Grateful Tuesday - Systems In Place

I am grateful everyday but Grateful Tuesday has such a nice sound when you say it so I decided that this is my day to express that I am grateful.

First let me say I am grateful I woke up to see another day & to make it better then yesterday. I never regret what I didn't get to do because being busy getting your business started or branding etc can really take up most of your time....

Systems is what is needed to keep your together...Believe me I fought that long and hard but once I saw how easy it makes your life I was so happy I did it. Try getting a calendar book to put in what you need to get done on certain days, Don't stray from it if at all possible because keeping it a routine will make everything else fall into place. Check off what you have you finish for that day. Do Not Carry it over to the next day! Why? The next day has it's own things that need to be completed. You will just do it next week on that day...Remember makers must has things in place...If you have a date that you no longer accept orders keep to it (unless it's urgent) if you don't your customers will take advantage of you.  Systems help you run your business in a timely fashion and keep you focused and organized. You might need to adjust your systems but never never think they aren't needed because they are. If you need a source look over to Flourish & Thrives website they offer a lot of free information which I feel is very helpful. They are who I listened to and now I feel organized and can really focus on creating. 

Remember to take a minute to analyze what you have put into place and be grateful you are doing what you love and can share it with your customers. 

I am grateful to be doing what I do and each day & night I say thank you....

Always,

Imperfectly Beautiful

Lorri

Hump Day Not For Makers

Wednesday's do you find that on this day your creative flow is lower then all the other days? I wonder if it is our minds just telling us it's hump day. 

For me Wednesday's are no different I get up I get dressed go to work and have the same fresh new ideas that I will have any other day of the week. I refuse to believe or follow the mindset that it's hump day.

The definition is this: The term alludes to the fact that Wednesday is the middle of the work week,meaning that one has made it "over the hump" towards the weekend. 

My weekends are like any other day expect I don't go to work but I do work on my designs so to me there is no hump day.

As makers we have no days off we don't follow the norm we work and work and work to get our designs complete sometimes into the weeee hours of the morning. Weekends what are they? They are days to create or do shows or get your brand just perfect... Hump Day you don't exist to us.....

In ending I hope today Wednesday as I like to call it brings your great creative energy.

Always

Imperfectly Beautiful

Lorri

Just Writing Outloud Webpages verses Landing Page on Blog

Hello Makers I hope all of you enjoyed our first major Holiday and now as I write your getting ready for Christmas/Hanukkah which lead me to how to get customer old and more importantly new ones to purchase your designs? I am having trouble with this I'm told because I don't have a website so my followers both on Instagram & Facebook don't know where they can purchase my designs.

Now in the past I would of said I don't need a webpage but I do need a landing page which I could link to my blog (didn't know this) so I have bought my domain name from GoDaddy for 2.99 for the year and have tried to link it right here and am having trouble seeing I am not savvy in the technical end of computers I went to GoDaddy; they said they will take care of it and it could take up to 48 hours well its been 48 hours and I have no idea if my blog is now working with my domain name or not.   I did this so that I could create a link that my followers could click and it would bring them here and they can see my designs and then purchase them.

So here I am right back where I started no link no webpage and very unhappy. Is there another way to send follower/customers to view your work and buy it? If so please someone tell me so I can tell all the Makers who I know are feeling the same way! I feel the point of followers is to get them to one day purchase your work but without the tools to guide them you will lose sales I now know this to be true!

I feel that Makers need to get all the information ahead of time so they are completely setup to start taking orders whether its on your on webpage or via a blog not doing this first will cost you many a sleepless nights and a whole lot of loss sales.

When I get some information on how to remedy this situation I'm in I will pass it on to all of you! Until then keep Making!

Always
Imperfectly Beautiful

Lorri
xoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxo

Wednesday 11/9 reverse 9/11

Good morning Makers! I've been looking & reading a lot of comments today on social media I thought things were ugly before the election WOW today is worst! I am sure as in any election they will not or can not keep any or all of their promises as the stated in winning you over to vote for them. I guess people thought or think Trump is the lesser of the two evils I say what and see. Then in about a 1 to 2 you will hear the complaints and they will no doubt come from those who votes him in as always we vote we complain... I want to say I am done with this and I will see what he has in store for us in the country that he thinks isn't great anymore and wants to make it great again!

Onward & upward I have like I said been designs with silver metal & bronze clays over the past few weeks and I am happy & frustrated at the same time. I made some rings last night with silver metal clay and after drying & filing I put in the kiln its had a great burn off I kept them in the kiln for 3 hours and they were soft! WHY has this happened to anyone out there? I am so upset I have not idea why this happened.  Please leave a comment below if you have had this happen or you have a answer to why it happened.

