Saturday, May 12, 2012

Sew Darn Crafty Linking Party...Week 65

Let's hear it for Linky Parties!!! Woo Hoo...the best place to find wonderful ideas, tips and inspiration all in ONE place.

For all my newcomers who linked up for the first time to the Find a Friend Friday party, come on in again and link up a special project, tip or trick you want to share from your blog (see below for instructions on how to add a "post" link instead of just your "blog" link. For all my friends who link up each week, let's see what you've been up to!

Love all of you for sharing each week!

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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 blue "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~

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I'm Having a Sew, Sew Saturday...Join Me


For some reason, I didn't post a Sew Sew Saturday last week. Must be losing my mind...nothing new there. I swear if I don't make a "To Do" list of things to get done...they don't get done! but I digress.

It's Saturday and my intent for this post each weekend is to make an appointment with myself to SEW and to get YOU to join in with me. During the week, I work, clean the house, do the laundry, run errands, shop, blog, pinterest etc...just never make the time to sew as much as I'd like.

Sooo, here we are on another Saturday. This morning, I am going to sew a few things for my Etsy shop that I will be opening up some day soon. I'm trying to sew a little stock first before I open it up. Scared to death to take that leap of opening a shop, but all my new comers took the leap yesterday and joined the Find a Friend Friday linking party, so I can't be scared to open up an Etsy shop!! Right? Go visit them HERE if you haven't already...so many great blogs!

I will do a little sewing this morning, go for a walk with hubby, bring my mom flowers at the cemetery for Mother's Day and then we'll take a trip to visit our 2 daughters at college. We are going out for dinner with them for Mother's Day, but also taking a load of way too much stuff back home with us. If we take some stuff back with us today, both their cars won't be too packed when they have to do it themselves next week.



They are almost done though! They'll be home Tuesday or Wednesday according to their final exam schedule. Can't wait to have them home again. Thankfully, they are at the same school and we see them about once a month, but we miss them to pieces.

Ok ladies and maybe some gents ( not sure though)...get out your Sew Sew Saturday projects and let's hear those sewing machines humming or your hands humming if you're doing some hand sewing.

Either way...

WE'RE HAVING A SEW SEW SATURDAY!!!

What's on your project list today?

Happy sewing,
~Karen~
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Friday, May 11, 2012

Find A Friend Friday...



Hi everyone, it's Friday and you know that means today is the day we all find a new blogging friend or a friend finds you. If you've linked up your blog before...thank you, thank you, thank you!

However, today I am going to reach out to every blogging NEW COMER out there who is hiding in the shadows...you know who you are. LOL ! You stop by and see all the wonderful blogs linking up, but you just can't take the leap to do something scary...meaning something NEW!!

Trust me, we've ALL been there. That first time I linked up to a craft party, I thought...omg the computer is taking to long to go through, my picture won't show up, did I do it right, my link won't work etc. It all works out in the end. If you do have an issue or a question, just email me or leave a comment...I can fix it for you!

Come on!! Take that leap of faith and try something new...click that button at the bottom of this post and join in on the fun. You will definitely meet new friends and if your write..."I'm a Newbie" in your title you will get a ton of people looking at your blog too!! LOL

Ok, now that I've shouted out the plea to have new bloggers take the leap...here we go!!

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If you are new to Find a Friend Friday (FaFF), you are in for a treat! It's a simple linking party to add a link to your blog so friends, old and new, can stop by and visit.

It's great to share your blog with everyone, but it's also fun just to look around. Even if you don't have a blog, you can find a wealth of great people willing to share their talents.

Tell your blogging friends about the linking party too and more will join in with us!

This is an easy one to participate in...you are just linking to your own blog. No projects to sew, no furniture to paint, no cookies to bake or pictures to take. You are just sharing your blog and then friends will stop by for a looksy.
  • click on the blue "click here to enter" link below
  • copy and paste or just type in your blog address...example: http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com
  • enter title of link...your blog name or phrase to grab attention
  • add a photo of you, your profile picture or your blog button or whatever you think will grab some one's attention...(I'm thinking a picture of a big piece of strawberry cheese cake, but that just me LOL)

That's it...super easy. Just think of the possibilities of finding some wonderful blogs.

Thanks for participating,
~Karen~

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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Thoughts on Thursday...

I love music. I listen to it in the car all the time and it's on at work all day long. Oddly though, I rarely play music when I'm at home and I don't have one song on my iPhone...not one. I'm going to change that though.

My style of music is like my blog...all over the place. My blog has sewing, crafting, cooking, blogging, recycling, decorating etc.

My taste in music is just as varied. I love music from all eras.

From Frank...


To Flo Rida...



Favorites are...Frank Sinatra singing Summer Wind, Bobby Darin singing Mack the Knife and Beyond the Sea, but I also love Flo Rida singing Good Feeling and Wild Ones.

My "going out" dancing days were in the 80's, so love all those club songs too!!

Music is a powerful tool...it can bring up every emotion we have. We laugh to it, sing to it and even cry to it.

What's your favorite style of music or are you all over the place like me? Do you have one absolute favorite song and what is it?

Happy Thoughts,
~Karen~

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Monday, May 7, 2012

Tool Time Tuesday...Clamp For Turning Fabric Tube

Woo Hoo...another fabulous "man" tool that can be used for sewing and crafting. I started Tool Time over 3 years ago and thought I might find a few things in different stores that can be used for something other than it's intended purpose. Never thought I would find 3 years worth...

Well, I found one more...a locking clamp. I found this in Harbor Freight Tools for $3.99. It's used to hold things securely and reach into tight places. Probably for clamping hoses on motors or something. We also have locking clamps in the dental office where I work. They are called hemostats...much smaller though. Hmmm...need to ask my boss if I can have one. Add to my collection. LOL!!





The handle is like a scissor handle, but has a ratcheting locking system that locks the tip to hold something.


Here's a picture of the tip or nose of the clamp.


This is a long one...12 inches. (pictured compared to a pen)


Now onto the "Sewing" transformation of this tool... TURNING A FABRIC TUBE.

When you sew a fabric tube for handles on bags or anything long and narrow, boy can it be a pain turning it right side out.


Just insert the clamp nose into the narrow fabric tube until you reach the end.


When you reach the end, open up the locking handle...


grab a little of the end fabric and lock the clamp.


Pull back on the "locked in" fabric and pull through the tube.


Tah Dah!!!

I am not kidding with this...it is fabulous!! Fastest turning for me...ever.


You really need to get one. I have no affiliation with Harbor Freight, but it is a great store. I'm sure you can find this online or in an automotive store if you don't have Harbor Freight. I'm so mad, the one Harbor Freight sells on their website has cute bright red handles :(    Would have match my sewing room.

Happy Turning,
~Karen~

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Blog Buddy...Explaining Blogger's Post Editor



When I learn something new, I want to share it with you. I know most of you will know a lot of this information, but there might be something new for you to learn too!!

Most all of Blogger users will be using the post editor in the picture below. We seem to stick to what we know and do all the time and never venture from the norm. Well, I am here to get you out of your comfort zone and step outside the box.

Usually I am saying "think" outside the box...now I'm saying "step" outside the box. Either way, don't "box" yourself in, in the creativity department. Ok, I'll stop saying box now! Lol

This is the post editor on Blogger...this is my interpretation of each feature. If someone knows more, please share in the comment section.

The one that was NEW to me is the one that looks like a broken piece of paper. If you scroll your mouse over each one, it gives you the name. It's called Jump Break. Yeah, that helped me. Lol What's a jump break? Now I know and shared below. Scared me for a while..if it looks "broken" or "ripped", I didn't want to touch it!




Features, from left-to-right: with a short explanation and "the look" of the item

  • Undo...this will "remove" the very last thing you did
  • Redo...this will "put back" the very last thing you did
  • Font Style...drop down menu for different Fonts. Just high light what you want to look different and pick the different style. (see the word different is changed)
  • Font Size...drop down menu for different sizes of your fonts.
  • Bold....high light and click to bold the print
  • Italic...high light and click to slant the word.
  • Underline...high light the word or words to underline
  • Strikethrough...high light to have a line going through a word. Great for when you're funny creative with your writing!
  • Font Color...Drop down chart. High light the word or words and change the color.
  • High lighter...Drop down chart. High light the word and then high light with color! Lol
  • Link...high light the word or words that you want  to be linked some where else (another web site) High light the word or words and click on the word Link and then add the URL address of the link.
  • Picture...add a photo to your post
  • Video...add a video clip to your post
  • Jump Break...adds the "Read More" feature to your post. Gives the reader a little portion of the full article. Write your post. After the first few sentences (or where ever you want to end it) place the jump break in there. It will show on your post editor as "jump break", but in the actual post on your blog it will show the first few sentences and then say "READ MORE...". The your reader will have to click to finish reading your post.
  • Justify...drop down menu for Left, Center, Right and Full Justify. High light the section or put your cursor in front of the section you want justified.
  • Numbered List...this will number a list of the things for you 1, 2, 3 etc
  • Bullet List...this post is an example of a bullet list!
  • Block Quote...high light what you are going to be quoting. It just changes the placement of the phrase, like a block of words that is justified all by itself. See below, how it's separated from the rest of the post.
"To err is human...to forgive, divine". Alexander Pope
  • Remove Formatting...I think this is if you are copying and pasting something, high light and it will remove the formatting that already exist from say Microsoft Word or something and convert it to plain text for your post
  • Spell Checker...I use this EVERY time I write a post. When you are done with a post, bring the cursor up to the top of the post, click the ABC and it will high light all the incorrectly spelled words.

The only one I'm not sure of is the drop down box that says "Normal" between text size and the bold feature. It says Heading, Subheading, Minor Heading, Normal. I always feel "Normal", so I'll stick with that! I'm sure it's the set up of the post, but not sure. LOL

Hope this was helpful for all the new bloggers out there and even for us old timers too.

Have a great day,
~Karen~

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Wisata Danau Toba - Sumatera Utara

Danau Toba adalah salah satu destinasi wisata alam terbesar di Indonesia dan terletak di Sumatera Utara. Ini adalah danau vulkanik terbesar ...