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Blogging Tips - Watermarks

I watermark all of my photos.  I know a lot of people don't believe in this, but after having my work showcased on other sites and then sometimes seeing credit given to another crafter I will always believe in watermarking my photos.

So how do you get a pretty watermark?

I purchased mine for $2 from http://stampinbygenny.com/watermarks/

Yes, there are tutorials online on how to make your own, and I did that at first too . . . but then I saw these for $2 and thought they looked so much nicer than the one I had made.

She even includes directions on how to add them to your photos!

Tell her Shawn from Crafty Chics sent you!

Scrapbook STEALS - Teresa Collins

Do you want to stock up on some scrapbooking and crafting supplies?  Then check out the DEALS at Scrapbook STEALS . . . today's deals are from the Teresa Collins Collection!

Scrapbook Steal of The Day - Teresa Collins 2014 Christmas Collections at 25-39% off at scrapbookSTEALS.com!

Adding a Rhinestone Slide to an Invitation

I was looking at a website the other day that does invitation just for some ideas.  I wanted to use the rhinestone slides from The Buckle Boutique to add some sparkle to a simple invitation.

I ordered a sample of a simple invitation, then I cut a piece of teal cardstock just slightly larger than the invitation.

I used some ribbon from 3 Girl Jam and put it through the rhinestone slide.  I tacked down the ends of the ribbon on the back of the invitation.

Then I attached the invitation to the cardstock.  Now the ends of the ribbon are sandwiched between the invitation and the cardstock, making them even more secure.

Simple, but it adds a pop of color and some extra sparkle to the invitation.

If you would like to see the full line of slides from The Buckle Boutique, you can see them HERE

Blogging Tips - inserting HTML

Last week we talked about HTML code . . . what is it and why, as a blogger, do I even need to know about it?  If you missed that post you can click HERE to read it.

So let me give you the real life example of what "inspired" this blog post in the first place . . . I organize a Disney Pixar Blog Hop.  I do what is called a "Write Up" for everyone to use . . . I will have to do a blog post about "Write Ups" too.  Simply, the "write up" contains all of the information I feel is important for each participant in the blog hop to have in their post . . . welcome people to the hop, a button image for the event, a list of who the sponsors are with links to their sites.  Since I want to make sure that all of those links are right and names are spelled correctly, if I do the write up and have everyone use the same info then I know it is right . . . or if it is wrong the ONLY person I can blame is myself.

So, I told everyone in the hop to copy and paste the HTML code I provided them into their blog post . . . but if you are new to blogging, how do you actually DO THAT?

Here we go . . . (again, my examples will be in Blogger)

In your blog, start a new blog post
Look at the upper left corner and you will see that you are in the Compose View

Now click on the HTML button to the right of the Compose button . . .

Now copy and paste the code that you were given into the while space (where you would type your post)

Next, click on the Compose button again, and this will bring you back so that you can see the blog post.

In my blog hop "write up" example I have a portion in the beginning that says

If you came here from {insert person before you here}

So I tell people to remove the text between the { } and insert the name of the person who is before you in the line up and make their name a clickable link to their blog

Then, when people go down to the middle of the post and I have a line that says

{insert your project here}

and I tell them to delete the {insert project here} and then they can create their post like they normally would . . . inserting pictures, typing, formatting . . . all in the Compose view.

LAST, in the send off paragraph for the post I have a portion that says

{insert the person you are sending to here}

This is where I ask people to insert the name of the person that is after them in the blog hop and make their name a clickable link to that person's blog.

This whole system helps to keep a consistent look and feel to the posts by all of the bloggers, and helps to ensure that links are working correctly.  Remember . . . all of the {stuff that I do between the brackets} is just my way of doing things.  Each person running a hop may have different ways of addressing how to deal with incoming and outgoing links, so AFTER you insert the HTML code I ALWAYS recommend that you go back to the Compose view and READ the post . . . and read it like you are visiting the blog for the first time to make sure that everything makes sense.

So, that shows you HOW to insert HTML code into a blog post.  Pretty easy.

