What is Tsu?

I have decided to join a new social media platform called Tsu which is apparently pronounced as Sue.
I had seen a couple of things about it on FB.
Then I saw it mentioned in the Professional Crafters group, so I took the plunge.
Now as any small business owner with an FB page knows there are even more changes going on there once again, starting in January, to reduce our reach unless we pay.
So now many FB business small and micro business users are looking for other social media platforms that will be of help to them and their business.

I have only just joined Tsu and not ventured far into it, so I am a total newbie on this site.
I did however find a blog post about it from Artwork By Angie`s blog I found this blog post helpful and thought it might help others too.

I had a further little exploration and found a much more extensive post/guide that had been shared and clearly new a lot about it by Scott Buehler. I haven`t read the whole post entirely yet, I`m taking in the information in small manageable amounts that are easier to digest, but what I have read I find very interesting.

Over the holidays I shall be looking into it much more to see how useful it will be for me as a small business. What I see so far leads me to think it will be good, I really hope that it will be and that it lives up to the good things I have read so far.

If you click those links and have a read and think to yourself it sounds interesting and you`d like to give it a go, then come say hello to me at Uniquely Your Designs and join.

I usually write a little ditty
but can`t think of anything witty.
Tweaking the brain cells but try as I might
I can`t think of a rhyme about this site.
Instead I`ll say that with holidays near
it`s time to get yourself into gear.
To think of family time and fun
until the celebrations are done.
Then you can look further afield
to see what other sites will yield.

Thank you for visiting, please do come back to visit soon.
If you liked this post and found it helpful and/or useful please share so others can read it too. #ThankYou

New word art shapes #NOTHS

Well folks, despite my best intentions, I haven`t had a spare minute to blog.
My word art shapes just took off on `Not On The High Street` and the orders just grew in volume. By November I was very busy and into December it was manic. I was at the computer from early, 5-5.30 a.m ish to quite late often not finishing until 10.30 - 11.00.
I even did housework to take a computer break, sooooo not like me.
Now finally, I have stopped taking orders until next year and will be using the time to create new word art shapes. For any creative person, the new ideas being turned into reality, is the best part. I love thinking up new ideas and working out ways to put them into practice.
My crochet has rather taken a back seat this winter. I still do it as I find it very relaxing and love making things but now have a pile that need to be photographed and added to my shop. Ooops.
I was offering downloadable files on Etsy but it seems that there are new laws coming in to do with VAT that make the selling of digital files very complicated and almost impossible for a small business. So when my Etsy art shop opens it will only sell prints.
I will add some of my newer makes for you to see.
As usual, to see a bigger picture or a description, just click on the item to view it in the shop.
ENJOY!!!

It`s been so manic
no time for panic,
in short supply of sleep
the eyes could barely keep
focussed, awake and aware
to see if the screen was there.
Up long before the dawn
missing the coming of the morn.
Crawling late into bed
I think enuff`s been said.
It was crazy but fun
now I`m happy to be done.
Time to get Christmas ready
taking it nice and steady.
Last minute gifts, don`t look here
at last my order book is clear!!












Hope you enjoyed seeing some of my new makes, they are very popular as personalised gifts.
Thanks for visiting, please come back soon.

#Christmas is coming #PCG

Why not check out all these fabulous pages of small businesses/crafters who belong to the Professional Crafters Guild. The PCG has created this fabulous book of some of their members, yours truly included to save you time in looking for your Christmas pressies. It`s a no brainer really. Buy something mass produced that millions of people buy/have/receive or something totally unique and well made.
To me making the effort to find something unique that the recipient will love is what Christmas is all about. Not just grabbing the first thing you see while thinking `That will do`
Of course it shouldn`t just be about presents and `getting` things. For many it`s the religious aspect that`s important, for me it`s family. Spending that day with family, enjoying each others company and most of all seeing the children`s faces when they know Santa has been.

Christmas comes but once a year
when we are filled with good cheer.
Fighting through the heaving crowd
and music blaring way too loud.
Queues always so very long
not enough tills open, very wrong.
So why not sit and browse through
maybe while you have a few
chocolates and a glass of wine.
Now wouldn`t that be fine?
Feet up, no rush and hurry
no dodging the snow flurry.
Instead just view and choose.
What have you got to lose?
Let your fingers do the talking
and save you all of that walking!!

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you like what you see please share for others to enjoy. Thank you. Please come back soon.

