Janna Wilson

Blogging...about blogging (and design of course)

I've been blogging for nearly ten years. Blogging is a funny thing to me. Interesting how folks are now bloggers for a living and how the multitudes have embraced this mode of communication/networking as a (hopeful) career. My blogging has always been from a sincere joy and excitement about what I'm doing (usually craft related, of course) and connecting with like minded creatives. Never motivated with hopes to earn a living blogging, get advertising, etc. though I know plenty of people who get a nice chunk of change doing just that. Nothing wrong with that. More power to 'em.

Well, with that said, I've been contemplating what to do about this blog. I mean it costs money every month...do I really even need it? How can I utilize this tool to benefit others as well my own goals? I mean here I am pursuing this career as a designer, what is the best way to implement blogging to further that goal? As I've pondered this, looked at stats, referring sites/searches...I've realized that most of my traffic are folks looking for project ideas, free downloads, inspiration I suppose. So y'all are looking for useable content and I'm am going to serve it up on a pretty platter!

Here's what I've come up with.

1. I love designing fun, inspiring things...and I have a computer full of fun stuff to share. So I will again share! Free for all Fridays is coming back. You know I'm busy, I know you're busy. But I need to give stuff away, share my ideas, tips and tricks...it makes my heart happy. So I will do just that. Yes, on Fridays. As much as I can manage.  Downloadable, printable, useable, project-able, enjoyable goodness. Designed by me. Just for you.

(I'll be sharing the details to make this sweet photo display for about $5, oh yeah!)

2. Freelance don't mean it's ALL free. :) Y'all know what I mean. A college mama's gotta put beans and taters on the table. So I plan to lure you here with freebies and then make you an offer you cannot refuse...? Maybe. Or possibly you can refuse, but you might be so kind to tell a friend about me, like my page, tweet it, pin it, tumble it, shout it, share it...whatever it is you prefer :) Translation: I am going to make available some exclusive designs (like the ones below) for purchase and if you would share the love, I would love you.

While we are doing #1 and #2 (giggle, that didn't come out exactly right...or did it?) here's what else could be happening...

3. I'm proliferating ideas, having fun, sharing, inspiring, serving my purpose, making new friends, being inspired, being happy, spreading joy, possibly making some tips, maybe getting noticed by someone who might possibly think I have a teensy something special and they decide they MUST have me work for them and make even more fabulous designs? Yep, it could happen!

4. You're enjoying some fun little freebies, we connect as fellow creatives, I inspire, you inspire, and the world is just a happier, better place because of it all! I'll be honing my project management skills-- I'm approaching it from that perspective.

So meet me back here on Friday, #freeforallfriday that is. Bloggers, lets connect, share the love, network, blog-it-up. Let's do this.

Oh and my birthday is Monday...let's party on the 4th!!!

Love y'all sweet folks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sew love to #make

Last summer I had a bit of time and I wanted to sew. More than that, a few other people had told me they wanted to sew. It was a blessing of spending some time with some friends, old and new...we sewed into the weeeeee hours at several different classes! One of our projects was this:

...a sweet pleated/ruffled pillow cover. I wanted to show the gals how to sew a simple pillow cover and embellish it at the same time. I love my linen cover with bright contrasting strips of ruffles. Precious! I was so proud of the pillows the ladies turned out.

I thought I'd share this tutorial with you since I had typed it up for the class-goers. I don't have step by step images to go with the instructions but I tried to explain well and include visuals. This is a beginner level project. Hope you enjoy!

Download the instructions here: Easy Pleated Pillow

Here are some of the other pillows the gals made:
Love Linda's Lime!


Sonya's so Bright and fun!


Maggie's rocked! What more is there to say!

Day5- #making

Only just a few precious days until my life is back in the {super} fast lane. Not as fast as last year (semester) but nonetheless, a load of classes and juggling the regular other stuff of life. I'm looking forward to it, but then I'm not.

Did you miss me yesterday? I didn't blog did I? Well, instead of the usual daily creative hiatus I've had this week-- I took some time to go visit my Mother and Dad. Definitely needed to do that. How often is it that you can just spend a few hours visiting with no interuptions. And my Dad fixed me some fish and hashbrowns for lunch. Delish. It was such a nice day.

Here's a cute pic of him on his birthday last week-

Today, I had to work at the store. A fun day with some of my favorite gals getting the store into shape after the holiday madness. We have a fun bridal/wedding party coming up and I've been thinking about our brides and what they might like in the way of keepsake prints, art prints, photo memories. And I'm working on some ideas...as you've seen in recent  days ;)

I had a wild idea earlier and I think it just might have worked...here's a peek. I told you I'm addicted to my Instagram. I'm just not sure if this is kind of weird or pretty cool?

I'm loving this print I designed this evening. Been wanting to play with some vintage maps and took a little time earlier to do just that. I absolute love the colors of this...lots of Photoshoppery, but the result is this fun, vintage design with a modern edge...and the lyrics to an 90's song we all know and love! LOVE! Takes me back to high school!

Hey don't give up on me-- I'm gonna dig out a fun printable/downloadable or two this week, so come back! Tomorrow I scheduled a fun little post ;) Don't miss it!

Ok- must get to bed. Just wanted to blog my creativity from today. So happy creating! Hugs all!

 

Day 3- still #making it!

Inspired doesn't even touch the creative frenzy I've been in! LOL! Got paper, got ink...been designing and printing pretties. Some just samples, some for reals. I'm definitely running out of wall space! Gonna have to uncover my desk before starting again in the a.m.

