Hello stampers and happy Friday to you. Parcels in the Post is going mainstream! There is quite the story behind this decision and this is about the most excited that I have been since our engagement was announced. Let me tell you why.
The Challenge of Covid as a Small Business Owner
COVID19 is not over yet and it has been a time of struggle and triumph for people both individually but also as business owners and employees. For me it was hard to decide whether to focus on transforming my business or just helping people cope. I chose for the latter and started doing daily videos and making lots and lots of #kitsforkids. I have no regrets about doing this but after a few months I really had to start figuring out how to transform my business.
This was done in two main ways. The first thing I did was to create Prime Time with the Pampered Stamper which is a private Facebook group that costs $10 a month. My purpose with this group was to create an affordable avenue (less than the cost of one coffee and a card class!) where people could be part of a community. Each Thursday I do an exclusive video tutorial for this group. On Wednesday I post the supply list and dimensions. Each month there is a free 15 project pdf tutorial AND a prize drawing for a stamp set.
The second thing I did was create my Virtual Coffee and a Card class on YouTube. People can subscribe and get a card kit in the mail for $25. There is a card for each Tuesday of the month and at 10am EST I do a video tutorial. This is now going to change into something that is more sustainable and also gives much more value and room for creativity.
How to Gage the Success of a Program?
The struggle was in knowing when to stop with something that is not working the way you had hoped that it would. Backorders have been a problem and that causes delays in shipping the kits. Mail is also a bit unreliable, sometimes taking far longer than it should. Social media also can be a bit of a dragon lady. Posts are not always seen and it can be frustrating when you think you are getting a message out there but it really isn’t happening. People are also on a bit of social media overload.
Consistency is so important and I want my customers to feel that they are part of a solid, reliable business and not something that feels like shifting sand. We all miss our in person classes and hopefully they will once again be a part of our regular repertoire. I heartily encourage any local customers of mine to seek out my team members when I am in Holland. When you support them, you are also supporting me. We are a team!
Parcels In The Post
Virtual Coffee and a Card is being transitioned to Parcels in the Post. The price is the same. $25. Because there is more product in these parcels they will also weigh more and that means extra shipping costs. Local pickup will be $25, but if you need it mailed it will be $30. Included is ten sheets of cardstock in five colours, 12 sheets of dsp 6″ by 12″, at least four yards of ribbon and perhaps some embellishments. Each month it will be different. Kits will be available while supplies last.
Each Tuesday at 10am EST I will be doing a video showing you several projects made with this parcel. You can choose which ones you want to make. I hope to also have a pdf option in case you simply want to use your own materials. The first one is themed Peaceful Deer. Here is a photo. Please keep in mind that the black gingham ribbon is not pictured but IS included.
Projects with Peaceful Deer Parcels in the Post
If you would like to see the projects that I will be featuring in my videos in December with this parcel, you can watch this video. On Monday I will post pictures of the cards and bag. I am really excited about my Parcels in the Post going mainstream. By that I mean that it will be my prime focus. I had so much fun creating these projects and was inspired by many other talented demonstrators on Pinterest. It will be exciting to see how these affordable kits will help you be more creative. On Monday I will also include a list of the products that I am using to create my projects. You can then see which you already have and which you might want to order.
The Best Way to Order
The best way to order your supplies is of course with your very own discount. From now until November 30 you can get the starter kit for only $100 and you can put $165 worth of products in your kit. Perhaps the Parcels in the Post supply list will be perfect for your starter kit. Invite your friends to watch my Parcels in the Post videos and then they can order their supplies from YOU and then you will be able to keep your own discount and perhaps earn some income as well or at least get your own stamps for free. Dream big my friends! I would love to help you do just that.
Hello stampers and happy Wednesday to you. Today I am going to share with you my Sand and Sea Suite projects. Before leaving for Holland I did a video showing my projects that I made using the Sand and Sea Suite that I based my Parcels in the Post on. That is a whole other story!!
Sand and Sea Suite
What makes the Sand and Sea Suite special? In my opinion, it is the amazing way in which the embossing folder, the stamps and the dies all work together in the most unique way. First of all you use the largest die as a template on your Stamparatus. Be sure to lay it face down so that the cutting side is on the bottom. Then you lay the coordinating stamps in the right spaces and close the hinged plate so that the stamps will adhere to it. Remove the die. Now you are ready to ink up the stamps and stamp them on your cardstock.
After stamping your images you can once again use the die to cut them out. Carefully put your die cut into the embossing folder and run it through the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss machine. Wow!! Now you have stamped, cut and embossed images for beautiful card making or scrapbooking.
