Drowning in Social Media

Do you ever feel like that?? I am feeling like that alot lately.
Gone are the days when you could just start a business and buy some stock and do some advertising to start selling a service or product.
I am learning very quickly that a lot has changed in the last 10 years when it come to running a business in this day and age. The importance placed on Social Media is huge, and you need this one to connect to that one and so on. I have been learning about so many new media formats and have started countless new log ins and passwords. Some days I feel like I am drowning in it!
Keeping up with an online presence is a full time job on its own. I know I will get more efficient at managing my social media marketing but man there is a lot to take in!

I am determined to win the battle over social media and find that happy medium! 

I still have to do all the social media buttons for my blog yet! Another job still on the list!
How many is too many? What do we really need?

In the last 3 months I have set up Twitter (Although I have no idea how to use this yet), Instagram (Another one I haven't used yet), Mailchimp - Newsletter (has taken me all day to get my head around this one, Facebook Business Page, Etsy (hopefully I will be able to open my Etsy store very soon), Evernote, Skype, Pinterest (I have had this one for awhile and love it!), Paypal Business account, Linked in, You Tube and many more accounts with online selling avenues, Art Groups & Workshops and more!

I have also designed my New Blog Make over and Logos and all the little bits and pieces that go with it! All this to set up an online store, but it wont be just any online store I will have a few different ventures and avenues that will be happening. I started out just setting up an online store to sell online kits and classes but after doing Kelly Rae's Flying course I have also set up Michelle Grant desiGns and have so many other projects on the go too! I will also be doing weekend workshops here in Mackay with the first being on the 23rd & 24th of March. More details on this workshop coming soon.

I am still waiting on my online store Studio M desiGns to be built!
So it would be an understatement to say I have been a bit busy lately!

Keeping up with all the online community & DT commitments is going to take a bit of balancing for the next few months

But I know it will be all worth it in the end! I have had a lot of up and down days, and a lot of days where I think what the hell am I doing?? Then I just need to remind myself that I want to create financial freedom for my family so Don doesn't have to work away from home. I just need to keep telling myself it will be all worth it!!!
But boy oh boy has it been a steep learning curve!!

Sharing more of me is still a bit scary for me, but a huge thank you for all the support, you guys are helping me overcome this fear!! So thank you from the bottom of my heart!!

I have had the general mum thing worrying about my kids these past few weeks, both are facing changes in their lives, Wiliam is pursuing a career in the army, and Leonii is moving into a house from the unit they are in at the moment and is also changing jobs. It is so hard when she is 12 hours away and cant help. I just have to hope we have given them enough belief, drive and ambition to achieve their dreams and find a happy path in life. I have another post to do of my weekend with Leonii last weekend and the Paint Mojo Workshop we attended! I haven't had time to download the photos yet! Will put that on my list this weekend!

To end on a positive note we have a new internet provider for a quarter of the price, we were paying $320 for 50GB a month with Telstra and had crap service, now we can get 100GB for $59.95 and the service is way better and doesn't drop out for hours on end!
So So happy about that!! Our internet dilemma has caused me more than a few grey hairs!!
Looking forward to working without delays and maybe being able to get to bed a bit earlier too!!

Just came across this post by Trina McClune - Creativity Takes Courage tonight about Creativity Takes Courage! Oh so true, and pursuing a creative business takes even more!!! I want to learn to follow my dreams and make them a reality so I can help lead the way for others to follow theirs!

I took this photo the other afternoon, you can't really see it but it was lightly raining in front of the tree, with the sun shining in the background. It was really beautiful! I think I came up with this quote, but when you see so many I don't know if it truly original from me or if I was inspired by something somewhere.  

So I will leave you on that note! I am off to bed now! Night All x

Happy To Be Me ~ Donna Salazar Designs ~ DT Swap

Howdy Hi, This is the last of my DT swap layouts done!

This one is going to Natasha, she wanted us to scrap a picture of ourselves!

I prefer to be behind the camera than in front of it. I think there are so many of us mums are like that. Its sad hey, because at the end of the day it is your kids that miss out if anything happens to you and they have so few photos of you to remember you by. It really hit home to me and made me very sad when I was looking for photos of my kids with me when they were babies. I hardly have any, lots of dad and the kids and Grandparents but hardly any of me if any.

