tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871954193031417262023-11-02T02:01:42.233-07:00The Creative SquidCreativity + SquidooHeartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-14279212763120097822011-06-22T13:46:00.001-07:002011-06-22T13:46:54.938-07:00Raffle Ideas for Under $50<div class=""><div class="Amp_Content_Outer_Bookmark"><div class="Amp_Bookmark_Link">URL: <a rel="clipsource" target="_blank" title="http://www.squidoo.com/rafflefundraisingprizeideasunder50" href="http://www.squidoo.com/rafflefundraisingprizeideasunder50">http://www.squidoo.com/rafflefundraisingprizeideasunder50</a></div></div></div><div class="Amp_Commentary_Wrap"><div class="Amp_Post_Text"><p>There are some great ideas here. I especially like the idea of putting out the money for a new electronic device, i.e. an iPOD Nano or a Kindle, and then putting it up for a raffle.</p></div></div><div class="Amp_Link">See this Amp at <a href="http://amplify.com/u/a15qh8">http://amplify.com/u/a15qh8</a></div><br/>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-62025175925231514832011-06-22T13:43:00.001-07:002011-06-22T13:43:12.130-07:00Tips for Writing Memoirs<div class=""><div class="Amp_Content_Outer_Bookmark"><div class="Amp_Bookmark_Link">URL: <a rel="clipsource" target="_blank" title="http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-write-memoir" href="http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-write-memoir">http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-write-memoir</a></div></div></div><div class="Amp_Link">See this Amp at <a href="http://amplify.com/u/a15qh2">http://amplify.com/u/a15qh2</a></div><br/>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-20854477196767143132011-06-01T09:32:00.000-07:002011-06-01T09:38:45.171-07:00Maintenance Work is NiceWhen you're a creative person like I am, sometimes it's nice to just sit back and do some repetitive and relatively mindless work. Last week Squidoo announced that it would be <a href="http://www.squidoohq.com/2011/05/23/big-lens-redesign-and-longest-post-ever/">making some changes</a> to it's overall look. Some features were added, some mainstays were taken away. At first I was a little perturbed as many of the social networking features within Squidoo itself have been abolished. I also have to resort to using Delicious to bookmark lenses I like now. I'm not very happy about that or the removal of the Squidcast just as I was getting used to using it. I'll have to use this blog for updates to my lenses...or something. <br />
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A nice feature that has been added is that we can now list six lenses on the sidebar. It has been a maximum of three for a while (years?) now. This is causing me to go through each of my 111 lenses and update them. Doing that job is surprisingly uplifting. For one thing, I really am excited about my lenses once I take the time to review them. I enjoy the topics I've chosen and I like the way I put them together. Looking at them all this way inspires me to make more. <br />
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I have had to resort to making and printing out a list of the lenses by actual domain name rather than the title of the lens. It's a lot faster and more error free. Again, it's almost like looking at a map of my life. Very interesting!Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-51311659465870961102011-05-30T07:30:00.000-07:002011-05-30T11:22:17.065-07:00Memorial Day Quest for Squid AngelsI decided to visit the Birds neighborhood to find lenses to drop blessings on and found some wonderful lenses. These are the lenses I blessed.<br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/spring-bird-migration-iowa">Spring Bird Migration in Iowa</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/baby-hummingbirds-in-my-garden">Hummingbirds Growing Up in My Garden</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/birding-by-ear">Birding by Ear - Bird Song Identification</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/decorah-eagles">Decorah Eagles</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/bald-eagles-">Bald Eagles in Voyageurs National Park - Eagle CAM</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/brown-pelicans">Brown Pelicans</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/blue-footed-booby">Blue-Footed Booby</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/the-gosling-who-lives-under-the-hawthorn-tree">The Gosling Who Lives Under the Hawthorne Tree</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/birds-of-prey-coloring-pages">Birds of Prey Coloring Pages</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/naturally_native_cardinals_nest">The Cardinal's Nest</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/mallard">The Mallard Duck</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/fairypenguins">Little Blue Fairy Penguins</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/ournestingblackbirds">Our Nesting Blackbirds</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/robins">Robin in the Rain!</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/thecaliforniacondor">California Condor</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/naturally_native_carolinawrens_nest">Carolina Wren's Nest</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/flamingo-pictures">Pink Flamingo Pictures</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/crows_intelligence">The Intelligence of Crows</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/more-backyard-birds">More Common Birds in Our Backyard</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/snowyowls">Snowy Owls: The Perfect Aerial Predator of the Arctic</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/the-cuckoo-bird">The Cuckoo Bird</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/sandhill_baby">Baby Sandhill Cranes</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/wild-florida-our-feathered-friends-the-song-birds">Wild Florida: The Song Birds</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/naturally_native_hummingbird_gardening">Hummingbirds and Gardening for Them</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/birds-of-ohio">Birds of Ohio</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/name_that_bird">Quiz: Name That Bird!