Category: Online Education

The Creative Crafters Circle Community on Skool

Building communities based on mutual interests and not being distracted by all the shiny objects.

I hope you’re having a wonderful fall so far. We have had unseasonably warm temperatures, which has made me happy. Although when it does get cold it’s going to be a shock to our systems.

In my last post I talked about getting back to doing the things that bring me joy. I have been enjoying my time back at the sewing machine, and have picked up my crochet hook again. And today I ordered 3 lbs of alpaca fiber so I can get back to my spinning wheel.

Disclaimer: Links within this post are either to my own products, or products I endorse. I may receive a small commission should you make a purchase through an affiliate link, at no extra cost to you. My blog is supported through commissions and sales of my products. Plus, if you like what you read you can show your support by pinning this post, sharing on social media, or buy me a coffee.  Thank you for your continued support.

September was a busy month with weddings (one being my son’s), taking care of my granddaughter on occasion, and taking advantage of some sewing days with the local quilt guild. Plus the yard and house work never ends, no matter what time of year it is.

I have been doing some soul searching and have realized it’s time to stop chasing the shiny objects and just do what I love to do. I came to the conclusion that the internet can be a wonderful thing, and not so wonderful at the same time.

There are so many people trying to get our attention online at any given moment, it’s hard to stay focused on the task at hand. We’ve all been there: check social media, read a blog post, check our email…all the while getting taken down multiple rabbit holes. And in the end, did we get done what we started to? Chances are not.

Which brings me to my realization:

I’ve been wanting to share what I know about various crafts for some time now and have dug into my memory bank and made a list. I surprised myself when I realized just how many different crafts I have tried over the years. Some were a passing phase while others continue to call me regularly. Even when I wasn’t actively pursuing them, I was thinking about the things I’d make.

Being given the opportunity to attend the quilt retreat brought back the excitement I felt when I’d cut up perfectly good fabric just to sew it back together again.

While having a conversation on the phone with my daughter one day not too long ago, she said Little Missy didn’t have a winter hat. So out came the alpaca yarn and a crochet hook. And because I used the wrong hook initially, my daughter and granddaughter now have Mommy-and-Me hats. It was such a good feeling to turn that skein of yarn into something that would keep heads warm. (I think some matching mittens might be in order as well.)

Which brings me to the reason behind creating a community for crafters.

I’ve designed and written crochet and quilt patterns, taught others how to spin their own yarn, taught others how to crochet and quilt, and have dabbled in a variety of crafts over the years. During the learning stages of some of them it would have been great to log into a community where I could ask questions and get help when I was struggling with a stitch or method.

I have now created the community I longed to have.

In my quest for finding a community-based platform without ads (so members wouldn’t get sucked down yet another rabbit hole) I learned about Skool: the platform that lets creators focus on their niche, build their community, and help others solve problems and learn at the same time. The beauty of it is there’s an option to create courses within the platform, which is another plus.

The beauty of the platform is it’s not only designated to crafts; that’s simply my choice for a community. There are thousands of other communities that focus on business, medicine, pets, trading, sports, and the list goes on. I scrolled through the directory and was amazed at how much variety there is.

A lot of the communities focus on earning money online and many charge a monthly fee. The community (The Creative Crafters Circle) I have created is free for members so they can get answers to the craft-related questions they have. It’s in its early stages and it’s my mission to nurture it to its fullest potential.

I love to see what others are creating, help with problems they may be having with a particular craft, and learn from others who know more than I do. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, so lets have some discussions about the crafts that we enjoy.

And because I consider writing a craft, there’s a category for that within the community as well. It’s not what most would consider a traditional craft, but I have found the two go hand in hand; at least for me. I can come up with story/book ideas while I’m crocheting, which is a form of meditation for me. The repetitive motion of the hook and yarn lets my mind wander and new scenes or characters are born.

I invite you to join me if crafting of any type is what you like to do, or if you have ideas for your own community. I’d love to see you there and find out what you enjoy doing; whether it’s knitting, crocheting, weaving, quilting, beading, writing, scrapbooking, cardmaking, spinning (yarn), etc.

Have you heard of Skool before? Let me know in the comments.

Save Time by Buying Designs with a Commercial Rights License

I honestly don’t know where the time goes. Why is it that the older we get the faster time seems to fly? I wish Social Studies class would have gone by as fast back in high school.

I’ve been working on adding items to my Etsy Shop, with the latest being a set of colouring pages for Valentine’s Day. What makes the colouring pages fun is picking and choosing clip art I downloaded from Creative Fabrica, and using Affinity Designer to arrange it. No matter how many people have downloaded the clip art bundle I did, no two projects will be the same. That’s the beauty of mixing and matching.

Creating your own products for your digital store is much simpler when you’re able to get graphics and clip art with commercial rights licensing. Plus you can also use the designs on physical products. So far I have only used a fraction of what I downloaded for digital products, but I also intend to create a few products for my Zazzle Shop.

