Tag: life after 50

Growth Never Stops, No Matter How Old You Are.

Hi! I know, I know…it’s been weeks since I’ve written anything. I haven’t forgotten about you wonderful readers; I just didn’t know where I was going so wanted to figure that out first.

And when I say going, I don’t mean moving. I’m quite content with my house and now that spring is here, I see I have a mountain of yardwork to do. And all of our snow hasn’t melted yet.

Don’t feel bad though, because all of my blogs and websites suffered the same fate. I was equally slacking on all fronts when it came to posting.

Sometimes we just need that away time to get our head out of our ass and really figure out what to do with life. I guess we never do get it figured out completely because there’s always a little hiccup here and there. It’s those hiccups that make us think though; at least for me it is.

Winter tends to take its toll on me some years, and this one has been no different. I always have big plans of having walking trails, going outside more, and not letting the dreary days get to me. And then the wind blows, the snow drifts cover my trails, and I decide staying inside is so much better. And yes, I have become quite accustomed to staying inside when it’s minus 40 out.

My boyfriend and I did get away for a couple of days in early March. We stayed at West Edmonton Mall, and took in some shopping, some waterpark time, and a round of mini golf. There is so much to see and do there, a couple of days just isn’t quite enough time.

It was that trip that sparked a whole new hobby for me; one that I’m going to be gradually turning into a side hustle. We were walking by a framing shop when a painting caught my eye, and well, let’s just say I was hooked. That painting almost came home with me; but I just couldn’t justify the price tag on it. I recently spent less than that on a 6 piece sectional for my living room.

I can only dream of being as good as the artist that did the painting I want, but it gives me a goal to work toward. And who knows: that painting may work its way into my home yet.

I have purchased books, paints, canvases, easels, brushes, and palettes; watched YouTube videos; and painted some smaller scenic pictures. The 4″ X 4″ canvas was painted black only because I had some black paint left from another painting. It stayed that way for over a week, then one day I decided to add a few grey and white brushstrokes to it. I had considered adding some colourful blossoms, but decided against it. What I’m left with is, if I do say so myself, strikingly simple.

That little painting has become part of my logo for my DLZArtworkandMore Etsy Shop (formerly TOLA50Printables). So yes, I have changed the name of my shop; but that was better than starting another. The printable and digital products will still be available, but I will now also be shipping physical products. I have the resources and equipment to create physical products, so I have decided to branch out a little.

New logo for my revamped Etsy Shop.

My other Etsy Shop, NotJustalpacaDesigns, will be closed on April 30, 2023. If you’re interested in getting any of my crochet patterns, books, or my writing course, now is the time to do it. The entire shop is 60% off until April 30. It has been a wonderful shop, and has given me a good run; but now it’s time to shut it down.

The winter has also had me out on a snowmobile, with our St. Patrick’s Day trip getting cut short not long after it started. My inexperience resulted in a textbook launch over a grader ridge, and apparently a perfect landing. All was good until impact and my face hit the handlebars, resulting in losing my helmet. It was a freak thing, because the helmet nicely positioned itself on the dash as soon as it left my head, and the glasses I was wearing under the goggles cut into my forehead. That in turn resulted in a trip to the ER to get my forehead taped back together.

We are thankful for a helpful neighbour, who drove me back to my boyfriend’s place then took him to retrieve the other snowmobile. It’s amazing how deep the nose piece on a pair of glasses can really cut, even though a person doesn’t really have much for tissue on the forehead. Needless to say, I decided then and there I was done with snowmobiling for the season.

All is well, and the cut has now become a scar that makes me look like I have a permanent scowl (not just when I am scowling…lol). I’m none the worse for wear, didn’t suffer a concussion, and learned that anticipated impact is always harder than one thinks.

On March 25th we celebrated my granddaughter’s first birthday. My daughter made her a smash cake, and that little girl had icing and cake everywhere. It was so much fun to watch her taste the icing for the first time, then eventually pick up the cake. When it came apart she had a piece in each hand, and wasn’t sure which to take a bite of first. It’s the moments like that we need to make time for, because we’ll never get them back.

I know I have rambled a little more than I had planned, but I tend to do that on occasion. Plus you’re now aware of the few little changes that will be taking place over the next while. This blog will stay, and my yoga journey (which went wayside) will resume; but will be a part of this site as soon as I can figure out how to move it all over.

And as much as I wanted to publishing venture to work, I realized my heart just isn’t in it. It might be more of a behind-the-scenes thing when I publish my own books, but the website will be deleted. I found I was spreading myself too thin, and something has to go.

I’ll be modifying past blog posts, adjusting some of the links in the sidebar (or removing them entirely), and creating new products of my Etsy Shop. These little things will take some time to get done, but working toward a simpler system has given me peace of mind. It has also relieved some of the stress I was feeling because I was trying to do it all.

Thanks for sticking with me, and I look forward to getting back on track here. Have a wonderful week, and may your spring bring joy, fresh air, and beautiful gardens.

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.