New! Bookmark My Blog on Your Mobile Device

In the sidebar of my blog you can now see the shiny new QR Code for my blog. When read with a QR Code Reader on a mobile device (iPhone, iPod, Android, etc) it opens a link to my blog. Add me to your bookmarks!

There are many apps to read QR codes for Apple products, Android, etc. On my iPod Touch I use RedLaser. This app works with the camera on your device. 

When you open RedLaser tap the little lightening bolt at the bottom. That opens the interface to align your camera to the QR code you want to open. You can see in the image below where it says to line up the edges with the arrows. Once the QR code is in place the arrows turn green and it tells you to hold still for the camera to read the QR code.

A little window opens showing you the URL that was read from the QR code. It offers you the choice to open the link or cancel.

Click "Open" and ta da! The link opens a tab in Safari and loads the page to which the QR code was directed. Usually it will open the mobile version of the site.

Now you can bookmark my blog quickly and easily on your mobile device! Yay!

I chose to use bit.ly to create my QR code. Above you can see the address I customized to make it clear that the link goes to this blog. When a QR code is generated through bit.ly, the service will track the number of clicks you get on that link. This is always juicy information for anyone who uses metrics to track website activity. 

The neat thing is that bit.ly creates a QR code for your link automatically. All you have to do is save it and plop it everywhere you want your readers to be able to open your links.

You can make a link to any website you want to - not just your own blog, Twitter, Facebook, Etsy, etc. I believe bit.ly is a better choice than to have just any QR code generator make your code.  

This isn't just for online uses either. You can print your QR code on business cards, fliers, and other promotional items so people can find you online from "real life". I've seen some really creative uses out in the field. I've even seen them posted up on billboards around town. (Please don't try to read that link while driving. Ask a passenger.) 

I'm going to print my code for my craft show booth so shoppers can learn more about me right away.

If you have questions please post them in the comments so we can learn from each other (or email me using the link at the top of my blog). I would love to see your uses of QR codes!

- Vickie 

How to Get an Awesome Facebook Timeline Cover Image

Recently my personal Facebook page was updated to the new "timeline". I kind of like it, but it requires a lot of scrolling down to see anything. 

At the top of the page is room for a giant "cover photo". I decided I didn't want a huge picture of little me in that spot. That's not very appealing to me. When I tried to put an artwork photo there it blew it up really big. I couldn't see all of it. So I thought, "What if I could make a photo mosaic of images that I *do* want on my page?" 

Look no further! I have the solution. And it's dead easy. 

Big Huge Labs creates a lot of fun things to do with your images. You can make jigsaw puzzles, trading cards, badges, calendars, and many other fun and funny choices. 

One of the most handy to me is the Mosaic Maker. There are many ways to customize photos, sizes (columns and rows), and where it can pull your images from. 

This is the main page of Mosaic Maker. These are the default settings. 

  

To make my mosaic for Facebook I needed to decide where to get my photos from. If I choose to pull my photos from Facebook I need to login. 

 

I want to fill my mosaic with my flickr set. I created a new set on flickr specifically for the photos I wanted to fill my mosaic. I could have also uploaded them individually from my computer, from a Facebook album, flickr photosets, flickr faves, flickr tags, or an individual flickr user. Here is my flickr photoset: 

These are my mosaic settings.

To fit in the Facebook cover image spot I chose a layout of "square tiles" with 8 columns and 3 rows. It shows a little preview of the shape the mosaic will be. You get 32 images for this size. (The maximum the Mosaic Maker allows is 36 images, but that's going to be too big for the Facebook cover spot.) 

I also have the option to choose the background color and the border color. I chose black for both. I chose 5 pixels as the space between images (the default). 

When "flickr photoset" is chosen the Mosaic Maker brings up the next box to enter the URL for the photoset. To find the photoset URL I opened the set on flickr and highlighted and copied the URL in the address bar. Then I pasted it in the box back at the Mosaic Maker page. It also lets me choose the page number of the set I want it to use if my set is more than one page. 

I clicked "Create". The next page opens my beautiful new mosaic. I can go back and edit it as much as I want if it didn't turn out like I planned. 

Then I clicked "Save" to download the image to my computer (pay attention to where it saved so you can find it). 

There are options to share it directly to flickr, Facebook, or an email address. Under the mosaic I made it has the HTML for the mosaic so it can be embedded in something like a blog post. I like that if you choose to use the HTML it makes links back to the photos so the creators get credit. (Play nice if you post a mosaic made with other peoples' photos and give the credits.) 

All the hard work is done. Now all I had to do was click "Change Cover" back on my Facebook timeline and upload my mosaic. Alternately, you could post the mosaic in your Facebook photo albums and choose from there. 

Ta! Da! 

[I'm no expert on pixel dimensions on web sites, but I think the image is roughly 850 pixels x 315 pixels. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.] 

Now you have the most awesome cover image! Wait - yours would be the second most awesome because mine rocks. :) 

- Vickie

Customer Action Shots: Kitty Ornaments

My friend Sandy, of PunkyJane.etsy.com, was kind enough to send me a set of dominoes she thrifted for a mere 20 cents last year. I made her two domino ornaments as a thank you. She requested that I put her new kitties, Muppit and Licorice, on them to mark their first Christmas with their family.

I have not done pet portraits before. She sent me photos of the cats and I did my best. She says they really do look like her cats! Yay!

This year she is using the ornaments to mark their stockings. How clever! I asked her to send me some action shots of my Tiny Works of Awesome in use! Are these not adorable with all the Christmas decorations around them?!

I hope you are having a fantastic holiday time with good food and fun with loved ones. I still have gifts to make and gifts to buy! We have not even put up our tree yet. That simply must happen soon. I adore Christmas trees! I could sit and stare at a Christmas tree all night.

But not tonight... for tonight we party! Tomorrow is my birthday, and I intend to spend it sleeping off tonight's festivities. Then a trip to the craft store, of course.

Have a happy happy merry weekend!


- Vickie

"Memories Under Glass" Class

A few months ago Marilynne Lipschutz from Studio 34 emailed me through Etsy to ask if I would like to teach a class at her studio about microscope slide glass pendants. To be honest I was totally shocked. I had kind of stopped making them because I really do not enjoy one part of the finishing process very much. But I love to teach so I said yes!

Many conversations were had about supplies and how the whole teaching thing works at the studio. Marilynne is super nice to work with! We settled on how to go about this and scheduled a practice class so we could see how it would go.

Me, my mom, and my twin sister. Cannot tell we're related at all, can you?

I asked my buddies Augie, his very kind girlfriend, my artsy friend Stefani Tadio (see her pendant here), and my twin sister Valerie (and Marilynne sat in, too) to come to the class. I’ve known Augie for about 20 years. We met in high school in Fairport. He’s one of the funniest people I know so he spent the whole class being a smart ass and it was hilarious! We all had a ball! Lots of laughing to stave off my very serious case of the nerves. It took longer than I thought it was going to to teach five people how to put together soldered pendants. But that was one of the reasons we did the practice class so we could know how long to make the class. Everyone’s pendants came out really well.

So if you are in the Rochester, NY area and want to learn how to make a soldered pendant the classes are scheduled for Monday, April 12th from 2-5 pm and again on Tuesday, April 27th from 6-9 pm. Studio 34 is located at 34 Elton Street in the Neighborhood of the Arts. Cost: $35 + $15 for supplies. Call Studio 34 at 585-737-5858 to register.

I would love it if you joined us! It’s going to be really fun!

“Memories Under Glass” Class Description:

“This class will teach you how to create your very own photo or artwork keepsake Microscope Slide Glass Soldered Pendant. Learn about soldering iron safety and care, some basic stained glass techniques such as cutting glass, the use of copper tape and solder flux, and a little wire working. You will complete one double-sided pendant in this class. We will also discuss working with paper and photos for collage using the 1 inch by 1 inch canvas.

You will need to bring TWO photos or your own artworks that measure no bigger than 1 inch by 1 inch. The pendants are double sided so you need two images to use. Examples of things that can be put in pendants: pictures of your kids or pets, paper of any kind, real lace, and tiny pieces of original artwork. The two pieces of art or photos should not be thicker than 1/16th inch when sandwiched together back to back.”

Monday, April 12th from 2-5 pm
or
Tuesday, April 27th from 6-9 pm

Studio 34 is located at 34 Elton Street in the Neighborhood of the Arts.
Cost: $35 + $15 for supplies.
Call Studio 34 at 585-737-5858 to register
You will need to bring TWO photos or your own artworks that measure no bigger than 1 inch by 1 inch.

Photos for these photo pendants right here were taken by Teri Fisk at Pumpkin Patch Photos

New Custom Domino Ornaments: Moose & Puppy

BellaTuJewelry from Etsy asked me to create two custom domino ornaments for her. She requested a moose and a black lab puppy. I love doing custom orders!

The moose was a bit tricky. Lots of antlers and little space to show them.

So you know… the deadline for all Christmas custom orders is December 10th. It’s approaching fast! Get your orders in now. The sooner the better!