Disclaimer: Links within this post are either to my own products, or products I endorse. I may receive a small commission should you make a purchase through an affiliate link, at no extra cost to you. My blog is supported through commissions and sales of my products. Plus, if you like what you read you can show your support by pinning this post, sharing on social media, or buy me a coffee.  Thank you for your continued support.

And let’s face it, some of us just can’t draw worth a crap. I have tried time and again to draw something more than a simple flower, but I just did not inherit my mom’s artistic talent. Thankfully I did inherit a love of writing from her though.

By investing a few dollars in designs with commercial licensing you can save time and get your products into your Etsy Shop or website sooner. I use a few resources when it comes to creating my own products, and I do have to say it has been a good thing. Yes, I’ve spent some money along the way but I’ve also created products I wouldn’t have otherwise.

If you’re new to creating printables, check out the Printables by Number link over on my Tools & Resources page. I have learned so much from John & Suzi. Plus they keep updating their courses as they learn new strategies, shortcuts, and ways of doing things. My favourite part about what they sell and teach is they created the tools for themselves first.

The image above is one of the colouring pages I added to my Etsy Shop earlier today. It’s part of the 5-page PDF, and it’s ideal for kids or adults to colour. The images are taken from a few different files and arranged to make this cute colouring page.

I bought the annual membership for Creative Fabrica which gives me access to tens of thousands of designs. If you’re not into designing colouring pages, there are also KDP Ready files available for low-content books. I have taken pages from a few to make my own printable and digital planners, but the files are available to use as-is.

And while we’re on the topic of commercial use files, I have a few sets of digital paper with commercial use rights over on Gumroad. Unlike a lot of other platforms, I’m limiting downloads of these packages to 100 worldwide.

They were created using Affinity and other software I invested in. There has been a learning curve, as there is with everything new. If you’re a planner or journal creator, these are great used as backgrounds and covers. And if you have a Zazzle Store you can use the designs on mugs, playing cards, blankets, tote bags, etc. There are so many options.

Have you bought designs with commercial use rights? Or do you sell your creations on platforms such as Creative Market, Creative Fabrica, or Gumroad? Let me know in the comments below.

Become an affiliate and earn 50% commissions promoting my digital paper packs (which come with commercial use licenses). For more details please visit https://takeonlifeafter50.gumroad.com/affiliates.

Why It’s Good to Think Outside the Box

Do you ever have a “Why didn’t I think of this before?” moment?

I’ve had a few of them lately, and it’s annoying. And mostly because it’s been such simple stuff.

For example, I’ve been concentrating on making printables for my Etsy Shop and just came to the conclusion the same files can be used in Goodnotes or other notetaking apps. It looks like I have some listings to revamp.

Disclaimer: Links within this post are either to my own products, or products I endorse. I may receive a small commission should you make a purchase through an affiliate link, at no extra cost to you. My blog is supported through commissions and sales of my products. Plus, if you like what you read you can show your support by pinning this post, sharing on social media, or buy me a coffee.  Thank you for your continued support.

Sometimes we get too set in our ways.

I’m the type of person who likes things as they were. It’s hard for me to make drastic changes in life willingly. However, those changes have happened whether I wanted them to or not.

When Ross died I kept as much the same in the house as I could. His clothes were still there, everything on his nightstand, and so forth. It took a long time before I gradually started giving away/tossing his things. When I moved, I probably kept more than I should have.

Getting settled into my new place has been an adventure to say the least. Once I wrapped my head around the fact I could change the colours of the walls, replace the flooring, and make changes as I see fit, it has been easier to do.

Me and my wanting things to stay the same is interfering with how the yard is going to change this summer. I love the grass (over an acre of it I’m sure), but the practical me knows that space can be better utilized for growing flowers, fruit, and vegetables. I even have trouble changing things other people did.

The point I’m trying to make is we all too often get in our own way. Just because something has been done a certain way for ages doesn’t mean that’s the only way. The older I get, the more I’m realizing it.

In order to improve, we have to be willing to make changes.

Improvement doesn’t miraculously just happen. We have to make it happen. Whether it’s improving our health or financial status, we’re the ones responsible. And the improvements also mean hard work on our part.

Sure, we’d like to think things will just fall into our laps, but that does not happen. And if by some chance it does, the circumstances haven’t been the best to make it happen. (Ask me how I know.)

I’ve spent the better part of the last 2 1/2+ years taking courses, reading, and working to improve what I do and how to do it. I have also ventured into some unknown territory regarding my writing and creating, but I know better things are in store.

As we all know, everything works in theory. But in order to make it work for real we have to take chances and be willing to make changes.

No matter what we do in life we have to be willing to make changes; or at least accept that sometimes change is inevitable. Plus we have to work on being better versions of ourselves. I have a quote on my office wall that says “It’s not about being the best; it’s about being better than you were yesterday.” It’s a quote I refer to often, especially when things aren’t proceeding like I think they should be.

So when you’re stuck in your thinking, or in a creative rut, take a step back and think about what you can do to make things better. Write it out, talk it out, or colour it out. You never know what will present the “aha” moment you need.