My Resume

My name is Betsy Burnett and I grew up crafting! One day I decided to turn my "hobby" into a business and I was hooked. From that first class I taught I loved sharing my passion for crafting with others. I'm known for the ability to take a lesson and then tie in a hands-on project to create a memorable experience with a keepsake element.

In addition to teaching classes, I'm known for my events. Whether it's a themed party or crafting event, my attendees know they will have a good time! I love giving back, so the majority of my crops and larger events have some type of charity aspect. In the past we have supported: Share your Soles, Joliet Area Christian Co-op, Sock-it to poverty, Cards for Troops, Operation Write Home, Feed My Starving Children, Leeza Gibbons Foundation, Operation Mom's Cookies, Lupus Foundation, American Cancer Society, and Operation Christmas Child.

For more about me visit HERE Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me. If you have any questions or wish to request me for a class or demo I may be contacted HERE In addition to my personal business pursuits I also have worked within the crafting industry. My crafting adventures have allowed me to see "all sides" of the industry from manufacturing, to retail, professional crafter to consumer, instructor to student, press to reader, I am able to bring a unique perspective that can see all sides of the industry. 

You may contact me at Betsy2572@gmail.com 

Current Position(s):

• Betsy Burnett Creative -owner, event planner, class instructor, speaker, writer
• Area Coordinator-Operation Christmas Child, Three Rivers, IL Area Team-help select, equip, and mobilize a team of year round volunteers to facilitate the packing and collecting of shoebox gifts to further the ministry and message of the "good news" of the gospel that brings "great joy." 
• CrazyShoeboxCrew/Shoebox 1k-#CrazyShoeboxLady-Coordinator-mobilize a group of crafters and community members to fill shoebox gifts for Operation Christmas Child. In addition to filling boxes, crafters create items to put into boxes, and put together create kits to inspire the children. I also work with manufacturers that sponsor raffles for fund-raisers and donate items to put into boxes and items to create things to put into shoebox gifts. 
• Administrative Assistant-Peace Lutheran Church, Morris, IL. Oversee office needs and coordinate the volunteers of the church.

Recent Positions

• Art Collective Coordinator-Coordinate and teach classes to teens at the Christian Youth Center of Morris.
• Administrative and Volunteer Coordinator-Oversee the behind the scenes running of the Christian Youth Center of Morris. Deal with programming, building, correspondence, grant writing and scheduling. Also work with our fabulous team of volunteers for scheduling and training. 
• Church Life Director-Life Church Morris, IL. Served with the pastoral staff to oversee volunteer and ministry areas connected with church life. Coordinated events, mentored the Children's Ministry Director. 

• Chicagoland Scrapbook Magazine-  Social Media and Design Team Coordinator/Feature Writer. I was the local face for the magazine. Helping to administrate the Facebook Page providing content  and creating awareness of the magazine with both consumers and manufactures and retailers. Blog Writer, Design Team Coordinator, Feature Column Writer "Crafting at the Speed of Life" (Feb 2011-December 2014)

• Michigan Scrapbooker Magazine- writer, Fall 2010- December 2015

Past positions:

• Scrapbook Update-Contributing Writer/Contributing Editor
• MemoryWorks-Business Specialist-provided business building tips and suggestions, as well as facilitated online discussions for a team of over 2700 consultants, Creative Specialist-filled in where needed with ideas, message board moderation, and projects, Social Media Team Member-oversaw message board, facilitated chats, blog, and online presence of the company
• Topline Creation-Independent Consultant and Team Leader

Certification Courses/Company Affiliations:

• Xyron Certified Demonstrator
• Fiskars Certified Demonstrator
• Teresa Collins Stampmaker Certified Demonstrator
• Zutter Certified Demonstrator
• Cricut Demonstrator
• EK Success (Scrapbook Design, and You)
• Plaid Crafts Ambassador
• Etchall Guest Ambassador 

Teaching/Demonstration Experience:

Retail Classes;

• Hobby Lobby-Scrapbooking Demonstration, Tool Demonstration; Sizzix, Class Instructor; Scrapbooking, Totally Tags.

