Angel Miracles ~ shout out

Boy this week flew by, didn't it!?  I had hoped to get a few more tutorials recorded and published but switching classes nearly a week in and trying to get a handle on custom orders really took up the time.

So I just wanted to pop-in real quick to give a little shout out for my friend Cindy who just finished her latest book ~ Angel Miracles.

She's a terrific writer and this new book is simply wonderful!  They included personal stories of those whose lives have been touched by souls who have passed on.  It's extra special to me too because she included one of my own stories as well ~ what a treat!  Cindy's books often hit Amazon's top selling lists and I've no doubt this one will too.

So if you're looking for a light read this weekend, just click on the image to find out more. I hope you're all enjoying a wonderful weekend!

Best~

New Shop Sets

If you're looking for a new look for your Etsy shop I've just posted several darling new sets ~ they include...

Waking Dream

 

Quiet Afternoon

Playful Encounter

and Featherly Melody

Usually my shop sets are take-offs from blog themes I've already created but in this case these images came first.  I'm so pleased with some of them that I may end up working in reverse to create some new prefab themes once my word load frees up a bit.  The Waking Dreams is my personal fav ~ it's so magickal and includes many of my favorite colors.

To view the complete collection of current shop sets just visit the Shop Sets section of my Etsy shop at www.PlumroseLane.Etsy.com.

Enjoy~

Seventeen

My youngest son turned seventeen today ~ wow!  He graced me with tolerating a few photos...

...in exchange for homemade meatballs, sushi, chicken tacos, and chocolate cake, of course.  At this stage, I'll take what I can get.
♫Happy Birthday Kiddo!♫ (and thank you)

Feedburner and a Video

Did anyone happen to notice a sudden drop in their feed subscribers? Turns out Feedburner is experiencing some major technical difficulties.  In looking over my own feed, as well as many of the other blogs I've set up for previous customers, it appears we all share a whopping 0 subscribers! *gulp*

This is a pretty huge "oops" for Blogger/Google/Feedburner and one they're currently "working on".   We can only hope this goes a lot better than some of their past efforts and here's hoping we don't all have to start over from scratch.

On a happier note, well at least personally speaking, I finally have my very first (ever) video tutorial up on YouTube.  You can view the posting by clicking here where I have the video inserted.  I'm hoping this will be a new beginning in helping bloggers navigate their way through the new Blogger user interface.  I'm really nervous, as I suffer from a bit of 'stage fright' with recording instruments, but hopefully that doesn't come through in the videos too much.  If you find yourself on my actual YouTube channel then please be kind and click the "Like" button.

If you are personally struggling with any part of the new Blogger interface then leave me a comment and I'll add it to my video "to-do" list.

Enjoy~

Multitasking

One of the few traits I'm kidded about is how I'm always multitasking ~ it doesn't matter what I'm doing I'll try to fit in a few other "to-dos" if I can.  I'm sure it comes from having such a full To-Do list but whatever the case it's something I do. 

The reason I mention this is because although this posting is about my current Fall Savings Sale it's also doubling as the backdrop for a brand new tool I'm offering ~ Video Tutorials!  I'm super excited to be putting these together, although I must admit I'm a bit nervous so the 'takes' are mounting pretty quickly. 

With the recent final switchover to Blogger's newer interface I'm receiving loads of daily emails, Facebook messages, and Etsy convos asking for help.  I've been able to kick out a few new written tutorials about the interface but with the average tutorial taking between 4 - 6 hours to write, I simply can't get them created fast enough to fit the current need. So hopefully with the addition of video tutorials I can get them created a bit faster.

Ok... as promised, here's that update with the video link ~ just click this title to view: How to Write a Blog Post

So getting back to the gist of this posting ~ if you're looking to save big on anything in my Etsy shop then nows the time.  Simply visit my shop at: www.PlumroseLane.etsy.com to take part in the Fall Savings Sale.  Now through September 24th you can save 25% off everything ~ just enter this coupon code: FallSale2012 during checkout by clicking the "Apply shop coupon code" link in the payments area.

I'll let you know how the video project goes by coming back here and including the link once it's finished.  In the meantime I hope you're all enjoying a wonderful weekend!

Color Theory - Final Project

Last week our final project was due for my Color Theory class and so I'm here to share that with you.  I find brain storming for ideas to be the toughest part, probably because I'm used to creating what my customers want so it's like a muscle I don't exercise as often as I should.  Hmmm, sounds like all of my muscles...anyhoo...

Fortunately a friend of mine needed a custom Facebook cover image.  He loves the sea, steampunk, and feels a connection with old British naval ships.  So I went with that and worked to incorporate those elements as well his favorite quote into an original image.

It's funny about classwork because we're supposed to come up with several ideas but for me, usually when I have an idea it comes pretty well in it's completed form and that was the case with this project. Still we have to begin by creating several thumbnails to depict a "narrowing down" process and so this is what I submitted...