</a>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-80986362556955352412010-12-07T06:58:00.000-08:002010-12-07T06:58:07.143-08:00Flower Cake Decorating IdeasI've been busy making something like forty Squidoo lenses since the new point system was instituted. Nothing like an instant reward system to get me motivated. I made a series of cake decorating pages that all started with one idea: <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/flower-cake">Flower Cakes</a>. It was definitely one of those times where one thing led to another...and another...and another.<br />
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I knew about icing flowers. I'd tried cake decorating when I was a girl, although I never worked up to making roses. Here is my lens about making flowers from different types of icing and frosting: <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/icing-flowers">Icing Flowers</a><br />
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Fondant is that edible clay type material that you see on all the fancy cakes and cookies these days. You can get a lot of detail and the flowers you make will stay in place without melting. See this lens for more information about how to make them: <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/fondant-flowers">Fondant Flowers</a> <br />
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And if you really want to go deluxe in cutting your fondant you need the new <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/cricut-cake-cutter">Cricut electronic die cut machine</a> made specifically for the kitchen. There is even a Martha Stewart edition. I'm trying to gather together as much information as I can about it on that lens, although since it's so new there really isn't all that much out there yet.<br />
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You can also make <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/chocolate-flowers">Chocolate Flowers</a>. The interesting thing about putting that page together was that I discovered that there are such things as chocolate flowers that you plant, chocolate indicating color. There are even garden plans for chocolate gardens. So the lens ended up being about both. <br />
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I also discovered that cakes are decorated with inedible flowers made from paper and clay. My <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/paper-flowers">Paper Flower</a> lens talks about how to make paper flowers for many different purposes. <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/clay-flowers">Clay Flowers</a> aren't easy to find. I would want to use real clay made from earth with anything edible. Most of the clay flowers I found were made from synthetic materials. (Although now that I think about it you'd probably want to be careful with the dyes in paper, too.) Some of the orchids that people make from air dry synthetic clay are so lifelike.Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-38008739378858941062010-06-24T10:16:00.000-07:002010-06-24T10:21:09.338-07:00Squid Angel Blessings: Repurpose Altoid Tins<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=themagworoffr-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001D3PXKA&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Somewhere</b> in my art studio (or glorified junk room - however you want to look at it) is a collection of altoid tins just waiting to be turned into some sort of altered art. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>What</b> is altered art, you ask? It's when you take something intended for one purpose and then alter it by turning into an art piece. This process almost always involves some sort of collage. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Part of my</b> inability to get going with this project is that I don't really know what to make. I think the idea I like the most is to make tiny little pocket shrines. There are many ideas at this lens I blessed today: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/altoids-tins"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Altoids Tins</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Meanwhile</b>, I had no idea that there were so many varieties of Altoids these days. Here in my area I usually only see the original flavor and the gum, although I got some sours once. I'd heard about the chocolate dipped mints but haven't actually seen them in the wild. I would like to try the spearmint flavor as the peppermint is really too strong for me, as well as the liquorice, ginger and creme de menthe.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Here</b> are some of the other flavors:</span><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Altoids-Curiously-Strong-Liquorice-1-76-Ounce/dp/B000FKL0D6?ie=UTF8&tag=themagworoffr-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Altoids Curiously Strong Mints, Liquorice</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Altoids-Curiously-Strong-Cinnamon-1-76-Ounce/dp/B000FKMNK0?ie=UTF8&tag=themagworoffr-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Altoids Curiously Strong Mints, Cinnamon</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Altoids-Curiously-Strong-Wintergreen-1-76-Ounce/dp/B000FKL0EU?ie=UTF8&tag=themagworoffr-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Altoids Curiously Strong Mints, Wintergreen</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Altoids-Curiously-Strong-Ginger-1-76-Ounce/dp/B000FKQD42?ie=UTF8&tag=themagworoffr-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Altoids Curiously Strong