Blogging Tips - HTML code basics

Recently I was helping another blogger with HTML code, and she said that I should do a Blogging Basics type post about the topic.  Okay . . . here it is.

First off, what is HTML code?

HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language.  This is basically the language that is used to create websites, web pages and elements on the pages.  There are lots of different tags and elements that when they are combined make websites do what they do like making text BOLD, or different COLORS, or even a clickable link to another portion of the website.

So that is what the code IS . . . now how do I use it as a basic blogger?

First off, I am NOT going to try and pretend I know a LOT about code.  That is why this post is called BASICS.  I want to show YOU that you DON'T have to know a LOT about code to have a blog and USE HTML codes.

All of my examples are going to be for Blogger because, well, that is what I use.  :)

In your blog, start a new blog post

Look at the upper left corner and you will see that you are in the Compose View

You can also see from the image above that everything looks pretty much like typing an email.  You see line returns, if items were in BOLD you would see that too.

Now click on the HTML button to the right of the Compose button . . .

Now you are going to see the computer code language of the blog.  I have circled some of the coding in this next image, like the code that is telling the blog to make text bold or change it's color.

So that covers some basics of what code IS . . . now, why is that important to a new blogger or how will you even USE IT.  Why can't you just type up all of your blog post in the Compose view and be done with it?

Well . . . you can.  But what if you get involved in an event, like a blog hop, and they want you to insert some HTML code into your post.  How do you do that?  It is really not as hard or scary as it may sound.  We will answer that question with next week's tip.

Disney Pixar Blog Hop - June 28th - Birthday Card

Welcome to the Disney Pixar Blog Hop!

If you love Disney Pixar and crafting, you came to the right place!  We have been sharing Disney or Pixar inspired projects ALL MONTH.   If you missed the first three weekends, you can still go back and see all of those projects too.  Just click HERE to see the projects from the first weekend, and click HERE to see the projects from the second weekend and click HERE to see the projects from the third weekend.  

For today's project I want to share a card I made for a friend of my daughter's.  My daughter came home from lacrosse practice and asked me if I could make a card for her friend . . . and she needed it for his birthday THE NEXT DAY!  Sure . . . no pressure for a fast card.

So while she took a shower I made this card.  It really did not take me very long . . . maybe 15 minutes.

I started by using some blue paper with bright colored lines, and accenting the bottom of the card with a coordinating green to really bring out the green in the pattern on the top half of the card.

Then I was looking at the card and noticed that I did not really cut the paper straight.  SHOOT!  I hate it when that happens!  So how did I fix that?  Just cover it up!  I added some of the rhinestone sticker sheet from The Buckle Boutique . . . cut a strip, peel off the backing and stick!  

And now you cannot tell that I did not cut the paper underneath very straight.

My daughter wanted me to add a Pluto cut to the card.  Since I was trying to be as efficient with my time, since my daughter needed the card the next day, I found all of the colors I would need, arranged them on one Cricut mat and loaded that into my machine.  Then I just had to move the blade to the different colors of paper to cut the different layers . . . instead of loading and unloading the mat for each color.  This was also nice because I could take the cuts off the mat as I layered them and keep things organized.

Pluto layered together VERY quickly!  I stamped the words Happy Birthday and added a few dots of Viva Decor to the bottom part of the card.  I like how it looks like Pluto is resting his paw on the rhinestone sticker sheet trim.

Before you go, make sure to sign up to win some AMAZING PRIZES from our sponsors!  Our sponsors for this hop include 

DCWV

The Buckle Boutique

Rowlux Illusion Film

Scrap n'Easel

Westcott

a Rafflecopter giveaway
(winners must live in the Continental United States due to shipping)

(Contest is now closed.  Winners are listed HERE)

This weekend is our last . . . at least for THIS time around.  We are such big Disney fans that you KNOW we will do this again.  Some of us have been doing this Disney Pixar Hop for over three years.  If you want to stay in the loop for future hops, be sure to like Shawn's Disney Pixar Blog Hop Facebook Page.

Now it's time for you to head over to Niki's blog.

Here is the full line up in case you get lost along the way

Shawn
Niki
Beth
Lori
Bobbi Jo
Melissa