 I have to say I had loads of fun drawing that little ship and love the way he came out!

After that we were to work on several color studies with different strategies and so I handed in these...

I knew full well my final project wouldn't look anything like these rough sketches and remembering from last quarter when the professor and students were disappointed to see my project take a dramatic shift from a 2-D visual rendering to a more 3-D style, I made sure to include details in my original project statement that would, in a sense, cover my a_s...
W5A1 Project Plan-SHenry
Next it was time to work on our "final drafts" which in my case meant an awful lot of work in a very short amount of time, primarily because moving into a more 3-dimensional presentation means alot of cutting, pasting, painting, manipulating and layering...

Creating in an almost collage style to come up with an original piece of work is a real challenge but it's something that seems to come naturally to me. I'm not even sure what the process would be called but the end result is successful and that's what counts.

Finally it was time to fullfill my original intent of making this piece appear to be on old weathered map paper with a truly vintage feel, so here is the final outcome....

I'm super happy with the end result and so is my friend.  I ended up getting an A on the project and in the class, which means so much in striving for future scholarships and additional funding as I work toward my degree.

I hope all of you enjoyed this little glimpse into my final project.  Next class begins this week and it's Art History ~ something I've never studied before but am excited to learn more about.  I'm looking forward to sharing what I learn with all of you!

Enjoy~

Got Pink?!

Have you got your pink on?  October is quickly approaching and you know what that means ~ time to "go pink" and spread the word about breast cancer awareness!  There's no better time than the present to spread the word so others can get on board too!

As many of you know I recently took over the PinkforOctober.org website and together with a lovely group of pink souls we've been working away to update the site and bring you new content. 

I've just added a fresh supply of pink badges, backgrounds, and goodies to help you turn your own blog, shop, or profile page pink for October.  You can find them listed on the "Go Pink" page at: http://pinkforoctober.org/go_pink.html

Choose from a selection of....

Buttons

Facebook Covers

Twitter backgrounds

 

and so much more!  So stop on over and grab some pink ~ why there's even a festive selection of Halloween items for those of you who love to go goulish in October!

Enjoy~

New Tutorials

Sorry I've been a bit MIA the past few days ~ what with class finals, work and trying to catch up on everything else there just hasn't been much time in the day for blogging.  Any free time I've had has been focused on trying to get my Tutorials section a bit more up-to-date for the new Blogger interface.  I'm happy to say I beginning to make a dent in that list and have a few new tutorials added including:

How to: Install a Decorative Blog Background

How to: Install a Blog Header

How to: Center a Blog Header

How to: Add a Favicon

How to: Add a Post Signature

with more on the way very soon.  You can click this link to be taken to the entire list.  I also figured out how to delete a blog, as many of you have asked about that one, and there are other new goodies and tricks I've learned, so just as soon as these little fingers can them created they'll be published.

I've also had several recent requests for my Tutorials Book which is in the process of being updated as well so I'll make an announcement just as soon as that's completed.

One tip I would like to mention ~ for any of you who have signature images installed on your blogs, I've found they're behaving very oddly when writing a new blog post, so if you've experienced a broken image and/or an annoying "skipping" behavior, simply delete your signature code for the meantime until Blogger gets that issue straightened out.

The last thing I wanted to mention is that I finally found the "Send feedback" link I had heard so many referencing ~ if you go into the back area of your blog, on any page, you'll see it showing in the bottom left hand corner...  

Simply click that link to open a small window where you can leave feedback about a specific page or feature.  I encourage any of you who are having difficulty with your blogs to let Blogger now ~ the more feedback they receive the better change we'll have of things improving.

Wishing you all a wonderful start the week!

Enjoy~

Profound

Have you seen this...


If you haven't I strongly encourage you to.  I don't often share videos but as an artist I was deeply moved by how this man overcame immense fears and the advice of naysayers to do what he was truly meant to do.  As a person I was touched by his genuine humility, something we need far more of in this world. 

Enjoy~

Classwork ~ Brazillian Style

Wow, can you believe it's Friday already?? Where did this week go?  Personally I've had my head buried between work and my final project for school.  I haven't finished my final yet, still working on that, but I have this resent class project to share.

It isn't often I take the time to hand draw a design but for class assignments it's an important aspect.  I liked how it turned out but was bowled over when the professor contacted me to find out if I would be willing to sign a release so they could use it as an example for future assignments ~ um, yeah!!  Talk about flattery, wow!

On a side note, has anyone else noticed how glitchy Blogger has been lately?  I'm still learning my way around the new user interface but what's up with the Post feature? Every time you mouse over a line it moves ~ really annoying (and that's coming from Miss Positive-Pants).  If any one knows a fix please feel free to share and if I find one I'll be sure to post about it.

Wishing you all a wonderful end of the week!

