One Artsy Mama

A Very Hungry Caterpillar Shower

2012-03-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Looking for the Shine on Fridays link party? Click here!

Well, friends, I truly hope you enjoyed the Growing Your Blog Series and learned at least one thing that will be helpful to you. I've loved hearing your feedback; it seems that the series was really timely for a lot of people.

I debated whether or not to do it, because I didn't know if there would be enough interest,

but I'm glad to say it seems to have been the right call!

In the meantime, I have missed posting about all our crafting adventures! So, today, I just have to show you some pics from a baby shower I helped organize for a good friend of mine.

I know you've heard me share before about "my girls."
Here they are: April, {short} Jess, & {tall} Jess.

Tall Jess is due with her third baby {a boy!} next month, so the rest of us got together and planned a little get-together. Our theme was the Very Hungry Caterpillar!

I'll be posting more about some of the specific things in the next few days, but here's a look at what we did:

I had WAY too much fun making these onesies!

Short Jess put together this balloon caterpillar.

For favors, April and I made cake pops, and Little Crafter helped me make some pom-pom caterpillars to clip on them.

To see more about the caterpillars, click here.

The guest of honor got a butterfly balloon...and a mint chocolate goody bag!

...and even though he wasn't invited to the shower, Little Crafter still had a hand in things, quite literally. As I was browsing Pinterest, he saw this idea and just had to do it for himself. For a complete tutorial, see my guest post at Life With the Hawleys!

I promise to show you a lot more things coming up soon, like the DIY Tag blanket I made, the other painted onesies, and a simple stuffed monster. Stay tuned! Jess, I hope you had a fantastic time...you and Baby S. are loved!

Happy Crafting, friends! And be sure to come back starting Sunday for a whole week of fabulous giveaways!

Pin It

Shine on Fridays #18 {and a GIVEAWAY}!

2012-03-08T19:53:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday, Friends! It's PARTY TIME!

It's been a busy week here at One Artsy Mama; I've been posting my best tips and tricks in my Growing Your Blog Series...it's basically everything I wish someone would have told me when I started out.

If you missed it, check it out here! Also, starting Sunday, I'll be having 7 days of giveaways {20 total} to celebrate my upcoming blogiversary! Be sure to stop by!

Now, for the party:

Here are four of last week's eight most popular posts, plus one of my personal favorites. Be sure to visit Kara over at Happy Go Lucky to see the other four and her top pick.

I just loved this gorgeous DIY Family Tree Pendant from Lady With the Red Rocker! She gives a great tutorial for how you can make one of your own...a great keepsake/gift!

This DIY Covered Corkboard tutorial from Katie at My Darling Days is not only a great idea, it's a special, meaningful way to remember a loved one...read her post to see why.

When I saw this "Joy in my Heart" printable made by the talented Kelly at Live, Laugh, Rowe, it was love at first sight! Isn't it gorgeous! I mean, wow! There are printables, and then there's this! I printed me a copy...did you?

Y'all know I'm always in the market for a good kiddo craft, and this fun Melty Bead Bowl from House of Noise...I mean Boys sure fits the bill!

...and now for my favorite{s}! This week we had a ton of differnt party ideas linked up, which is always lots of fun. I loved Life on the Miracle Round's Art Party , complete with awesome decorations, activities, a photo booth with props, and crafts like these photo frames.

And look at these:

Monster Mash Party Moustache Party Dr. Seuss Party

50th Birthday Party 11th Birthday Party

I don't know about you, but I'm all kinds of inspired!

This week, we have something extra special to celebrate too!

Kara's having a birthday!!!

And, wonderful gal that she is, she's giving one of YOU a present. You can win one of these gorgeous pairs of handmade filagree earrings.

They come on lead and nickel free hooks and are available in magenta, lavender, teal, black, and mauve. Custom colors are also available.

Check out the Rafflecopter below to enter! Giveaway closes Wednesday the 14th at midnight. Happy birthday, Kara!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now, it's time to get on with this week's party!

Show off your fabulous creations with us and be inspired by what others have created!

Please link up crafts, recipes, home decor, etc.

We can't wait to see what you've been up to lately!!

If you're going to play along with us, pretty please:

- follow both co-hosts

- grab a party button and put it somewhere on your blog
- have fun and visit some other friends
- no commercial sites

- send us Starbucks gift cards {just kidding...kind of!}

Linking up your photos gives us permission to use them in features on our blogs and Facebook pages.

Q&A With One Artsy Mama

2012-03-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

Well, friends, the Grow Your Blog series is almost at an end!

I sincerely hope you've found at least something to be helpful to you. I'd love to hear your feedback. In the meantime, we have one more thing to discuss...your questions.

Here are the questions I received and my best attempts to answer them. If you didn't ask yours in time, please feel free to email me or comment here and I'll do my best to respond.

1. "How do I add a custom signature to the bottom of my posts?" - Heather

To create a custom siggy, go to whatever photo editor you normally use {if it's Picnik, RUN!}, and create/open a new file that's either transparent or white. Size it to be however large you want your siggy to be. Mine is 116x68 pixels. Choose your favorite font, maybe one that matches your header, and a color that coordinates with your blog. Type your name and size it to take up the majority of the space. Add any embellishments/stickers you want, like my little flower. Save it as a jpg or png file, then add it to each post just like you'd add any photograph.

2. "How do you keep track of all the different linky parties?" - Jennifer

I have a separate page where I display all the different buttons for the various parties I link to. I list them out by day so that I know which ones are happening when. Then, each day, I click on my "Places I Party" page, open the links in new tabs, and start linking. I'm sure there are plenty of other parties out there I haven't found yet and honestly, I don't really have time to link to any more, but that's how I keep track of the ones I link to on a somewhat regular basis. My buddy Carrie over at My Favorite Finds has a good idea too; she puts her list {parties organized by day again} into a Google Document, then she can link it to the bottom of her posts.

3. "How do you design the blog buttons?" - Blythe

You don't, darling! You pay me to do it for you! Lol. Well, I guess if you really want to do it yourself, here are a few tips. Go to whatever photo editor you like best {if it's Picnik, hurry fast!} Create or open a new document with the dimensions you want. They tend to look better if you create them bigger and then shrink them, so say you want a 150 pixel square; start at 300 x 300. Choose a background. It can be the same as your blog background, a coordinating color, whatever you like. Then, add in text and embellishments however you want them to look. I recommend using a font and color scheme that matches your blog, like we discussed in the Blog Design post. Resize it to 150 x 150 and then save it as a jpg or png file.

4. "How do you get social media buttons?" - Blythe

Basically, I made those the same way I make buttons {see #3} except I size them smaller. I try to match a font as closely as I can to the actual social media logo unless I can find the logo as a png file with a transparent background that I can use. If you don't want to design them yourself, there are lots of places, like this one, where you can download free ones that are already made. Once you have them, you upload them to a photo sharing site, then add them to your blog like you would add a button.

5. "How do you decide the number of labels to put on a post?" - Carrie

Honestly, I never really thought about how many labels to put on a post. Basically, most of my posts fall into one of a few different categories, so when I label a post, I ask myself which one{s} best describe what it's about. Does it fall under Kids' Crafts, Printables, Jewelry, Painting, Home Decor, Linky Parties/Shine On Fridays, or Giveaways? Does it fall into an additional category, like a particular season or holiday? And if it's a tutorial, I always label it as one. I try to reuse the same labels over and over instead of coming up with a million specific ones for each post...I don't know if that's bad or good, really. But my basic goal is that the labels will help someone who is searching for something particular to easily find it. Does that help?

6. "How do I add columns in blogger?" - Heather

To change the appearance of your blog and add more columns, first go to your blog's dashboard. Choose "Template," then click on "Customize." Once you're there, go to "Layout." You should see this screen. From there, you can choose how the body of your blog is set up; whether you have columns on the left and right of your posts, just the left, or just the right, and you can double up some of those columns as well. You can also add columns in the footer section. I'm wondering though from how you phrased the rest of your comment if you were really asking about how to make two columns of your actual posts...if that's the case, I don't know. FAQ fail. :)

7. "I make printables, but don't know how to share
them on my blog for people to download." - Jill

Girl, I had the same problem when I made my first one! I was like, 'ok, here it is! Um, now what?' Here's what you do. Upload the printable image to a photo sharing site like photobucket.com. If you want to offer different sizes, you have to upload each one separately. In your post, upload a picture of the printable just like you would with any other photo. Below, put a text link that says "Download 8x10 here," "Download 5x7 here," and so on. The link you use is the Email and IM link, the top one in the list of links that photobucket gives you. When people click on that, it will send them to the image where they can save it to their computer.

8. "How much time do you set aside to work on your blog?" - Jennifer

Ah, there's a tricky question! My schedule is always a little different, depending on the day, and I struggle with the same thing I think all of us deal with as we try to manage our time. How do we balance time with family, time to maintain the home, time at our outside jobs, and time on the blog? I am constantly trying to figure out that balance so that my family doesn't feel like I'm always on the computer and at the same time I'm able to acheive some of my blogging goals. On any given day, I'd say I spend an average of 2-4 hours working on the blog. Luckily, LC still takes about a 2 hour nap in the afternoon, so after I've done a bit of cleaning and my devotional time, I usually spend much of his nap on the computer. Sometimes I get an hour or two in the evening as well when LC and his daddy have some special "man time" together. I get a little extra time on Wednesdays because my grandmother comes to visit with LC and they play together for a few hours. I try not to do much blogging on Sunday; I mainly just respond to emails and put a few things on facebook then enjoy the Sabbath with my family.

9. "If you're a smaller blog (such as myself) how do you reach out to people without bluntly asking them to review their product or ask them to do a giveaway on your site?" - Katie

First, let me say that most people are flattered when you ask them to do a giveaway or be reviewed. But another option is to turn the tables and instead offer to give something away on their blog. You could also ask them if they accept guest posts and even suggest something you have in mind that you could post about that you think would interest their readers. All of us are happy to have a day off now and then, and we all like to give things away that our readers would enjoy. Personally, if someone with a small blog, say less than 50 followers, asks me to do something on her site, it doesn't do me much good. Chances are, some of those followers already read my blog anyway, and even if they don't, it's not likely to bring me a huge amount of exposure/traffic/followers. {That being said, I often do it anyway because I hate to disappoint people!} BUT, if a small blogger wants me to give away something from her shop or post about a cool project she did, it's better for us both. She'll get a lot of exposure from my 900+ readers, {who are much more likely to read what's on my blog than to go and read my guest post on hers} and I'll get a break from posting, plus the traffic that comes from a giveaway. Another way to reach out, if that's still more direct than you're comfortable being, is to just target a few bigger bloggers and start being a presence on their site/Facebook page. Leave frequent, meaningful comments so that they get to "know" you. Sometimes they may write back, which starts a dialogue, and eventually you'll feel more comfortable asking about collaborating.