So after that I try to suck it up and suck it in lol and will let someone take a photo of me now. As soon as you get past that initial EEK and you start relaxing and having fun even you can be surprised with the outcome! Don't be selfish for your kids sakes, it is they who miss out on you in the years to come. I still don't like a lot of my photos, but that is more about me not accepting me for who I am, so this is me and this is the imprint I am leaving imperfections and all! 

It also helps if you know how to use photoshop too!! Although this pic here is a selfie taken on my phone and is untouched other than a border and texture app.

 

 Love Donna's New Papers!!! The colours are awesome and so versatile! I can see these going with everything!!!

 I have used the new Driftwood Chox Mix'd Media Inx on this one! Love this colour too!

I hope you like this one Tash xxx

Products used:

Patterned Paper

GCD - Natural Beauty - Flying Free, Free, Twiggy
GCD - Family Jeans - Denim Dot

Crafty Chronicles
Mix'd Media Stax

Colour

Clearsnap Mix'd Media Inx Chox - Driftwood

Stamps

Donna Salazar - Chicken Wire

Dies

Spellbinders - Grand Peony Creations

Other

Alphas - GCD Fun & Funky Chipboard Alphas

Brads

Embroidery Thread

Lace.

Walking with Catitude * Donna Salazar Designs* & Video Tutorial on Background Stamping

OK, I think I am getting over my week, having a day just creating yesterday helped a lot! Will share more of that when I photograph the projects. It has been a nice change of pace for the weekend. I am feeling a lot better now! Thank you everyone for your beautiful words of advice and support! Really does mean a lot! So Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

On some other news I have just announced I will be having my first weekend workshop in Mackay on the 16th & 17th of March. I have just put a call out for expressions of interest, also if any one knows of any good venue's I should look into I would really appreciate it!


I am re-posting this project that was recently published in Scrapbook Creations Magazine

Welcome back, Today I have another video tutorial on creating your own background with Donna Salazar's stamps & Mix'd Media Inx & Smooch Sptitz. I have also used the Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms  on this layout! They are so gorgeous and perfect for creating flowers to suit any project.

 

 To give your bling butterflies more movement stick them to a piece of acetate, then cut it out and glue the center of the butterfly down with the wings slightly bent up.

 After cutting the leaves from the bitty blossoms, ink with Mossy Mix'd Media Inks then mist with water and crumple up to give the leaves more texture.

Here is the Video Tutorial on creating the patchwork stamped background!

Materials:

Donna Salazar Designs:

Clearsnap

Mix’d Media Inx - Peridot, Patina, Jasmine, Denim, Mossy

Smooch Spritz - Sea Breeze, Green Olive

SpellbindersBitty Blossoms

Want2Scrap

Wonderful Wings Nestabling7x7 Denim Sheets


Art Gone Wild Stamps
Crackle
Bubble Wrap Woodgrain
Dear Sir
Stanza
All My Love

GCD Studios

Botanique Collection

Other Products:

String
Clear Embossing Powder
Butterfly charm
Jenni Bowlin - Reverse Navy Stickers
Websters Pages - Little storytellers Colour Holiday
Plain Copy Paper to make a mask
Adhesives
Helmar Tiger Grip 

Tools
Heat Gun

Thanks for dropping by!
Have a great day!
Cheers
Michelle xx

It's been one of those weeks.....

I can't wait for this week to be over, it has been such a roller coaster with more lows than highs.
I feel stuck, I feel all the negative voices in my head having a field day. I feel like just sitting down and crying.
Just when I think it is all coming together and I am getting back on top of things it feels like I am hit with another blow. I know it is all just my perception of things and I am being over sensitive but it is so hard to get out of this crappy frame of thinking and just deal with it, get on with it and refocus!

Just found this quote ant it got me thinking. At first I agreed then I re read it and now I am not so sure. It is the now that keeps interrupting my focus for the future, it is the now that is presenting me with problem after problem at the moment. Think I need to sit and really take in this message, I would love your thoughts on this one, do you agree or not? What is your take on this quote??

