Pinning Well – Is Difficult

I know that this title sounds grammatically spastic – but it’s not.

You see I am referring to ‘pinning’ on Pinterest.
and I am also trying to convey, how difficult it is to ‘pin’ succinctly
to make my business grow (and make $$$).

It’s all such a juggling act.

So what am I doing to try to make things betterer?!?

This . . .

1. I did a webinar with Melanie Duncan – it was fantastic.
   Melanie is insightful and knowledgable. I was impressed with her data and links.
   And it was FREE!
   
2. I have converted my Perfect DIY Wedding Pinterest page to the ‘Business‘ setting.
   This will entitle me to statistics and other ‘goodies’ that a regular Pinterest user does not have access to.
   
3. I have been researching different methods to include the ‘Pin It’ button onto my blogs
4. I have created and been using watermarks on my uploaded photos/images – check out my cool tutorial here.
   

So, it’s all part of the journey to
give myself
a business and life that I love.

How is your journey going?

Have you started making your dreams come true?
I’d love to know :D

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International Day Of Happiness

Today is officially the
International Day Of Happiness
as afforded but the United Nations.

It is the day to make the determined effort
to giving yourself a moment of happiness.

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Something that makes you smile,
or laugh,
or sing
or dance.

And it is the prefect day for me to launch
the small beginnings of my new business.

Today I release my first “Ban the Black Dog” kits.

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Today on FB,
then on Monday they will be uploaded to my Etsy shop.

I believe SO strongly,
that being creative is the key to battling Mental Illness ***

If you are struggling with any sort of Mental Illness,
please know that you are not alone.

Call Lifeline
to receive the support you may need RIGHT NOW.

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13 11 14

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*** With the care of a GP, psychologist and or psychiatrist,
and along with medication and peer support.

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1/2 Hour – It’ll Change You Life

I have spent the last 24 months trying to reevaluate
how I want the Purple Paper House to move forward
since closing my bricks and mortar shop.

I have enrolled in a NY Business Course (via www)
and I’ve been reading numerous texts.
I’ve created my “Inspiration Wall”,
and I have been watching relevant videos on youtube and TED Talks.

And tonight
I watched this half hour video
– which seems like such a long video –
but in reality
it zoomed by . . .

If you have EVER wanted to make a difference in the world,
then you HAVE to watch this video.

You HAVE to.

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Photo Editing – Totally Wicked, Man!

Although I still look back fondly
at my simple and care-free childhood,
filled with sandpits, backyard cricket, hide and seek
& running through the sprinkler on a boiling hot day;
I do look at our current supply of technology with glee.

So many really cool things have been invented and
have become affordable and mainstream,
in the last 20 years.

Mobile phones, LED lighting, DVD’s + BluRay, laser cutting,
digital technology, etc.

My creativity is being stretched and coddled and excited
beyond anything I could have imagined.
It’s so wicked!

So what is my current ‘thing’?

Photo Apps

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There are so many mobile device (smart phones + tablets) Apps
and websites
that offer FREE or inexpensive (we’re talking $2 a month)
software that transforms not only images from our everyday lives,
but also our thoughts that we want to display.

Our thoughts, people!!!

Created in under 15 minutes

We can make our own ‘Inspirational’ posters
on our mobile phones
and then send it to hundreds of people via sms, social media or email.

This just blows my mind!!!

So what are these Apps that I am talking about?

I happened upon a thread at the B-School FB page
(B-School begins next Monday,
– insert real terror here – )
that listed the most awesome catalogue of Apps
and I just had to write them all down.

So here they are.
Check them out and let me know which one is your fave :D

FYI
I have listed whether it is compatible with
Android (Ad) + iPhone (iP) + + Tablet (Tb) iMac (iM),
where I can :)
Sorry if I have made any errors.

Feel free to correct in ‘Comments’.

A Beautiful Mess – iM, Ad, iP, Tb

Adobe Photoshop Express – iM, Tb, Ad, iP

Afterlight – iM, Ad, iP, Tb

Be Funky – iM, Ad, iP, Tb

Camera+ – iP, Tb

Canva – iM, Ad, iP

Gimp – iM

Hipstamatic – iM, Ad, iP

Instaquote by Red Cactus – iM, Tb, Ad, iP

Keynote – iM

Lemeleme – iM, PC, iP, Ad

Phoster – iM, Ad, iP, Tb, PC

PicLab – iM, iP, Ad, Tb

PicMonkey – iM, PC

Pinstamatic – iM, PC

PixelMator – iM

Pixlr Express – iM, Tb, Ad, iP

pixlr-o-matic – iM, PC, iP, Ad, Tb

Over – iM, iP, Ab, Tb

Overgram – iM, Ad, iP

Quotes Cover – iM, PC

Quozio – iM, PC

Rhonna Designs – iM, Tb, Ad, iP

Sketch Guru – iM, iP, Tb

Snagit – iM, PC

Stackables – Ad, iP

Statigram – iM, PC

Studio Design by Overlay Studio – iM, Ad, iP

Typic – Tb, Ad, iP

VSCO – iP, Ad

Word Swag – iM, Ad, iP

NB – If you have tried to use one of the listed software Apps above,
and have issues or problems – then PLEASE SHARE in the comments.
I will use YOUR comments in a review of this post in the coming month :)
Thx in advance. xxx. Pia

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So what do I use?

Well, currently I am a PicMonkey devotee.

I love that I can create collages REALLY easily and I also love their fonts.
I”m a font addict!

Don’t get me wrong – I’m a total novice
and I am constantly making mistakes that look cool!
I just figure I’ll make sense of ‘how to’,
over time.