Halloween! #Etsy

A very good morning/afternoon/evening to you all. I think that pretty much covers it for time zones and the time of day you might pop over to view.
Yes I am daft I know.
Thought it was high time we got back to seeing a variety on here like you`ve always been used to. Won`t be every day, but hopefully at least a few times a week. Better than nothing and will very likely improve as I get back into it. Yay!!
So I have a selection if delights from Etsy, all Halloween flavoured as that is the next big occasion. Will be doing a few more Halloween blogs for you over the next few weeks.
As usual, to see a bigger picture or a description, just click on the item to view it in the shop.
ENJOY!!!

Halloween is coming soon
Will there be a full moon?
There will be lots of scary things
some might even have wings.
Wizards, witches, zombies too
devils, vampires, just in view
spiders and the maybe a ghost.
Which ones scare you the most?
A creeping mist will make it scary
so much about, please be wary.
Many things to make you shriek
enjoy the excitement you seek!!











Hope you enjoyed todays gorgeous array of Halloween goodies.
Thanks for visiting, please come back soon.

Word Art & Shaped Word Art #Etsy

I have rather neglected this blog of late. So for this one I shall show you some of my newest creations and then I think it will be time to knuckle down and do regular blogs, to help with all that upcoming shopping you will need to be doing.
Getting to be a busy time now. Halloween, Fireworks, Thanksgiving for those in the USA and all of course leading up to Christmas. YEP, sorry about that, using the C word, but it is already September and a third of the way through at that.
It is time to start thinking pressies and decorations for all the celebrations. Of course there are always birthdays, babies being born, weddings, anniversaries and loads of other celebrations I can`t think of right now.
As usual, to see a bigger picture or a description, just click on the item to view it in the shop.
ENJOY!!!
How about a little ditty
while I`m sitting pretty.
About the way I`ve been shirking
instead of on this blog, working.
I just got out of the habit
of constantly rabbit, rabbit.
Putting my brain to the test
after it`s very long rest.
I know that when it`s blog time
you like to see the regular rhyme
so we`ll have the regular poet fest
or at least, I`ll do my very best.














Hope you enjoyed todays gorgeous array of word art shapes all designed and created by me.
Thanks for visiting, please come back soon.

Word Art Shapes #Etsy

I decided to update you on some of my latest creations in word art shapes.
I thought a good luck would be nice for someone stating a new job, university, a new school, moving house or country or just because they need a bit of a boost.

This one is for a Dad/Father to show that he is appreciated for all he does and loved very much.
It can be an instant download or I can do an especially personalised piece for you. This can include his name and words or short phrases that describe your Dad.

This word, word art shape is also available as it is, as an instant download or can be personalised with words and short phrases that describe your Mum and a name.
For any personalised pieces, please contact me first with requirements. Thank you.

 For those that prefer the word Mom rather than Mum. Available as an instant download or can be personalised too, with name, words and short phrases of your choice.







                                                           
                                             
I will leave you with this one that I made in a variety of colours, this is available as an instant download. The others are also available on request.
I was really delighted with the way this one came out, it was much better than I expected.












Hope you`ve enjoyed seeing a few of my new word art creations. Many more available in my Etsy shop.
Thank you for visiting, please come back soon.

August Newsletter #DiscountCode #Giveaway #Prizewinners

I have decided to add my monthly newsletter on here this month, something I might do occasionally. Please feel free to take advantage of the discount code. If you would like to be in with a chance of winning next months Giveaway it`s just a click away. http://eepurl.com/WZkGT

Welcome to the August Newsletter. School holidays are in full swing, many of you will be jetting off to foreign climes for a week or two of relaxation. Not heading off? If you live in the UK the unprecedented heatwave is giving many of us a good reason to stay home. I hope you are all enjoying it as much as I am. If you need to get in touch to claim your prize or for any other reason this is my e-mail address: rosina40@gmail.com Apologies for not including it last month. As you can see I have been busy designing new word art shapes of which there are many more in my shop. I am rather obsessed at the moment and even my much loved crochet has been put aside.   The winners for last months Giveaway are: drum roll...... Dipping my hand in the bag of names.... The first pulled out is: Edwina Kinch and the second is:........ hand rifling around....... Angela Dobson As you know from last months newsletter there are two prizes A vaseline lip balm holder keyring. Choices here: One Two  Three  Four Five and an instant download of your choice (not Custom or Personalised) from my Word ArtSHOP Rather than do a first or second prize I have decided to give a choice of either. So if the winners would like to contact me e-mail address at the top, with address and prize choice and I will get them on their way.   Next months Giveaway Prize will be a set of two hand felted soaps. I will leave you with a coupon code for 50% off in my Uniquely Your Designs Shop Coupon Code is AUG50 and valid until August 31st. Wishing you all a wonderful August Linda

Twitter Help!

