Sew Darn Crafty Party...Week 47

Hi everyone and happy Sunday...the start of this week's Sew Darn Crafty Party. There is so much inspiration out there in blog land and linking parties are great to find ideas all in one place.

A great BIG thank you to all who link up each week and to everyone who stops in for a peek all week long. If you are new to this weekly party, scroll down for a few tips on how to join in on the fun.

If you want to add the button to your blog...Click HERE for a tutorial for adding a button


If you're NEW to Sew Darn Crafty, then grab a cup of something tasty, sit back and join in on the fun (starts Sunday and lasts all week long at Sew Many Ways).

WHAT IS SEW DARN CRAFTY...

• "Sew" for anything to do with sewing,
• "Darn" for anything to do with knitting. I always think of darning to do with knitting, but in my case "darn" is similar to the word I say when I mess up crafting!!
• Let's not forget the word "crafty"...which is every thing we create
• ...the dot, dot, dot means you can share just about anything!! 

WHAT IS A LINKING PARTY...

So now we all know what Sew Darn Crafty means, let's explain a linking party again. I subscribe to a linking service, which provides the ability to link thumbnail pictures on my blog. The picture is a link that other bloggers provide to share their projects.

Two things can happen at a linking party...looking and/or linking

• you can be greatly inspired by wonderful projects, ideas or vacation pictures (looking) and/or
• you can share what you've been up to (linking)

If you want to be inspired by all the great ideas...just click on a picture and it will take you to that post from a wonderful blogger willing to share her thoughts and ideas.


HOW AND WHAT TO LINK TO THE PARTY...

Sew Darn Crafty is all about YOU!! Show off your projects, share a tutorial, show us your vacation pictures, share a family favorite recipe...share anything. Not only does linking inspire us all, it also brings lots of new people to your blog for a visit. Click here for past parties and lots of inspiration

Easy steps to join in on the fun...

• link up to the specific project post, not your whole blog. Makes it easier to link right to that post and not  search through all your entire blog. To find the http address to a specific post, just click on the Title of your post.
• link as many projects as you'd like...old or new
• anything goes...cooking, sewing, knitting, crafts, organizing, remodeling projects, vacations, parties etc...
• visit other links to share some blogging love! You know we all love comments!
• grab a Sew Darn Crafty button for your blog (on my right side bar) or just link to the party in your post.
• the more we share, the more people will join and then there's more inspiration to look at!
• linking is open til Saturday night, so plenty of time to join in
• just click the "click here to enter" button and follow the easy steps

Have fun linking up! Don't forget to come back and take a look at all the great projects during the week,

~Karen~

Purge Your Magazines...

For me, the end of 2011 meant putting away Christmas things and organizing too. However, that creates a domino effect. I pull things out to clean and then organizing snow balls...right down to the pile of magazines.

I receive subscriptions to different magazines for birthday and Christmas gifts and I keep all 12 months of the year piled neatly to refer back to. Guests can also thumb through the many issues if they don't have that magazine at home.

At the end of the year, I go through all the magazines and tear out all the pages I love or need for future inspiration.

To store them, I take clear plastic protector sheets from the office supply store.

The sheets work great in a 3 ring binder.

Just slip each page into a protector.

Now you can refer to your inspiration book at any time.

Categorize each notebook or section for Christmas, Kitchens, Sewing, Crafts, Recipes etc...

This notebook is the "Flintstone" version of my Pinterest account. Pinterest is a "virtual" inspiration notebook. When you see something you like on the Internet, you "pin" it into your own personal inspiration file.

Click HERE if you'd like to see my Pinterest account. You can also click the red "P" on my side bar. I add new things to that everyday. It is quite addicting. If you've joined Pinterest, follow me and then I can follow you...inspiration shared every where!!

If you tackle one little organizing project at a time, your house will be neat and clean in no time.

Have a great day,
~Karen~

Thoughts on Thursday...

Ok, this is one of those "Thoughts on Thursdays where I have to say..."don't do this at home ladies"

but...

How many of you know just how far you can drive after your gas light comes on...(just need to get to that one last store) LOL

Come on fess up...I won't tell your husband, significant other or your father. Just don't tell my father though, because he would give me THAT speech...that even at 47 years old I cringe!

I know I'm not the only one!