10. "How do you find other bloggers in your city or nearby?" - Eva

That's really a great question, Eva. I know that there are sites where you can list yourself under a particular state and see other bloggers, but often they don't have the same types of blogs. Usually, I find out where people live just by reading their bios or "about me" sections, or when it comes up in "conversation." I've had some folks comment when they hear me talk about the Ravens and I find out that they live in a nearby area, but really I don't know too many other local bloggers either. I actually didn't have a great answer to your question, so what I decided to do was create a special linky party just for you! That's right, girl, you're that special! And I do think it's fun to find out who might be just down the street...soooo, here's the One Artsy Mama 'oh-so-official' "Where in the World Are You" Linky party!

Link up the homepage of your blog and when you type your description, put your name and state, please!!

Where in the world is...?

{source}

I truly hope this series has been helpful for you in some way, whether it was learning about design, posting, linky parties, social media, or advertising. If you had a question that didn't get addressed, you can always feel free to email me at dancers4life{at}gmail{dot}com and I'll do the best I can to help! I appreciate you reading along! I hope you'll come back tomorrow to party with us at Shine on Fridays and show me what you've been up to this week! Then, starting Sunday, get ready for a whole week of giveaways! 20, to be exact! You won't want to miss it...

Happy Blogging!

Growing Your Blog: Advertising and Affiliates

2012-03-07T00:00:00.001-05:00

When I first started blogging, I never even thought about having advertisements on my site or becoming an affiliate for various companies. But, as I got more comfortable with my place in the blogosphere and started gaining a following, I started to receive emails from different companies asking me if I would be interested in reviewing their products. Over time, I realized that advertisers and affiliates can definitely benefit us bloggers just as much as we help them. Here’s a little about each and how they can help you:

ADVERTISERS

This is anyone who pays you in some way to promote them on your blog. It could be:

- A fellow blogger or shop owner who wants to do a button swap or buy an ad space on your sidebar

- A shop owner who wants you to review a product and host a giveaway for your readers

- A company that wants to send you products to review and/or give away to your readers

I {heart} free stuff. So I’m all about advertisers as long as I think they have a quality product that will interest both you and me. For example, one of my personal favorites is Craftprojectideas.com. Every so often, they mail Little Crafter {and mama} a box full o’ goodies for us to craft with. Our job is to make fun stuff with it and blog about it. Talk about a win-win! Right now, I’m waiting for a Cutting Edge stencil to arrive so I can play with it, take lots of pics, and then give one away to a lucky reader. Again, I win, the company wins, and you win too! I especially enjoy promoting the shops of other gals who make handmade products. Having an Etsy shop myself, I know how important it is to get the word out about what you make.

AFFILIATES

This is when you agree to promote a company and their products in exchange for receiving a commission on every sale made to someone who clicks on the company’s site from your blog. You’ll be given an affiliate number and link which allows them to track who comes to them via your site. They’ll provide you with banners and buttons to use and email you about various promotions so that you can blog about them if you choose. They may also offer other incentives, like depositing money into your account if you post about a particular promotion, or free product. For example, Tiny Prints sent me codes for 50 free Christmas cards and 50 free Valentine cards from their site after I blogged about them.
{woohoo for free Christmas cards…and they were GORgeous!}So far, I haven’t made any commission from any of my affiliate companies; apparently no one has made a purchase after clicking on one of my links, but I have definitely gotten some fun free things. As of now, I’m an affiliate for: Tiny Prints, Mixbook, My Memories, Shabby Apple, and Frecklebox.
If you’re interested in being an affiliate, there are two ways it happens. One is that the company contacts you and makes you an offer to join up. The other is to apply to them. Most sites have a link for Affiliates that give more information. Shabby Apple and My Memories handle their affiliates independently while others use sites like shareasale.com, where you can browse for other companies that might be a good fit for you and your blog.

Both advertisers and affiliates can have great benefits for you personally {yay, free stuff!} and for your blog {like attracting readers with great giveaways}. The important things to remember are:

*Only promote companies and products you believe in – what you advertise reflects on you

*Don’t totally inundate your readers with ads and promotions. A little goes a long way, and it’s important not to forget why you are blogging in the first place. For every promotional post you do, make sure you have a “regular” one too, whether that’s a craft, a DIY project, a personal post, or whatever your blog is all about.

Meanwhile, speaking of advertising...
if you've found this series helpful, would you consider sharing a button on your blog so others can find it too?

Hope you'll be back tomorrow for some FAQ!

Social Media is Your Friend!

2012-03-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

Are you connected?

In today's world, it seems like almost everyone is plugged into some kind of social media. Knowing how to use it effectively can be a huge help in growing your blog or shop and spreading your influence/inspiration!
Here's what I've found as far as social media is concerned...

Facebook

How I use it:

- Every morning, I share the link for my newest post on my Facebook page.

- I share photos of projects and/or our family that haven't appeared on the blog.

- I feature projects from Shine on Fridays!

- I share status updates about what I'm up to {or the Ravens}.

- I periodically hold giveaways on the FB page that followers can enter by commenting.

- I ask questions and hold polls/surveys to get reader feedback.

How effective is it?

- Facebook is my 4th largest all-time traffic source.

- I get all kinds of great interaction and feedback from friends on the page!

- I have about half as many FB fans as I do followers on the blog, but I also know I reach some

people on FB who don't follow via GFC, Linky, or any other means.

Tips for Success

- be active on your page, posting a few things each day to engage readers, but don't overwhelm them with a ton of posts and links that clutter their newsfeed and make them want to hide you.

- tag readers when you talk about their ideas or feature their projects

Twitter

How I use it:

- Every day, I tweet the link to my newest post.

- Occasionally, I tweet about giveaways or special events going on that I want to invite readers to participate in.

How effective is it?

- Honestly, I don't know!

I have 123 followers, which is only a small portion of my blog followers and friends on other social media outlets. Twitter is not one of my top 10 traffic sources, so I don't really know if anyone comes to the blog by clicking on the links I tweet. Admittedly, this is my least favorite of all the social media type sites, so maybe if I were more active, I'd see more traffic? I don't personally use Twitter, and even with the oneartmama account, I rarely even visit the page, so I don't see what others are tweeting. There just isn't enough time in the day for it all, you know? I tweet because it's one more way to reach out and let people know about what's going on at One Artsy Mama, but when it comes to where I'm spending my time, you'll be much more likely to find me on Pinterest!

Pinterest

How I use it:

- I pin like a crazy woman!

- I pin everything I see on other people's blogs that I love and/or want to make

- I pin my own stuff from time to time

- I add a "pin it" button to my posts {when I remember}

- I look at what others have pinned from my site as a gauge for what readers enjoy/want more of

How effective is it?

- Pinterest.com is my number one referring site of all time.

So, more of my blog traffic has come from Pinterest than any other single source.

Wow.

That blows me away. Because when I signed up, and even now when I pin, I don't do it for traffic. I'm usually pinning other people's stuff for my own personal inspiration. I'm categorizing it and storing it away so that when I'm ready, I can make it/do it/bake it. But you know what happened? Someone read my Homemade Ornaments Post and pinned this little baby right here:

And it. went. viral.

People repinned and repinned and repinned it and not only that, but they came to visit.

This post is my most viewed of all time, with a whopping 6,000 more views than my second most viewed project! All because of Pinterest.

Tips for Success

- occasionally pin some of your own projects

- look at what others are pinning from your site and use that as a basis for what to post about!

My most frequently pinned things besides this ornament are printables, kids' crafts, and jewelry. So, that tells me readers want more of those things.

I'm also techincally on Google + and occasionally share posts on there, but that's the extent of what I do on that particular site. What social media outlets have you found the most helpful?

PS - For those of you who are missing the usual craftiness, check out my guest post at Life With the Hawleys to see how LC and I made a Very Hungry Caterpillar shirt using fabric paint and his hands!

To Link or Not To Link...

2012-03-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

What about linky parties?

From my personal experience, link parties are one of the most surefire ways to grow your readership.

Here are my answers to the most FAQ about linking up and hosting your own party.

Linking at Other Parties

1. Should I bother to join link parties?

Yes. Absolutely. Run, don't walk.

2. Should I link to every party out there?

Sure, if you have no job, no family, and do nothing but sit on your computer 25 hours a day. For the rest of us, there's just no way. It's time consuming to link up, especially if you have more than one new project to share, so you have to learn to pick and choose the parties you most enjoy and that are most beneficial to you.

3. Where should I party?

Shine On Fridays! Kidding aside, there are a few things to consider when you're choosing where to link up. First, check your traffic stats. You'll notice that there are certain sites that consistently get you page views when you link up. If I look at my all time page views, a lot of them come from Pinterest and Google searches, but also from four specific parties: Whipperberry, Carolyn's Homework, French Country Cottage, and Craft-O-Maniac. I make sure I do everything I can to join those parties each week.

Also, find the parties where you feel most comfortable. If there's a specific party you like because you like the host, you get personal feedback on your projects, you get featured, or for any other reason, by all means, keep linking there! There are several parties I consistently link to just because I really like the girls who run them and I want to support them.

Finally, if you have a niche, find a few parties that cater to certain project types. As you know, I do a lot of kiddo crafts. It's by no means the only thing I blog about, but there are several parties I attend that feature nothing but kid projects. Those are great to link to because I know the people coming there are interested in the kind of things I'm sharing. Plus, they're great places to get inspiration! Are you a chef? Find a foodie party! A bargain hunter? Find a "thrifty finds" party...trust me, they're out there! There are even parties just for new bloggers who have been blogging less than 6 months or have fewer than 100 followers.

Hosting Your Own Party

If you want to give it a go hosting your own linky party, here are some things to consider.

*Partners

If you can find another blogger to partner with you, your success will probably double because you'll be drawing from both her followers and your own. Just make sure you clearly divide up who is responsible for creating the code, commenting on links, and how you're going to handle features.

*Get the word out

"If you invite them they will come"...or at least a lot of them will. When I link up at other parties, I click on projects that catch my eye and invite them to come on over to Shine on Fridays and share there too. When you invite, though, make sure you leave a meaningful, thoughtful comment about the project, not just, "nice job, come link at my party." We all hate that. My policy is that I only invite people if I actually like their project, and I take the time to look at it and give them some encouragement about it.

*Inlinkz vs. Linky Tools

As of right now, I actually have a subscription to Inlinkz, while Kara has the Linky tools one. We take turns "creating" the parties each month, and for the most part, the services seem equal. The one thing though that makes me want to switch to Linky Tools is that when someone checks their traffic, the blog itself shows up as the source, rather than inlinkz. Remember how I said you should find out who your main traffic generators are? Well, if a blog has inlinkz, they could be your biggest traffic source of all and you wouldn't know it. Know what I mean?

**I actually just heard from a representative from InLinkz regarding this issue; apparently they're looking into it and may make some changes that would resolve this problem!**

*Make it "fun!"

