Whaddya mean?!?

Wanda commented: Jan Tink back in the old days when you didn't have much of a life, you use to post almost every day.

Whaddya mean, Wanda? I have no life!

My whole life is servitude to ungrateful children...sigh...that's no life!

Yes, I'm kidding. Yes, I have been busy. I decided, in a moment of sheer madness (and probably idiocy as well), to enter the Artisan Award contest at SU! this year. For those who don't know what that is, it's a contest that SU! has been holding for the past three years to showcase ten demonstrators whom they decide are the most creative and talented. And since the prizes are $500 in cash, plus $500 in catalog merchandise, not to mention an Artisan Award memento (I think it's a necklace or a bracelet), a reception at convention (assuming you go, which I probably will not because I probably will not have the money) and the opportunity to participate in monthly challenges, which means free goodies every month, I would assume, to do the challenges, lots of people enter every year hoping to be one of the ten. And, believe it or not, I have never entered this contest. Until now.

So I have to crank out five of my most GOJUS cards, plus two 3-D items and three scrapbook pages. And I have to have them done and to SU! by the 20th of April (which is my birthday, btw...make your chocolate plans accordingly.) And the worst thing is that I can't show you these wondermous creations!!!

It's killing me, I tell ya! I have already made one GOJUS 3-D item and four of the cards I need and I started this on Saturday. I am cookin'! But I can't show them off because they are supposed to be "not submitted to a website" which I *think* means I can't put them up here either. Not sure...but not being able to show off and crow over my beauties is KILLING ME.

Besides that, one of the worst things about entering a contest where you need more than one entry is that every time you finish something, you compare it to the other things you've finished and you start second-guessing: "Now that I finished this, that other card doesn't look quite...right somehow...maybe I should tear it apart and redo it???" This must be resisted or you will never get done. I have already torn one apart and changed the color of the card base. And now I have my eye on one of the other cards...should I???? NO!!!! MUST RESIST!!!!

The other thing to keep in mind is that they want to see a variety of styles in your entry. So you can't stick to that thing you do the best, you have to try to show a variety of things you do best. And you have to have a variety of stamp styles, too...some line art, some two step, etc. Something that uses die cuts. Something that has patterned paper. Something that has none. Something that uses a technique. A variety of color. It's a balancing act. You think up and reject dozens of ideas. Or you sit, despairing at being able to think up one more idea...

Plus you have to be even more anal than you usually are, to get things just so.

I think it's going to drive me nuts!

My children, bless them, have already convinced themselves that I am going to win. And they are already planning on how I should spend the money on a Wii for them with lots of games. I haven't told them they are out of their little brains because at least it keeps them from being too demanding while genius burns. "Oh yeah...mom is making cards so she will win money to buy us a Wii! Shhhhhh..."

On the health front, I went to the ENT today. Who informed me that the middle ear infections are gone, but the left ear canal is infected, which is why it still hurts. And the right ear...there was a hair in there that was causing all the noise in that ear. I'm still wondering how that works, but I can tell you one thing, it sure hurt coming out.

Anyway, I have drops for the infected ear and the right ear feels much better now.

So, I do have something I *can* show you...my Controlfreaks swap!!!

Lookie:

 

Ingredients: (all SU!) Stamps - Great Friend; Paper - Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Pink Piroutte, Walk in the Park DSP; Ink - Basic Grey, Cameo Coral Craft, Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, So Saffron; Other - Scallop Circle die, SU! Texturz plate, Clear EP, Eyelet Border punch, Basic grey tafetta ribbon, Going Grey marker, dimensionals, sponge wedges

GOJUS!!! I have a thing for this scallop die and have been having fun with it. Here's how the inside looks:

And a little detail: originally I had just stamped this butterfly in die ink, but embossed craft ink looks MUCH better:

And to think I made 30 of these. The mind boggles.

Well, it's late and I need me beauty sleep. Ta!