However, they also have a pretty cool blog,
that shares tips, trends and “how to’s”.

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So do you have a favourite?

Go on,
you can tell me ;)

Share your opinion in the comments.
I’d luv ya to!

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Black Stamp Pads – the Absolute BEST Review

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Stacey Dunning from Block Head Stampers,
wrote this amazingly helpful post
comparing various specialist** stamp pads.

Originally,
I came across it on the Jellybeans FB page

I then created a printable Table
so as to keep handy when I ordered any stamp pads
OR
when I did a particular project
that required a special ink.

I’ve already found it so helpful.

Onya,
Stacey

** not  relevant
for general craft use

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Font Fetish – I Love the Look of Letters

I have always loved Fonts.

Being a calligrapher from a young age (11+)
how could I not be in love
with the lines, and swirls and connections of different fonts.

It’s so cool.

So imagine my delight
upon stumbling across
a Periodic Table of Fonts.

Oh Em Gee

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– Master Cell –

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Click on ‘Source’ to go to an expandable version :)

Source: LOGOBR

So what Fonts do I have a fancy for?

My current favourite . . .

Bickley Script

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Tempus Sans

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American Typewriter

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Creating A Watermark for Your Photos

Recently,
I have been trying to get my shizzle into action.

So many crappy things have happened to me in the past four weeks,
that I thought it was time that I
forgot all about it,
and just got on with my life.

So . . . . .

One of the jobs I had to tackle
and just always ignored,
was making/creating a ‘Copyright Watermark’
for the myriad of photos I upload
to the Interweb every year,
and the hundreds I intend to upload
THIS year.

So I did a quick search on my favourite Search Engine** – Pinterest

I came across a STACK of great tutes
for creating bibs and bobs on
PicMonkey.

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I use to be a Photoshop,
then PhotoBucket, fan
but I have found PicMonkey to be easier to use.

No,
I did NOT receive an endorsement
for talking about PicMonkey
(Jeez – I wish!),
it just happens to be a brilliant photo editing website.
It IS free,
however I pay the $4.99 a month
for the Upgraded version – bloody worth it!

Anyhoo,
I checked out a few of the ‘Pins’ to see which ones
best suited what I needed.

This one at Tempting Thyme, almost did it for me,
however wasn’t quite what I needed.
And of course, being a blogger,
she TOTALLY linked back to where she got her info from,
which meant I could go check out her source, for myself.

If only MainstreamMedia and BigBusiness were this ethical
– imagine how awesome our world would be !!!

So I went to Beginner Beans,
and followed Trina’s brilliant and oh-so-easy tute
on how to Create A Watermark
for my own use.

Awesome!

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And here is the final copy of my efforts

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So whatta think?

Any good?

What about the tutorials?
Did you find them useful.

Go on, you can tell me . . . .

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** Yes, yes! I know Pinterest is not a Search Engine 
(as such), 
but realistically it’s an awesome way to locate something 
that you KNOW will be there ;)

 

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Freaky Follow-Eyes

I think we have all seen this freakish dinosaur
on the Interweb this week.

Stop following me !!!

With it’s googly eyes following us no matter where we move !!!

Well here is a link,
to print and make your OWN googly-eyed monster.

Perfect for the School Holidays – and it’s FREE!

Too cool!

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PS
I reckon the cat would be the creepiest.
It’s even got a skull on it’s collar!
Jeeez.

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Colouring In For the Holidays

A few parents here and there,
find school holidays a real survival challenge.

Especially the six week long, Christmas/Summer holidays
we have down here in Oz.

But I remember my Mum loved having us home for the holidays.

We were on the opposite end of ‘wealthy’ on the economic scale,
however we always had SO much fun.

I have such fond memories of
* playing with paper dolls (hours and hours)
* playing schools, shops and Mums & Dads
* mucking around outside
* and colouring in.

Man,
I really loved colouring in.
Still do – big time!

Recently,
I decided that I wanted to make a poster for my 2014 ‘Word’,
which is actually two words . . .
“Dream BIG”.

After quite a few drafts,
I finally made a copy that I would be happy to colour in.

And here it is
for you to print off
and perhaps colour in yourself,
or share it with some ‘short people’ that you know would enjoy it.

And if you do,
please, PLEASE
send me a photo,
via the comments section,
of your completed awesomeness.

<3
Pia

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As a courtesy, please DO NOT use this artwork
in a commercial sense (profit from it).
It is for private or community use only!

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Dream BIG

Click on the link (above – in aqua)
to get an A4 size, printable copy :)

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Christmas Holiday Classes – Are Back!

I have had a LOT of requests
to run classes these School Holidays.

After a year away from this particular spotlight,
I was unsure if I could still do it.

And then I realised
– I missed it.

Badly!

So here is the timetable
& photos
to help you visualise what each class is about.

Christmas Holidays 2014 – Craft Class Timetable

NB
The timetable is mainly for CHILDREN,
however,
I am eager to cater for adults at any other given timeslot
including the weekends or evenings
when a tipple or two would be socially acceptable!!!!

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Flower Heart Canvas
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Friday 28th December
Thursday 16th January

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Origami Paper Flower Ball
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Tuesday 31st January
Friday 17th January

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Cute Bird Houses
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Friday 3rd January

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Decorate your own Crockery
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Tuesday 7th January
Wednesday 22nd January

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Swirl Flower Garland (or Topiary)
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Wednesday 15th January
Tuesday 28th January

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I will upload photos of the other classes as soon as I can.

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Merry Christmas, y’all.
Luvs ya’s :)

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