There are a billion link parties out there. So, be sure you try to make yours memorable. Use large thumbnail images so people can really see what's been shared. Offer giveaways sometimes. Create a memorable name and button. Build a sense of community by commenting on the projects folks link up and featuring lots of them on your facebook page, twitter, and your next party post. Get excited about it...if you aren't excited, no one else will be either!

Don't assume that your blog is too small; this is one of the best ways to grow! Give it a try and see how it goes...you can always start with a free inlinkz or Linky subscription using just text links for a few weeks to see how many entries you get!

Hope that's helpful...just some ramblings of One Artsy Mama!

Growing Your Blog: Building Real Relationships

2012-03-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Day 3 of the Grow Your Blog series!

I have so appreciated all your comments and feedback.

I truly hope that you find something in this series helpful for your own blog. Today's topic is RELATIONSHIPS!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

Seriously. I mean it.

I want to start this post by saying that I am so grateful for the opportunity this blog gives me of "meeting" and interacting with so many amazing people from all over the world.

Over the past year, there are a number of you who I have truly come to consider as my friends. {Please say it's not just me!} I enjoy emailing with you, Facebook-ing with you {is that a word?}, reading your comments, reading your posts, and participating in events with you. When someone compliments me on my "blessed" necklace, I say, "Oh, my friend Carmella from Tennessee made it! She has a shop!" Or when they see LC playing with his crochet octopus and ask if I made it, I say, "No, but my friend Amanda did! She sent it to him as a gift!" The relationships I've formed with you all are a real blessing, and I wanted you to know it.

In addition to forming meaningful friendships, we can also form relationships that are mutually beneficial to our blogs.

Here are my Top 10 Tips:

Sorry in advance, these are kind of wordy, but I had a lot to say!

1. Volunteer your services!

It's not uncommon for bloggers to put something out in a post or on Facebook asking for people who are willing to donate items for a giveaway or to do a guest post for a series or special event they're hosting. Do it! Jump at the chance and volunteer! Giving away something you've made is great exposure for your blog and your shop if you have one. If you don't make anything, donate a Starbucks gift card or something else that's not super expensive but will still appeal to readers. You'll most likely gain new followers who come to visit from the giveaway, and you'll earn major cool points with the blogger who's hosting it. Guest posting or blog swapping is great too; you get to "meet" someone else's followers, and give them a chance to "meet" yours! I can tell you that any time someone has responded to one of my "help wanted" posts, I've always been glad to have them participate! When I was looking for folks to help with the big blogiversary giveaway coming up next week, I wouldn't have turned anyone away! Even if it meant we had 50 giveaways! So it never hurts to volunteer. Plus, once you've done something for a blogger, she'll think of you in the future when she plans something and may personally ask you to participate again.

2. Follow through, follow through, follow through!

If you've agreed to give something away or post for another blogger, DO IT! Be responsible. If they give you a deadline when they want your post, stick to it. Be early, in fact. If they ask for certain information, provide it. If you are giving something away, send it. Follow through is huge and it goes a long way in building and maintaining relationships. I know that sometimes emergencies come up; for example, one sweet gal who was going to guest post during our Home for the Holidays series ended up getting very ill and being hospitalized. Of course I understood and didn't expect her to get a post to me. Yes, things happen. But if they do, try and give the blogger as much notice as possible because it puts her in a bind when you don't. She's counting on you to post for her or to send that item and has put work into promoting it...if you don't keep up your end, she's left in the lurch and it can reflect poorly on her too. If you have a problem, communicate and let the blogger know what's going on so you can come up with a solution together. That way, you can maintain a positive relationship. If you prove to be unreliable, that blogger won't want to have you participate in events she plans in the future.

{source}

3. Offer to review someone's product and/or host a giveaway on your own blog.

Everyone likes to be promoted and to get the word out about their shop/blog. If you see a product you really like in someone's shop or a blog you particularly enjoy, ask the owner if they'd be willing to give away an item on your blog. Most people will jump at the chance! It gives them added exposure, and it will help boost your page views. Plus, if you're lucky, they may send you something fun...like the pretty felt flower I got when I reviewed Posies and Petals!

4. If you have a link party, personally invite people and comment on the projects linked up to the best of your ability.

We'll be talking all about link parties tomorrow, but if you host one, be a kind host and try to mingle with your guests. The bigger your party gets, the harder it becomes, but try and have at least a goal for commenting on the projects people share. Kara and I split the responsibility; she's supposed to comment on odd numbers and I comment on the evens. We don't always make it to every single one, but we do make an effort because it's important to let people know we appreciate them taking the time to join the party and we appreciate what they've made. Also, a personal invitation goes a long way for getting new people to join in. Don't just say, "Nice project, come link it at my party," but really leave a meaningful comment. I'd say seven out of ten people will respond by linking up, and then not only have you added more fun projects to the party, you've made a new 'friend!'

5. Feature other bloggers on your Facebook page and/or blog.

When you see something really awesome that someone else made, feature it! Whether you host a party, do a round-up, or neither, you can always link a fun project to your facebook page or link to it in a post. It gives other bloggers exposure and everyone appreciates that! Last week I almost peed my pants when I saw that Jen from Tatertots and Jello featured my covered clothespins on one of her round-ups. True story. I also got 240 page views from just that source in less than 7 days. Thank you, Jen!! Nothing makes someone feel more warm and fuzzy in bloggerville than when you compliment something they made by sharing it yourself...especially if it brings them a boatload of page views! If you can, tell the person you're featuring too so that they can be sure to come visit and enjoy their time in the spotlight!

6. Pin things you love from other blogs and tell the blogger!

This is another great way to help someone's awesome projects get the attention they deserve. Make sure you pin from the original source whenever possible, or if you must repin, make sure that the first pin links to the right place. People love getting pinned. And don't just pin and run, TELL the blogger...it makes us all feel good when we hear that someone liked our project or recipe or idea so much they added it to a board!

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7. Give credit where credit is due!

Remember how I said nothing makes us feel warm and fuzzy like having our projects noticed and appreciated? Well, nothing brings out the ugly in a blogger like having his or her work plagarized! We all know it's wrong to copy and paste someone else's post or photo or project and claim it as our own. But there's more to it than that. It's so important to make sure we give credit where it's due whenever possible. If you were inspired by another project, mention it and link to the post or pin. If you mention another blog by name, take five seconds to add a link to it. That blogger will appreciate the referral. Using an image? Credit the original source {notice how I did that for the cartoons?} Referring back to the original is a great way to make friends...and not doing so is a great way to make enemies.

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8. Be accessible.

We're all busy. But it goes a long way when you're able to respond to an email or answer a reader's question. It only takes a second to "like" someone's post on your Facebook page or to send a "Thanks!" email in response to a comment. Take the extra minute to help someone, especially if they're a brand new blogger who could benefit from your "been there, done that" wisdom. Communicating with your readers and followers as well as other bloggers builds real relationships and makes people want to keep coming back!

9. If you can't say anything nice...

you know the rule! If you see a project and you don't like it, keep it to yourself. The blogging community is so encouraging, and I have met some of the sweetest people! I love getting friendly comments and emails, and I'm sure you do too. It makes me feel so good about sharing my projects and ideas; it feels like I'm sharing with a wonderful group of friends. Let's all do our part to keep it that way!

10. Just be YOU!

Yesterday, we talked about letting your own voice come through in your posts; the same is true in your communication and relationships with readers and fellow bloggers. Just be yourself. Share about what really interests you. Respond in the way you would to a "real" face-to-face friend. Be authentic...people can tell when you're not, anyway! Let them get to know the real you; that, more than anything, is what connects us together and forms this wonderful thing we call bloggy friendship.

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Well, I hope some of that is helpful to you. I hope you're enjoying the series and finding it beneficial. I'd love to hear your feedback! {but be nice, remember #9!}

Also, I'm still taking questions for the Q&A on Thursday!

Happy Weekend!

Growing Your Blog: Posting 101

2012-03-03T00:00:00.001-05:00

The one thing that’s central to blogging is posting! You can have all the elements of a great blog, but if you don’t post, nothing will happen. Here are a few tips for Posting 101:

1. Use great photos.

Interesting, clear photos help to grab and hold your readers’ attention. There are plenty of sites where you can get good tips for improving your photography skills. Make sure you have good lighting and that you take photos of each step of a project if you’re doing a tutorial. Also, post large photos so that readers can clearly see the details of whatever you’ve photographed. If you have a particularly wordy post, try to find at least some kind of photo to break up the text and keep your readers’ interest. Like this.

2. Post regularly.

Let’s face it. We’re busy. Some of us are moms of little kids, some work outside the home, some do both, and all of us have plenty of other things on our plates too. We don’t have time to sit around and blog all day every day, no matter how much we’d like to. There will be days when you can’t get a post done or when you just don’t have anything to post about…and that’s okay. But if you only post once a month, your readers will lose interest and you won’t have the kind of traffic you’d have with more frequent posts. Strive for at least 3 posts a week so that you maintain a presence in the blogosphere. You may want to make some kind of schedule for yourself {some people are really specific about this like a craft on Monday, an outfit on Wednesday, a recipe Thursday, etc…others just have specific days for link parties or features}. Another big help is auto-posting. Write up your posts in advance whenever you have the time and inclination, then schedule them to post on the desired day/time. I looooove this option, especially when I’m getting ready for something like next week’s HUGE GIVEAWAY SERIES!

3. Let your ‘voice’ shine through.

We all know that in conversation, we each have a unique voice. If you were to join us for a girls’ day out and tell the same story to my friends Tall Jess, Short Jess, April, and to me, we’d all react a little differently. Each of us has phrases we often say, some of us are more sarcastic than others, some of us are more likely to crack jokes; it’s all part of our personality. The same thing should be true when we write. When someone reads your posts, your voice should come through. Recently, my husband told me he’d read a particular post of mine and that he could hear me saying the words in his head. “It sounds just like you,” he said. I took that as a huge compliment. We should strive to be authentic, letting our readers “hear” us, who we really are. It’s tempting to try to adopt the style of other bloggers we read, but if everyone sounds the same, what’s the fun in that?

4. Use good grammar.

I spent four years as an English teacher, so nothing makes me want to leave a blog faster than consistently bad grammar. Yes, sometimes a word will get misspelled or a comma will get misplaced, but try to make sure you’re double checking yourself before you publish your post.

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5. Don’t try to be everyone else; make/do what you love.

Post about the things you love. If you’re a crafter like me, by all means, post about your latest creations. If you like cooking, post your recipes. I love to eat, but I’m not all that interested in cooking. We have tasty meals, but I’m no chef like my brothers-in-law are. So, you’ll notice that I rarely post recipes. I'm also not a thrift finder, so you won't read about my latest goodwill finds or furniture upcycles...but I do love to read about yours! Basically, just be YOU! As Dr. Seuss would say, "There's no one alive who is Youer than You!"