Comments

[Cindy Van Sluys]

Glad you are feeling better! Gorgeous card and so different too! Best wishes with the contest....you are a great artist and do deserve to win!!

Cindy

[Brandi]

You mean I'm getting one of THESE???? Giddy-up. I'm veddy, veddy, happy. I live in the great white north of Canada so my swaps haven't gotten to me yet. I hear they are the shiznit so I'm stalking my postman like a good swap addict. Beautiful, Jan. Good luck on the Artisan Award!

[Sharon]

Jan,

I enjoyed reading your blog...glad to hear you're better, healthwise. I'll wait patiently for you to win the Artisan Award! Good luck.

[Heidi Lopez]

Jan,

You truly do rock! I love visiting your blog. You are sure to win the Artisian Award.

So glad you are feeling better also.

[Michelle Wallace]

Missed you greatly Jan!!! BTW- my anniversary & my mom's birthday are also on April 20th!!! What a beautiful day the 20th is!!:)) Love the card, can't wait to see the other projects, you should be a shoe-in for Artisan!! Later!

[Terry Molineux]

Jan You are one amazing woman! Cannot believe all that you handle in one day. It makes me sad that I am unemployed all my children are grown and I cannot even get one card done in a day!

I know too you are going to win the Artisan Award....your creations are too good to pass up and when I am at convention and they call your name.....I am going to scream so loud you'll hear me at home! LOL

Thanks so much for sharing your creations with us...You are the best!

[MaryR]

super cute scallop card - love all the details on it. bwahaha at your kids and good luck, you def deserve the artisan. can't wait to see your winning creations!

[Kathe D]

I was surfing around the SU! site the other day, and I wondered why I didn't see you as an Artisan Award winner, because OBVIOUSLY you should be. Now that I know you never entered, it finally makes sense!

[Angela Sulik]

Love the little card - very original. Best of luck with your creations. Oh, you should go to convention. You deserve it!

[Desirée]

Oooh...I can't WAIT to see your Artisan Award entries! If I wasn't having a baby...any day now...I might have THOUGHT about entering - and then when I found out YOU were entering, I would have decided not to:) Can't compete! :) Love today's card - my scallop die is waiting to be experimented with!

[Becky G.]

I hope you win, I hope you win, I hope you win!!! I am so inspired by you, as re the other million people who follow your blog.

[KellyinID]

Hey Jan..very purdy..like much..thanks for the share and I hope you can post those entries for us soon enough though..Have a wonderful day..

[Stephanie P.]

The world is a better place with Jan Tink on the mend!! I LOVE your scallop card - that embossed butterfly is indeed GOJUS! I will send positive thoughts your way that you get your projects done and submitted by the 20th and that they WIN!! Looking forward to maybe seeing them someday, too!?!!

[Jeanette Lemay]

Jan,

Love the embossed butterfly -- that is truly smokin'! You must have one steady hand to make all your pen work so evenly spaced and snugged up to the edge so neatly.

Glad to "hear" you're getting better. I live in fear of ear infections--typically, in the Spring with all the bloomin' trees. I use a water pik to rinse them out to try to keep the "log jam" from happening.

Finally, I truly do hope you win the Artisan Award from SU. Your creativity is astounding!

Ta! jl

[Linda Slattery]

Oh Jan, I was so pleased to read that your health is on the mend. As for the rest of your post, you can just go back and re-read what Michelle Wallace wrote above, and double it for me. Well, you will have to take out the "grown children" part, and the "when I'm at Convention" part.....oh Heck...let's just forget what Michelle Wallace said, I'm so darned proud of you for having the guts to enter the contest for Artisan Award, I could burst!! Their requirements for entry are mind-boggling to me. Maybe you could convince your DH and kids to go to visit some relative until the 20th, or at the very least go to a hotel, so you can have your creative juices flowing without any interruptions??? You are wished the best of luck from me. Linda S. in NE

[Linda Slattery]

Whoops, I see our names are UNDER our comments. Let's change my comment above to read "Terri Molineux" not "Michelle Wallace". Yeah, like it makes a difference, are there any of us who do not love Jan??? Linda S. in NE

[Jane Harrah]

Win or not, I think you are a unique artisan! You already have an award in my book.