Our internet is my main source of frustration, we are paying through the nose for 50GB on 2 separate wireless internet services, because previously the max we could get on each was 15GB at $100 each. After a 3 hour phone call to telstra they did me a deal that would give me a max of 25GB on each one but at a cost of $160 on one and not sure if the other will be $145 or $160, we havent seen that bill yet. But the catch is that because it is a special deal we are locked in for 24 months on each system but can drop it right down to the minimum plan if we want. But to rub salt in the wounds the internet still drops out every 5 min, and I might as well forget about it from 8pm to 9pm, you just can't get on. Makes me so fucking cranky (excuse the language) that's how mad it makes me. Well I am beyond mad now I just want to cry. I am trying to set up a business and get online coaching which had to be rescheduled this morning because we couldn't get a connection. So it is not only costing me time and money but others too. I am so over bloody Telstra.
It is so frustrating that Friends on the next road over can get ADSL and 200GB for a hell of a lot less.

Anyway I am hoping I will have a light at the end of this bloody tunnel and have just found another service provider in town this morning who can offer 100GB for $59 Hallafuckinloola!!!!  They will be out next Thursday to do a test to see if we can get their service out here! They also said it should be faster than the USB 4G we have! I am keeping absolutely everything bloody crossed, fingers and toes the lot, hoping that this will be the answer to all my internet problems and I can just go about work as usual instead of wasting half a day trying to get things done online!

Other things getting to me this week have been well the computer and internet have been the catalyst for everything really, Been worrying about the bills and money but having  the exorbitant internet fees have contributed to that. My computer died again, I had it custom built just over 14 months ago, and it has already needed the CPU processor replaced because it died and I was without my computer for over a month, then the other night it just died again and wouldn't start, so I  unplugged everything and cleaned it out and it started again then I proceeded to put everything back on one at a time to see if I could work out what was causing it. Well I plugged the internet USB in and it completely shut down again. So I tried the internet in the lap top and it worked. So I looked at the USB port and found on the ground a little bit of plastic, I then worked out it had come out of the USB Port. So what ever I was putting in that port was shorting out the computer! Still haven't rung my computer guy about it, because frankly I don't want to go back to him! He still charged me when the CPU processor died because it was about 8 days out of the 12 month warranty. This was the 2nd computer I have had through him and will be the last. So the said USB port has some tape over it until I find a new computer guy! I think I am going to go Mac with the next one!

Its amazing how these sort of things can totally derail you emotionally and physically.

I have also been worrying about my kids as they try and find their own way in this world. I always wonder if I have done enough in raising them. I hope I have done enough for them to strive to reach their own dreams and that they haven't inherited my own lack of self confidence and self doubt. Just had issues with Wil about his phone account too, if it doesn't rain it pours!! I don't think you ever stop worrying about your kids ever! This week has been a tough one as a mum!

So I am nearly through another day and at the end of the week and the only highlights I have had was going out to lunch with Don and finding potentially another internet provider, (fingers crossed) and receiving some beautiful messages and votes of confidence from some online friends! You guys keep me going! I really feel like I haven't gotten anywhere this week, still waiting to see my online  website too!

I know at the end of the day it will be all worth it! But I am feeling very overwhelmed at the moment and have let things get to me and get in the way and have been really down this week. I know I will be fine again soon, but I would like to learn how to not let these feelings take over and have control for so long!. 

Ok I am going to have some lunch and try and clear my head and see if I can't get back on track this arve!

Think I need to go over my affirmations that I have been working on again too!

1. I am always in the right place at the right time.

2. I always say the right thing with honesty, integrity & love

3. I am worthy of and deserving of freedom of expression, creativity, success & abundance!

I need to remember my words for 2013 and get back on track.

Sorry to go on with this rant, but I just had to get it all out.

Happy Birthday ~ Donna Salazar Designs ~

Hello again, How is this fine day treating you all??
I have made a couple of cards to show you today, I need to make more of an effort to make more cards, they always mean so much more when you receive them. These come about when I was cleaning up and putting stuff away and I picked something up and went, this would look good as a card and this would look good with that, anyway next minute instead of cleaning up I ended up with a bigger mess, but was happy to have created these 2 beautiful cards and cleaned up some of my scraps in the process. Gotta love that. So the clean up just took a detour!

I am shocking for remembering birthdays of all our extended family members I always start out well for Jan but then get so busy with life! This year I want to make sure I send a card to everyone and if not a card at least a phone call!