• JoAnn Fabrics-Scrapbooking Demonstration,Tool Demonstration (Fiskars, Xyron, Cricut), Class Instructor; Xyron, Fiskars, Beyond the Page (Using Scrapbooking Tools for more than Scrapbooking) General Scrapbooking and crafting

• Scrapbook Junction--Tool Demonstration; Fiskars, Xyron, Cricut, Class Instructor; General Scrapbooking, Cricut 101, Cricut 201, Cricut Advanced Techniques, Glass Etching/stencil making, Applique, Mini Album Classes, Make and Takes; Party Cupcakes, card making

• Peddler's Den- demonstrator, make and take instructor,

Expo/Trade Show Experience:

• Creativation Trade Show-  speaker "Building Business Relationships, Brand Awareness, and Retail Traffic through Charity Events"-Rolled up Checkerboard,  "Charity Crafting" -Cards for troops, Military Mama Network, "Chicago Section Coordinator" -Cards for troops, Military Mama Network 
• Memories Expo- Mini Class and Make and Take Instructor, Demonstrator, Class Room Assistant-Lil Davis Designs, Magic Scraps, Xyron, 
• Stamp and Scrapbook Expo-Make and Take Instructor, Demonstrator, Class Room Assistant, Charity Raffle Coordinator
• CHA Trade Show-Demonstrator, Make and Take Instructor (Fiskars, GCD Studios, Craft Fantastic.) Charity project instructor with Elileen Hull/The Paper Trail
• Stamp and Scrap Show-Class Instructor, make and take instructor, demonstrator.
• Midwest Scrapbook Convention-Class Instructor, make and take instructor, demonstrator.
• Creating Keepsakes Convention-demonstrator, make and take instructor
• Heartland Stamp and Scrap convention-demonstrator, make and take instructor.
• Joliet District Community Expo- craft demonstration for community involvement.

Group Settings/Private Classes

• Joliet Area HomeSchool Cooperative-General Crafts, Kids Crafts, Duct Tape Creations, Scrapbooking, Card Making 
• Girl Scout Troops,-General Crafts, Memory Keeping/preserving your memories
• Potter's Hand Homeschool Group-General Crafts, Kids Crafts, mixed media art
• Co-Pec Homeschool Group-Mixed Media and General Crafts
• CrazyShoeboxCrew-Crafting items to put into shoebox gifts for Operation Christmas Child
• Ladies Night Class Series-multiple series within my community and surrounding area
• Numerous in home private classes-as a direct sales consultant for over 8 years I held numerous scrapbooking and crafting classes in people's homes.

Seminar Experience-Speaker/presenter:

• Creativation Trade Show- speaker "Building Business Relationships, Brand Awareness, and Retail Traffic through Charity Events", "Charity Crafting", "Chicago Section Coordinator"
• WellSpring Women's Conference-importance of friendship lesson illustrated by creating homemade sugar scrub in decorative containers. 
• Fox River Women's Refreshing Conference-Remembering the Lord lesson illustrated by creating a mini album project.
• Will County Home Educators-Scrapbooking and School; using scrapbooking in your homeschool curriculum/record keeping.

Web Experience:

• Faithfully Yours-Faith Goals Seminar 

• MemoryWorks-chat classes; business themed, project themed, numerous topics.

Company Experience:

• Scrap In a Snap (direct sales company)-Team Leader, newsletter contributer (2002-2003)

• Top Line Creations (direct sales company)-Team Leader (2003-2004), newsletter contributor

• MemoryWorks(direct sales company)-I held numerous positions with the company's leadership team including: Creative Specialist-oversaw company message board, held online events, "swap cop", Business Boosters Editor-oversaw the business section of the consultant newsletter offering creative tips on growing and expanding their businesses, Business Specialist-in addition to writing for the newsletter, I helped support over 2000 consultants in the company, via personal emails, online classes and events, and other trainings.  Social Media Specialist-represent MemoryWorks online on Facebook, message boards, blog posts. I also helped write the companies policy manual and handbook for consultants. (2004-2010)

• Shop Hop Productions/Scrapbooking Roads- (coordinated "shop hops" within the scrapbooking industry.) Online content for website and newsletters. (2007-2009) also (2009-2011) with the name change. 