Mints, Ginger</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Altoids-Curiously-Strong-Spearmint-1-76-Ounce/dp/B000FKIYEO?ie=UTF8&tag=themagworoffr-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Altoids Curiously Strong Mints, Spearmint</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Altoids-Chocolate-Dipped-Peppermint-1-76-Ounce/dp/B000V1E3L0?ie=UTF8&tag=themagworoffr-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Altoids Dark Chocolate Dipped Mints, Peppermint</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Altoids-Curiously-Strong-Menthe-1-76-Ounce/dp/B001D3PXN2?ie=UTF8&tag=themagworoffr-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Altoids Curiously Strong Mints, Creme De Menthe</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Altoids-honey-curiously-strong-breath/dp/B002QA7W80?ie=UTF8&tag=themagworoffr-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Altoids Cool Honey</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Altoids-Curiously-Strong-Raspberry-1-76-Ounce/dp/B001IZ5LKA?ie=UTF8&tag=themagworoffr-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Altoids Curiously Strong Raspberry Sour Cand</a>y</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Altoids-Curiously-Strong-Tangerine-1-76-Ounce/dp/B001IZ7K5O?ie=UTF8&tag=themagworoffr-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Altoids Curiously Strong Sours, Tangerine Fruit Candy</a></span></li>
</ul>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-53290863209145737512010-06-23T08:53:00.000-07:002010-06-23T10:23:41.930-07:00Squid Angel Blessing: Wind Chimes<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=themagworoffr-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B00026W5UK&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I recently went to an art fair where there was an artist who made wind chimes out of old silverware. It was beautiful to look at and beautiful to hear. Since then I have wondered just how hard it would be to make my own. This morning I happened upon this lens about just that topic. </span><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/windchimes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wind Chimes</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> It is simple and to the point. It looks like a good place to start.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Woodstock Percussion is the maker of the wind chimes I have always wanted to buy. They have such great sound and variety. I would love to hear these chimes tuned to Amazing Grace. This is going on my wish list.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Wind Chimes</span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br />
</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Deep, doleful tones</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Randomly punctuate the evening</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Bright crystal tinkles</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Fill the morning air</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Zen bamboo percussion</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Accompanies the storm</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br />
</span> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">All Rights Reserved, Copyright Gretchen Little</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Do not print or republish</span></span></span></span></div>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-54794833889841781692010-05-13T14:08:00.000-07:002010-05-13T14:08:55.534-07:00Squid Angel Blessing: Art Journals<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=themagworoffr-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1600614566&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>I really like looking at art journals but, unless some major revelation happens, I don't think I like making them. I went to an altered book workshop last week that left me bored and angry. I <i>want</i> to like making them but I don't get the same thrill from actually doing it as I do from thinking about doing it. I found this <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/art-journal-passion">art journaling lens</a> by lensmaster <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/theraggededge">theraggededge</a>.Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-64651206786916196292010-05-03T05:37:00.000-07:002010-05-03T05:37:46.945-07:00Squid Angel Blessings: Fire Bowls and Fire Pits<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=themagworoffr-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0023DHI8Y&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>I'm on a mission to "dominate" my yard this summer. It's a big yard with lots of trees and flowerbeds. The last few years parts of it have gotten out of control. I have always loved bonfires, but now we have restrictions on when and how big we can burn. Put that together with seeing my neighbor's pretty fire pit the other night and that led me on a search for a lens about gardens and places to have a fire in them. I found <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/small-patio-designs-for-small-spaces">Small Patio Designs</a> and then <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/beautiful-gas-fire-bowls-fire-pits">Fire Bowls and Fire Pits</a> by the same lensmaster. These are beautiful lenses that have me salivating and eager to get back out in the garden.Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-9146256666094722952010-04-29T05:31:00.000-07:002010-04-29T05:32:21.453-07:00Squid Angel Blessings: Voodoo Veves<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=themagworoffr-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=144211892X&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>I'm a psychic medium and I started learning about voodoo from the loas (or spirits) themselves before I met this lensmaster, Voodoomama. One day an old black man came into my consciousness. He was funny and made me laugh. He wanted me to call him Mr. Peanut. It wasn't until several years later when I started spending time with Voodoomama that I ran across something that said that Papa Legba loves peanuts. That's when I knew, without a doubt, who that "old man" was. He is a trickster at times, and he sure "tricked" me with the peanut thing.<br />
