Saturday, February 18, 2012

Sew Darn Crafty Party...Week 53

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Thank You, Thank You...last week's party was fabulous! All of you are the best for sharing your ideas, tutorials and pictures.

Each week, the party gets better and better with more people joining in on the fun. I hope you can keep coming back to add more links and to read all the fun things happening here at the Sew Darn Crafty Party!

Let's see what this week will bring...

If you're NEW to Sew Darn Crafty, then grab a cup of something tasty, sit back and join in on the fun (starts Sunday and lasts all week long here at Sew Many Ways).

If you want to add the button to your blog's side bar or your list of parties that you're in each week...Click HERE for a tutorial for adding a button




WHAT IS A LINKING PARTY...

I subscribe to a linking service, which provides the ability to link thumbnail pictures on my blog. The picture is a link that other bloggers provide to share their projects.

Two things can happen at a linking party...looking and/or linking
  • you can be greatly inspired by wonderful projects, ideas or vacation pictures (looking) and/or
  • you can share what you've been up to (linking)
If you want to be inspired by all the great ideas...just click on a picture and it will take you to that post from a wonderful blogger who was willing to share her thoughts and ideas.


HOW AND WHAT TO LINK TO THE PARTY...

Sew Darn Crafty is all about YOU!! Show off your projects, share a tutorial, show us your vacation pictures, share a family favorite recipe...share anything. Not only does linking inspire us all, it also brings lots of new people to your blog for a visit. Click here for past parties and lots of inspiration

Easy steps to join in on the fun...

  • link up to the specific project post, not your whole blog. Makes it easier to link right to that post and not  search through all your entire blog. To find the http address to a specific post, just click on the Title of your post. Copy and paste the address that's at the top of your computer into the linky steps.
  • link as many projects as you'd like...old or new
  • anything goes...cooking, sewing, knitting, crafts, organizing, remodeling projects, vacations, parties etc...
  • visit other links to share some blogging love! You know we all love comments!
  • linking is open til Saturday night, so plenty of time to join in
  • just click the "click here to enter" button below and follow the easy steps

Have fun linking up! Don't forget to come back and take a look at all the great projects during the week
~Karen~

Friday, February 17, 2012

List Your Likes and Dislikes About a Blog...

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We all love blogging. Whether we are the author of a blog, the reader or both, we all have our likes and dislikes about a blog or the way it is set up.

Hearing from others (good or bad) always helps me learn more and more each day about my blog. I love blogging and sharing thoughts and ideas, but I want to make it a good experience for people who come to visit.

So, I thought I would have a post where we can all learn from each other. In the comment section, list your likes and dislike about how a blog (any blog) is set up. I hate to use the word dislikes, so how about "Likes" and "Things You Wish Would Change".

Don't be specific and call out the blog itself, just list what's on your mind about a general blog.

Saying things out loud about what you don't like isn't a bad thing...it's a learning experience for all.

Here are my thoughts on my OWN blog
  • is the side bar too busy
  • is there too much red
  • are there too many posts on one page...slowing down the loading time of the blog
  • is it easy to navigate
  • do I use too many pictures in one post
  • am I wordy
  • is the word verification thing a pain in the hooty lately. I just turned mine off. It's like they want you to spell out a page from "War and Peace"

Here are my thoughts on blogs I visit...
  • I love it when the post is in full view when you go to the blog, instead of a partial read then you have to click to go to the full post
  • I love LABELS on a blog. Helps to find something quick under a certain category
  • Not a fan of music on a blog. Not that I don't love music, but here are my thoughts on that. 1) we all don't have the same taste in music 2) Loading music on a blog takes forever and slows down the process. Sometimes I just X out of a blog because the music takes too long to load and nothing is moving. 3) When I'm blogging I'm usually watching TV or a DVD, so there is already noise going on
  • LOVE pictures...good ones or not. Really helps with visuals. I am certainly not a photographer by any stretch. I just have a point and shoot camera, but pictures are worth a 1000 words.
  • A 1000 words is too much to handle in one post. Break up your paragraphs with a picture or a space. Sometimes too many words written all in one post is overwhelming for me.
  • I'd love to get to know you...show a picture of yourself. Really helps to connect. You don't have to give away too much personal information if you don't want to.
  • Black blog backgrounds with white lettering is hard for me to read...am I the only one
  • I love when you show what state you are from. I've met some wonderful people just by saying..."I noticed you are from...we're not too far from each other.
  • check to see if you are a "No Reply"...that means there isn't an email address attached to your account and no one can email you back. CLICK HERE if you want to learn how to check.

So here's your chance...add your blog thoughts in the comment section and let the learning begin. Be nice though!

Thanks so much in advance for commenting on this. I love learning from all of you.
~Karen~

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Thoughts on Thursday...

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Alarm Clocks...a necessary evil.

I play mind games with my alarm clock. I set the time 30 minutes ahead, so I can do the math in my head as to what the time REALLY is! Wakes my mind up before my body.

Not to mention, I never really have a sound sleep. I'm always looking at the clock through the night..."oh, it says 2:30, so it's really 2:00. Yay, I still have 3 1/2 more hours to sleep!"

What really gets my goat is the 9 minutes snooze. Every clock I've ever had has been a 9 minute snooze. Why 9?

I think it's the alarm clock companies way of playing math mind games too. "Ok, it's 5:30 am when the alarm rings. I have 9 more minutes til it rings again. If I hit it 2 more times it will ring at 5:39 and 5:48. Perfect...I'm up before 6:00.

