[creative] Hi ladies

[guest]    There’s our guest of honor!

[guest]    Thanks everyone for coming out

[guest]    We’re here to put Jen on the spot

[guest]    Thanks to everyone who submitted questions

[guest]    Are you ready Jen?

[creative] I tHink so, but should I be nervous?

[guest]    HAHAHAHAHAHA

[guest]    yup

[guest]    Of course:)

[creative] good to know

[creative] ok then i am ready

[guest]    Why did you decide to start CCAS?

[creative] I was fed up with not being able to get so many of the fun products i saw in the magazines

[creative] I used to shop at michaels, and i could never find the products i was looking at in the mags

[guest]    It is a big decision to make. Were you scared?

[creative] I figured other people were having the same problem

[creative] A bit scared

[creative] I tHink the biggest step was deciding the look of the website

[guest]    How did you get started?

[creative] I used to work at a big company, but after my car accident, it just didn’t work for me medically anymore

[creative] I was at home for a long time and very bored, not allowed to have the kids at home all the time, and knew i needed more

[creative] I just decided to jump in with both feet

[creative] I started about 7 months before we went live, planning the website

[creative] It was a lot of work

[creative] There were lots of delays

[creative] I bought seasonal product that was old by the time the website went live

[creative] I got trapped by my designers

[guest]    Did you design the website yourself?

[creative] No

[creative] Not the original site

[creative] I do it all now, that is why it takes me so long

[creative] The original designer was charging me about $200 for each change to a page

[creative] It would have killed me to keep them

[guest]    What is the hardest part of running both an online store and a message board?

[creative] I do have a host who does the mb and gallery upgrades to the software, but I do all the store software and maintenance

[creative] I tHink the hardest tHing is deciding the direction for the website

[guest]    WHich aspect is harder? Running the store or running the website?

[creative] Do you only have a store, and focus on it, do you have the mb and gallery and let the dt run it all like some owners do, etc.

[creative] The store is a lot of nitty gritty stuff

[creative] To upload  new products is very time consuming

[guest]    Do you spend more time on the store then?

[creative] I like the website, but again it is all a function of time

[creative] I have learned so much about all aspects though

[creative] I tHink I spend more time with the mb and gallery

[creative] I work on the store in patches

[creative] I spend a lot of time with orders and inventory, but not neccesarily online store stuff

[guest]    You have two beautiful cHildren and a a wonderful husband. How do you balance being a Mom, being a wife and being a business woman

[creative] Balance,I have no balance

[creative] I have forgotten how to relax

[creative] I always have my laptop

[creative] My kids want me, my work needs me, my dh wants me to stop clicking, the list goes on

[creative] I tHink the most frustrating part is that I have so many great ideas and not enough time to implement them

[guest]    You know you could never take a vacation…. but if you could where would you go?

[creative] A vacation,I would love to go to hawaii

[guest]    What has been your proudest moment over the last two years?

[creative] There have been a few times on the mb where you ladies wrote comments about me,I tHink there was a thread during the charity crop

[creative] It brings tears to my eyes to hear you all such wonderful tHings about me

[guest]    We love ya Jen..

[creative] Money is nice, business is fun, but to have people said such amazing tHings about me makes it all worthwHile

[guest]    You are what brings us together from all over the world..

[guest]    Once I met you, I knew all we felt was true

[creative] I want to be a part of the site, not just own it, and I tHink it shows

[guest]    It does show. Most owners don’t spend half as much time as you do.

[creative] I tHink the charity crop and being asked to do the article for memory makers was really important too

[creative] I have said it many times, but the look in my sister and her husbands eyes when they heard how successful the crop was makes tHis all worth it

[guest]    It was awesome. We’re proud to have been a part of it too.

[guest]    What layout, album or altered item do you treasure the most?

[creative] The one that comes to mind that I treasure the most right now, is the music box for emily

[creative] she is only 2, just got her own big girl room, and my sister has found her sitting in her room just opening and closing it

[guest]    Do you have any projects on the go right now?

[creative] Projects on the go LOL

[creative] I have so many projects on the go that I dont know wHich to work on

[creative] I want to finish dds birthday party from june

[guest]    What are you putting together for your tv show?

[creative] For the tv show,iam doing some valentines crafts, I am working on the valentine fortune style cookies

[creative] I might do woven baskets in the shape of a heart

[creative] more paper crafts than scrapbooking

[guest]    Those sound nice. Should be fun.

[guest]    What is your biggest scrapbooking weakness?

[creative] My biggest scrapbooking weakness is not being daring

[creative] I tend to be linear, simple and stay witHin my comfort zone

[guest]    So.. you stay witHin your comfort zone?

[creative] most of the time

[creative] I am trying to do more

[creative] I love all the challenges

[creative] It pushes me to tHink and try to do more

[guest]    Have you reached the point where you realize that you have become a success?

[creative] No, I dont tHink I am a success, well not yet anyways

[creative] I am a success in my kids eyes though!

[creative] My dh wants me to sleep more often lol

[creative] I guess it depends on how you measure success

[guest]    True.

[guest]    Is there anytHing you would like to see improved upon at CCAS?

[creative] There are so many tHings I want to improve at CCAS

[creative] I am working on the resources section, getting the main page revamped, getting tHings into the store faster

[creative] Revising tHings in the store so that it is more user friendly

[creative] The list is a long one

[creative] I have goals, tHings I want to do, and it is ever evolving

[guest]    So with all tHis going on when do you scrapbook?

[creative] Sadly, not very often anymore

[guest]    How hard is it to be surrounded by all the wonderful product and not use it all?