I have used the crafty Chronicle and Botanique papers for the card and flowers with a strip of canvas frayed to add a bit of interest.

I have used the Grand Peony Spellbinders die for the flowers.

I have used my fave DSD stamp the Dear Sir Stamp! I think it ends up on most projects!

I have use the new Mix'd Media Chox on this card (Petals)
as well as the Chiffon & Honey Mix'd Media Inks

Products used:

Patterned Paper

GCD Botanique

Crafty Chronicles

Chipboard

Want2Scrap - Chipbopard

Flowers

Dusty Attic

Prima

Colour

Clearsnap Mix'd Media Inx Chox - Petals
Clearsnap Mix'd Media Inx - Honey & Chiffon

Stamps

Donna Salazar - Dear Sir, Bricks

Dies

Spellbinders - Grand Peony Creations

Other

Brads
Happy Birthday stamp
Want 2 Scrap - Canvas Sheets

 

Love, Harmony ~ Feb ATC ~ Dusty Attic ***Give Away***

 Here is my ATC for Dusty Attic's  February ATC Challenge, the theme this month is "LOVE"

I have used the new ATC Shadow boxes for this ATC, I have also used the mini Cherubs, they are just adorable! I had fun creating this ATC!
I am sharing the love and having a  "Give Away" this month!!
If you would like to give this ATC Shadowbox a new home all you need to do to go in the draw is leave a comment on this post! I will be drawing the winner at the end of the month!
You will not only get this gorgeous ATC, I will also be throwing in a few Dusty Attic Pieces for you to enjoy too!!! 

The ATC Shadow Box fits a standard ATC in the center of the frame, I covered the shadow box with tissue paper and note paper then spritzed with Ginger Ale Smooch. I painted the heart white then sprayed it with the Ginger Ale Smooch sprtiz too!

The cherubs were painted with gold paint!

Materials:

Dusty Attic
Heart Flourish  - DA0667
mini Cherub - DA0782
ATC Shadow Box - DA0823

Dusty In Colour
Navajo White - DA0903

Tissue & Note paper
Heart Lock charm
Gauze & Lace
Smooch Spritz - Caramel Latte & Ginger Ale

 

Don't forget to leave a comment on this post to go in the draw to win this gorgeous ATC Shadow Box!

Good Luck!!!!

Month in Review - January 2013

Month in Review - January 2013
Well another month has flown by, they just seem to get quicker and quicker the older you get.

I have achieved quite a bit this month and not as much as I had hoped!
Ex Cyclone Oswald has wreaked havoc right down the Queensland coast this month. It was just like a normal big wet for us, we were just flooded in for the day. The winds were 90km as it crossed here, we were fine. It was good to see all my family out west getting some much needed rain.

The worst of the tropical low hit from Rockhampton down the coast with Bundaberg being hit the worst. As the high winds, rain & tornado's were closing in on Don's Family in Cooroy and Leonii in Brisbane we were completely cut off from contact, all our phones and internet were out. It was such a stressful 24 hours for me. All I could do was watch the news and hope they wouldn't be in it!! By the time our phones were back on and everyone was accounted for I just broke down in tears, it was such a horrible feeling having no contact and feeling so helpless, I had no contact with Don either as  he was at work too.

So with all that happening plans with my online store have been delayed, I hope it will be up and running very soon!! Fingers crossed! I have started planning for my first online workshop, so I am really excited about it! I hope to have it online before the end of this month!!

 

I went live with my Face Book page for Michelle Grant desiGns this month! Was a huge scary step for me, I was blown away that I got 100 likes in 4 hours of going live!! Still working out all the cross linking with the blog etc! Such a big job and learning curve for me.

 

I designed my logo and blog banner and background this month, that was another big thing to cross off my list. I was so happy with how this canvas turned out for my banner!! I still have some tweaking to do on the logo and banner but I am getting there

 

I was a guest designer for Moulds by Mel this month too, you can see the post HERE with the projects I created for her. 

 

The coaching with Jessica Brogan has been going really well, It has helped to overcome a lot of hurdles!! Still lots of work to be done, but I am getting there.