If you follow me on Instagram- you know I love to take IG photies. I love IG because it takes me back to those little Instamatic cameras with the bulb flash when I was a kid. The smell of those flash bulbs popping off! Square photos with the awful exposures. Ahh..gotta love it. I love square pics, what can I say!?  I print them, I've digi scrapped them. Love em. Anyway, I have some ideas...and this Instagram collage design was a start. This is an 11 x 14 print I made out of my Canon 9000 and I absolutely adore! I see many more of these in my future with quotes, personalization, etc.

I printed one of these for an 11 x 17 sample. Love how it turned out! Great for a bride, anniversary-- all those special dates. Need more frames! oops!

Always look forward to picking up my sweet boy after school. So excited to see him and squeeze him again. 

Productive day on the creative front ;) Until tomorrow!

Day 2- #making

Okie dokie- here I am again! Kids back to school today, me home. Its kind of neat. I went and did my morning 5k after dropping the kids off. Improving my time on that front except I'm pretty disheartened that my knee started hurting today...bad. Praying for healing. Guess I gotta take it easy for a few days.

That didn't stop me from getting upstairs and playing in paint though!

You know how I love my blue :) This particular color is "Cloudless" by Apple Barrel craft acrylic with a grey border. Love it. I popped the finished product on an old window in my kitchen. I did our wedding date and initials...planning on offering these as a custom order very soon. Great wedding or anniversary gift...or something special for your Valentine! Guys!!! (do I even have ANY guy readers...lol, nope, methinks not) anyway, if I did, your girl would flip for this as a Valentine gift.

I've been listening to an audio book that was pretty great. I am SO productive when listening. I've got to find another one now that I am done with One Second After. Any suggestions. These silly things are so expensive though! It was definitely not a feel good book, but if you are in the mood to be humbled-- read it. You'll feel so blessed that you feel guilty.

Well, I'm stuck on this date thing. I'm just kind of proliferating ideas right now...so here's another little design I worked up that was a spin off of the painting. In case someone wants a less expensive option than a hand painted canvas, these mod prints are very fun.

Again, perfect for a gift, wedding display, anniversary gift, or just a meaningful art print for your home. Dates could be: when we met, first date, first kiss, she said yes, wedding day, etc... OR list kiddos birthdates or any other special dates.

Thanks for the comments yesterday! Love y'all-- appreciate you coming to visit.

Tomorrow I think I'll try to whip up some printable goodness! Don't forget I have lots of printables already for the printing...

Here's one (an oldie but a goodie) you can use for some sweet Valentine's!

I almost forgot about this one:

Stay tuned for MORE cutting and creating!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seven days of making...starting now.

I'm alive! My last semester of school was probably the hardest yet...long story short I overextended myself. Why haven't I learned yet that I am NOT superwoman??? (I still managed a 4.0 :) Whew...I've been off for break since the 9th and I have one more week of "freedom". I'm getting ancy now :) I'm dreaming. BIG. I finally have had time to get making.

I told Sara today, I've got to take action. I'm tired of standing on the sidelines and letting people around me have all the fun and make my dreams their reality. I had to write a paper this past week reviewing my semester (for a scholarship I have) and it really got me to thinking about where I came from, where I am and which path I'm going to take from here. I said I wanted to go back to school to enable me to be independent as a designer, a creative, a maker. I wanted to be taken seriously. I wanted to get serious. Somewhere along the way I lost that thought. I just figured I'd have to get a "real" job. Get more experience. I have just 10 classes left till I graduate and honestly, there's not a great big job market for me locally. I'm not totally discounting that options but why not stay the course...continue my original plan of action. I know that the Good Lord is guiding my way. I will not worry. But I must keep trucking. I'm not going to be paralyzed in fear or worry any longer.

I'm also going to CREATE!!! The past six months were rough. I literally had NO time to do anything beyond family, school, work and an internship I did for the semester. It was a wild ride. My schedule is back to some sort of normalcy and I'm so excited about having a bit of time to squeeze in creating and exercising again. Creating --not just for self...but creating and making my original plans happen- who knows what might unfold! Creating is what I do. It makes me happy. It makes everything better and wonderful! Look, I'm a dreamer...and I believe anything is possible. I'm a living example that dreams do come true and the Lord can bless us with MORE than we ever expect. So I'm just gonna work like everything I want can and will happen. No biggie, right! Just a little FAITH.

Starting today...I'm going to bring a project or idea to fruition for seven glorious days! YAY!!!

This was a project inspired by a Pinterest trend...here.  Looks a little blah here but it is stunning IRL. I wanted to gussy it up more with some flowers, crocheted lace maybe,  but I really like the simplicity of it. My print is on canvas mounted on a 16 x 20 fabric (b&w dot) matboard. I'm going to be offering these for sale soon. I'm excited. What a precious gift for Valentines or Mother's Day.

Come to think of it...I've been creating all week! From my biscuit baking day...

...then there was much doodling and sketching ideas in my sketchbook...(potential baby girl name for my sister's bun in oven)

Saturday, I made this fun design at work with vinyl. And yes, I LOVE Instagram! Follow me! janna_wilson I'm totally addicted. I don't FB or tweet...but love my IG.

So much to do and so little time! I took my vitamins way late and I cannot sleep. Whew!

One more thing I want to mention.  I want to get back to blogging regularly. I also want to start designing some fun printables. Any special requests? Check back with me...I'll try to share something this week! Freebies! YAY!

Y'all have a great Monday!

ttfn!