Thought I would do a quick post on twitter today.
I do NOT profess to be an expert by any means, I`m still learning like everyone else, but what knowledge I have gained I am happy to share with you.
If you have any hints or tips please leave them in the comments. Thank you.

I was on twitter and someone who had followed me, tweeted me asking me to follow back and then asking for any tips.

Tip number one was DON`T tell people to follow you back. The reason? It annoys many people. Me? If I have followed the person, then the next thing I do is UNfollow pointing out that it`s a choice NOT mandatory.
When someone follows me I go and look at their tweets and the type of thing they retweet.
Now everyone is different of course and what they look for is different. I don`t want negativity on my timeline. Bad language is very negative whatever it`s about and that`s a definite Don`t follow or an Unfollow for me. I also don`t like to see a timeline filled with names. On a Follow Friday it`s expected, but not all day and every day. But that`s just me.
That particular person escaped the unfollow because he asked for help and tips. Which then started me thinking that I hadn`t done anything like this for a while and lot`s of new people join twitter every day and are looking for pointers.
Here goes:

1) Don`t follow people indiscriminately in the hope they`ll follow back. They probably won`t.
2) Do look at others timeline`s and retweet interesting tweets, follow them if you find what they have to say interesting or you have common interests.
3) If you are promoting your business DON`T just have an endless line of business tweets, it`s boring.
I used to do that at the beginning because I didn`t really GET twitter.
4) Do chat about things that interest you, because the chances are it will interest others too.
At first it will feel as though you are talking to yourself and much of the time you probably will be, but persevere, it`s worth it.
5) DO retweet others who retweet your tweets, if not thank them for the RT. Reply to tweets as well, it helps to make connections.
Retweets and making connections is what it`s all about. When someone RT`s your tweet it goes through their timeline and is seen by their followers who may or may not RT it too and then the ripples spread outwards as more people get to see it.
If you are promoting anything at all THAT is the main objective, to get that or those tweets ReTweeted.
Of course while others are retweeting they may look at your timeline and decide to follow you. A double bonus.
6) A pet hate of mine is seeing timeline`s filled with capital letters, it`s like shouting all the time, it`s very off putting. Great to emphasize something but not good all the time. Personally I take one look and run for the hills.


The more followers you have, the more potential to get seen and retweeted. If you regularly retweet others they will do the same for you.
DON`T however do it with that expectation, not everyone will. But I have to say, that`s their loss.

If someone asks for an RT for a particular tweet, I check it first, I don`t retweet just anything. If it`s for a good cause and I have a few minutes, then I might go to their timeline and RT a few other tweets of theirs.

If you have a FaceBook business page link it to twitter so that any posts are seen on twitter too. DONT do it the other way round, like I did once, as you end up with all the twitter posts in an endless stream on your page. I accidentally did it on my main page once. Oooopps!!

I look at it that we are here to help others when we can in life and for me that relates to all parts of life including social media.

Ahhhh.... one last thing I learn`t the other week. Don`t use up the entire 140 characters if you can help it, especially if you are promoting something. Apparently more people are likely to read it if it`s shorter and possibly click on the link.
Now how true this is I don`t know, I`m still testing it, but so far it looks like it works.

It`s also better  NOT to overuse hashtags, I have done and not found it detrimental, quite to the contrary but I noticed quite alot of the advice blogs state this. The main thing though is to go with yur instincts.


If you enjoyed this post and found it helpful at all please share for others to see. Thank you.

Creative Fun! #Etsy

I have to confess that I have neglected my blog of late, it`s the summer break mostly.
Another reason is the new line I am developing. I love it so much that it tends to consume every spare moment. Curious?
I started playing with word art rather than just having sayings and a nice picture. I discovered I could twist the words around and make them look different. I played with some software and made different backgrounds, then started playing in earnest. It was fun and enjoyable.
But then I saw a shape filled with words and that was it, I was hooked. I started playing. Basic shapes to start with. A heart, two hearts together, then people. It was fun.
There was interest and I did a commission, got another order and suddenly it was even more fun. People liked them.
I always say the only limits are those we put on ourselves. My imagination has no limits and soars free creating at will..

As usual, to see a bigger picture or a description, just click on the item to view it in the shop.
ENJOY!!!
It started out as a bit of fun
then consumed till it was done.
I really liked the new look
and all else was forsook.
Day and night I slaved away
it wasn`t work, more like play.
Then I moved on to something new
and started out without a clue.
I played and played ready to burst
until finally I created the first.
After that it was too late
I had finally met my fate.
I really love and enjoy what I do
creating new word art shapes for you!







   

















Hope you enjoyed  seeing my new word art creations as much as I enjoyed making them.There are of course many more already in my shop and more waiting to be finished and listed.
Thanks for visiting, please come back soon.