 

I haven't been to the movies since forever and then I have been twice in the last month.
I had a day with the Tuesday Girls and we went and saw "Les Mis", the acting and singing were brilliant,  just don't go if you are feeling down it is not an uplifting movie.

Then I went with Don, we had what you could probably call our first Date Day! We had a lovely day together, first we caught up with Lisa while she was back from Townsville for the weekend where she is having her Radiation treatments. Was lovely to catch up. Then Don and I went and saw the movie "The Impossible" I had heard that it was a beautiful human spirit story even though the circumstances were so devastating, being about the boxing day tsunami. The kids who acted in this movie deserve an oscar. They were amazing. It really was a beautiful human spirit movie and was extremely well done! So hard to believe it was based on a true story. I won't give any more away, but was well worth seeing! Don and I had a lovely day, hope to make it more of a regular thing!

 

On the creating front, I feel like I havent done much this month, but when I stop to look back I have done more than I realized.  I created this canvas for Wil, this is in memory of his dog Rusty who we found had passed away when we got back from our Christmas holidays.

Something that was good that come from this was Wil finding a little creativity in him, he has shown no interest at all in what I do so was a lovely surprise when he came in and asked to do some canvas's for his room. I gave a little help and tuition but I am so proud of his final result! He even wants to do more! I am looking forward to creating more with him too!! Really fills my heart!

I have been having a go at painting faces lately, although I am happy with these they are far from perfect, I hope to learn how to do these better this year and how to balance the facial features better. I still had fun doing them, this one I actually started last year, was good to get one finished.

 This one is still in progess, I don't think she needs to much more, but I feel like its not quite finished! I am liking the one colour on here with the pencil features and impasto texture, I drew her while I was on holidays last year too. I need to find some time to do more of these!

 On the home front I managed to capture a beautiful sunset the other night, I am finally starting to work out the best settings on the SLR for capturing all the beautiful colours in sunsets.

As soon as I see that beautiful glow through the window I just have to go out and watch it! I was lucky to have the camera ready to go on this day. I don't know what it is about them, I just find them so captivating, they just have a special place in my heart!

This one even has a little leftover jet stream on the left hand side in the blue sky. I am so blessed that our views give us these gorgeous backdrops!

It has been so hot this month, with many days above 40 degrees, the humidity has been unbearable, just walking out in the heat feels like someone sitting on your chest, the air has been sooo heavy it has really played up with my asthma. 
This pic below is a storm brewing in the south, it just looked like a wall of white creeping up towards us. I think this storm ended up going around us thank goodness.

Here is Don and Tilly in front of our little home, love this time of the day with the sunsets. We are hoping to start some renovations this year, would be so nice to have an outside area that doesn't get wet every time it rains!

A rare shot of Tilly sitting with the ball beside her, only because she was already worn out from chasing it around the yard. She doesn't give up easy when it comes to her ball. We had her fixed up this month so she has been allowed inside. We couldn't leave her outside as she likes to go and sit in the trough and she couldn't get her stitches wet. So now she thinks she owns the place and has claimed Wil's room to sleep in! She is definitely a sook dog now and makes her way in and out through the cat door. Its a tight squeeze for her LOL! The cats walk past her looking at her like "who the hell let you in here" LOL

 This is the "Throw the Ball!!!!!!!" Look, she just loves it!! LOL

The cows are glad to see the rain, we so badly needed it for the grass.

 So lovely to see the paddocks green again.
Although the flys are really bad at the moment, we had a plague of horsefly's there for a bit too!

 

I think Fatso AKA "Cynder" might be fat for a reason this month, she is the only pet not fixed up yet, so she will be lined up next for a visit to the vets.

 So looking forward to this crop of passionfruit ripening! Can't wait! Yum!!

 I was treated to this site outside of my office window too, these photos were taken through the window, even the little joey in her pouch poked its head out for a photo.

I just love living out here!!
Anyway that was my month that was.

Coming up in February........

I will be starting a new monthly challenge series on my blog in February! Really looking forward to sharing that with you too!!!
I will also have an ATC give away coming up this month!
I am looking forward to going to an Art retreat in Brisbane with Tracy Verdugo in Feb but even more so that I will get to see my baby girl again too!! Been missing her heaps lately!

I hope your month went by without too many life drama's getting in the way!!
Wishing you all a fabulous February!!