Posts Tagged ‘SBC goals’

SBC News (Part 2 of 3): My Tentative Painting Plan for 2012!

Sunday, January 15th, 2012

Hi Friends and Fans!

Yesterday I wrote about how I am changing Simply the Best Creations back to what it used to be…from business to hobby and I explained why and all that good stuff! You can read it HERE if you missed it.

On this blog post, I want to tell you my tentative painting plans for 2012. It is the plan NOW, but that doesn’t mean it won’t change later.

From now till the end of August this year,  I will be working on my own personal home decor projects. I have about 11 projects to complete (some are rather small so I combined those into one month) and so I gave myself one month to work on each big project. As I complete a project, I will share them on this website/blog. You can steal these ideas and use them to your advantage whenever and wherever you want. I give you full permission to do so. I may even come up with tutorials for other projects or make something completely different and share it with you on this blog too.

I also have over 60 clear ornaments sitting in my closet waiting to be painted. I have decided to go ahead and paint them for Christmas at least one more year (tentatively speaking). So, from September 1st till about November 20th or so (this year), I will paint those ornaments to sell. If that doesn’t work out or I decide not to paint those ornaments (as time gets closer to September), I will donate them to a church.

I am keeping my mind open to new and creative adventures. Right now, I am in the experimental mode and so I will be playing around with my craft and art supplies and seeing if I’d like to pursue something else. There are no limitations to creativity and I have many ideas in my head all the time.

I will still keep this website/blog and my ETSY shop to sell and share my stuff. I will no longer be exploring any other online stores to sell my stuff, at this time.

Tomorrow, Part 3 of 3, Getting Rid of Unnecessary Clutter and Streamlining Simply the Best Creations!

Devil's Bay Ocean in Oregon

Devil's Bay Ocean in Oregon

 

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SBC News (Part 1 of 3): Going From Business to Hobby!

Saturday, January 14th, 2012
Depoe Bay Oregon Sunset

Depoe Bay Oregon Sunset

Hi Friends and Fans!

After a few months of soul searching and heart changes, I have decided to make Simply the Best Creations back to what it used to be—a HOBBY! (like it used to be before 2009). At least for now—which means it could change later!

For the last three years I have worked myself to the bone on making Simply the Best Creations work as a entrepreneurial  career, but for the last 5 months or so I’ve been feeling the need to make some changes creatively speaking, and on focusing my attentions else where for the moment.

No matter what the experts tell you, the economy DOES have an impact on your sales. You have to work triply harder MORE SO than what you did a few years ago. I got an eye opener working at the holiday boutique in Upland this last December. The owner of this boutique enlightened me. He informed me that in the last 30 years of running holiday boutiques all over Southern California, the sales have dwindled down to about a third of what they used to be….and all the advertising and marketing was NOT the problem. People are just watching their money more. He has the facts to back that statement up. It’s called accounting.

But it isn’t just about the economy. You see, it’s not that I didn’t try or that I did or did not do anything I should or shouldn’t of done. Sometimes life just tells you to go another direction (part of it me knowing that living a more simple life is better for me too). I no longer feel as passionate about painting for a LIVING where marketing and being on the computer took up most of my time. Rather I feel as if I need to go back to doing it for fun, and not because I need to meet a deadline or to do a special order for someone.

When painting was JUST a hobby, sometimes I went a few months without working on any projects at all. I would work on OTHER hobbies and interests, as painting was not the only thing I was passionate about. In the last few months, I’ve been feeling a tug on my heart. I would  just paint and ignore other creative projects I liked to do as well, especially personal projects such as scrap booking my photos and being more physically active in my life. So, I am making the big switch over again so I can pursue that part of me once again!

I have enjoyed this creative  journey very much though! I have learned so much AND I have not given up the “entrepreneur” in me just yet either! I am keeping the door open for future opportunities.

I will still continue to paint and share my projects on this website and on my Facebook profile! Maybe I’ll even make jewelry, create greeting cards or make some embellishments for scrap booking. Anything. It doesn’t really matter. One of the reasons I named this business SIMPLY THE BEST CREATIONS was to be able to create anything I wanted without it just being dedicated to doing ONE type of art or craft!

I will continue to occasionally sell stuff on this website AND on my ETSY shop. I may even continue to paint ornaments for Christmas … but I will do this leisurely, and just paint when I feel like it! We shall see what life brings!

Thank you for being part of my creative journey!

Tomorrow, Part 2 of 3, my tentative painting plan (as a hobby) for 2012.

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Very Important News! I’m Changing My Focus on This Website!

Monday, August 1st, 2011

Hi Everyone!

News ImageIn an effort to streamline and simplify my online presence and in creating more time for my art work and other fun and healthy goals, I have decided to make some changes on my website/blog.

