Now Designing for...

Through the chaotic month of February I had the pleasure of getting a small break and doing something new ~ designing for an digital magazine.  I had contacted the owner last year, but as is the case with so many things, this project popped up in my life just at the right time.

Learning the world of online ezine designing was something entirely new for me. While I've had some training in college classes, it's always a different thing when we get a chance to put that book learned knowledge to actual use and I'm happy to say that I found designing page spreads to be creative, technical, and super fun!

So this month you can find some of my newest handiwork in Pagan Living magazine.  I had the pleasure of designing a few of the articles including "For the Birds", "A Mad Hatter Tea", and "Well Dressing", as well as the "Inspiring Notions" page.

Being a contributor meant that I also needed to come up with a one page ad and since I'm no slogan queen, I enlisted the help of my son, the resident writer and English major. We had fun working on it together and I give full credit to him for the catchy opening phrase...

Aside from my own design work, I really enjoy reading this magazine.  I'd flipped through it a few times in the past, supporting some of my customers and friends who've contributed, but now I sit down and take my time reading through the pages and that's a good thing. As a not-wannabe workaholic, it's good for me to take some time for myself.   The newest issue has only just come out but at first glance some of my favorite short musings are the spread on Rhubarb ~ always wanted to try it, and the beautiful d-i-y handcrafted flower light sets ~ I totally want these in my bedroom(!).  

My hats off to the all of the contributors and especially the editor Tenae who juggles not only this publication but a busy personal life of college and work.  It's really a pleasure being associated with hard working and very creative souls, and working with Tenae was a sheer delight. I've no doubt this young studious go-getter will go far in this world and help spread the word for things she loves and believes in.  I hope you'll give Pagan Living a look-see ~ you can find it on issuu at this link:  issuu.com/paganliving/docs/spring2013

Enjoy~ 

The Bucket

Gee I wish that title had something to do with an exciting "list" but sadly it doesn't.  No instead it's related to a certain online storage site that's quickly climbed to the top of my loathing list. It's not a very big list and it takes an awful lot to get there.

For the past 3 years I, along with many other theme designers, have been using Photobucket for our online storage. Paying for a Pro account was affordable and most importantly they offered the ability to store large size images for easy online use.  Much to my surprize and apparently a sea of others, Photobucket is discontinuing this feature. Whether permanently or not, it's a tough blow to many, and for some of us it's down right disastrous.  As I explained it to one colleague  it's like watching a tidal wave approach but not knowing exactly when it will hit.

Not being the sort to curl up in a ball and cry (that was yesterday) I've now taken on the immense task of creating a new website. It's something I had planned on doing but certainly not under these circumstances.  So if by some horrible chance you suddenly see your Plumrose Lane background disappear please know that I'm working around the clock to try and remedy the situation as quickly as possible. I will keep you posted as updates happen and remember you can always follow along on my Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/plumroselane  I'm going to try adding more frequent updates there as well.  So here's to drier seas ahead for all of us in the very near future.

Best,

Google Chrome

I have to admit I've been a die-hard Firefox user for years.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, Firefox has served as a popular browsing alternative to Internet Explorer for many years.  Over the past several months I've noticed some terrible glitchiness and with the occasional crash thrown in, I felt it was time to look for something better.

I'd heard a lot of mixed reviews since Chrome first came out and was quite reluctant to try it, especially given Google's reputation for prying into all things personal.  But after doing a bit more investigation and reading over some pretty rave reviews, I decided to give it a go.  Before actually installing Chrome I wanted to be sure I could still use several of the essential add-ons I'd come to know and love through Firefox ~ safe guarding my information was a top priority and not one I was willing to sacrifice.  Much to my delight I found a plethora of tools, extensions, add-ons, and more!  Aside from the themes (love mine), and the games (haven't tried any), I'm delighted with how easy it is to modify this browser and how fast pages load (wowza!).

I've written a tutorial and included it on my Tutorials page, highlighting some of the key features I use and recommend.  These tools are designed to keep us and our computers safe and in the crazy techie world we live in, that's a really good thing.  So take a look at this new tutorial titled: "Working with Google Chrome" and see if it helps you find a better browsing solution too.

Enjoy~

New Sponsor Intro

I'm delighted to announce a new sponsor here at Plumrose Lane...

The Mermaid Treasures

The Mermaid Treasures is located at: www.themermaidstreasures.com and offers a lovely selection of handmade items and supplies from colorful jewelry creations and frilly tutus to crafty supplies to dive in and play with.  All of their items are wholesale priced (except for custom orders) so you get the savings right up front.
So stop by and pay The Mermaid Treasures a visit, I'm sure you'll enjoy what you find!

Best,