[creative] The product is a funny tHing

[creative] I used to grab stuff for me when it came in so I would not loose out

[creative] But so much of it has not been used

[creative] I stopped grabbing it, but that also means that sometimesigo to grab a sheet of paper and it is gone

[guest]    Where do you store all the supplies?

[creative] Our house is a sidesplit - my office and the supplies are on the two lower levels

[creative] and my kitchen table, kitchen counter

[guest]    What have been some of your best sellers?

[creative] Best sellers ??? that is tough

[creative] I tHink i would say that Cosmo Cricket - Wanted line was by far the best seller

[guest]    Loved it!

[creative] The last few crate paper lines have moved fast

[creative] Chatterbox always moves

[creative] I have made some purchases that haunt me though

[guest]    Such as?

[guest]    Oh dear.. Do you see yourself moving soon?

[creative] No tara,I dont see us moving soon

[creative] We love it here

[creative] THis house really is a home

[guest]    That’s nice.

[creative] Hmmm, should I tell you what I cant move

[guest]    It’s so hard to know ahead of time what will sell and what won’t.

[guest]    You aren’t going to CHA tHis year. ANy regrets?

[creative] I guess I regret not going to cha a bit

[guest]    What will you mis most?

[creative] I would have loved to have seen the new product first hand - dont we all

[creative] My kids have to come first though and it just does not make sense right now

[creative] Dh is rarely around, so for me to leave is too much

[guest]    You have to be a MOM first.

[creative] plus we had a blast in vegas

[creative] I am a total % mom, every minute or every day, my kids come before anytHing and everyone

[creative] Vegas was my first get away from my family

[guest]    Is there any expos coming up that you plan on attending?

[creative] I have the same booth at the Paris and Ottawa shows in May

[creative] I would do the durham one again if they have it

[guest]    Wow.. two shows in May.. that must be crazy

[creative] I hope to meet lots of you in paris tHis year

[guest]    That’s alot of travelling. Do you take the kids with you?

[creative] No kids

[guest]    What do you forsee for CCAS in the coming year?

[creative] I see great tHings for ccas in

[creative] I just keep waiting for ds to start school fulltime

[creative] I really have great ideas

[guest]    That will help.

[creative] There are so many directions that I can go

[creative] I want to fill out the website with information

[creative] I want to make the site better, more informative

[guest]    Better how? What don’t you like about it now?

[creative] I want to get more digi tutorials, paper techniques articles, fonts, quotes,

[creative] The store needs to flow better

[creative] I want tHings like the option to click on page numbers in a category

[guest]    It’s getting late and I have one more question for you then we’ll open it up…

[guest]    What you would do if you won a million dollars.:)

[creative] If I won a million dollars, the first tHing I would do would be to call my dhs boss and tell Him he will not be into work for two weeks, he works His butt off so I can be with the kids, and never takes a minute for Himself he needs a break

[guest]    awwww

[guest]    That is so sweet!

[creative] The next tHing I would do is take my kids to disney - they so want to go and we just cant afford it

[guest]    Cute…

[guest]    Way too expensive..

[guest]    well shoot……….I figured she would come online and tell us.

[creative] I would also pay bills, throw a big party at ccas, and probably send out some super cool pizza boxes to all my ccas friends :kiss:

[guest]    Ilove how you are always tHinking of others Jen.

[creative] Thanks

[creative] I try

[guest]    Jen, you are one fantastic lady and I tHink you are quite a success.

[creative] Thanks

[guest]    I agree. You work so hard and are always available.

[creative] I cant tell you all how mucH I appreciate all of you, and your continued support of me and ccas

[creative] THis business sucks sometimes, and the industry is a hard one - much crazier and hardcore than I could have ever imagined

[guest]    I’m loving the time I have been here so far!

[guest]    I have a wish for you Jen - hat you will become very successful and be able to Hire some more help

[creative] I wish that too

[guest]    You really need to get some time for yourself

[guest]    You have met so many people over the past two years. Who stands out the most?

[creative] I assume you mean from the industry …

[guest]    I love it here too. THis is definitely the best site ive ever been too!I know it’s because Jen makes it that way!

[creative] I tHink meeting Vicki Boutin has been great

[creative] She is so supportive, friendly, down to earth

[creative] I just love her

[guest]    She seems so approachable and down to earth

[guest]    I love her stuff, its amazing!

[guest]    I would love to meet Vicki Boutin! She is so talented!

[creative] I tHink that is one tHing about me that is not so business smart, butihate it when people push their customers to the limit to see how much they will pay

[creative] THis industry is marked up in so many directions

[guest]    Jen is there sometHing scrapbook related that you haven’t done yet but would like to?

[creative] I would really like to get more into digital work

[creative] I would also just like to be able to sit and scrap at the end of the day

[creative] To use it to relax

[creative] Ladies, do feel I am more candid than other online owners?

[guest]    I do feel you are Jen… That is why we feel so connected with you.

[guest]    Definitely, I tHink that most other site owners barely know the people on their message boards. You treat us all like friends.

[creative] I tHink you are all my friends

[creative] You are my extended family

[creative] I really feel that way though

[guest]    You are so sweet Jen! Thats why we love you and consider you our friend too!

[guest]    That’s why I joined.I have checked other sites but I was impressed with how devoted you were to everyone

[creative] Tara, thanks for hosting tHis chat

[creative] I have had a lot of fun

[creative] It means the world to me that you all wanted to learn more about me

[guest]    Anytime. I enjoyed it.

[creative] Have a good evening