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He is also the gatekeeper into the Otherworld. If you want to communicate with any of the other voodoo loa, you have to start with him. That seems to be one of my functions in life, too, and I was born on April Fools Day so it's no wonder we are connected, even without my being a voodoo practitioner.<br />
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Voodoomama has written a great lens about Legba. You can see it here: <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/papalegba">Papa Legba</a>. But the lens I've blessed for today is about the veves, or ritual symbols of voodoo. Each symbols represents a different loa. Learn more about them here: Ritual Symbols of the Gods and Goddesses: <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/voodooveves">Voodoo Veves</a>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-75581042898118682242010-04-20T09:03:00.000-07:002010-04-20T09:04:05.279-07:00Squidoo Angel Blessings: Paper Dolls and Tarot Art Dolls<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=themagworoffr-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1419609475&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Paper Dolls</span><br />
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When I was a girl in the 1960's I loved my paper dolls. I still do, I guess, as my favorite part of being in the online virtual world of Second Life is buying and changing the clothes of my little puppet self (or avatar). I also got to play with my mom's paper dolls from the 1930's and 40's. The gowns were so glamorous!<br />
<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/paper-doll-cut-outs">A Paper Doll Childhood</a>, created by <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/KarenTBTEN">KarenTBTEN</a>, has a lot of useful links and resources as well as pretty pictures that inspire me to want to get out my old paper dolls and play with them again.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=themagworoffr-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1592535135&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Tarot Art Dolls</span><br />
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I have long had an interest in tarot cards. These days I access my intuition more directly but there is still something very alluring about these cards that are like illustrations without a written story. I also love the relatively new fiber art form of making "art dolls"...dolls that don't always represent the human form as we know it. So I was happy to find a lens about <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/tarotdolls">Tarot Art Dolls</a> by <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/MeltedRachel">MeltedRachel</a>, one of my favorite artist lensmasters. She writes about her inspiration, shows the initial sketch, the painting, and then the doll. Cool!Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-62038959062806826712010-04-19T07:08:00.000-07:002010-04-19T07:17:04.305-07:00Squid Angel Blessings: Watercolor Pencils and Feng Shui Symbols<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Watercolor Pencils</span></div><br />
<iframe align="right" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=themagworoffr-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001CTUO2C&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-left: 20 px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>I'm sure you've heard of colored pencils, but did you know there are watercolor pencils? You draw with them but they are also water soluble so you can get watercolor effects. Lensmaster Mona Majorowicz, or <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/WildFacesGallery">WildFacesGallery</a>, has written a comprehensive lens, <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/Watercolor-Pencils">Learn About Watercolor Pencils</a>, that explains the different types of watercolor pencils she uses. It's great information for either a beginner or someone who already uses them.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Feng Shui Symbols</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=themagworoffr-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000AQDN1C&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
Every now and then I get the urge to dabble with Feng Shui, the Chinese art of placing objects and furniture - well, everything really - in order to change the energy in your life and clear away any blockages to you living the life you desire. A couple of weeks ago I wanted to find just the symbols that are used for different purposes. Today I found this lens, <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/feng_shui_symbols">10 Symbols Behind The Art of Feng Shui</a>, while looking for something else. (Isn't that always the way?) Lensmaster <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/monarch13">monarch13</a> clearly outlines what the different traditional Feng Shui symbols are and where to use them.Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-81425749996635387602010-04-16T08:04:00.000-07:002010-04-16T09:33:29.371-07:00Squid Angel Blessings: No Bake Cookie Recipes and SpellcraftingI was looking for recipes for no bake cookies because I had committed to making some for a local event and then ended up being in it, leaving no time to bake cookies. <br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=themagworoffr-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1581825048&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">No Bake Cookie Recipes</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;">I found this fantastic first lens by lensmaster <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/cookiefan">CookieFan</a>. In <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/nobakecookierecipes">No Bake Cookie Recipes</a> she presents us with some favorite no bake recipes such as rice krispie treats with variations. The photos are fantastic. I assume she took them as there is no attribution otherwise that I saw.</div></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Working Magic and Casting Spells</span><br />