6. If you’re doing a tutorial, be clear and thorough.If you post a really cool project, chances are, someone out here in the blogosphere is going to want to give it a go. Which means that if you decide to give a tutorial, make sure we can follow it! Take pictures of each step {or at least most of them} and try to explain as best you can unless the step is really super-obvious. Tell your readers what materials they'll need and walk them through step by step.

I'm sure there's lots more I could say, but those are my top tips for great blog posting. What do you think? Are they helpful? What things do you think about when you post?

Be sure to come back tomorrow for "Building Relationships!"

PS- If you have a question you'd like me to answer in Thursday's Q&A session, be sure to send it my way, either by commenting here or on FB, or sending an email to dancers4life{at}gmail{dot}com!

Getting Started: Blog Design

2012-03-02T02:00:00.000-05:00

Looking for the Shine on Fridays party? Click here!

The first topic in the Growing Your Blog Series is Blog Design.

When someone visits your blog, the first thing they notice is your design. Before they read a word of any of your fabulous posts, they get a first impression based on the overall look of your little corner of the blogosphere. Your background, your header, your text, and the overall appearance of your blog make a statement about you and readers will make a snap judgment, for better or worse. Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you critique your current design.

1. Is it original?

When readers come to One Artsy Mama, I want them to know they're here and not one one of the other thousands of blogs out there. There are a lot of things that get really popular in the blogopshere and then all of a sudden, everyone has a new blog design and they're all the same colors and themes. Are they attractive looking? Absolutely. But can you immediately tell what blog you're visiting? Not always. I wanted to create a sort of "brand" idea here at OAM so that when you come here, you know where you are. And when you see me on Facebook, Twitter, and Etsy, you recognize me there too. Each place, you'll see the pink/green/orange/yellow combo and that familiar flower.

Coming up with a color scheme and some kind of identifiable logo or graphic that sets your blog apart goes a long way.

So, ask yourself what it is that makes your blog look special and unique.

2. Is it "you?"

Most of us do this whole bloggin' thing at least partly for self-expression, so we have to make sure our design does just that. Your "look" should say something about who you are or what your blog is about. Mine is bright and fun because I do a lot of kiddo things, but also girly too, like me. Recently, I tweaked my background and header and made it tone-on-tone chevron. And I never loved it.

Because it's just not "me." I like chevron just fine, but am I wild and crazy about it? Nope. I like it on other people's blogs, but I'm not obsessed with it myself. What I do love are polka dots. And the second I changed my background to the very same color with dots? Love at first sight.

Does your design reflect things/colors/themes you like?

Does it jive with what you blog about?

3. Is it neat and attractive to the eye?

Part of the immediate judgment new readers make has to do with how "professional" your blog looks.

Is your header an appropriate size for your blog and correctly centered?

Is it easy to read your title?

Is your blog text easy to read {both font and size}?

Is your blog too cluttered?

Does it appear to be organized, or does it just look like things were thrown up there any old way?

Trust me, I understand that there are a LOT of things to think about and learn when you're putting your blog together. I can't count the hours I have spent on designing pieces of my blog, trying to size things correctly, and getting it all to look "just right." And there have been times when I just couldn't figure out how to do some particular thing. But I've also learned that there are plenty of other girls out there with lots of experience who can give you a hand and talk you through it. If you're not a designer yourself, there are plenty of folks who design buttons, headers, backgrounds, and entire blogs really reasonably. If you like to play around with it yourself and you get stuck, I guarantee you can find someone {consider me volunteered} who is happy to help.

4. Is it cohesive?

Part of making your blog look professional and attractive is that the whole thing "goes together." Know what I mean? Make sure your header matches or at least compliments your background and that your buttons, social media icons, and any other elements you design look like they belong together. If you give your blog a facelift, make sure it's a complete one so that you don't have elements that look out of place.

As you play around with design, you'll come up with some things you like, and some you don't. This is the very first button I ever tried to design. It's a far cry from what I ended up with, but I did find that I liked the font, and I liked that little flower.

A few edits later, and you have the current version:

Keep experimenting until you find the design that makes you say YES!

Something unique, something YOU.

It's totally worth investing your time because it's the first impression that every person who visits your blog will have: that means readers, potential followers, potential sponsors and affiliates too.

Again, I'm no expert, it's just this artsy mama's thoughts on a crucial element of blogging.

What are YOUR thoughts?

See you tomorrow for some basic posting tips!

Shine on Fridays #17 {and some fabulous features}!

2012-03-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

Hey, friends! I don't know about you, but Friday totally snuck up on me this week! When I got Kara's email with the party code, I thought she was a day early...but nope, I was a day behind in my head! We've been busy here in Artsy Land, you know, making wreaths and mini-monsters and springy jewelry! Not to mention preparing for the Grow Your Blog series...today I'm sharing about Blog Design Basics.

Anyway, busy or not, it's most definitely time to party!

Here are four of last week's eight most popular posts, plus one of my personal favorites. Be sure to visit Kara over at Happy Go Lucky to see the other four and her top pick.

Did you see the gorgeous Yellow and Aqua Bathroom Reveal from Polkadots on Parade?

Loren over at Pandora's Craft Box shows a simple way to cover the clutter on your bookshelf...DIY Curtains! Genius!

How yummy do these "No Mess Wonton Tacos" look? Thanks to Becca at Crumbs and Chaos for sharing such a delicious recipe with us!

If you didn't look at this amazing Quiet Book shared by Adventures of our Fam-ily this week, you're missing out! Go take a look at the fabulous, interactive pages! She even includes a tutorial and templates!

Now for my favorite...well, you all know I can never choose just one! How could I when you constantly link up such fabulous, inspiring projects?! Seriously! What's a girl to do? So, I'm cheating big time this week and choosing not one, not two, but THREE favorites. Shhhhh!

Elmo Shirt - Pincushion Creations

Ombre Napkin Ring {from an empty roll of tape!!} - A Creative Cookie

Monster Bookmark - Funky Polkadot Giraffe

I don't know about you, but I'm all kinds of inspired!

Now, it's time to get on with this week's party!

Show off your fabulous creations with us and be inspired by what others have created!

Please link up crafts, recipes, home decor, etc.

We can't wait to see what you've been up to lately!!

If you're going to play along with us, pretty please:

- follow both co-hosts

- grab a party button and put it somewhere on your blog
- have fun and visit some other friends
- no commercial sites

- send us Starbucks gift cards {just kidding...kind of!}

Linking up your photos gives us permission to use them in features on our blogs and Facebook pages.

Growing Your Blog Series

2012-03-01T14:29:00.000-05:00

Hi, friends! The very first blog-a-versary for this artsy mama is just around the corner, and I can't believe that after just one year's time, there are over 780 of you following along and reading about our crafts, projects, and adventures! Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that! I remember being thrilled when I hit 20 followers, and thinking if I could ever just hit 500 that would be the greatest accomplishment.

I know that there are many of you who aren't fellow bloggers, but I also know that a good number of you are, and I've gotten lots of questions about what I've done to go from 200 followers in September to the number you see now in just six months. So, I decided to kick off this month and my "birthday" celebration with a short little series that will hopefully answer some of those questions for you:

I'm no expert, by any means, but I'm happy to share the things I've found that work {and the ones that don't!} for growing and improving your blog. Most of us when we get into blogging aren't looking to be "super-bloggers." Many of us have one or more {or all} of these motivations:

- we're stay at home mamas or wives looking for an outlet

- we love to make things and part of the fun of that is sharing them!

- we want to inspire others and gain inspiration for ourselves

- we're looking for community

- we want to talk about our hobbies with others who share them

- we enjoy writing/photography and want a platform to use those skills

- we want to make a little bit of extra income {etsy, affiliates, etc.}

- we want to have a voice in a larger community about the things that are important to us

Some folks start with only the goal of having their close friends and family follow along. Others hope to have a wider influence. But I think that for most of us, we find that once the follower number starts to go up, we start to dream bigger and want to reach farther. Once I thought I'd have really 'made it' if I hit 500. But when I hit it, I by no means wanted to stop gaining new friends. My ideals changed and now my new goal is 1000. But once I {hopefully} hit that, I know I won't just sit back and be satisfied. For as long as I blog, I'm going to want to keep seeing that number grow, because it means that I'm getting out there and making a difference. Inspring. Encouraging. Having a voice. The larger audience I have, the more of a difference I can make. But at the same time, I don't want to compromise who I am or what the blog is about. I want to remain authentic and keep focused on the purpose of what I do. If you feel the same way, this series is for you. Join me over the next week as we talk about these things from this Artsy Mama's p.o.v.

Friday 3/2 - Getting Started: Blog Design

Saturday 3/3 - Getting Started: Posting 101

Sunday 3/4 - Building Real Relationships

Monday 3/5 - To Link or Not To Link...

Tuesday3/6 - Social Media is Your Friend

Wednesday 3/7 - Affiliates, Sponsors, and Advertising

Thursday 3/8 - Q&A with Amy

Then, to celebrate my blogaversary, I have a ton of fun giveaways scheduled from 3/11-3/17!

Have a blogging question? Email me at dancers4life{at}gmail.com or leave a comment here. If I don't answer it in one of the upcoming posts, I'll try to tackle it during the Q&A!

I hope you'll join me! For those of you who don't blog, don't worry, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled craftiness soon, and there just might be some fun project posts in the mix this week too!

Shine on Fridays will be up and running tomorrow as well. See you then!

Spring Wreath

2012-02-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Leap Day, friends! I don't know about you, but I'm so done with February and ready for March and springtime!

I thought I'd share with you my latest project as we get ready to head into a new month and think warm thoughts!

Materials:

wreath form

yarn {I used blue and yellow}

wooden bird cutout

plastic egg decorations

covered floral wire

hot glue gun/gluesticks

scissors and wire cutters

acrylic paint and paintbrushes

glitter {optional}

ribbon

I had some supplies on hand already. I purchased the ones in the photo, all at Michaels, for about $16.

STEP 1: Paint 3 or 4 eggs a nice robin-egg blue. I stuck the wire ends down in a piece of styrofoam while LC and I did this part. We also dipped a brush in white paint and splattered them a bit to get the speckled effect. Let dry.

STEP 2: Twist covered wire into a bird nest shape. Use the eggs as a gauge for how big you want it to be.

STEP 3: Glue eggs into nest.

STEP 4: Wrap wreath form with blue yarn. Then, go back and accent wrap using the yellow however you like it.

**If anyone ever mentions to you the words "quick and easy" in conjunction with a yarn wrapped wreath, they are LYING!**

It's not a particularly difficult concept, but it takes for.ev.er.

LC kept watching and watching me and saying, "Mommy are you done yet? Are you halfway yet? Why aren't you around to there yet?"

STEP 5: Hot glue your bird nest onto the {finally} wrapped wreath.

STEP 6: {which should probably be step 2} Paint your bird cutout. I also sprinkled mine with glitter. Just because. Glitter makes everything better. It's probably wise to do this at the same time you paint your eggs because then they'll all be dry at the same time ~~unlike what happened to me~~.

