My first BLOG post!
I am so excited to introduce my new scrapbooking blog and website to the world! This journey has been so very exciting! I’d love to share a little bit about the journey with you, but first let’s go back to the beginning of this story.
I joined Close to My Heart (which was then called D.O.T.S. ) in August of 1998. When I first started my direct sales business, the internet was a brand new thing. Not everyone even had a home computer or a cell phone. (Remember the bag phone in the car? ) We still snail mailed our orders to the corporate office in Utah. There were no fancy online ordering systems or consultant websites with shopping carts. I established my business in my local community, here in Stephenville, Texas, by doing home gatherings and scrapbook classes and it grew steadily to surrounding towns and cities by word of mouth only. There was no Facebook, much less Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. Our newsletters were printed on colored copy paper and sent via the postal service! Can you imagine?
Fast forward 18 years. The world in which we do business is a very different place now. People connect via the internet every single day. People get their news, read their magazines, and keep in touch with family and friends all via email and social media. Direct sales companies are everywhere on the internet and people are having ‘Facebook Parties’ instead of ‘Home Parties’.
As someone who started their business the old-fashioned way, connecting with people face-to-face, this shift definitely has had a learning curve. But, anyone who is in any kind of business these days, knows that a social media and web presence is a must. You must go where the people are.
As a consultant with Close to My Heart, I am very blessed in the fact that we have free consultant websites provided and updated for us by the company now. So, I have had a website for many years at cindy.ctmh.com. I dabbled for a short time a few years ago with having a blogspot site to post to occasionally, but never was very consistent at promoting it. It has been on my wish list for a few years to get a professionally designed website and blog that I could feel proud of and that would provide a place for me to share my artwork and my events calendar to my customers and potential customers.
As many of my readers may know I went through a divorce in 2011 after 25 years of marriage. I chose to keep my married name at that time because of my children. My email and blogspot were branded as ‘Cindy Denning Designs’. In 2014, I met a wonderful man that would change my life and my last name. 🙂 In April of 2016, I married Cary Jackson and changed my name to Cindy Jackson. I knew that I was going to need a ‘re-brand’ of my business and this seemed like the perfect time to get that website I had always dreamed of.
I found Ashley and Vanessa of BV Enterprises and they have been a joy to work with! Ashley did my logo and branding about two months ago and I have been slowly incorporating my images into my newsletters and Facebook pages, but it has been so fun the last few weeks seeing my branding come to life on my own little place on the web! Ashley was able to take my thoughts and ideas and turn them into a beautiful and professional website! Thank you so much to BV Enterprises for helping me bring this dream to fruition! I couldn’t be happier with the results!
I still do local classes, crops and retreats and I’m so thankful to my long-time customers who have been with me for the last 18 years, but I’m hoping to connect with many more of you that love the same things that I do… Scrapbooking, Memory Keeping, Crafting, Traveling, Country music (especially Texas Country), my faith, family, horses and the Western Lifestyle. I am planning on offering ideas and inspiration, as well as the ability to offer scrapbook kits that you can create on your own.
Make sure to subscribe to receive an email each time there is new content posted to my website. Everyone that subscribes before October 31st, will go into a drawing for a $50 Close to My Heart Shopping Spree! Make sure to share the link with all of your crafty friends!
Please feel free to leave me a comment! I am looking forward to making lots of new creative friends!
Cindy Jackson,
The Scrapbook Cowgirl
22 Comments on “My Blog has Launched! Take a look.”
Congratulations! I love “spur your creatIvity.”
Thank you so much Kim!
Love, love, love it!!
Thank you Cindy!
Looks great Cindy…Love the logo..fits you “like a glove”. 😘 Chris
Thank you Christie! I’m so glad you like it!
Your website looks wonderful! I love it!
Thank you so much and thank you for your contribution! I really appreciate it!
This is awesome and I love the colors. Wishing you much success and happiness with your new adventure. Ride on cowgirl! Can’t wait to see what other fun stuff you create.
Thank you so much Cynthia! I appreciate your kind words!
Its beautiful Cindy, love your ‘new’ brand! 🙂
Thank you Lori! I appreciate that!
Cute! Dis you have a professional or DIY? Mine needs a facelift!
I hired a designer. I can put you in touch if you’d like. Just let me know. 🙂
congrats Cindy!! Love the colors and your logo!! 🙂
Thank you so much Kim! I’m so glad you like it!
I’m so exited for you! I too am working on my rebranding and it’s nice to see how wonderfully yours has come together, it makes me anxious for mine to be completed! New life pages for us both. Yay!! I may have to hijack some of your wording to complement mine-it’s too perfect and remarkably similar-reminds me of our old days. Lol! Congratulations!
Thanks Anne-Marie. I’ve worked really hard to get my branding and website done and ready to launch. I can put you in touch with my designer if you need
some help on your site or your wording. Good luck with your rebrand!
Congratulations! I love your name 🙂
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that!
Just had time to read your entire blog. It is just beautiful as is the owner. I love your brand and your colors. I am looking forward to seeing more.
Thank you so much Linda! I appreciate your kindness so very much! I’m so glad you like everything!