Was it a mistake when the first alarm clock was made? It really should have been a 10 minute snooze...much easier to add 10 to any time you set your alarm. Alarm rings at 5:30 am. I can let in ring 2 more times at 5:40 and 5:50. Perfect! I want a 10 minute snooze.

What better way to solve the Alarm Clock Snooze button mystery than to ask the blogging world.

Are all alarm clock snooze buttons 9 minutes and do you hate your alarm clock too?

and another thing. Why do I still wake up at 5:30 on the weekends when I don't need an alarm? The silver lining there is...no 9 minute snooze.

Always look for the positive in something.

Happy Thursday,
~Karen~

Monday, February 13, 2012

Tool Time Tuesday...Chicken Feeder For Sewing

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What? A Chicken Feeder? You betcha! Hubby and I were shopping in a Tractor Supply store this past weekend, looking for special diet dog food for our yellow lab, Annie. They didn't carry the dog food, but you know I roamed around the tool and hardware section.

They carry a lot of galvanized metal items (my absolute favorite!)...buckets, pans, scoops, troughs and chicken feeders. The chicken feeder caught my eye.

Do we have chickens? No. Well, we have them in the freezer from the store, but to feed...no. So why buy a chicken feeder. To make one of these.



Here it is from the store...$4.00


I know there are probably more things to do with this, but I'm still thinking!


You can buy the plastic bottle the chicken feed is dispensed from, but a canning jar fits too. Maybe fill the jar with...
  • bird seed for our other feathered friends, just not chickens
  • maybe m&m's for a candy dispenser


I still like the thread idea though. Great to use by your chair for all your hand sewing, but it's missing something...the pincushion!


All you need is a scrap piece of fabric, some stuffing and a circle pattern. I used a plastic lid to trace.


It is about 6 inches across the middle.


There are 2 ways to gather up the edge of fabric with a circle.

First way is to use a heavy weight string and a needle with a bigger eye.


Use a running stitch or larger gathering stitch around the edge of the circle.


because the string is a heavier weight, you can just pull the strings to gather it up into a pouch.


Stuff with batting or filling.


Pull tight and knot off to secure.


The second way is better if you are using a thinner cotton weight fabric.

Set the stitch length on your machine to the longest stitch or gathering stitch. Mine is 5 on my machine.


Stitch all the way around about a 1/4 inch in from the edge.


HELPFUL TIP

One tip for a machine gathering stitch is to use 2 different color threads. You have to pull 2 threads, but from the same side.


I used white on the spool and black in the bobbin. Now I know to only pull just the white threads or just the black threads when gathering.


Once gathered and knotted to secure, you can just place the pincushion in the center hole or use a little glue or hot glue to hold it in place.


Add your pins and needles...


and your little snips too.


Maybe you can add a little bow to make it pretty.




Ribbon or not, this will work great for you when you are hand sewing in your comfy chair watching tv and having a cup of tea.

hmmm, where's my tea?


That's better!



Tool Time has been to the hardware store, the automotive store, office supply, grocery store, recycling bin, health and beauty isle and many others, but this is the first time in the farm equipment section. Definitely going to look into that more. Lol !!

You never know with me...what will inspire me next.

Remember when you're in any store...
  • look at something twice before passing it up
  • don't think..."do I need this?" Think..."what can I DO with this?"
  • and always...think outside the box!!!
Have a happy Tuesday,
~Karen~

Pinterest Help...How to Pin and Repin

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Pinterest is "the" place lately, but many of you have so many questions about it. Pinterest is a virtual cork board where you can save photos and links to things you see on the Internet.

Click HERE to see my Pinterest boards for an example.

The main question from most of you has been...How do I PIN or REPIN? They are the same, but different. Lol !!

Let's cover them separately with "PINNING" first.

To "PIN" something from a website, you need the "Pin It" button on your computer's toolbar.

See mine circled in red?


To add the "pin it" button to your toolbar, go to...
  • your dashboard
  • click "about"
  • then click "pin it button"


It's under the Goodies section. The instructions are easy and there is also a video.

When you have the "PIN IT" button on your computer's toolbar, you can now "pin" anything from a website.

For example...

You are on the HGTV website and see a beautiful kitchen. You want to use some of the ideas from that kitchen when you redo your own home some day. When you are on that website, go to the "pin it" button at the top of your toolbar and click it.

Pinterest will bring up all the photos from that website. You pick one photo that you want for your pin board and follow the instructions. Easy Peasy!



Now how to "REPIN"...

When you are on your dashboard and want to start browsing...


Click the red "PINTEREST" word in the upper center.


First things that come up are the pinners that you are following and all the things that they have pinned.


The next section is "EVERYTHING" and that is, well, everything that everyone has pinned at that very moment.


If you want to break it down even further, click "EVERYTHING" and a drop down menu will come up with categories like DIY and CRAFTS.


Now to "REPIN"...

Move your mouse cursor over a picture that you want to repin. You can now pick "REPIN", "LIKE", or "COMMENT". You can do any or all of those three things.


When you click "REPIN" another screen will appear that has all your boards to select from. You can also place your cursor in the description box and change what the previous person has written or keep it...either way is fine. Click the red "Pin It" button. Done!


If you have repinned or pinned something that you don't have a board for, simple scroll down to the bottom of that boards menu and you can CREATE a new one.


I hope this helps. I will be setting up a Pinterest help page at the top of my blog, but for now you can find them under the labels section under Pinterest. (by the way, I have no affliation with Pinterest...just love it!!)

Have a great time pinning,
~Karen~

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