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<iframe align="right" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=themagworoffr-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1592572421&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-left: 10 px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;">For the real low down on spells and what they really are I found an equally fantastic lens on that topic: <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/witchcraftsmagicandspells">Witch Crafts: Magic and Spells</a> by <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/member/join_fan_club/M_S_Beltran">M_S_Beltran</a>. Although lengthy, this is one of the most readable explanations of what magic really is and how to use it effectively that I have ever found. He takes it out of the realm of Harry Potter or demonology and shows it for what it is...a way to discipline yourself in order to reach your goals. We all use magic all the time. Any time you try to change anyone else, you are using a form of magic. That includes teaching people to fear witches! <br />
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If you have ever been curious about what spells do and how to use them, this lens is a great place to start.</div></div></div>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-33472687181152531782010-04-14T06:58:00.000-07:002010-04-14T09:41:37.718-07:00Squid Angel Blessings: Peyote Stitch, Canadian Music, Kansas, and a Hawaiian RecipeI've just been made a Squid Angel for the next three months which gives me the opportunity to give lenses I find a little extra boost. I'm going to feature the blessed lenses here on my blog as well.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Peyote Stitch</span></div><br />
<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/peyotebeadwork"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=themagworoffr-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0871162180" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=themagworoffr-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0871162180&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></a><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/peyotebeadwork">Peyote Bead Work: Turning Glass Into Cloth</a> tells some interesting stories of how lensmaster <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/Margo_Arrowsmith">Margo_Arrowsmith</a> found women who were doing intricate beadwork for very little monetary compensation. It also shows how to do the peyote beading stitch.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Canadian Music</span></div><br />
<iframe align="right" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=themagworoffr-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B00006AMTG&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/obamas-canadian-playlist">Obama's Canadian Playlist ~~ 49 Songs That Define Canada and Our Music</a> (created by <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/Treasures-By-Brenda">Treasures-by-Brenda</a>) is about how the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation created playlist of songs that they thought represented Canada to give to President Barack Obama.<br />
I was lucky enough to know a Canadian who loved music and he introduced me to so many great bands and musicians I wouldn't have known about otherwise. It's really a shame that people here in the US aren't exposed to more of them. So of course I had to bless this lens.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Kansas</span></div><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=themagworoffr-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0700612602&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>I have a good friend who just moved from near where I live in Iowa to Kansas to be near her daughters and her new grandchild. We used to go on a lot of day trips together, driving all around eastern Iowa, northern Illinois, and even Wisconsin. Now I'll have to get to Kansas so we can have fun discovering what all there is to see there.<br />
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I happened across this lens completely by accident on my first day as Squid Angel: <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/see_kansas">Must See Places in Kansas</a>, created by <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/of_different_sorts">of_different_sorts</a>. As much as I love to read guidebooks and research places to visit on the Web, sometimes it's nice to have the most interesting places listed up front in an easy to find way. This lens does just that by listing the Top 10 Places to See in Kansas. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Hawaiian Food</span></div><br />
<iframe align="right" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=themagworoffr-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1893062627&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>I have been learning about the culture of Hawaii lately through a group I belong to which practices Hawaiian shamanism, or Huna. I found this quirky Hawaiian recipe lens in the Travel category, <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/loco-moco">Loco Moco, A Traditional Hawaiian Breakfast Food</a>, created by <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/Susan52">Susan52</a>. The story goes that it was created by hungry surfers getting ready to go out and spend a long day in the water. You'll have to look at the lens to see just what it consists of. :)Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-14143866770876985622010-02-01T13:02:00.000-08:002010-02-01T13:02:38.327-08:00Altered Art Vintage ValentinesWhen I was first learning how to use Photoshop I had a little art gallery in the virtual world of Second Life. It wasn't until Valentine's Day came around that I got over the biggest hump of the learning curve, making digital collages by blending flower photos I had taken with vintage images of couples. <br />
