I've been thinking about who 'Follows' and who I 'Follow'

My blog title is 'designed to a T, a blog, a creative blog, a DIY blog, my thoughts...sometimes...in a blog'.

This is one of those 'my thoughts...sometimes...in a blog' post. I don't do many of these, because I know I can ramble on and on (and on and on). So this is probably the longest post so far for me.

I follow about 89 or so blogs and subscribe to about another half a dozen. I try to read something from each of them, but really don't have the time to read everything.

They are all blogs I find interesting for one thing or another. There are a number I read regularly.

19 people follow my blog, that I know of, others might subscribe also. My blogging life started in January this year, so nearly 12 months ago, after I started reading 'My Flying Ducks' by Kylie Challenor, a young lady I know and respect for various reasons. And there is still only 18 followers.

I started a 'Twitter' account a few weeks ago and have 21 followers already. So why has it been easier to get Twitter followers?

This is when I got to thinking. Who follows my blog, or yours for that matter, and how do we make our blogs something other people want to come back to time and again.

Now I'm not a particularly bloggy person yet, because I guess I'm still quite new to it all, but gee I've enjoyed all the comments people have noted on my posts. So to all of you, thank you. But I think I need your help.

I'm not so sure about the 'I'll follow your blog, so come over and follow me' type comments. I've read a few posts on some blogs recently that relate to 'blog etiquitte', so I'm not entirely sure where these types of comments sit with the blogging public. I know I've posted a few comments here and there that haven't been published by the owner, and I've wondered, 'What did I say wrong?'

To me this blogging world, is a world where I can get absorbed in what you are all doing, get new ideas, find out about what's happening, hear about the little ups and downs you have, find out where and when you will be showing your wares and best of all make some new friends.

I didn't know a lot about what I was doing when I first started, and have gradually started filling in the gaps. For example, I have set up my email properly now to answer you when you leave a comment. This is important to me to solidify that connection/friendship with the blog world, and it wasn't until Thea from Thea and Sami 'answered' some of my comments via email, when I realized I needed to do that also.

So that was my first step to improving my blogging life.

Where do I go from here? How do I improve my blog and have it as something others want to read?

Of course I'd like to have more people following, but I really started it as a way to document projects I was doing. I love creating and making things and it was the feedback I was after about those projects and designs I was working on. I wish I could do it all the time, but I have a fairly demanding job, so I'm only on here every now and then. At the moment it's only about once a week, maybe.

Because blogging has helped me renew and highlight my creative side, I'm finding I want more people to know about it and hopefully they might have a go. The blogosphere has opened my eyes to how much there is 'out there in the ether' that is handmade, made with care and love, and how many of you really want to make a change to our throw away culture.

So I thought, maybe I should let you know who I really am and why I'm doing this. I'm a little bit different to a lot of blog owners I follow, in that I had my boys quite young. I was 18 and 22 when I had them, so I'm over that 2 children under 5 scenario.

I'm slowly working my way to moving into that other universe of mine, the one where I don't have to be employed, the one where I can have a life too. I made a change in my work life a bit over 2 years ago, and boy did it make a huge difference. I spent time doing some creative study and tried to find an avenue that fitted me, in the end I realized I'm good at making things.

So 'jane on jane st' came along. It'll be a while before I am ready to launch the 'jane on jane st' store, especially considering I still haven't focused on what it is that I want 'jane on jane st' to be. I have too many ideas and projects I want to do and no time to do them.
So, can you help me? What should I be doing differently to attract more readers? My concern is not following blogging etiquette.

Anyway, I thought for today, I'd give you a few insights into who I am, other than, designed to a T and jane on jane st.

Watching my boys grow up to be thoughtful young men has been a joy. We've had our ups and downs through their teenage years because of the circumstances around their Dad and me breaking up. We can't always see each other, and that's tough for me, but I know they are there if I need them. There were times they could've killed each other, but they are great mates now.

I love reading. I devour books and subscribe to numerous magazines. I recently finished (very quickly) the 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' series by Stieg Larsson. If you haven't read them, you should!!

Might come as a surprise to those of you who have read my blog before...I love Japan. I love the art, the culture, the history, anime and so much more. When the boys and I were in Kyoto we went to the Anime Museum.

I love driving, cars and self drive holidays. Every second weekend (well mostly - sometimes it's only once a month) I drive to the family holiday house at Pacific Palms at the mid north coast of NSW. It's so restful, and it's where I do a lot of my creating.

 I always have and always will believe you can never have enough cushions!

My business card reads, 'designed to a T...colour you can live with'. This is something I truly believe also.

So the last little thing about me for this post, because there is a heck of a lot more, is...I dream of one day having a studio similar to this.

Something open, airy, filled with light and with heaps of room. A hideaway just for me.