Enjoy~

Top Secret Project ~ revealed

Recently I had the pleasure of working on a "big" top secret project and I'm so excited to finally share it with you.  Not long ago a friend of a friend/customer contacted me, wanting to order a custom event banner for a birthday gift.  I was delighted at the opportunity  ~ I love being part of a surprise and it's always so much fun seeing my designs transition from digital to print.

Event banners are especially challenging in a number of ways ~ working on such a large scale can be very tricky as most elements blur when increased in size, so it's important to pay close attention to the full size results while working on the overall design aspects.  This means a lot view changes, back and forth between the two sizes, but when done right the end result is spectacular and worth the additional time.

I'm delighted to say the surprise gift was a huge success! And when I say "huge" it wound up being a whopping 6+ feet wide!!  Kim over at the Lazy Cowgirl loves her new banner and I'm absolutely thrilled with the photos she sent, shown above.  To find out more about my unique event banners just visit the Business Tools section in my Etsy shop or contact me.

Test Spin

How are you all making out with the new Blogger interface? Yeah... me too.  Just writing this post I accidentally deleted my signature several times.  I'm not sure what it is exactly, the vastness of all that white as it plays upon aging eyes *waves to Linda* or simply the fact that everything feels like I jsut stepped off Apollo 11. I've stuck with it through the week though hoping it would grow on me a bit more, or at least I'd learn a little more about where things are, but each morning I enter blogland a resounding "sigh" can be heard from my studio.

Those of us diehard "old interface users" will probably never fully embrace this new look, kind of like letting go of those clunky 70s sandals I wore into the ground but, I've been through enough changes in life to know that soon enough this learning curve will be behind us. I've never liked being a negative nelly so I'm doing my best to keep a positive outlook on the changes and I must admit there are some nifty additions.

Take the Blogger Template Designer ~

This handy tool really puts customizing a blog into the average user's hands.  From changing your font (color and style) to easily altering the width and layout of your blogs, Blogger has made these changes an absolute breeze.  Altering these key aspects used to be handled exclusively in the Html code area of our blogs and that's never a good place for any newbie to venture.  Now, it's easy as pie and I like that!

If you haven't tried some of these features out yet give them a spin.  The best part is you can "try on" and preview any changes without actually applying them to your blog and that's a wonderful plus ~ especially for those of us who air on the side of caution when it comes to blog changes.  To access the font features just click on the "Advanced" link and see what's available.

The only caution is to avoid clicking on the blue "Clear" link at the bottom of each menu ~ this won't recent the changes you just made ~ this will reset ALL of your blog settings, so avoid clicking.

Let me know how you do and what you think and most importantly have fun!

The Psychology of Color

This week we've been studying the psychology of color in class and I must admit it's been fascinating. We learned all sorts of interesting information including various color philosophies and common uses.
Did you know we don't usually eat "gray" foods?
That pink (specifically Baker-Miller) is used to calm inmates in prisons?
Or that in a group of colored objects, you'll usually see the yellow object first?

While colors can be associated with many common ideas or factors, personal preferences, mood and experiences can affect a persons view of color as well.
I'm not sure what mood I was in while creating last week's assignment on complementary and split-complementary harmonies...

As a designer it's interesting to look back over my own work and wonder what was it that made me select "that" color or "this" one. I may not be able to understand the past, but having learned so much about color and it's psychological meanings, I've no doubt it will play a big role in noticing how I use it in the future.

New Blogger Interface ~ ♪it's here...♪

I had scheduled a post about my color class for today but just learned that Blogger will be discontinuing it's old user interface in the coming days. I know this is a huge sore spot for many and a point of great concern. Over the past few months I've taken the time to get familiar with this interface and I must admit (quite begrudgingly) that it's not that bad. I found that when I sat down (cup of coffee in hand) and took - my - time looking over the new interface it was fairly easy to navigate.

Yes, those handy top tabs enveloped in a comforting shade of blue are gone...

leaving us feeling as wide open and exposed as the new side links, bobbing helplessly in a sea of white...

...but to be honest, when you stop and look them over they're fairly easy to navigate. Exploring these sidebar links you can easily find the features we all use so often when making changes and updates to our blog.

I encourage all of you to voluntarily explore the new Blogger interface over the next few days ~ it's far better than being thrust into it unwillingly and if you're like me you'll struggle a bit less. Think of it as going through all that paperwork your child brings home on the first day of school ~ it's not something you want to do but you know you should.

You can still revert back while the option lasts by following along with this quick tutorial . Over the next few days I'll be posting additional info about these changes and you're welcome to leave feedback and questions here as we explore this new area together.

Labor Day Sale

For those of you looking to save on some fabulous items in my Etsy shop, I have a Labor Day Sale going on this weekend.

Simply enter coupon code: LaborDay2012 to save 20% off everything!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and for all my U.S. friends and followers a wonderful holiday!

Enjoy~