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Since then the gallery has been dismantled but now the the collages are available as cards in my Zazzle store. <br />
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<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/altered-art-vintage-valentine">Altered Art Vintage Valentines</a>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-63102885604484345082010-01-16T12:26:00.000-08:002010-01-16T12:28:40.709-08:00Midwinter Garden DreamsI decided to make a couple of lenses that are like newsstands for gardening magazines. Really fun to find them and categorize them.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/gardening-magazines">Gardening Magazines</a><br /><a href="http://online-gardening-magazines">Online Gardening Magazines</a>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-27208845535810736632010-01-14T07:12:00.000-08:002010-01-14T07:14:06.863-08:00The Holiday Treats Lensfest<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/whiteoaks-christmasrecipes" target="_blank">White Oak's Favorite Christmas Recipes</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/christmas-candyrecipes" target="_blank">Christmas Candy Recipes</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/milkchocolate-fudge" target="_blank">Milk Chocolate Fudge</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/sugarcookierecipes" target="_blank">Sugar Cookie Recipes</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/decorating-cookies" target="_blank">Decorating Cookies</a>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-18493753502184416232009-12-09T13:12:00.001-08:002009-12-09T13:13:31.646-08:00Divinity RecipesToday, in the middle of a blizzard, seems like a good day to make divinity. See my lens about divinity to see why it is NOT. <div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3sEFE6mta0">Divinity Recipes</a></div>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-3358542950765114202009-12-07T06:35:00.000-08:002009-12-28T12:45:36.314-08:00Gratitude and Turkey Recipe LensfestI collected these lenses from members of the <a href="http://squidoo-club.ning.com/">Squidoo Club</a> for the latest lens fest.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/100-things-thankful" target="_blank">100 Things I'm Thankful For</a><br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/stonegratitude">Gratituding Your Way to Inspiration</a><br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/thanksgiving-songs" target="_blank">Thanksgiving Songs</a><br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/windywinters-blessed-lenses">My List of Lenses~~Blessed by an Angel</a><br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/my-squidoo-angels">My Squidoo Angels</a><br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/our-online-supporters">Our Online Supporters</a><br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/rocket-mom-photos-session-4">Rocket Moms Photos Session 4</a><br /><br />And then some lenses for what to do with that turkey:<br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/rocketmoms-thanksgiving"><br />A RocketMoms Thanksgiving Day Feast</a><br /><a href="http://tastiest.post-thanksgiving-treat.ever.com/">Tastiest Post Thanksgiving Treat Ever</a>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-61761232137588282012009-11-23T11:22:00.000-08:002010-02-05T13:29:04.443-08:00Chocolate Fudge Recipe and More<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I don't know where I get the ideas for lenses but sometimes one leads to another. I haven't actually finished the lens that this one came out of. </span><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There are so many </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/fudge-recipe#module69606681"><span class="Apple-style-span">sweetened condensed milk fudge recipes</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> out there! I had no idea. I wanted to try them all as I found them and thought I'd have to make fudge 365 days of the year. Out of that came the idea to have a Christmas fudge swap where everybody makes a different batch and we all trade. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I also came up with a way to make </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/fudge-recipe#module70643641"><span class="Apple-style-span">chocolate covered fudge</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">See it all at </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/fudge-recipe"><span class="Apple-style-span">Fudge Recipes</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. </span></div>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-43000992005941167422009-10-12T14:23:00.000-07:002009-10-12T14:30:29.429-07:00Tomato MadnessHere in Iowa canning tomatoes is a late summer/early fall ritual. It looks like this year the tomato season has been cut off short by the record low temperature the other night followed by the close-to-record early snowfall.<br /><br />Just for fun I put together a lens about canning tomatoes including all the equipment, info, and recipes you need to do it.<br /><br />Have you ever tried green tomato relish? It's not really tomato-y but it's definitely pickly. And delicious! You'll find a recipe on my lens.