In the suite there is also pearlescent paper that looks like the inside of a seashell, Opal Rounds that really do look like opals as well as a gorgeous embossing folder and designer series paper.
My Video
The live video showing my four cards was almost an hour long and really showed quite well how marvelous this suite is. The problem? There was no sound!! I am hoping to redeem this situation using the marvels of technology rather than doing the whole thing over. I did not take this suite of products with me to Holland so I cannot redo the cards. Thanks to everyone who tried so diligently to try and let me know what was going on.
Back in Holland
I am so very happy to be back in Holland again. Travelling is not for the faint of heart. I am ever so thankful to be able to travel but with the added documentation necessary and several time-sensitive COVID tests needed, it really does add to the stress level.
According to my count there were only 18 people on the plane, so social distancing was not an issue. Five people got off in Amsterdam and the rest continued to elsewhere in Europe. When we finally fly again on a full plane it will probably feel claustrophobic!
Flowering Fields
The best part of the day after reuniting with Gerard was our drive to the flowering bulb fields. Seeing full fields of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths was just breathtakingly beautiful. There was a traffic jam at two o’clock in the afternoon because people were coming with their bike carriers so that they could cycle through the countryside to see all the flowering fields up close.
Thanks for joining me today, I hope to share more photos and videos of my travels while I am here. I know how much you all want to be able to travel and I am very aware of how blessed I am to have a travel exception. Sending you big hugs!!
Hello stampers and happy Friday to you. These Art Gallery cards were made during my live video on YouTube yesterday. I should actually say live “videos” since there were many of them. Truth be told it was a technologically disastrous day. I was hoping to figure out new technology so that I could stream to both YouTube and Facebook at the same time with two devices. Oh the dream!! Instead there were multitudinous mishaps.
Thankfully I did make these four cards during the last video which was successfully posted to YouTube. I will share it a little later on so you can see it too.
Art Gallery Inspiration Video
Each month or so I offer a different Parcel in the Post which gives you a selection of products from a suite to inspire your creativity. Tomorrow is the last day to order the Art Gallery Parcel in the Post. It is $32 which includes shipping anywhere in Canada. You get 4″ by 12″ pieces of all the designer series paper and the specialty acetate, 6 sheets of coordinating cardstock, 2 yards of Fine Art ribbon and the Painted Textures embossing folder. Once a month I do a YouTube video showing you what I have made with these products. Here it is.
Parcels in the Post
If you would like to purchase the Art Gallery Parcel in the Post you can either etransfer me to jackiebultje@gmail.com or pay with PayPal. I just checked and see that I have not yet made a category for this on my blog!! I hope to get to that soon. Message me if you want to arrange different methods of payment. You know me, I’m flexible!!
Thanks so much for joining me today, I hope you have a super day.
ps. Normally I have a list of products that I used but the site is having technological issues so I will post the list later. Thanks for understanding. You can check out the Fine Art Floral collection here as well.
Hello stampers and thanks so much for your patience. I have been absent for a while due to the vicissitudes of life. So much going on, mostly with Pap who had a heart attack at 94 and survived. I have been going back and forth to my parents to help out and I am so grateful to be able to do so. There is only so much one person can do, so something had to give, and that was my blog.
The other thing going on in my life is some severe pain in my shoulder which is exacerbated with keyboard use so I have been trying to stay away from long sessions on the computer. My upcoming blog posts will mostly consist of a video while I try to recuperate.
A Little Nostalgia
I thought I would share a couple of my favourite photos of me and Pap from when I was little. Thanks for your prayers for this dear man, they are appreciated by my entire family.
I am the littlest one and the other two are my brother Oliver and my sister Adriana. Mom must have been the one taking the pictures. I also have a younger brother Cor who is three years younger than me.
Parcels in the Post
I am offering a new collection of products to save you money and to give you greater creative opportunities. They can be mailed anywhere in Canada and that is why I have called them Parcels in the Post. The first one is a collection from Love You Always. You can see the details here.
Parcels in the Post Video
In this video you can see what is included in the Parcel in the Post as well as some of the projects I have made with it.
More Heartfelt Inspiration
Just the other day I discovered this stamp set and it is still available. So pretty. You can check out this blog post and see what I made with it, plus there is an amazing recipe there that is one of my favourites too.
Thanks!
Thanks for understanding that sometimes the vicissitudes of life get in the way of blogging. I truly appreciate each and every one of you. Each comment, each card, each share is a gift. Thank you for your online orders and thank you for joining my team. Together we can make a difference, one card at a time. I hope you have a super day. Please let me know if you have any questions!