Design Teams:

• Scrapbook Jungle-design team member, newsletter editor (2004-2006)

• Faithfully Yours-design team member, design team coordinator, blog contributor, message board moderator, facebook group administrator, website contributor (2006-2013)

• Chicagoland Scrapbooker Magazine-design team coordinator, blog contributor (2011-2014)
• MemoryWorks-Social Media Designer, blog contributor

Project Publications:

• Topline Creations Idez from the Top- "Spring", "The Cats Meow"

• Michigan Scrapbooker Magazine- Dry Erase Calendar (Fall 2011), Altered Tiles (Summer 12)

• Chicagoland Scrapbooker Magazine- Cover Layout (Fall 2012) "Howdy", "Dance", "2012" (Fall 2012) "Dry Erase Calendar" "Grandchildren" Canvas, Mini album collection, Notecard collection (Winter 12), Cover Layout (Winter 2013-2014), "Memorial Boards", "Chipboard from A to Z" (Spring 2014) Plus numerous projects coinciding with topic for with "Crafting at Speed of Life" column. 
• Fave Crafts "Best Blogger Crafts of 2015:  Vintage Inspired Pie Safe (2nd place winner in their contest as well) 

Article Publications:

• Scrapbook Answers -"15 Minutes a Day" (Jan 06)
• Scrapbook Retailer- "Lets go to the (Shop) Hop" 
• Chicken Soup for the Scrapbookers Soul -"The Power of a Book"  (story)
• Chicken Soup I can't believe my cat did that -"The cat bird" (story) 
• Michigan Scrapbooker Magazine- "Scrappy Gifts" (Fall 2011)
• Michigan Scrapbooker Magazine- "Altered Tile" (Summer 2012)
• Chicagoland Scrapbooker Magazine- "Reasons to scrapbook" (Fall 2011)
• Chicagoland Scrapbooker Magazine-"Because I am the crafty one"(Winter 2011)
• Chicagoland Scrapbooker Magazine-"Dry Erase Calendar" (Winter 2011)
• Morris Daily Herald-"A Whole Lot of Awesome!" (November 3, 2011)
• Chicagoland Scrapbooker Magazine-Crafting is Cheaper than Therapy (Summer 2013) 
• Chicagoland Scrapbooker Magazine-"Altered Tile" (Fall 2013) 
• Chicagoland Scrapbooker Magazine-"Memorial Boards" (Winter 2013-2014)
• Chicagoland Scrapbooker Magazine-"Chipboard from A to Z" (Spring 2014)
• Chicagoland Scrapbooker Magazine-"True Creativity is Never Neat" (Spring 2014)
• Chicagoland Scrapbooker Magazine-"Truth in Spending"(Summer 2014)
• Chicagoland Scrapbooker Magazine-"Crafting on the Go" (Winter 2014) 
• Chicken Soup for the Soul-Devotions for Wives- "Driving Lesson" story and devotional (2013)
• Chicken Soup for the Soul-Best Advice I Ever Heard-"Twenty Years from Now" (2018)

Online Publication Experience:

•  Aim Happy-personal/professional blog
• CraftPaperScissors.com-Crafting for a Cause feature
• Scrap in a Snap-newsletter contributor
• Scrapbook Jungle- newsletter contributor, editor,
• Scrapbook Articles.com-numerous topics including; Coluzzle tutorials, Scrapbooking and school, Speedy Scrapping, 15 minutes a day, and more
• MemoryWorks- newsletter contributor, business boosters editor, message board administrator, blog contributor, facebook contributor,
• Scrapbooking Roads-newsletter contributor, message board administrator
• Faithfully Yours-blog contributor, ezine contributor, Facebook administrator, message board administrator
• Fiskateers-guest blogger: Be Loved-3 Fiskateers, Road Trip-Warehouse Sale, US of F Illinois event, Twas the Week before Christmas, Our Madison Adventure, Crop Crashing
• Scrapbook Update-contributing writer, contributing editor, facebook hostess,   (Jan 2011-July 2011)
• Chicagoland Scrapbooker Magazine-Blog contributor, Blog editor, Facebook Administrator

Professional Degrees/Associations

Joliet Junior College-(1989-1991)
Craft and Hobby Association: Educator Demonstrator Member (2007-2013)
Association for Creative Industries-Designer Member 2015-present
Ordination into Christian Ministry- 2008

Other random facts about me: I studied American Sign Language for two years, and am certified in food safety/sanitation because I help run a local food pantry. I serve as a board member for the Christian Youth Center of Morris, and I am an ordained minister and former Children's Pastor.