Happy Thursday,
~Karen~

Why We Pick A Blog Name...

Do you ever wonder how someone chooses a blog name? I'm thinking most of the time people select a blog name because it has some personal significance to them. We all reach for something that touches inside...a special family name, special place, where we live, a family member, family history, our special hobby or interest, a pet's name etc.

Choosing a blog name may not be the most important thing, but it sure does bring visitors to your blog. That's the first thing they read that peeks their curiosity about what inside your blogging world. Does the title of your blog really matter...the content is what keeps people coming back for a visit. However, they did need to make that first click to come in for a looksee.

Sew Many Ways...why did I name it that?

Sew... sewing is my most favorite hobby. Although, I hang my head in shame, I haven't sewn or quilted in a while...blogging has taken over. That is my New Year's resolution though...to get back to my sewing machine.

Many...many interests, many hobbies, many blessing

Ways...this where my blog name becomes extra special for me! Way is my last name

Sew Many Ways to sew, create, make friends, blog, have fun, cook, thrift, recycle, craft, decorate etc

Ok...now it's YOUR turn to share.

What's the significance of your blog name? Share with us the reason for your blog title...helps to get to know you better.

Have a great day,
~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Fabric Heart Bookmark

Hi everyone and happy Tuesday. It's Tool Time!! Today's tool is your sewing machine. This is a quick and easy heart shaped bookmark perfect for anyone or anytime, but with Valentine's Day coming next month...it's extra perfect!

This tutorial really is easy, but it's picture "heavy"...you know me with my pictures! Lol...I just think it's so much easier to explain each step in a picture. If I got my act together and started doing video tutorials, this would take 5 minutes vs 40 pictures!!

Here is the finished heart bookmark...I made up this pattern, so with lots of trial an errors...I hope you like it!

Sew Darn Crafty Party...Week 46

Happy New Year!!! I hope you had a happy and healthy 2011 and I wish you and your loved ones the same and much more for 2012.

Let's start the new year with a fabulous linking party. What have you been up to lately...fun projects, great tutorials, quick tips? I hope you can share your blogging fun here on Sew Darn Crafty.

If you want to add the button to your blog...Click HERE for a tutorial for adding a button


If you're NEW to Sew Darn Crafty, then grab a cup of something tasty, sit back and join in on the fun (starts Sunday and lasts all week long at Sew Many Ways).

WHAT IS SEW DARN CRAFTY...

• "Sew" for anything to do with sewing,
• "Darn" for anything to do with knitting. I always think of darning to do with knitting, but in my case "darn" usually is similar to the word I say when I mess up crafting!!
• Let's not forget the word "crafty"...that can mean just about anything we do to create.

WHAT IS A LINKING PARTY...

So now we all know what Sew Darn Crafty means, let's explain a linking party again. I subscribe to a linking service, which provides the ability to link thumbnail pictures on my blog. The picture is a link that other bloggers provide to share their projects.

Two things can happen at a linking party...looking and/or linking

• you can be greatly inspired by wonderful projects, ideas or vacation pictures (looking) and/or
• you can share what you've been up to (linking)

If you want to be inspired by all the great ideas...just click on a picture and it will take you to that post from a wonderful blogger willing to share her thoughts and ideas.


HOW AND WHAT TO LINK TO THE PARTY...

Sew Darn Crafty is all about YOU!! Show off your projects, share a tutorial, show us your vacation pictures, share a family favorite recipe...share anything. Not only does linking inspire us all, it also brings lots of new people to your blog for a visit. Click here for past parties and lots of inspiration

Easy steps to join in on the fun...

• link up to the specific project post, not your whole blog. Makes it easier to link right to that post and not  search through all your entire blog. To find the http address to a specific post, just click on the Title of your post.
• link as many projects as you'd like...old or new
• anything goes...cooking, sewing, knitting, crafts, organizing, remodeling projects, vacations, parties etc...
• visit other links to share some blogging love! You know we all love comments!
• grab a Sew Darn Crafty button for your blog (on my right side bar) or just link to the party in your post.
• the more we share, the more people will join and then there's more inspiration to look at!
• linking is open til Saturday night, so plenty of time to join in
• just click the "click here to enter" button and follow the easy steps

Have fun linking up! Don't forget to come back and take a look at all the great projects during the week,

~Karen~