STEP 7: Glue your bird to the wreath. Mine came on a black ribbon, so I swapped it for a springy pink.

Ta-Da!

Ready for springtime!

By the way, if you're scratching your head thinking, "Wait, I thought her front door was reddish..." you're right, my friend!

Good memory. Unfortunately, robin-egg blue doesn't look nearly as pretty on the front of my door as it does on the back, so you get the pretty pictures instead of the so-so reality. ;) Oh, for a neutral door...without a door knocker...sigh.

Happy Crafting! And if you go to Subway today, make sure they give you your free cookie! Hey, there has to be something good about having an extra day of February, right?

Mini-Monster Fun

2012-02-28T00:30:00.000-05:00

Everybody loves a friendly monster, right?

We sure do here in the Artsy House!

Which is why when Little Crafter saw this project on Pinterest {mini-felt monsters in matchbox beds!}, he immediately wanted to do it!

Here's how you can make your own mini-monster friends!

MINI-MONSTERS

Materials:

felt {we used blue and red}

thread and needle

googly eyes

polyfil or other stuffing material

scissors

craft glue

small box {matchbox or jewelry box}

STEP 1: Cut out two pieces of whatever monster shape you like. You can freehand it or draw a little pattern first. Make sure it will fit in your box!

STEP 2: Thread your needle and hand stitch around the edges, sewing the two pieces together. Leave the bottom open. We used matching thread, but I think a contrasting color would be fun too!

{Believe it or not, LC even helped with this part...I'd stick the needle through, then let him pull. Imagine how tricky it was to get a pic of this while holding the monster and being the safety police too!}

STEP 3: Stuff that monster!

STEP 4: Sew the bottom closed.

STEP 5: Glue on eyes, mouth, and whatever else you want.

Here's our finished monster! Then it was time to make him a bed! We didn't have a matchbox on hand, so we were using a little red jewelry box.

We just lined the bottom of the box with felt, then made him a little red felt blanket.

Now, he's a snug as a...well, snug as a monster in a box!

Here's a pic of the original project...you can see the variety of shapes you can use as well as the different face ideas over at Molly Moo. Hers even have diapers...heehee!

We had all the materials for this project on hand already, and it took us less than half an hour {it would have taken even less time if I hadn't had my little helper, but then what's the fun in that?!}.

What about you? What would YOUR monster look like?

Don't forget, starting Thursday, I'm going to be posting a Grow Your Blog Series...hope to see you then!

Hello, Yellow!

2012-02-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Friends, spring is just around the corner...can you feel it? I'm just waiting for the day when I can leave my winter coat at home and break out my flip flops instead. It's the time of year when I get sick and tired of bundling up, of sweaters, and of every single thing in my wardrobe. So, I decided it was time to take action.

I took a trip to the Potomac Bead Company and made myself some sunny jewelry to add a springy "pop" to any outfit!

Hello, Yellow Jewelry!

Let me preface by saying that before this project, there was not a single yellow item in my closet, my drawers, or my jewelry box. Nothing. I just don't wear yellow. My complexion and coloring aren't right for it. About 10 years ago, a dear sweet friend of mine got married and chose yellow bridesmaid dresses, which was probably my lone public appearance in banana yellow...Robin, it was proof of my love for you, girl! But adding some chunky yellow jewelry to a black or grey outfit? That I can do! Why didn't I think of it before?

YELLOW NECKLACE

Materials: 8 large yellow beads, 2 jump rings, 2 crimp beads, stringing wire, silver chain, jewelry tools {pliers, crimpers, and cutters}

STEP 1: Place crimp bead on stringing wire, add jump ring, thread wire back through crimp bead and use crimping tool to close.

STEP 2: String beads onto wire. Repeat step 1 on other end of wire so that there's a jump ring on each side of the beads.

STEP 3: Cut a piece of chain to your desired length. Open each jump ring and attach it to one end of the chain. If you prefer, you could also use ribbon through the jump rings instead of chain for a different look.

STEP 4: Optional - You can add a ribbon, a rosette, or any other adornment you like.

STEP 5: Wear and enjoy! {and when you're done admiring it, clean that mirror!}

Next, I made a pair of earrings by placing a yellow and silver bead on each head pin. Then, I created wire loops and added earring backs. For a full tutorial and step by step photos, see here.

Pin It

Finally, Little Crafter helped me to make a bracelet. I prepared the stringing wire with a crimp bead and jump ring, just like for the necklace. Then, LC strung the beads and I finished it off with another crimp bead and a clasp.

I'm excited to wear my sunny new accessories and think spring!

What about you? What do you add to your wardrobe for some color and cheer?

What's New in Artsy Land?

2012-02-25T11:10:00.001-05:00

Hey, friends!Every so often, I feel like I need to fix up a post just to let you know about what's new and what's up-and-coming here at One Artsy Mama! So, bear with me today; I hope you'll be as excited as I am about some of these things! 1. I'm auditioning to participate in season 4 of...

over at Naptime Crafters. I had to link up an original project I created within the past three months, so I chose my Valentine Ribbon wreath, which is link #56!

One of the factors the judges are considering when they choose the 15 finalists is how many views each link gets, so pretty pretty please, if you get a chance hop on over and click on my link {even if you've seen it before}!

2. Coming soon: a Growing Your Blog Series!

From March 1-8, I'll be sharing tips and tricks about topics like blog design, posting, ads and affiliates, relationships, and other relevant topics to growing your blog, whether you're a newbie or have been blogging for a while. Don't worry, I'll also be posting crafts and other things too! On Thursday, the 7th, I'll be doing a FAQ post, so if you have questions about blogging/growing your blog, start sending them my way at dancers4life{at}gmail{dot}com, or leave them as a comment!

3. One Artsy Mama is having a birthday!

That's right! March 17 is the big day when OAM turns one year old! To celebrate, some of the coolest blogs on the block are donating great prizes for 19 amazing giveaways! There will be several giveaways a day from March 11-17, so be sure to stop by to find out who's participating and all the fabulous prizes you can win!

4. One Artsy Mama is starting a monthly newsletter!

Last month, I did a survey and many of you indicated that you would be interested in receiving a monthly email newsletter. If you'd like to be on the mailing list, please email me at dancers4life{at}gmail{dot}com, or leave your email address as a comment to this post. I refuse to spam you guys, so if you want it, you've got to ask for it! K?

Ok, I think that's all for today! I have to go get myself ready for a "big girl" coffee date with my buddy Erin! How excited am I? An afternoon off to play with a friend! Any guesses where we're meeting?

mm hmmmm....

The SHINE Project: Pass it Forward

2012-02-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Each Friday, we take time to Shine, to celebrate the great things you all have been creating and doing. Today, I'm excited to tell you about another {new and exciting} way to let your light SHINE in your community and make a difference.

Be sure to visit this week's Shine on Fridays party, where you can link up your latest and greatest ideas!

We all want to change the world at least a little bit, don't we?

We all want to make it a better place.

Ashley, the heart behind The Shine Project, has come up with a way to see just how the little things we do can make a big impact...in our neighborhoods, our cities, and across the country.

Here's how it works. You get a card like this one, labeled with its very own ID number. You do something to serve another person, and when you do, pass the card along to them.

Pretty awesome, don't you think?

As you can see, if each person really does pass it on and log it on the website, you can track where each card has been and how many people have been involved in showing kindness and, well, shining! There are so many things you can do when you pass your card along. You could pay for another person's meal in the drive-thru or buy coffee for the person behind you at Starbucks. You could help someone carry their groceries, make a new parent a meal, or volunteer to babysit so your friends can have a date night. You can serve someone you know well or a complete stranger. And then it's up to them to turn around and do the same.

To get your own card and find out more, visit The Shine Project.

I bet you can guess which of those ways I mentioned I'll be using my card...

Shine on!

Shine on Fridays #16 {and some fabulous features}!

2012-02-23T22:00:00.000-05:00

Hey friends...what time is it?
PARTY TIME!!

Before we get started, I'm excited to announce that One Artsy Mama will be sending out a brand new monthly e-newsletter! If you'd like to be on the mailing list, leave me a comment with your email address, or send it to me at dancers4life{at}gmail{dot}com!

Are you ready to see some of the fabulousness linked up last week? Here are 4 of our top 8 most viewed projects plus a personal fave {don't forget to go visit Kara at Happy Go Lucky to see the rest!}

Boy, do I love Fridays!!

Evidently we were all feeling hungry this week, three of your top picks were recipes!

Apparently I'm not the only one whose stomach is literally rumbling when I look at these Bacon, Egg, and Cheese breakfast cups linked up by Adventures of our Fam-ily!

Looking for some great St. Patty's Day ideas now that Valentine's Day is past? You're in luck! Check out these great projects linked upu by Tales of a Trophy Wife!

Last week I told you about a new blog I'm enjoying, Be Book Bound. This week, it looks like you enjoyed them too; these delicious looking Lemon Blueberry Scones were a top view! Please excuse my drool...

Don't you just love having breakfast for dinner? Me too. Check out these Breakfast Bowls shared by Once a Mom, Always a Cook.

One of my personal favorites this week has to be this amazing Happy Entryway shared by Meeha Meeha. Can you believe she hand-drew every bit of that fun retro pattern, then painted in each part of it by hand?! It's so cheery and fun...I asked her if she'd come do it in my house, but oddly enough, she hasn't shown up yet! Maybe tomorrow?

I also have to mention Vixen Made as a personal favorite since she linked up some adorable covered clothespins that were such a great project I just had to make some myself! If you missed yesterday's post about it, stop by here!

One more piece of business: the winner of last week's ad space giveaway is Ashley from Cherished Bliss! Congratulations! Thanks to everyone who entered!

Now, on to the party!

Show off your fabulous creations with us and be inspired by what others have created!

Please link up crafts, recipes, home decor, etc.

We can't wait to see what you've been up to lately!!

If you're going to play along with us, pretty please:

- follow both co-hosts

- grab a party button and put it somewhere on your blog
- have fun and visit some other friends
- no commercial sites

- send us both chocolate {just kidding...seeing if you're reading!}

Linking up your photos gives us permission to use them in features on our blogs and Facebook pages.

The Cutest Clothespins on the Block

2012-02-23T00:30:00.000-05:00

Hi, friends! Did you get a chance to check out last week's Shine on Fridays party? I know I've said this before, and I'll say it again, I just LOVE all the inspiration I get by seeing what you all share each week !

Tomorrow, Kara and I will be featuring some of the most popular projects, but today I wanted to share with you one that inspired me personally and made me break out the Mod Podge!

Victoria over at Vixen Made shared these cute and super-simple clothespin magnets she made to help display her kids' artwork on the fridge. I've been having a lot of issues lately with not having enough magnets for all Lil' Crafter's goodies, and some of the magnets I do have aren't strong enough to hold what I need them to...so, one wonderful naptime, I got right to work! Here's a quick how-to:

SIMPLE CLOTHESPIN MAGNETS

Materials:

clothespins

scrapbook paper

Mod Podge

magnetic tape

paintbrush

scissors

All you do is brush Mod Podge on one side of the clothespin and place it on the wrong side of a piece of scrapbook paper. Let it dry, then use small sharp scissors or an exacto knife to cut the excess paper off. I tried to line my pins up with the corner/edge of the paper so that I only had to cut two sides instead of four.

Paint a coat {or several} of Mod Podge on top, so that they're waterproofed. Adhere magnetic tape to the back.

That's it!

If you want a nice step by step tutorial with pictures, see Victoria's great post here.

After I had already glued it down, I noticed that I had accidentally used the part of the paper that had the little Stampin' Up! logo on it for the grey polkadot clothespin. I fixed it by adding a small piece of yellow paper on top, which I ended up really loving! It was so cute, in fact, that I purposely added a touch of red to the cherry clothespin too.

Ta-da! Don't they look cute doing their job? LC is thrilled that his poor Oriole Bird won't have to fall off the fridge anymore because the magnet isn't strong enough...he loves that thing, a souvenir from his first baseball game!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that {at least for me} this project was FREE! I already had every single supply I needed, so it cost me zipp-o! It also took all of about five minutes. Cheap. Easy. Yes! Thank you, Vixen Made!

What about you? What's the last thing you've been inspired to make by seeing it at a party or on Pinterest?

Happy Crafting!

We Walk by Faith...

2012-02-22T00:30:00.000-05:00

If you've been reading One Artsy Mama lately, you probably know that Little Crafter and I have a new favorite hobby; painting with watercolors. We started out by painting dots to go along with a book we read, then we worked together to make a special mixed media collage.

But every now and then, a mama needs to do a project on her own.

The other day, while LC was taking his nap, I decided to attempt a watercolor project all by myself.

{I didn't tell him until after he woke up, or he would've thrown a royal fit and never gone to sleep!}

I envisioned something in the pink/orange color family with a word on top. I just started painting and mixing colors until I liked what I saw. Then, I remembered seeing some paintings at the Torpedo Factory Art Center one time where the artist suggested a bit of a landscape while staying in the color family, so I decided to give it a {very rudimentary} try.

Once I was somewhat satisfied, I penciled in the word "faith" and painted it with acrylic paint. Then, I finished up by writing the rest of the verse with a fine tip Sharpie.

I don't have any kind of training or anything, so I'm sure those of you who are trained artists could find a million things I could have done better, but it was a lot of fun just to play with the colors...and to actually get to paint by myself for once! It makes me happy when I look at it, and that's good enough for now! I'm using it to help me remember my word of the year {remember that? Courage!}

Happy crafting to you!

11 Questions...a throwback survey

2012-02-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged!

{and this time not because I'm the slowest runner in the history of ever!}

I recently met Rebekah, who blogs at Potholes & Pantyhose, when she started linking some fun projects at our Shine on Fridays party.

She sent me an email this week, "tagging" me and inviting me to participate in this fun throwback survey...except it's so much cooler when we bloggers do it than when we were in high school, right?

Here's how it works:

RULES
**You must post the rules {?!}
**Answer the 11 questions that the tagger posted for you & then create 11 questions to ask the people you’ve tagged
**Tag 11 people and link them in your post
**Let them know you have tagged them

It sounded like fun, and I didn't have a post in mind for today, so you get to learn 11 {maybe}interesting things about this artsy mama. Lucky you! Here goes... First up, the questions Rebekah asked me:

1. If you had to choose one or the other for the rest of your life, House Shoes or High Heels...

Believe it or not, I'd have to go with the heels. First, because I couldn't go the rest of my life without dancing, so I need my trusty {well-worn} dance heels. Also, I'm a girly girl. I like to dress up, and let's face it, a ballgown or even a fun skirt with house shoes would just be awkward.

2. What was the worst meal you cooked and who had to eat it?

Hmm...once I got this "great" recipe out of a magazine for coconut chicken. I was all excited because since hubby is lactose intolerant, I usually can't use anything I find...seems like every recipe has cream or milk or cheese. Anyway, I searched high and low for mango chutney, which was one of the ingredients, and I ended up substituting apricot jelly instead. I don't know if that was the problem or not, but it turned out just awful. Sweet hubby was too polite to say so; he was just chewing kind of slowly and pushing it around with his fork. Finally, I said, "This is awful, isn't it?" We both got a good laugh out of it and I never made it again!

source

Disclaimer: The recipe linked to the photo source is NOT the awful one. In fact, I just tried it this week and it's quite tasty.

3. What was the best meal you cooked and who got to eat it?

One of our favorite meals is our shrimp and vegetable pasta. For years, I just made it with the shrimp and noodles, but after seeing a recipe on the back of the shrimp package, I decided to try adding vegetables to it. The first time we tried it was while we were on vacation at the beach, and we devoured it. We eat it about once a week, since we're both crazy about pasta and seafood. See here for the recipe!

4. It's a perfect 65 degrees outside, the kids are at Grandma's, and you have nothing on your calendar. What do you do?

Go to the Ravens game! Or if it's not football season, hubby and I would probably take a day trip somewhere we could walk around outside and have a picnic. We'd probably end up either in Alexandria, VA, or at one of the local gardens.

5. When was the last time you updated your bio picture?

For Blogger? In December the day after I got my hair cut. December for Pinterest too, and January for my personal Facebook. All three are different photos. {I get bored easily}.

6. What is the first concert you ever attended; how old were you, and who were you with?

I got to see the Newsboys live during their Take Me to Your Leader tour. I was with some friends from our high school Bible Study; our leader's youth group was going and we went along. It was a fantastic show! Oh, and I was 15, I think.

source

7. What is the most embarrassing piece of clothing you still own AND wear?

I make it a point not to wear embarrassing clothing. :) Although, I did purposely buy some 80's digs for a costume party last year. And I did wear them. But only on Halloween.

8. If someone looked through your purse, what would they find?

My fun Vera Bradley wallet, LC's wallet, four lipsticks and a lip gloss, peppermint scented hand sanitizer, a pen, a few random receipts and coupons, my fun Ravens coffee cup sleeve {thanks Brandee!}, and spearmint gum

9. When was the last time you cursed and what was the reason?

*Cringe* Are you really going to make me tell this story? It happened about a year ago...Here's the short version. I used the bathroom. Flushed. Toilet starts to overflow. I'm panicking, don't know what to do. LC comes in, gets interested, starts playing in the "water." I tell him {loudly} to stop, it's dirty, and he keeps splashing around. Toilet still overflowing. I climb on top of the seat, take the tank off, and try to pull a lever I think will fix the problem. Lever breaks. Water spraying everywhere. I'm trying to hold the piece so that it stops spraying. I scream for LC to go in my room and bring me the cordless phone...which he does. Phone is dead. I throw the phone, and that's when it happened...I yell, "****" LC looks confused and starts to cry. Mama Fail.

source

10. What's your greatest accomplishment in life, besides kids?

Hmm. I could talk about awards or scholarships, or about graduating college with a 4.0, but I think the one thing that sticks out when I think about the things that really matter would be when I was teaching high school. There was one particular student who I taught as both a freshman and a sophomore, and one day he told me about his plan to quit school as soon as he turned 16. His dad was apparently okay with his decision, and he wasn't willing to listen to anyone who tried to change his mind. I had a long conversation with him about it, giving him a ton of logical reasons why I felt it was a better decision to stay and get his diploma, and two years later, he walked across the stage. He wrote me a note later saying, "Thanks for convincing me to stay in school." Yes. That's a real accomplishment indeed.

11. What famous person do you feel a kinship to, past or present?

I don't know that I particularly feel a kinship to anyone famous, but if I got to pick a famous person to meet, I'd choose anyone on the Ravens' starting lineup!

Here are my 11 questions:

1. If you could have coffee with any one person, living or not, who would it be?

2. What is one quality you'd like to develop in yourself?

3. What talent do you wish you had?

4. If you won the lottery {mega-millions}, what would you do with the money?

5. Which superpower would you choose: the ability to fly, the ability to read minds, or x-ray vision, and why?

6. Share a nickname you have and how you got it.

7. If you could close your eyes right now and be anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

8. What is your favorite season and why?

9. If you could only eat one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be?

10. Which sense would be the hardest for you to lose: sight, hearing, taste, or smell? Why?

11. If you could relive one moment or day in your life, what would it be and why?

...aaaand, here's who I'm tagging:

1. Carmella at Creative Carmella

2. Jamie at For Love of Cupcakes

3. Carrie at My Favorite Finds

4. Terry at These Peas Taste Funny

5. Melissa at Love Bug Living

6. Blythe at Desperate Craftwives

7. Andie at Crayon Freckles

8. Kadie at Seven Alive

9. Melanie at Bear Rabbit Bear

10. Kim at The Brown Eyes Have It

11. Katie at My Darling Days

Hope you enjoyed this random trivia about One Artsy Mama!

Don't forget to stop by and enter the current giveaways:

Crochet Hat from Hooked Up Creations {ends 2/18}

Ad Space on One Artsy Mama & Happy Go Lucky {ends 2/23}

Hooked Up Crochet Giveaway!

2012-02-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday, friends!

What better way to start off the week than by giving something away? Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to someone very special, my friend Katie.

...and get this, she really is my friend, like in real life! I've met her! More than once!

And let me tell ya, she's one amazing artsy mama! She's got 4 little ones at home keeping her very busy, but she still finds time not only to create beautiful things, but to make a difference in the world.

Last September, she organized a trip called the "Joplin Drop" where she, along with some other folks from her church collected and delivered supplies to victims in Joplin, MO whose city was devastated by a tornado. She also donates some of the proceeds from her shop to help with the continuing rebuilding process there.

Katie's shop is called Hooked Up, and boy are you going to love her creations! She specializes in hats, and takes custom orders, creating the patterns herself. To see some of the adorable things she's made, check out her new website. I'm loving this hippo! She also makes frogs, bears, cats, Spiderman, dinosaurs, NFL team logo hats...you name it, I bet Katie can crochet it! Believe it or not, she just started the hobby in 2011...I've been crocheting for years and can't make cute stuff like this!

ANYway, today, she's offering one lucky reader a free hat!

You get to choose between these three designs: the Flower Whimsy, the Dinosaur, and the Owl

They're available in sizes from infant - adult, so you can give it to a little person you know or keep it for yourself

{I'd have a hard time choosing because I know LC would flip out for that dino, but Mama would like the flowers...}

Rafflecopter will walk you through the entry process, just wait for it to load and you're good to go!

Good luck, and thanks to Katie for a great prize!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To the Moon and Back

2012-02-18T01:00:00.000-05:00

If you visited the Artsy House on any given day, chances are that you'd hear this conversation, or something like it...

Me: "I love you to the moon and back."

LC: "I love you to the stars and back."

Me: "I love you more than Starbucks."

LC: "I love you more than breakfast dates."

Me: "I love you more than ice cream."

LC: "I don't like ice cream. I love you more than Elmo."

Me: "I love you the most."
LC: "No, I love YOU the most."

And it melts my heart. Every. single. time.

For Christmas, my mom got me this incredible necklace, made by the talented Blythe of Desperate Craftwives.

{well, not this exact one; mine has LC's name on the tag!}

But I also kept wanting to do something with the saying myself. I just wasn't sure what. Then, the other day, the idea fell into my lap! Remember how LC and I made our fun dot paintings with watercolors?

Well, don't tell, but his first attempt wasn't actually so dot-like {oh, the things you don't see on the blog!}

What actually happened was that he decided he was just going to watercolor the entire canvas purple. As it dried, I found myself thinking, "What in the world am I going to do with this?!" I didn't want to waste a perfectly good canvas, and there were actually some pretty cool watercolor effects on there...then it came to me. I'd finish watercoloring it, filling in the white and blending in a few other shades of blue, purple, and green, and make it mixed media.

I cut out the words from a magazine...remarkably, I was able to find them all in the same issue of Parents...and Mod Podged them onto the canvas. I took a picture of a plate and cut it into a moon shape, then added that in the "sky."

It still needed something, so I decided to add some stars. Since LC and I are agreed that "Glitter makes everything better," I painted small dots of Mod Podge on the canvas and sprinkled glitter on top to make the star effect.

I glittered the upper left corner too, and added a foam star that I covered with some blue sparkles for a little bit of dimension.

I finished it in time to give it to him for Valentine's Day, which was pretty special. I love that it's a collaborative project, since it's "our thing." Some of my very favorite projects are the ones we do together!

He also enjoyed his other present, a Lego spaceship, which hubby and I got to help him build...look at that smile!

Shine on Fridays #15 {and some fabulous features}!

2012-02-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

Hey friends...what time is it?
PARTY TIME!!

Are you ready to see some of the fabulousness linked up last week? Here are 4 of our top 8 most viewed projects {don't forget to go visit Kara at Happy Go Lucky to see the rest!}

plus ~~one~~ two of my {many} personal favorites!

How adorable is this Button Burlap Heart from Southern Lovely?! I'm loving the colors, the stripes, the buttons...ok, everything about it!

I pinned this adorable idea for Stained Glass Hearts so LC and I can do it next year, did you? Can you believe they're made from Elmer's glue, food coloring, and glitter? Thanks to Enjoying the Journey for linking it up!

Ellen from Creative Passage made this gorgeous personalized Heart Necklace for her sister using book pages, sheet music, and maps from various places her sister has lived. Wouldn't you love to get a gift like this?

How cute are these DIY Apothecary Jars from The Terrace Housewife? And all three only cost her $16.90 to make...that's like getting 3 for the price of one!

And now for a few of my favorites...

I almost squealed out loud when I clicked on a thumbnail in the party and found out that Be Book Bound was celebrating Jane Austen Month! They shared both this Pride and Prejudice Printable and these Silhouette cookies that are oh-so Jane! I {heart} all things Austen; in fact, you may have seen this very same quote in a printable made by yours truly last week...but if you want to know the truth, I like theirs better...

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up! Be sure to check the Facebook page for more great features! I can't wait to see what you all have to share this week...but first...we have a giveaway for you!

That's right! In honor of Valentine's week, Kara and I want to show you some love by offering a free ad space on BOTH of our blogs through March 31 to one lucky reader!

Rafflecopter will walk you through the entry process; you get one entry for following each of our blogs {you can follow through GFC, Linky Followers, or email} and one entry for each project you share up to 5 separate links.

We'll notify the winner next Thursday and you can submit an ad for your blog or shop to us.

**Don't have a blog? You can choose the organization/blog/shop of your choice and have it advertised...the ConKerr Cancer ad on my sidebar was donated by a giveaway winner who wanted to use her prize to advertise for an organization that helped children.**

Now, on to the party!

Show off your fabulous creations with us and be inspired by what others have created!

Please link up crafts, recipes, home decor, etc.

We can't wait to see what you've been up to lately!!

If you're going to play along with us, pretty please:

- follow both co-hosts

- grab a party button and put it somewhere on your blog
- have fun and visit some other friends
- no commercial sites

Linking up your photos gives us permission to use them in features on our blogs and Facebook pages.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Craft Bloggers: What I Really Do

2012-02-16T18:19:00.000-05:00

So there's this meme thing going around Facebook...I've seen one for stay-at-home moms, preachers, teachers, gymnasts, writers, and all kinds of other folks, but none for craft bloggers!

I thought it'd be fun to play around with, so I made one up.

If you get a smile out of it, feel free to pin it, post it, share it, print it...just enjoy!

Pin It

Happy Crafting...or sitting with your computer at Starbucks...however you roll!

PS - Don't forget to come back tomorrow {or tonight at 10!} and link up at our Shine on Fridays party! See you then!

Unleashing Our Inner Artists: The Dot

2012-02-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

You know I'm always in the market for fun new ideas about books, crafts, or projects Little Crafter and I can enjoy together!

Recently, I saw a great post over at I Heart Crafty Things about this book, The Dot by Peter Reynolds.

Here's how Rachel summarized the book:

A girl named Vashti is frustrated in Art Class and thinks she doesn't know how to draw or be an artist. Her teacher teaches her a very important lesson when she says "Just make a mark and see where it takes you." Vashti angrily makes a small dot on the paper and signs it. To her surprise, her teacher frames the picture and puts right above her desk. When Vashti sees it the next day, she is determined that she can make a better dot, and then an even better dot, etc. Soon she is displaying her artwork in the the school's art show, which makes quite a splash with everyone. This book is sure to help your children understand that they really are artists.

It sounded perfect for LC! We put it on reserve at our local library, and we were thrilled when we went to pick it up and the children's librarian showed us that it was available on DVD too! We read the book and watched the video version and thoroughly enjoyed both. Then, of course, it was time to attempt some dot painting of our own! We had some blank canvases, and I introduced LC to watercolors.

I drew a circle for him, then let him go to town mixing colors inside of it.

I helped just a little by dabbing off some of the extra moisture he got on it and helping to blend the colors a bit. He was definitely in charge of what colors he was using, though! We had to expand the circle a few times when he went out of the lines, but he thought that was great because it meant his dot was even bigger!

I had him sign the bottom just like Vashti did, and now he's insitent that we find a prominent place to hang it...which, of course we will, but we're quickly running out of wall space these days! The complications of living with a prolific artist...:)

I couldn't help but want to try my own dot...it just looked like so much fun! While blue is LC's favorite color, I went for this combo of pinks, oranges, and a little purple.

TOTALLY FUN!

We really enjoyed unleashing our inner artists...what about you? Why not go paint a dot?

Thanks to I Heart Crafty Things for the inspiration!

Pin It

Heart-sy Artsy

2012-02-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, so yesterday I told you all about what we were doing for each other to celebrate Valentine's Day. BUT, I didn't have any actual photos for you to enjoy {bad blogger!}

Since I pre-write most of my posts, when I typed up yesterday's description, we hadn't yet made Little Crafter's hearts and I hadn't picked up hubby's balloons.

Soooo....here are some pics of what Valentine's Day actually looked like here in the Artsy House.

Little Crafter LOVED his hallway of hearts! The path led all the way from his room, down the steps, and to the front door. I can't even tell you how many times throughout the day he counted them and asked me to read what each one said.

And, here's a peek at hubby's balloons!

I loved the effect! There's one for each year we've been married and corresponding tags with the year and an "I loved you for" list. Things like "I loved you for supporting me as a new mom, being such an involved and caring father, and for understanding and encouraging me when I decided I needed to get back to dancing."

I got the cool hi-float option, so hopefully they'll stay afloat for a good long time! It's funny, I didn't even think about it when I decided to do this, but at our wedding reception, we had 500 helium balloons covering the entire ceiling. It was the coolest effect ever...I wish our photos were digital so I could show you, but since it was 10 years ago, no such luck! Anyway, this totally reminds me of that...which is pretty special.

As for me, I woke up to a VERY excited Little Crafter who had made and hidden {with Daddy's help} nine surprises all over the house for me. Most of them were heart Valentines made with foamy adhesives, but one was a card with a $15 Starbucks gift card inside! Someone sure knows the way to my heart!

Sadly, my necklace didn't arrive in time for the actual day, but I did get to wear this special one that LC made for me. It's wooden; he painted and glittered the heart and I put it on a chain I had in the jewelry box.

{I've decided I'm the worst take-your-own-pic-in-the-mirror photographer in the world...ugh!}

We had a great day, full of love and family time.

Hope yours was just as special.

Hugs!

Pin It

What's in a Name?

2012-02-15T01:00:00.000-05:00

Everything's cooler when it has your name on it.

It's just true.

To this day, my favorite pencil to use is a blue one with "AMY" engraved on the side of it...which is kind of ironic since apparently my dad chose my name while he was browsing a magazine in the bathroom one day and saw it in an ad for personalized pencils.

No lie. I wouldn't make that up.

Anyway, we all love things when they're personalized. Littles are no exception; in fact, kids get even more excited to see their name on their stuff, right?

Which is why I think you're going to like one of my newest affiliates, Frecklebox.

Frecklebox specializes in personalized gifts for kids! One of my favorites is that you can get a storybook customized so that your child is the main character. What else do they offer?

So many possibilities!

There are tons of cute designs for both boys and girls. If you're looking for a personalized gift for a young person in your life

{or yourself...I'm pretty fond of those two journal covers pictured above!}

stop by Frecklebox and see what catches your eye.

Happy crafting!

Happy Heart Day!

2012-02-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, FRIENDS!

Hope your day is filled with laughter and LOVE!

I had fun reading some of your responses on Facebook when I asked what you'd love to receive today...things like:

jelly rings

$50,000

a back rub

acknowledgement

the kids to clean their rooms

Hope you all get what you're wishing for, yes, even you Heather Matz and then you can share that 50 grand with me!

As for us here in the Artsy Family, we've been busy crafting and gifting and surprising each other.

Here's what LC did for hubby. Yesterday, I asked him "What do you love about Daddy? Why do you love him so much?" Little Crafter did an amazing job coming up with a whole list of reasons, which I turned into this 5x7 subway art.

{Thanks to Cheerios and Lattes for the idea!}

For his gift from me, hubby wanted a ring to match the one he gave me for Christmas; a silver band with a verse from Song of Solomon inscribed on it. Of course, it arrived early, he knew it, and so he's been wearing it for two weeks already. I didn't want Valentine's Day to be anti-climactic though, so I do have another surprise in the works. I saw this idea on Pinterest recently...

They suggested using one balloon for each year of marriage. We're working on year 11, so I went ahead and got a dozen since it was cheaper. ;) I printed up these tags, then on each one wrote, "In 20___, I loved you for" and listed out several specific wonderful things hubby did for me that year.

I can't wait to see his reaction!

