the way it works to the seriously amazing group of instructors. Heck, there's even an interview with yours truly featured as part of the whole shebang. Listen to Lain for more info:
For more information on True Scrap, click here.
Note: this photo has nothing to do with today's post.
Now that we've cleared that up, I've got a question for you today, especially those of you who like to get your scrap on in an online setting.
After teaching online in 2009 and 2010 for Big Picture Classes, I've been notably absent from teaching this year and have been brainstorming concepts to present in 2012. Presently, I'm working on a type class designed to help scrapbookers like you create layouts with awesomely executed type and to become general type masters.
And that got me thinking. What else, if anything, would you look for in an online class? I know a lot of you have some really great ideas and aren't shy about sharing them.
I'm all ears.
My friends over at Ella Publishing want to help you get into tip top scrapbooking shape this fall!
Introducing Boot Camp 2011! And just what is Boot Camp 2011? Well, here happens to be a straight answer from Angie and Wendy, two of the no nonsense drill instructors who will be getting your scrap booty into fighting shape!
This might be just what you need to get your scrap mojo a-rollin' for the fall months!
The cost of this online event is just $33. Right now, you can save $3 off the registration price until Sept. 17 by using the code YESMAAM when you register for Boot Camp 2011.
WHAT YOU'LL GET:
–12 exclusive video drills to get your scrap-bootie in shape! (one each morning, one each evening)
–4 expert drill sergeants (in the areas of journaling, stamping, photo effects, and design)
–6 bonus lunch-time inspiration sessions with Wendy Smedley
–40 minutes of coached scrapbooking challenges per day
–a place to upload your work and connect with other scrapbookers
–concrete challenges that result in meaningful layouts
–daily challenges, bonus downloads, sponsor prizes, and more
–email reminders that it's time to suit up and get ready to scrap!
WHAT YOU WON'T GET:
–Court-martialed if you fail to complete your drills on time
–More tasks than you can reasonably complete in 40 minutes each day
–Complicated projects and directions that leave you with more questions than answers
–Overwhelmed by your options; each drill is bite-sized, inspirational, and doable!
Now I'm off to see if I can sweet talk them into sending me one of those adorable pink camo hats…
I know I talk a lot about Moving More and Eating Less to get into shape, but my friends and colleagues over at Ella Publishing are talking about getting into a whole different kind of shape with their new online event, the Ella Spring Training Extravaganza.
That's right, shape up your scrapbooking this Spring with the talented team at Ella.
Included in Ella's Spring Training Online Event:
• 12 exclusive video coaching sessions
• 4 expert coaches
• 12 hands-on training exercises
• 20 minutes a day
• daily challenges, downloads, sponsor prizes, and more
All of this adds up to 1 amazing online event that includes a minimum of 240 minutes of scrapbooking fun.
From journaling to inspiration to photography to techniques, the Ella Spring Training Extravaganza will get you in tip top scrapbooking shape.
Some of what you'll learn:
Questions? Check out Ella's site by clicking here.
I'm really excited to announce that Design Your Life, a 12-week intensive study of graphic design as it applies to the wonderful scrapbooking hobby, is now available as a self-paced, instant download class from Big Picture Classes.
Even though I retired from teaching the class, Big Picture wanted to offer it for those who missed it the first few times I taught it. You can work through all 12 lessons on your own. The lessons include weekly video lectures on design principles, plus downloadable PDFs (handouts, printables) and layered PSD files of each week's layout assignments. To read more about the class content, click here.
This class is a really good basic workshop on fundamental principles of design. You will work in multiple page sizes in order to see how principles translate across any given space. The goal of the workshop is to arm you with more design confidence and understanding which translates into you making great design decisions in your own scrapbooking.
The workshop is $59 and includes all original class content. And I'm telling you, it's a lot of content but don't let that scare you! BPC is even including my weekly personal video messages from the 2009 workshop, but keep in mind, those videos are from a specific time period and reflected what was going on in our message boards at the time. Also, I'm very goofy and you should know that up front.
I'm working to develop more workshops for 2011, but this is a solid design workshop for anyone who wants to understand the hows and whys of good page layout. Plus, you can work through it at your own pace. Once you sign up, you'll have forever access to the materials. If you have any questions about this version of the class, feel free to leave me a question today and I'll do my best to answer.
WANT TO GIVE THIS CLASS AS A GIFT? I have downloadable PDF gift certificates to put under the tree as well. You can download one here:
