Tutorial: Add Social Media Icon [RSS} into Your Blog

I've explained that most buttons are easy to make- but your email icon and RSS work require an extra step. We made the email icon and added that- now you wanna make the RSS link?

 

[1] Decide on an image what you want to use to represent the link on your blog. There are several sites, like Design Matterz, that allow you to use images for free and this one has a great selection of colors.

[2] Once you've decided on the image, upload it to a photo hosting site, like PhotoBucket. This is important because we need an image code that we will insert into our html code.

[3] Now you want to copy the grey code and insert your your feed URL{not the same as your blog URL} and your direct image code in place of the red portions.

[4] You are now ready to insert the code into the html portion of your blog post or (more likely) into your blog design.
To do this you should go to the "design" page, then click on "add a gadget." Next click on the gadget "HTML/Javascript." Here you can insert your entire code. By the way, you often see the buttons for email, Facebook, Pinterest and RSS all listed together. You can add the code into the same gadget, by listing one code after another.


Good luck making your own!

✥ 20 Cent Zebra Map Art ✥

Here's a quick little project I whipped up that cost me a whopping 20 Cents!!
Right now I'm working on my goal to create some personalized art. This project was fun and easy- you'll love it!

You need: a printer

a zebra {or any animal} pencil sketch image

a map

a frame

I have several old maps from pre-GPS days. For this particular project I looked through to find a meaningful place that was composed of colors I was decorating with. I ended up using an old atlas page with a map of Colorado.

Next, I selected a pencil sketch of a zebra. I used a site where you pay a nominal fee to use their images, in this case- twenty whole cents! ☺

Next step, print out your image. My advice, just make sure you know how your printer works. You're thinking, uh, duh, it prints on paper. But I mean, does the paper need to be inserted face down and should the top of the paper be facing towards you or away? You don't wanna use a bunch of maps trying to figure it out.

For an additional image option, I believe you can edit an image using Picnik or similar software into a pencil sketch image. That way you could make your own.

Thanks for checking out my little project. Pretty easy, right?
 I love it, I think it looks so cute.
And make sure you check out these awesome gals who featured this project!

Looking for places to link up your projects? Check out my Party page

I'm also linked up here.

Tutorial: Create Email Social Media Icon

As my blog has been growing, I've began the process of figuring out the technical side of blogging, 

I've posted on how you can make your own blog button and how you can create copyable button code so others can grab it.

You've probably noticed how bigger blogs have social media icons allowing you to easily link up with them using various sources like Facebook, Pinterest, and email. Most buttons follow the same process [tutorial here]- but the email button needs an extra link. You can make one, download one from online or grab one below--then follow this tutorial to add it to your blog

 Well, let's make ourselves an email link, OK?

[1] Decide on an image what you want to use to represent the link on your blog. This often looks like and {e} or an image of a letter. There are sites like Design Matterz that allow you to use images for free, and this one has a great selection of colors. You can also use any of these icons from that were free downloads by dragging them onto your desktop.

[2] Once you've decided on the image, upload it to a photo hosting site, like PhotoBucket. This is important because we need an image code that we will insert into our html code.

[3] Now you want to copy the grey code and insert your email address and your direct image code in place of the red portions.

[4] You are now ready to insert the code into the Html portion of your blog or (more likely) into your blog background. To do this you should go to the "design" page, then click on "add a gadget." Next click on the gadget "HTML/Javascript." Here you can insert your entire code.

That's all there is to it. I guess I'll be working on the other buttons next.
Good luck making your own!

Add Copyable Code for your Blog Button

Alrighty, there has been several requests for the buttons that have copyable code. 

If you don't know how to make a button just head on over here, and my tutorial will give you some step by step directions.

If you've already made your button, then here's your next step. All you need to do is copy this code and insert your information and you'll have a button that others can copy and repost.

[1]Copy the grey area
[2] Input your blog address in the "Blog URL" area
[3]Input your picture's image code into the "Image URL" section

Now you are able to copy the whole code into either the design section of your blog or into the "edit html" section of your post. It really is as easy as that.
Here's an example from my list of possible buttons. And no I haven't decided on one yet! So help a girl out and let me know which one you like!

&<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">lt</span>;<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">br</span> />&<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">lt</span>;a <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">href</span>="http://<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">gardenberger</span>.<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">blogspot</span>.com/">&<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">lt</span>;<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">img</span> <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">src</span>="http://i1123.<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">photobucket</span>.com/albums/l559/<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">becca</span>_<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">berger</span>/<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">circleonburlapimage</span>-1.<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">jpg</span>" border="0" />&<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">lt</span>;/a>

✥ Finished Crate & Barrel Knock Off Lamps ✥

The other day I recovered that melted lampshade with burlap which gave the shade {and the lamp} a whole new life. This project was similar, but with a few tweaks due to the fabric chosen. NowI'm recovering lamp shades for the Crate & Barrel Mercury Glass knock off I did. If you remember back, I got one Restoration Hardware shade from Saver's Thrift Store for $3, and then bought another with the same shape and size from WalMart for 10 bucks. So now I'm in 13 bucks for two shades. I've been looking for grey fabric for month and a half and finally found some I liked for $1.50 a yard. Well worth the wait!

▷ I used about 1/2 a yard of fabric per lamp shade- but when you buy your fabric you should allow for 3/4-1 yard of fabric each.
▷The only difference between covering this lamp shade with a light cotton fabric and covering the last one with burlap -  you MUST iron your fabric.  You should iron all of the fabric, but especially the seam where the fabric will overlap. This is super important if you want your lampshade to look store bought. At the seam, fold a flap of fabric between 1/4"-1/2"wide inwards, making sure it's straight, and iron that seam well.

▷Lay the fabric on a smooth surface and spray the side fabric that will be against the shade with a light coat of spray adhesive.
▷Begin rolling the shade onto the fabric and adhesive, pressing the fabric firmly against the shade and smoothing any wrinkles as you go.

 

▷You can use glue or the peel and stick "Stitch Witchery" to hold the fabric in place, rather than a glue gun (like with the burlap shade I recovered.) I think this was a good choice with a thin fabric and the seam is well, seamless!

After ages of looking at mismatched shades I finally have this project finished! Hallelujah! I KNOW all of you understand how crazy this can make you- to have this "sore spot" right in the middle of your room!

Here's the final comparison of all three lights- my two thrift store knock offs and the Crate and Barrel original. Of course mine aren't an exact copy, but in total I saved 280 bucks and I think that mine have the same feel as the inspiration. I am pretty proud of how the faux mercury glass turned out.

Thanks for reading!


 Looking for places to link up your projects? Check out my Party page

I'm also linked up here

Tutorial: Make a Blog Button

OK, disclaimer: I am not a programmer, I'm not even computer savvy.

But I am a person who would rather do things them self than pay someone to do it for them.

I'll give you the step by step on how I made my blog button, but I don't know what I'm doing  only know how to do it by working with Picnik and PhotoBucket, as that's what I used. The good news, Picnik  & PhotoBucket are FREE and you don't even have to sign up for a free account if you don't want to.

[1] Choose and image and upload it to Picnik {you could also use a blank canvas to start from scratch}. I used different modern, graphic designs as a base.

[2] Using the editing program you can add words, change colors, pick frames for your image etc.

Once that is done to your liking- CROP your photo into a square and RESIZE the image to 125x125.

[3] HOST it to a online photo hosting site like PhotoBucket or Flikr.

This is a MUST as you need your image to have a URL.

[4] To attach the button to you blog you need a CODE. 

There are two parts to the code- one part to attach it to your blog and another to say where the picture is located online.

{Part 1} You want to replace your blog URL where it says, "Your Web Page URL"
You do need the quotation marks and make sure you keep the ">" at the end.

 {Part 2}  Next you'll need to insert your image web address where it says "Img URL". 

Making sure to keep the quotation marks in place. On PhotoBucket there are several types of code listed by your image, you want to copy the "IMG Code".

[5] Next all you have to do is put the two parts of code together, making sure to end with this code.

[6] You can now input the entire code into your blog side bar.

To do this, go to the "design" page, then click on "add a gadget".  Then click on the gadget "HTML/JavaScript". Here you can input your entire code.

You can also use the button in your post, just insert the whole link into the html portion of your post.

Now- You should be all set!

But I NEED your help!
My sample buttons are throughout this post and I NEED help deciding which one fits my blog. {or maybe something new all together?} I would love you to lend your opinion to help me make this decision!

If you want copyable code section for your button just head over to part 2 of this tutorial!
Thanks for reading!