cosebelle

make them fall in love.. pt III blogging series

jojoebi — Sun, 27 May 2012 07:00:00 +0000

So, ready for part III? If you have missed the start of this series, here are parts I and part II. Today we will tackle writing and reading, let's get cracking...

Let's start with the writing...

Obviously, what you write about is an important part of your blog post and writing isn't as easy as it sounds, but with time you will discover your own style and your voice. Whatever you write about do it because you are passionate about it, it will show in your writing.
Write quality posts, ones that will be interesting or useful to your readers. I am rarely stuck for something to write about, my secret... I keep a notebook with possible blog post topics, they might be those 'in the bath genius ideas' to answers to questions from readers or something that I have suddenly discovered and can't wait to share.
Before you hit publish, spell and grammar check at least once.
If you only have time, say once a week, to write your blog posts then make good use of the schedule function, write three or four posts then schedule them to publish over the course of the week, your digest readers will love you for it. This may backfire if you have scheduled happy posts about rainbows then you have an almighty earthquake and a full on national disaster - I am hoping that won't happen again.
Another time to use the schedule function is when you know you are going to be away for any length of time.
Also use the draft function, sometimes you get half way through a post and it just doesn't feel right. Don't delete and don't publish it, keep it as a draft and go back to it in a few days time. Looking at it with fresh eyes will really help you decide exactly what to do with it.

Now, I want you to make life easier for your reader...

If you use a sidebar, keep it neat and tidy.
If you have badges or banners, keep them all the same size, it looks much neater.
Keep moving, flashy, blink things to a minimum, it is really distracting if you are trying to read and half a dozen flashy things are going off at you.
Make it easy for a reader to contact you, having your email address above the fold or on your 'about' page or better still both. If you don't want your email address out there then set one up specifically for your blog or public use. I have several email accounts but they all get forwarded to one, one of the reasons I love gmail is because this is so easy to set up.
Make sure you have a search box, so many times I revisit a blog looking for something specific but there is no search and I have no joy with labels or tags, I end up giving up.
Tags and labels, I discovered recently that with blogger you can pick which tags to use as labels, so when I tag my posts I use as many as possible to help when someone does a search but I have a limit of 15 labels that are in my sidebar. I tried to get it down to 10 but I blog about such a wide variety of subjects, it wasn't going to happen.
Social media - this blogging thing is all about sharing and creating a community and as social media has taken off in an insane way in the last couple of years you need to have those social media share buttons available.
Make it easy to subscribe to your RSS feed or email list, not everyone actually clicks over to your blog to read it, I read most of mine in google reader, I know some of my readers are reading this through Facebook *wave* and I know other prefer to get it delivered to their inbox.

Finally, this weeks big NO-NO is...

Music. Never Ever have a widget set to auto play music on your blog, you will scare readers away in their droves. Think of your readers, I am a punk chick myself but I appreciate that it is not every ones cup of tea and not only that I know that, there is probably a mom or two reading this whilst their little one is down for a nap and I am pretty sure they would be using some not-so-nice words if they clicked through to my blog and got blasted with some Rancid which woke sleeping baby and spoilt mama's quiet time.

I like to listen to music or a podcast as I am reading blogs, I don't need no Celine Dion upsetting my vibe! And of course, there are those who are surfing the web when they should be working, you don't want them getting in trouble with their manager do you?

So, what I want to know today is...What is your number one pet peeve when you go to a blog, please share below, I am sure there is something I haven't mentioned!

If you are enjoying the series then please share with your friends and why not hop onto the mailing list while you are at it.

{Sponsor} British style a Maisons du Monde

AnnaDrai — Sat, 26 May 2012 23:06:00 +0000

Avete notato come impazza la bandiera inglese sulle t-shirt?! Sarà che questo è l'anno delle Olimpiadi a Londra...

Così sono stata contagiata anche io: ho comprato una stoffa con disegni londinesi e cercando qualche ispirazione su come usarla, ho guardato tra i siti di decor e arredamento, che offrono sempre spunti ed idee interessanti.
Su Maison du Monde ad esempio mi sono imbattuta in questa suggestiva immagine

Sono diversi infatti gli oggetti stile british che si possono trovare: dai più raffinati, ai vintage, ai pop…

Sarà la nostalgia dei Beatles, ma non mi dispiacerebbe affatto avere in casa il portariviste o i bauli portatutto, così come il cuscinone dall’aria vissuta, tutti decorati con la Union Jack.
E se tanto rosso-blu dovesse annoiarvi, qui c’è una lavagnetta UK flag, tutta nei toni pink!

Ed ora mi rilasso a guardare questo ambiente celeste affacciato sul mare…

… sorseggiando un buon té… so british!

(foto credit: Maison du Monde)

Post Sponsorizzato

SCRAPBOOKING: NOVITA' EDITORIALI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Silvia — Sat, 26 May 2012 19:35:00 +0000

Ragazze non sto più della pelle!!!

Sto realizzando una cosina simpatica con una delle riviste più amate nel mondo della decorazione... non voglio (e non posso) dirvi di più ma.... sono felicissima!!!

Vi dico solo che SCRAPPEREMO INSIEME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Un caloroso benvenuto alla nuova amica del BLOG!

Buon weekend ragazze

Besos

How to make Graduation Hat Cookies {Guest Post}

Sat, 26 May 2012 13:25:06 +0000

Hello graduates and Skip to My Lou readers! I’m so excited to share some graduation cap cookies with you today! Making cookies is one of my favorite ways to spend my “hobby time” and for sure my favorite gift to give for special events! So if you know a preschool, Kindergarten, high school, or college graduate you’re in luck!

My sugar cookies and royal icing recipes over on my blog, so if you’re a beginner, check out that post. This time of year, graduation cookie cutters are all over craft stores and cake supply stores. I rolled out my dough and used the one that came in this Wilton pack.

How to decorate Sugar Cookies

Now, if you read the cookie basics post, you will understand that you can thin royal icing out with a little water to make different consistencies. We are going to need a stiff (30 second or more) and thin consistency (about 8 second) in the same color. I love using the squeeze bottles, because for me, they are really manageable.

You start by outlining your “hat” with the thicker icing.

Then immediately “fill” with the thinner consistency icing. You can use the tip of the bottle to spread it around. Then, if you see any air bubbles, pop them with a toothpick!

This layer of frosting will take about 12 hours to dry completely, but you can frost your detail on top after about 2 hours. You will use the same, thick consistency frosting to outline the hat. When you let the base layer dry, then frost on top, it creates dimension.

You will use the thick consistency icing to make the tassel. I showed here how I did a few lines, then let it dry, then a few more lines, etc. Then you will make one more dot of color as the button that holds the tassel on.

You can see the final product here. If you notice a little variegation in the blue, it is because dark colors of royal icing can often take 24 hours to reach their full color. Patience is a virtue in cookie making!

If you draw a few lines, then come back to it here and there, you will get a nice 3D effect with your tassel. Drying between lines is the key to tassel success!

I always say that cellophane and ribbon makes everything better, so why not wrap them up as a little favor? I made these tags for my cookie gifts and you can download them too!

Just click here to download the two graduation tags.

Thanks so much to Cindy for letting me share some cookie love with you today! You are welcome to check out my cookies and other DIY goodies on over on beeinourbonnet.com anytime!

Come ricavare il font della mia scrittura…

Sat, 26 May 2012 12:56:53 +0000

Oggi ho incocciato un sito che permette di fare una cosa bellissima, creare il font con la propria scrittura, completamente gratis e in pochi minuti!

Ho dovuto provare subito http://www.myscriptfont.com/ e anche se devo ancora perfezionare le lettere perché risultino tutte ben visibili, sono molto soddisfatta già della prima prova

Per provare basta andare sulla home page del sito, scaricare e stampare il template e inserire in ogni casellina le lettere indicate.

Maglio usare una penna nera che scriva un po’ spesso, va bene un pennarello, una stilografica o una penna ad inchiostro liquido.

Quando tutte le lettere sono scritte bisogna scansionare (in scala di grigi) il foglio, salvarlo in formato .jpg e caricarlo sulla stessa home page, poi basta dare un nome al font (il mio ovviamente si chiama Alessia ) e dare il comando “send file” con l’apposito tastino grigio.

In pochi secondi potrete scaricare il vostro font personalissimo, ecco qui sotto il mio primo esperimento:

The Vintage Heidi – My First Book Of Riddles

Sat, 26 May 2012 12:15:42 +0000

My First Book Of Riddles
Written and Illustrated by Janet and Alex D’Amato
Wonder Book copyrighted 1960

La Siesta

Geninne — Sat, 26 May 2012 12:09:00 +0000

Finally colored this drawing I made back in 2009.

Memorial Weekend Sale!

linnette from paperglitter.com — Sat, 26 May 2012 11:29:00 +0000

Memorial weekend SALE through Tuesday!

Enter code MAY28 for 30% off your purchase on printables!
(offer does NOT apply to Kawaii Invitations and Deluxe Kits)

VENTA! usar codigo: MAY28

Para recibir 30% de descuento en tu compra en todos
los productos menos los Kawaii Invitation y Deluke Kits.
Dizfruta el codigo hasta el Martes!

Visit the SHOP!

Mini album “70 anni 3 nipoti”

Gessica — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:24:00 +0000

Ciao a tutti,
nell’ultimo periodo diverse vicissitudini mi hanno tenuta lontana dal mondo blog. Ogni tanto mi chiedo se riuscirò mai ad aggiornarlo regolarmente… non pretendo una volta o più al giorno, ma a cadenza regolare così chi passa di qui sa quando può trovare qualche novità.
Ogni volta mi ripeto che “da oggi mi impegnerò…”, ma il mio impegno va giù per le scale quando la famiglia, tutta, chiama!
Non quando chiama “mammaaaaa!!” ma quando quel richiamo è muto, quando lo vedi dagli umori, dai comportamenti, dalle delusioni o dalle dimostrazioni di affetto e questo è più importante di tutto al mondo!

Nella mie giornate ci sono anche gli avvenimenti importanti come quello dei 70 anni di mio suocero che fresco fresco della terza nipotina non poteva che festeggiarlo così:

L’idea di questo mini album l’ho presa qui sul blog di Hobby di Carta.

Ciaociao

Gessica

Artesanum - la newsletter dell'artigiano

Grazia — Sat, 26 May 2012 09:18:00 +0000

Siete anche voi tra coloro che non possono stare senza orecchini? Allora fate un giretto qui su Artesanum per l'inaugurazione de "La newsletter dell'artigiano"... tra le meraviglie anche i miei orecchini "Cerchiconcentrici"

immagine presa dal sito http://it.artesanum.com

Buon week-end

Grazia