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/home-canning-tomatoes">Home Canning Tomatoes</a></span>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-85938983307986333432009-09-22T13:20:00.000-07:002009-10-31T03:19:54.396-07:00Zazzle and Cafepress: All Hype?I have a couple of Zazzle stores (<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/heartaday*">heArt-a-Day</a>, <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintagecollage*">Vintage Collage</a>) and I used to have a Cafepress store. I have maybe made $20 in the three years that I've been trying this. I thought that perhaps I had the wrong subject matter. Meanwhile, I have a stash of decent photos of some everyday things which are - to my surprise - viable keywords, so I thought I'd make a new shop using them. Most of the good keywords are already used for shop names, so clearly there are other people doing their keyword homework and hoping to make a buck. But are they really getting any sales?<br /><br />Because while doing my keyword research, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I found something that astounded me</span>. According to my keyword analysis tools the numbers for keywords <span style="font-style: italic;">t-shirt</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">sweatshirt</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">greeting card</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">card</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">mug</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">poster</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">print</span> don't add up. Supply far outweighs demand (what minimal demand there is). So there may be lots of people looking for a picture of a cow jumping over the moon, but they aren't looking for any of those things to put it on. So why would they buy them?<br /><br />The only way I can see that this would really work is if you already have a fan base for your images and they're looking for something else to put them on.<br /><br />If you are somebody who is making a nice little income from your Zazzle or Cafepress stores, please let me know. Otherwise I am taking the stance that it's your basic carrot-in-front-of-the-horse marketing scheme that most of us are falling for resulting in no real sales or even traffic.<br /><br />I really want to believe it will work, though. After all, it is no inventory! print on demand! we'll just send you the profit money! And at least on Zazzle it's completely free.Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-63424405981358366632009-08-13T11:49:00.001-07:002009-08-13T12:12:27.059-07:00Copyright Laws Make Me CrazyPardon me while I rant.<div><br /></div><div>I'm an artist. I create images. Sometimes I would like to be able to create images from other images. Despite the internet, it is STILL really hard to find free domain images. Even the Library of Congress says it isn't responsible for the images it posts. Then tell me why again that people can be arrested for uploading music?</div><div><br /></div><div>When I started on Squidoo there was the Flickr module. You could put in a search term and it would show any images from Flickr that matched. That lasted for about three years. Recently Squidoo has decided that unless the person uploading the image to Flickr has designated an image as Creative Commons - Commercial Use Allowed it won't show up on the Flickr module. And even more recently Flickr or Squidoo (don't have time to go find it) decided there will be no loading up of images to the module by search term anymore. </div><div><br /></div><div>But wait, there are more levels of inconvenience! This means I can't even use my OWN art because I'm not about to designate it commercial use allowed because that means somebody can take it and sell it to somebody for whatever amount. Why would I want to do that?? (And by the way, yes, I have been paid for my work and quite well. On the other hand, derivations are okay - see below.)</div><div><br /></div><div>I know there's nothing stopping me from just plugging in the HTML and loading them up that way but that takes so much more time. I don't want to waste that time when for years I didn't have to.</div><div><br /></div><div>That is, if I can even get the images. There are public domain images listed on Flickr that the uploaders refuse to list as commercial use. WTF??? They don't want them to be made into collage sheets. It's. Not. Their. Copyright. They make a big holier-than-thou point of not claiming copyright, so why do they care? Don't upload anything then.</div><div><br /></div><div>This kind of b/s has been driving me crazy since I first got interested in artsy rubber stamps ten years ago and found out that some rubber stamp companies didn't want you using their rubber stamped images on work for resale, even hand stamped. What, you're going to pay $10-12 for a stamp that you're just going to use a few times to send cards to your friends? Are you kidding me?? Then don't make rubber stamps!! Again...WTF?</div><div><br /></div><div>And the whole no derivation clause of the copyright law. Look, if somebody seems my work and wants to make something like it, go right ahead. Every piece of art is a derivation of something. It's pretty hard to make a pure piece of art uninfluenced by something we've seen at some point in our lives. It's called being inspired.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh..and...if an artist sells a painting and then person who bought it sells it for a profit, does the artist get any of that money? No! They retain copyrights but they don't get any of the money. So why the hell do magazines get to say you can't use images in them to make collages out of for resale? It should be that once a magazine is sold, that is the end of their rights to any monetary gain. It's ridiculous! </div><div><br /></div><div>I just want to make art. But I've just about had it with trying to make money from it.</div>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-23171024303478587652009-08-11T09:51:00.001-07:002009-08-11T16:06:49.010-07:00Lensfest #2: Chicken Soup for the SoulThese are lenses about chicken soup, obviously, and feeling good. I have to admit, the Chicken Dance lens made me laugh. out. loud. And the very first chicken soup recipe lens has a secret ingredient that adds a layer of flavor that has been missing from my own chicken soup (and makes it definitely a cold and flu buster).<div><br /></div><div>Here they are:</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(85, 85, 85); line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/chicken-noodle" target="_blank">Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup</a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(85, 85, 85); line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/chicken-noodle" target="_blank"></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(85, 85, 85); line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/jewishpenicillin" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Chicken Soup--Busting the Myth Behind Jewish Penicillin</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande';color:#555555;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande';color:#555555;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/fivechickenrecipes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Chicken: Five Easy Recipes</span></a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande';color:#555555;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(85, 85, 85); line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/thai_coconut_cream_soup" target="_blank">Making Thai Chicken and Galangal Coconut Cream Soup</a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande';color:#555555;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(85, 85, 85); line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/Easy-Cajun-Gumbo" target="_blank">Easy Cajun Gumbo</a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande';color:#555555;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande';color:#555555;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/IWishGame" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I Wish Game</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:180%;color:#555555;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;font-size:18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande';color:#555555;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/the-simple-things" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The Simple Things</span></a></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande';color:#555555;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(85, 85, 85); line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/chicken-soup-for" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Chicken Soup For...</span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(85, 85, 85); line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/chicken-soup-for" target="_blank"></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(85, 85, 85); line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/thinkpositive" target="_blank">Think Positive</a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande';color:#555555;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(85, 85, 85); line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';"><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/chicken-dance-and-more" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The Chicken Dance and More Stuff About Chickens</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:100%;color:#555555;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></div>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387195419303141726.post-51115292061870402292009-08-10T06:45:00.001-07:002009-08-10T06:47:07.792-07:00Desperate Lensmasters<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I've taken Squidoo too seriously at times. When it seemed my ability to bookmark my lenses on Tagfoot would be taken away, I had meltdowns. All 3 or 4 or...however many times it's been now. Squidoo is the only income I can count on coming in every month. I never know if anybody is going to buy my art and massage clients cancel when they feel the money crunch.<br /><br />I've noticed something from time to time among lensmasters. It's called desperation. I feel it too. Desperate to get that single five star rating to pull the lens out of oblivion. Desperate to get more and more ratings, backlinks, traffic, ad commissions, backlinks, traffic, comments...did I mention backlinks and traffic?<br /><br />It's a virtual squid race. And you know what, it's not very attractive. It's actually repulsive. </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I know I am actually driving people away even as I'm shrilly demanding that I get more attention.</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Why didn't more people rate my lens? Why can't I get that lens in the Top 100? Why is that lens in the 80,000s? When am I going to make that one lens that everybody wants so I can make $1000 a month or more? (Or even, when am I going to bump up another $60 a month?)</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /><br />It occurs to me that this is the kind of behavior that gets me, and others like me, thrown in with used car salesman and door-to-door vacuum pushers on social bookmarking sites . Nobody OWES me a rating, or even a visit to my lens. Nobody cares that I'm poor. And they don't have to.<br /><br />From what I understand, really successful people don't push themselves on the populace. They wait for people to come to them, like a lion waiting for the herd to come closer. They also don't try to do everything at once. They take little baby steps and keep quietly practicing their craft, making small adjustments to their course along the way. They don't bite off more than they can chew, expect more than is reasonable. And they don't expect anybody to give them anything.<br /><br />I think THAT is the way to true success as a lensmaster. In the end the drama only leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth and no increase in money in the bank.</span></span></span>Heartadayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07519413843284693051noreply@blogger.com0