[Wanda McIntyre]

Okay Jan, At least you always have good reasons:0) I hate to be the one to let you in on a little secret, but once your kids are grown and on their own, It don't get any easier. (as far as having more time.) But we sacrifical moms/grandmoms will persevere.
Love the card can't/won't tell you all the times I've cased your cards for a class. Of course I always let them know it is not one of my orginal designs, I got it from Jan Tink and they say Jan who?....
Good luck with the Artisan Award. Leave it alone, go to bed and look at it in the morning. (even though you probably already did that) I'd vote for you!
Please let us know what hospital you are in when you win and if your kids don't get a Wii:0)

[Mary Anne in NJ]

Longtime viewer, first-time commenter...gorgeous card..I hope you win the SU! Award..you're cards are great! Thank you for sharing..

[MJ Albright]

Well.....there is no doubt in my mind! You deserve an Artisan Award girl! Glad to hear you are entering.
You are correct with all of your information. YES, it is a hard process not being able to share or wondering if the entries "are good enough". I'm sure you'll knock their socks off when they receive your goodies:)
Good Luck to you!

[Kathy H]

so glad I stopped by here today - "in the old days, when I didn't have a life" I checked your blog every day - now I do good to get once a week - but I'm never disappointed - thanks for the inspiration and I hope you win the Artisan award! Fellow Demonstrator!
Kathy

[Heather Fullerton (Retired Heather)]

Oh I do so enjoy your commentary. I know you deserve to win so here's hoping you do. Best of Luck to a wonderful artist...the one great thing about the WII...the children will be busy and not want your computer!
Hugs
Heather

[Kim Wilson]

I hope you win! If we could vote, I'd vote for you for sure!

[Cindy Major]

I am SOOOO excited to see your swap! I'm still waiting for my bag and I'm praying that it will get here in today's mail because I have a workshop tonight and think how many of this set I could sell if your card makes it here in time... GOJUS for sure! Mââââgnifik!

I wish you the best of luck in the Artisan Award contest! It would be great if you could win! I wish I could give it a try myself, but Quebec is excluded from the contest. *sigh*

Best of luck!
Cindy :)

[Mel]

I have absolute confidence you'll be picked. Everything you do is GOJUS!!!

[Wendy(joelysmom)]

Well, I don't know about the other ones you are doing but this one is a guarantee to get in! WOW

[Kathy]

You continuously crack me up and amaze me!! I'm with you're kids. You'll win don't sweat it sister!!

Kathy - Ohio (land of flaky weather too).

[Beth Norman]

OMG I'm sooooo glad you're entering yourself. You are soooooooo going to win! Your rock the stamp world. That's why I subscribe.

[Peggy]

Good luck on the contest!

[Susan]

awesome butterfly card ... i love it.

[Nancy L.]

Its beautiful!!
Love it!
Just found your blog you are hilarious, thanks!!

[Joan B]

good luck on the contest...!!!! you deserve it.

[Gayle W.]

Happy Easter, Jan. I'm playing catch-up reading favorite blogs, because I was away for a bit. I hope you still get the comments from older posts? (Yes, I'm blogless and therefore, blog clueless!)
Anywho, I just wanted to mention:
a) GOJUS cards, one after another, as usual!!
b) Awesome you have entered the Artisan contest AND GOOD LUCK!!! Try not to drive yourself crazy now that you've shipped your entry.
c) So glad you are getting a handle on those NASTY ear infections, FINALLY!
d) You are NOT going to convention? Dang. I was planning to stalk you. I mean try to meet you.
e) BRAD BUTTS?!?! Ha, ha, ha, ha! ROFL!!! You quack me up!!!!!