Makers have a great day continue on your creative journey explore new ideas engage in conversations give opinions, tips, techniques because giving back is what will move you forward. Do what you do with passion & purpose and there will never be a WHY!

Always,
Imperfectly Beautiful

Lorri
xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxo

Tuesday Election Day!

Good morning makers! I hope today were if your voting for Hilary will be making history if she wins she will be the 1st woman president and those who like Trump well let's say the first President who used all his own money! Enough of this and I mean it, I have heard seen read enough and tomorrow you will be happy or sad but if you didn't vote you don't have a right to complain. But what really has me upset is how horrible people have been on social media, remember we have a right to like dislike who we choose, I have seen family, friends fight like never before....sad extremely sad... I am hoping whoever wins we get what the promised to get our votes!

So many of you know I am now trying out silver & bronze metal clay's hoping to work them into my design process and give up hand cutting sheet metals..... that brings me to this we need to try experimenting with different ideas, techniques ones that bring you out of your comfort zone and you never know what you might find along the way.

I found a deep new love for silver clay (pmc) and bronze clay so much so I have been making rings. and stamps for signatures, words etc to put into the clay.  So I have tried something new and found that is was wonderful and can easily be added to what I design.

So Makers give something new a try and let me know....leave your comments below and also ask me anything if I know the answers I will let you know and if I don't well I'll research it and hopefully get what you need.

Happy Making!!!!!

Always,
Imperfectly Beautiful

Lorri
xoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxooxo

Thursday If at First you don't succeed do you keep trying?

Good morning Makers:

Hope your week is progressing nicely & your creative energy is flowing through you!

As I stated in my last post I would update you on our new page on FaceBook it is www.facebook.com/forrealmakers I hope you head over there and see us doing lives we do them usually on Tuesday & Friday and we talk about everything & we would love to hear from you comments, suggestions, tips whatever you would like us to talk about. Don't be shy we love feedback and we always keep it real!

Again me and my #partnerincrime Dawn have been extremely busy with the last week of her tutorial (it was 3 weeks and will be available again after the new year) How to Make Signature Tags ending and us trying out products and different bronze clays the week just is flying by and that is something I want to talk/ask about.

When you are feeling stressed about a new design/project and find that no matter what you try it isn't working out what do you do? Do you keep at it or walk away give up or put aside for another time.  I know right away if I am not in a creative mood there is no point for me to do anything simply because I would end up redoing it then throwing it because I am a perfectionist when it come to my work because it represents me and my brand/business. So let's say if I do attempt to create and it isn't going as plan I stop yep stop it saves me time in the long run and I can always go back to finish it. It reminds me of a time when I was knitting up a sweater I have OCD about the stitches lining up and I was almost done and didn't like the way it looked I ended up ripping it out and starting again my husband said what are you doing you were it I said it wasn't perfect so I started it all over again. Have any of you done it?

I guess the point I am trying to make is that we are not on point every single moment of every single day and it is ok to stop what your doing until you feel it is right again I know for myself I will try to get things organized and ready for events if I am doing any or work on my packaging & systems. (two topics we will discuss soon)

Always remember your not a robot your a Maker and we do need a break sometimes without punishing ourselves for taking it. Breaking helps get us get creative again its a good thing!

Always,
Imperfectly Beautiful

Lorri
xoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxo

Product Overview

Good morning Makers I hope your weekend was amazing like you and filled with endless designing.

First I want to say that my BFF Dawn over at https://www.facebook.com/DaVoriajewelry/ instagram @signaturesbydavoria and @davoria.jewelryhave been working together for a weeks few now to see if you can add gold leaf, gold rub n buff and other products that we were told worked. Like by BFF Dawn says I take her places she don't want to go Dawn is focused on her business I am just coming into mine and I drive her crazy I want to do this & that and she is always telling me she is too busy but these past few weeks she had a piece to do and we needed to find out how to put gold over her silver metal clay hence this piece.

Come see us live on facebook around 2:30 3:00 Tuesday November 1st to see what we found out. This live is always entertaining and makes for great conversation, we highly recommend chiming in with questions or tips. We will soon have our own facebook page for Makers.



As I have been saying we as Makers want to bring you products that we have worked with and that we either recommend or don't recommend.  We also are going to work on a video that we will have for you to purchase sometime in late January. This tutorial will give you all the steps not a few that is something else we find to be misleading as well.

I always want to give information that can help you grow either in your designing(making) or in business between myself and Dawn we have a lot of knowledge and we make sure that we have tried all that we talk about.

So tune in tomorrow on facebook and make sure to follow me on instagram as well @imperfectlybeautiful_designs.

Always,
Imperfectly Beautiful Designs

Lorri
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo