Pinterest #HowTo

Today I thought I would share something I just learnt.
Have you got Pinterest? Have you tried to add a website or your blog site to Pinterest and get it verified and then like me, failed miserably?
When the ability to link your website appeared on Pinterest I decided to add mine. After all, how hard could it be? With step by step instructions it should be a doddle. Right? Biiig sigh. Wrong!
I have learnt a lot of stuff over the last two and a half years I have been selling online, but anything too technical leaves me floundering. I am, however, stubborn.
I followed instructions, nothing. Tried both lot`s of instructions, still nothing. I kept going back and having another go and getting nowhere. It was infuriating.
Then yesterday afternoon, logging onto blogger, near the top of the blogs I follow, the reading list, I read the start of an interesting post, with this picture.

Naturally I had to know more.
I followed the link to a blogsite 2justByou and from there to Pinterest

..... and then, via the above picture link, onto Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom. Which is where the clear and concise instructions with pictures are.

It all sounds alot more convoluted than it actually was, where in reality it was click, read, click, read, click. Start to read and AH HA!!
I confess it still took me a few goes back and forth, between my blog and the instructions. Finally though I got it. The penny dropped and light dawned!! It really was easy once I understood.
Now my blog is verified on my Pinterest. I hope you`ll find this information as useful as I did.
It was one of those coincidences that happened just at the right moment. I had a blog to write for today, the post just happened to be near the top of my reading list with a picture that caught my attention and it hadn`t been very long ago that I had been having another attempt at verifying my site on Pinterest.
It`s all kind of odd as I had been thinking of doing a blog about pivotal moments and in a small way this one was. Something else achieved and ticked off the list.


I`d tried so often and very hard
all so much harder than being a bard.
I find them simple, daily rhymes
though even for me there are times
when there is nothing in my head
and I feel pretty much brain dead.
The technical stuff is not my thing
usually a headache is all it will bring.
Just occasionally the bulb will light
not usually much of a pretty sight.
If I try and the instructions are clear
with the aid of a stress ball somewhere near
if I`m lucky I can just about cope
and finally achieve what I hope.
A great moment with no one to care
not really interested in what I share.
But that`s okay they`re not being mean
in all this stuff they just aren`t keen!!

Hope you enjoyed today`s info, waffle and verse.
Thanks for visiting, please come back soon.

Get Fruity #FolksyFriday

This was inspired by the front page of Folksy that was a Pinterest pinboard by Maxine of Paper, Chains & Beads.
Sellers can make pinboards to a theme and add the link to a thread and a few get selected to be shown on the front page. As you can imagine quite a few have a go so they have a lot to choose from.
I saw it and thought how fresh it looked and then decided to have a look and see what I could find in the fruit line. A few are the same, but not many.
Yesterday weather wise was grey which seems to have become the norm of late. It`s a shame not to have nice weather this week, with the children being on half term, but we can always hope for the summer holidays to be better.
Yesterday I did some paper mache` with the two youngest grandchildren. I did wrap them well, the children that is, but it was quite messy in the making but they had fun, which was the main thing.
Later I was working on poems and adding sayings of mine to prints of my own art. It is quite time consuming but I got through quite a bit once I really got into the swing of it. Now all I need to do is to take photographs and I`ll have a whole load ready for listing. Yay!!
As usual, to see a bigger picture or a description, just click on the item to view it in the shop.
ENJOY!!!
A poem I wrote after seeing a rainbow.

A rainbow is a special archway
to a magic land of work and play.
A land to spark imagination.
A place to inspire creation.
A place of elves and fairy dust
where believing is a must.
Where sparks make new inventions,
innovations with good intentions.
Magic is always in the air
making sparkles everywhere.
You only have to really look and see
And then it`s possible to be
a part of the magic of the rainbow
that shines with a special glow!!



Grandma`s Miniature Market. Cotton Cat UK.

Dragonfly Lane.

Bread & Fishy Co. Mandyscharms.

Aleximo Croissant. Leisure Time Collection.

Marmalady. Joys of Glass.

CecilyMae Handmade. Andi Lucas Art.

Potsbydesignuk.

Hope you enjoyed today`s fruitilicious array of delectable creations from the crafter`s of Folksy.
Thanks for visiting, please come back soon.

Summer Skies #Etsy

I achieved quite a lot yesterday. Managed a few treasuries thereby catching up on my promotional efforts. Managed to list something on Etsy. That hasn`t happened for several days. And spent a good part of the day wrestling with a pattern for a hood and scarf combo, also known as a Scoodie.
I am so used to making things directly from brain to fingers that I don`t really have to think about it much anymore. When it`s something new there might be a few false starts but then it all comes out usually as it should. Simple.
Getting the same thing down on paper as a pattern is a totally different kettle of fish. As you would expect, I made the item. Not easy. I had to think about every step. Usually I look at it and know if it`s right, I rarely count anything. But for this, as with the glove patterns I did, I had to count the number of starting stitches, then take note of where increases and decreases are. All that meant of course, that it took a lot longer than usual. That was okay, but I also had to take photos as I went along to illustrate how it should look at certain points. Then after all that was done, I had to write it all up, adding the pics, before turning it into a PDF file. I had tried this before without success and a friend ending up doing it for me, but this time I was determined to do it myself. And finally I did.
All done, completed and ready to list. Yay!!
I started writing patterns after hearing several people saying how complicated they tended to be these days. I never bothered with patterns because they looked like double dutch with all the abbreviations, not to mention all the counting of stitches and rows etc.
Mine are written in normal plain English, no abbreviations, with pictures to show what to do at various stages and how it should be looking at certain points to make it easier. Even I can follow them.
This blog is to celebrate the blue skies we`ve had for the last two days, am hoping for more but not holding my breath. There are so many different shades in the sky at different times of the day and can often be a few all at once too.
As usual, to see a bigger picture or a description, just click on the item to view it in the shop.
ENJOY!!!

Loving the blues of the sky
so many different shades up on high.
From the palest blue, almost white,
such a beautiful and delicate sight.
Onto very slightly darker blues
showing off the various hues.
They segue into middling shades
with a beauty that never fades.
As evening slowly comes around
there are darker blues to be found.
But first as the sun slowly sinks
lower, it almost seems it winks.
Streaking the sky with colours of sunset.
The blues were so great and yet
now it`s looks like an artists tray
as the day steadily fades away.
The darker blue as night comes in
now it`s time for the moon to win!!



Whimsydaisy Designs. Yadish Accessories.

Pasin. Nancy Ellen Studios.

Margalita Mosaic Art. Barbara Szepesi Szucs.

Seno. Virtuly Glass.

TJB Designs. Cosmic Hippo Designs.

Ginalimosaics. Ilovecreatingcards.

Bluedaisyglass. Good Florist Design.

Brinkle. FlauntRox.

Hope you enjoyed today`s gorgeous display of blue creations in shades of summer skies. All from the crafter`s of Etsy.
Thanks for visiting, please come back soon.

Bank Holiday Sun #Etsy

With Friday pouring with rain all day and Saturday mostly grey and chilly I thought this Bank Holiday weekend was going to be a washout, literally. To my surprise, yesterday was sunshine and blue skies all day, so I`m hoping for more of the same today.
In honour of that sunshine I did a treasury on Etsy for the British Crafters Shop of the Week. This week it is Rachel of Mystic Spirit Shop.

I prepared all my pots and baskets yesterday in the sunshine then went and got some bedding plants. We spent the morning planting, including some tomato and cucumber plants. It seems a lot of other people had the same idea as there were lots of people buying a variety of plants.
It was good to get that job done. I was beginning to wonder if we ever would with the weather so cold. Everything is so much later this year, but with any luck all the plants will come along in leaps and bounds.
I was made redundant from my job and last Saturday was the last day. I couldn`t wait in the run up but wondered how I would feel once it actually happened.
I was supposed to leave April 10th but a lot of people left or were leaving and suddenly there were many reasons why I couldn`t go immediately. Mainly that there were no staff.
So it dragged on until now and finally I am free!!
My new job is making my crafting business work well so I can make a living from it. Fingers crossed.
As usual, to see a bigger picture or a description, just click on the item to view it in the shop.
ENJOY!!!

The sight of all that yellow
makes most people feel mellow.
Feeling the warmth of sunshine
makes us all feel so fine.
Makes us tarry for a while
and linger to chat and smile.
The sun brings out the best in us,
we even walk instead of taking the bus.
In to our gardens we all fly
suddenly feeling very spry.
There is so much work to done
before we can stop and have fun.
Garden beds to clear and plant
now there`s no such word as can`t.
Gathering baskets and every pot
filling them before it gets too hot.
Finally summer seems to be here
time to get out the summer gear.



Mystic Spirit Shop. IzzyBeads.

Jaysmonkey. Phoebe dreams.

Kookki Design Studio. Nurichant.

Pat`s Paraphenalia. Just K Jewellery.

Coleraine Creations. Creative Treasures UK.

Loutul. Buttercup press.

Mish73 Eclectic Vintage Finds. Fruit fly.

Paper Plane Prints. The Crafty Chimera.

Hope you enjoyed today`s sunshine display of yellow creations from the crafter`s of Etsy.
Thanks for visiting, please come back soon.

Shades of Peacock #Etsy

The shades of colours in peacock feathers are so beautiful that I decided to have them on here today. It started out with seeing a peacock feather and just grew from there. I could have gone for all feather creations but just decided to include a few and have others that are made up of the rich jewel like shades.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do and have a little time to have a wander through these amazing shops, all with so many more treasures to be discovered.
Yesterday was a mostly miserable day, rain, rain and more rain. Not nice at all.
I didn`t get anything much done crafting wise, with computer work, housework, food shopping and picking the youngest two grandchildren up from school and giving them their tea. The last bit was the fun part, with games, giggles and lot`s of cuddles.
As usual, to see a bigger picture or a description, just click on the item to view it in the shop.
ENJOY!!!
A poem I wrote after walking from one station to another in London the other weekend.

In London I stop and look all around.
It`s May and not a T shirt to be found.
Everyone it seems is in the same boat
all are chilly and wearing a coat.
I watch as a pigeon struts by
so used to people he doesn`t try to fly.
Lumbering around a corner, a double decker bus
sailing through the traffic without any fuss.
All of the trees are lush and green
amidst the frantic rush, they are serene.
Ignoring the traffic, the people and all
they just stand and grow evermore tall.
I gaze around at the frantic pace
am saddened to see not one smiling face.
Car horns blaring and sirens wail
coats are tightened against the gale.
I turn away and head for my train
very glad to be leaving once again!!



Heket Designs. Ivyndell.

Frou Frou Felt. Gimme That Thing.

Nurichant. R.E.D. Ceramics.

Annya Kai Art. Katiebug Creations 4 U.

Creative Treasures. 78 Happiness Place.

Whimsy Woo Designs. Abstract Art Affair.

Talulahblue. Cute Pet Gear.

Cloud9Jewels. UniquelyUJewellery.

Hope you enjoyed today`s stunning display of peacock feather and peacock shade creations from the crafter`s of Etsy.
Thanks for visiting, please come back soon.