1. My blog will now be called “NEWS”. In other words, I will only be writing about exciting news for Simply the Best Creations. This includes events,  interviews or news media material, new product launch information, anything that is exciting newsworthy material that will make a huge difference in the life of Simply the Best Creations. My “News” blog will no longer feature each painted piece of art that  includes pictures with Paypal buttons. All of my art will now be featured, described and sold (with pictures and descriptions ) on my ETSY SHOP.

ETSY is a marketplace where all things handmade, homemade, etc. is sold. Tons of artists display their goodies by use of a storefront where it gives a story and description of each item, a price, shipping fees, shop announcements and policies, enabling all of us artists and designers to make use of all of their merchant tools, support forums, and other goodies. By doing this, it allows me more freedom and time to create and design and streamlines it into one storefront instead of several storefronts.

2. My focus will be simple. My focus will only be in designing my creations, and writing newsworthy material regarding Simply the Best Creations and its progress. The extra articles I used to love to writing about, such as “Featured Artists”, “Beauty Recipes”, “Just For Fun”, “Greeting Card Tutorials” and other fun stuff, will not be the focus of this website any longer.

You are welcomed to join me on my Facebook business page where I will post pictures of my artwork and other fun things. Make sure to click on the LIKE button on that FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE and you are in (you have to have a Facebook profile to be able to join). I am also on Twitter and you can connect with me there, and you can also find me on the new Google + account under the name Ann Lihl. You are welcome to put me in your circle and I will do the same for you.

I will leave my beauty recipes up on this site till August 15th, at which time I will be taking that material off my website. All of my art work for sale will go in my ETSY SHOP. I encourage you to take advantage of this time to print out any beauty recipes you may want for your future use. Most of these recipes I got from books and videos online. There are tons of websites that have “natural beauty recipes” and other material. You can check on YouTube, or do a search on a search engine such as Google. There are probably hundreds of websites and online resources for your benefit. I have enjoyed sharing with you all these wonderful things, and I will continue to use the most natural approach to being beautiful myself.

Thank you and pretty soon I will have a special newsworthy announcement in regards to a new product launch coming up in just a week or two’s time! Stay tuned!

 

 

 

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Ann Lihl’s Art: What Is New for 2011?

Friday, January 14th, 2011
Whatever You CHOOSE to do, Do it WELL (a rock at the beach in Lincoln City, Oregon)-2010

Whatever You CHOOSE to do, Do it WELL (a rock at the beach in Lincoln City, Oregon)-2010

Hi Everyone!

I didn’t think I would take so long to get back to blogging, but I needed the time off to do some organizing and thinking. I took a two week vacation to Oregon to see family during the holidays and when I came back I felt the need to organize my apartment and to get rid of unneeded things. I also felt the need to just take it easy.

I am in the process of figuring out what kind of neat things I’d like to blog about this year, and I am also thinking about what kind of artsy things to paint and create. I love variety and so I always want to change with the times in bringing what’s best to all of us.

2010 was an awesome year for me! I launched my website and I sold stuff on ETSY for the first time ever! I also made more sales and created more things this year than any other year! I’ve been told that I have gotten better with my designs and detail and that was something I challenged myself to do—to raise the bar— bringing the very best to myself and to others. 2010 was also the year that I learned how to blog, how to maintain a website and the year that I officially became my own boss.

This year I’d like to increase the quality of my product by being more thematic, with new designs, and maybe even creating something I have never sold before. In other words, something not ornament related. I am still planning this as I write so I can’t tell you the details yet, but I always try to make it interesting and exciting by bringing something new to the table.

I still have no desire to do huge canvas paintings or to paint portraiture of humans or animals….ALTHOUGH— I do have a special order on painting a bird for someone!! We shall see how that goes. In general though, I want to stick to what I feel inspired to do and so that doesn’t mean I will always do as others want me to create. I welcome all ideas though…one idea often leads to another idea.

One of my blog plans is to feature a new artist on my blog every month! I love to buy and share other people’s work and I fully support handmade products as I think it’s important to support others and to stay true to ourselves by being creative and using that part of our brain to keep us healthy. For those of you who claim you don’t have a creative bone–don’t even go there! Everyone has something to bring to the table! Some are more gifted in a certain area, but we all are creative in some way, shape or form!! Even those of you who like to make homemade beauty products, prepare gourmet food or come up with a creative way to talk to others or being organized—THAT is a way of being creative. We are all creative and we all need to help and be there for each other.We get back so much more when we give! Believe me! I’ve seen and felt this happen so much, especially this last year!

I shall keep you posted on my future goals. I hope more than anything that I can help inspire others to be happy by being creative and supportive. I wish you all a blessed and productive 2011!! NEVER GIVE UP!!!

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