My gift is supposed to be this heart necklace I saw on Etsy with the Hebrew word for love {ahava} stamped on it...I don't know yet what, if anything, else my boys have in store for me.

For Little Crafter, we took this "Heart Attack" idea from Pinterest {of course}; after he went to bed, we wrote reasons why we love him on hearts and we made a trail of them on the wall leading from his room to the kitchen. Valentine's Day is also the perfect day for a Mama-Noah breakfast date at Starbucks, don't you think? He's also getting a heart balloon and a magic kit. We're having a family dinner {spaghetti} and a movie night, then on Thursday hubby and I get our romantic dinner out.

As we take this day to celebrate love of all kinds; romantic love, the love of family, and the love of friends, let's not forget that "we love because God first loved us." If you want to see what love is really all about, just look at the story of God's selfless sacrifice just so that we could have a relationship with Him. I recently pinned this great quote {thanks Deb Vaughn!} and I think there's no better way to wrap up a post about love...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Pin It

Giveaway: Posies and Petals "Bloom" Clip

2012-02-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hey, friends!

Know what one of my favorite things about blogging is?

Making new friends, and introducing you all to each other! I just love it when I find someone with a great blog or shop {or both} and I can tell you all about how fabulous they are.

So, today, I'm excited to introduce you to my new friend Megan, the heart behind Posies and Petals.

Her blog, Behind the Posies, is full of fun ideas, including a section just for activities you can do with little ones. It also has some great recipes like this delicious looking potato soup with shrimp! Megan is brand new to our happy blogging world; she just started in January, so hop on over there and welcome her like the wonderful "neighbors" you are!

What I'm most excited about, though, is Megan's Posies and Petals Etsy shop...because not only does she sell adorable things, she's GIVING ONE AWAY today! Her specialty is hair accessories; take a look at some of these cuties:

Today, Megan is offering one lucky One Artsy Mama reader the chance to win this gorgeous "Bloom" clip. You can clip it to a shirt, a bag, a headband, or directly in your hair if you like {which would be great for dancing the tango!} Annnd...the winner gets to choose her own colors!

These vibrant colors caught my eye right away when I looked around the shop, and Megan was sweet enough to send me one of these little pretties to review! I. love. it. It's just as pretty in person as in the photo, and I am all about how versatile it is! Take a look!
First, I clipped it onto my new purse:

How fun is that?! I think this may be its new home...

But then it occurred to me that maybe it would match the fun fabric bag my mom made me for Christmas

{yes, I have an awesome mom, no, you can't have her. She's all mine!}

Another win! Then, I figured I'd try clipping it on myself! Here I am all dressed for work...yes, friends, being a dance instructor is a liscence to wear sparkles at any and all times. Don't hate me because I have the best job ever.

And of course, I also have a liscence to put flowers in my hair {or teeth} when I'm dancing the tango...here's my best tango face:

Or not. At least the flower looks good! ;)

Which is your favorite? Purse, bag, shirt, or hair?

Where would you put yours?

Ready to enter? Rafflecopter will walk you through! It takes a few minutes to load sometimes, but it'll help you get all your entries in!

This week, Megan is also offering

15% off in her shop with the code blogfriend,
so if you just can't wait to win, head on over
and order yours today!

Good luck! Giveaway ends at midnight on Saturday the 18th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow, Follow, Follow, Follow....

2012-02-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

So there's a lot of talk going on lately around Bloggerville about what we're all going to do when Google Friend Connect leaves for all non-blogspot blogs at the beginning of March. Rumor has it, GFC may eventually disappear for the rest of us too, so it's wise to make sure we have a Plan B for how to follow our favorite blogs. Recently, I shared one option with you, blog lovin', which I've really enjoyed so far. I like getting an email each day with links to the newest posts on my favorite sites, and I like how easy the site is to navigate. There's another new game in town now too, and that's Linky Followers.

It's very much like GFC in a lot of ways, it's free, and it's created by Brent Riggs, the mastermind behind Linky Tools, which lots of folks use for their weekly linky parties. It's easy to sign up and easy to use.

And I like that it shows you who your followers are, which is the one thing blog lovin' doesn't do that I wish it would.

However, I confess, I have two lingering questions about Linky Followers.

1. Why have my page view stats tripled since I signed up?

Literally. Tripled. But I don't see those views reflected when I look at my traffic sources or individual post views. I can't figure out where they're coming from...are they spammy? Or genuine? If they're real, then run, don't walk to sign up, guys! But I'm just not sure that's the case. I'd love to know what causes it, especially since I've talked to a number of other bloggers who have noticed {and can't explain} the same thing.

2. What's going on with that mom and toddler in the photo on their homepage?

I mean, seriously. Many of us are moms of young kids, and let's face it...have you EVER been able to successfully read or post on a blog while your toddler was on your lap contentedly looking {just looking!} at your screen? Not a chance. {If you haven't seen the pic yet, go check it out...I couldn't find a way to copy and paste it.} I think we should all take photos of what that situation would REALLY look like and submit them so Mr. Riggs can choose his favorite. You know, like where the screen is smeared with grape jelly and the child is screaming "Play with me, Mommy, PLAY WITH MEEEEE!" Or where he rips the space bar off...yeah, LC did that once while we were Skyping with the in-laws...

Seriously. I don't even know how they got that photo. They must have been dangling a cookie right above the camera or something. Must've been some major bribery going on there!

Anyway, those are my questions for the Linky folks. What's your take on them? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Oh, and if you follow me, please let me know so I can return the favor if you have a blog of your own!

Pride & Prejudice Printables and Hot Dog Hearts

2012-02-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hey, friends! The big L-O-V-E day is getting closer...

Today I wanted to share with you a few printables for Valentine's Day.

This time of year, everyone tends to start thinking about all the best love stories, both real and fictional, and I'm no exception. I was an English major in college and am a total Jane Austen fanatic...my favorite novel, of course, being Pride and Prejudice.

I can't even count how many times I've read this novel or watched the wonderful 6 hour BBC movie.

I've even convinced hubby to watch the movie a time or two and he admitted that it's good stuff.

{But don't tell him I divulged his secret!!}

So, I figured it was a great source for a few good quotes. Here's one of my absolute favorites:

Download 5x7

Download 8x10

Then, of course, there's that classic line from Chapter 1...

Download 5x7

Download 8x10

This quote isn't actually found in the book, it's from the 2005 movie version {which I don't particularly care for}, but how can you resist the sentiment? Although the 'real' Darcy doesn't say it quite like this, I think it's in keeping with the rest of what he does express.

Download 5x7

Download 8x10

Also, I wanted to show you the cute little meal I made for Little Crafter last Valentine's day. I got the idea from Family Fun magazine...

Hope you're having fun celebrating love in your house!

Have a great day and Happy Crafting!

Shine on Fridays #14 {and some fabulous features!}

2012-02-09T22:00:00.000-05:00

Alright, friends, are you ready?

"What time is it?"

"PARTY TIME!!!"

Are you ready to see some of the fabulousness linked up last week? Here are 4 of our top 8 most viewed projects {don't forget to go visit Kara at Happy Go Lucky to see the rest!}

plus ~~one~~ two of my {many} personal favorites!

Just look at these aDORable zebra cupcakes shared by Kim over at The Sasse Life! They're almost too cute to eat!

I am LOVING these Magic Decal Transfers from The Painted Hive! Not only does Kristine give a great, thorough tutorial, she also includes a free printable so you can use her adorable dictionary definitions for your own canisters! The English teacher in me is rejoicing!

Audra from Once a Mom, Always a Cook shared a great Kitchen Tip with us: how to clean mineral deposits from your water dispenser tray. Check it out!

Head on over to My Heart's Desire for a great roundup of Superbowl Party Food, including turkey pinwheels, mini sausage cups, and this great looking Caramel Apple dip!

Now for a few favorites...the big day is almost here; Valentine's Day is less than a week away, so I couldn't resist showcasing these two adorable heart wreaths! Don't you just love them?

This Love Wreath, made by Naptime Creations would look so cute on my door...hint, hint. ;) I just love those cute little handmade plush hearts and the color combo too!

Over at The Chick n' Coop, this Salt Dough Heart Wreath rocked my socks! Little Crafter and I had such fun playing with salt dough at Christmas time, but I'd never have thought to do something like this with it!

Be sure to visit the One Artsy Mama facebook page to see more of my favorites from last week!

Also, you'll notice that, like many of you, I've joined Linky Followers in preparation for the day when ~~Google + takes over the world~~ GFC may be discontinued even for Blogger blogs, which may or may not happen. If you like, feel free to follow there! Let me know and I'm glad to return the favor.

Now, on to the party!

Show off your fabulous creations with us and be inspired by what others have created!

Please link up crafts, recipes, home decor, etc.

We can't wait to see what you've been up to lately!!

If you're going to play along with us, pretty please:

- follow both co-hosts

- grab a party button and put it somewhere on your blog
- have fun and visit some other friends
- no commercial sites

Linking up your photos gives us permission to use them in features on our blogs and Facebook pages.

A Pendant Obsession

2012-02-09T02:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, so have you ever tried a new crafting supply or technique and it was so crazy cool that you started having ALL these ideas for how you wanted to use it? {Come on, I KNOW I'm not the only one!!} Well, that's what happened to me this week when I finally tried making tile pendants. I told my mom I wanted Scrabble for Christmas...not to play, mind you, I already have the game, but to CRAFT with! The other day, I got out some tiles and here's what happened:

This is my first attempt. I had a pretty piece of flowery scrapbook paper and the flower was an almost perfect fit. I cut it out, Mod Podged it down, then added some glitter. Add some trusty Dimensional Magic on top, and poof, a pretty pendant!

I was hooked. You may have seen yesterday that I slathered one with chalkboard paint too...

Well, I had all kinds of ideas for things I wanted to put on the tiles, but the trouble was, I didn't have bails to turn them into pendants yet. When I went to Michaels, I found out much to my disappointment that they don't sell them!Fortunately, another customer who overheard me told me to try Etsy. I went home, did an Etsy search and ordered 50 of them from Willow Run Crafts.

While I was browsing the store, I also found these 1" square glass tiles...it was too intriguing to pass up! I've always wanted to try making a pendant with these.

So, my order arrived, and I couldn't wait to get crafting!
First, I cut up a US map we got from AAA to make a pendant of our favorite vacation spot, Myrtle Beach!

I pulled out a copy of some Chopin sheet music and made this with a little bit of glitter too {remember, glitter makes everything better!}

Then, I decided I needed something that said "dance." So, I went into my photo editor and whipped something up.

Here it is, along with the others:

I've got so many more ideas...using a photo, a dictionary definition, an initial, all kinds of thing! The trouble is, the last thing I need is another necklace. Between the things I've made myself with beads, wire, and stamped metal, plus these guys, {not to mention all the ones I had before I got into jewelry making last year!} I'm sure I've got enough necklaces to wear a different one every day for at least two months! Sigh.

What would you put on yours? And is there such a thing as too many pendants?