Blogging Your Way eCourse - Mood Board exercise

I've long been thinking I need a bit of a face lift for my blog, so the exercise we had to do as part of the Blogging Your Way eCourse helped me to think about what look I really wanted.

My blog is the start of a fledgling business, with a plan to continue through word of mouth (the blog) to promote some of the things I do. It's a 5 year plan and I'm already nearly 2 years into it. With some study now behind me I can concentrate on the physical part of the plan - the business profile.

Hmmm....this is another part of my blog I need to think about - just as I mentioned in my Saturday Thought this week. It's not that I'm completely indecisive, it's just that I like sooo much!

My days are full of creative thoughts, even when I'm at work in my 'real' job as a Facilitator where I get to draw and use coloured markers to create words and images to have the participants focus their thoughts on the subject we are covering.

When I'm not at work, like now while I am on annual leave for 2 weeks, my mind never stops because I know I need to get as much done as I possibly can before I go back to work.

At least I have 2 weeks to absorb what we are learning in the course and start to put some structure around where this is going. I also have to (most definitely have to) finish setting up my 'Made It' store front, and stock it with a few things.

Some of my fabrics have been printed, see them over here at my 'jane on jane st' blog, and I have showcased one of them as a bunting/garland embellishment on my mood board. I hope you like it!

Belated blogiversary Giveaway...1 year and 100+ posts

The only reason this is a belated giveaway and anniversary is because on January 10, when I reached the end of my 1st year of blogging, all hell broke loose in Australia.

We had floods in Brisbane Queensland, and other states. Then no sooner had that died down, Queensland was under siege from Cyclone Yasi. A real force to be reckoned with.

Both my sons were affected during this time, but nothing like some of the people who lost absolutely everything. So I was very grateful.

As part of the fundraising appeals Australia wide, I participated in the one set up and run by Toni at Make it Perfect. We raised approximately $100,000 in the 9 day period. Another force to be reckoned with.

So what's this giveaway all about!

To help me celebrate 1 year (actually a bit over) and 120 blog posts you have the chance to win a copy of the textile book from Ikea I featured here earlier today. On sale for $A29.99, or $A19.99 if you are part of the Ikea Family.

To be in the draw:

1. Be or become a follower
2. Post about the Giveaway on your blog, and come back to leave a comment - don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact you when you win!!
3. If you Facebook or Twitter, tell your followers/friends, then leave another comment letting me know you've done so, here. (My Facebook account is 'designed to a T' and my Twitter is @designedtoat)

That's 3 chances to be in the draw and all 'roads' (links) lead to my FIRST YEAR BLOG GIVEAWAY!!

Here's an image to use as a button for a link back to the giveaway! (Sorry had trouble getting the code sorted to make it easier for you)

Good luck everyone and thank you for following, supporting and encouraging me with you wonderful comments!

The Giveaway ends Saturday March 26, 2011.

I am woman...International Women's Day

Do you know the history of International Women's Day?

I have to be honest and say it was probably about 7 or 8 years ago that I found out the true significance of this day. I worked with a young woman of Russian origin who explained how important this day is to her country women.

I've since worked with 3 Polish girls, absolutely beautiful young women, inside and out, who also felt the importance of the day in their heritage. 

IWD goes back way before the start of WW1. Interestingly I've been reading a novel centred around this war, including a piece about the Suffragettes.

Take a look here to read more about what IWD is all about.

Although today, March 8, we celebrate the emergence of women's rights, such as voting, we should always remember that everyone, not just women, deserve the right to fairness, honesty, integrity, and justice in everything. I don't believe today is only about feminism. I believe it's about how we can contribute to our societies to make it better for future generations.

I have always been in awe of the work Audrey Hepburn did with UNICEF.

Who is your role model?

Nordic Imagery - A passport to another landscape

Perhaps I was from one of the Nordic countries in another life!

But really, I think I love the images in the new Ikea book because I truly enjoy beautiful imagery, especially when it is depicted so well in a book such as this.

SY - Love for Textiles is the latest addition to my every growing collection of printed works about textiles. This would have to rank as #2 in my collection now. The first being 'Russian Textiles', and relegated to 3rd position is my Art Deco textiles publication.

The composition is dynamic in some instances and moving in others. A photographers perspective of staging a shoot brings new light to the scene, for example on pages 170 and 171 a beautiful room has been created on a rocky shoreline.

To quote the cover text:

This is not a book to read.

It's a book to touch. To

browse in. To be inspired by.

Enthused by. Because textiles

aren't about sharp scissors

and awkward sewing

machines. They're about

creative desire. So stop

reading, open up and step

inside our textile world.

Step into this world now with me while I bring you some of the imagery.

Simply stunning!

I'm a sucker for stationery...

Regular visits to Officeworks and Typo are my weakness. (Not to mention my overwhelming urges for everything IKEA)

There I've said it!

Just can't help myself, and when I started this eCourse about Blogging, I needed a note pad or something to keep my notes and info from the course.

I have a thing for white also, but when it came down to it, a white binder just didn't look right to hold all the fabulous materials from the course.

On Thursday, in My Creative Space I featured some work I did on Photoshop. This became the cover for my white binder, my font of blogging knowledge.

A thought for you...

'It is human nature to stand in the middle of a thing.'

Marianne Moore - Poet

15 November, 1887 - 5 February, 1972

As part of the Blogging Your Way eCourse with decor8, we are asked to describe/illustrate what our blogs are for, how we want them to affect other people through thoughts and images, and what 'market' does our blog fit into.

I have to say I am indecisive, because there are so many things I would like to do. My sewing, my papercraft, some styling, some colour, my fabric design. 

I am unable to afford the time for a blog for each of them. So how do I go about making my blog cover all of that without it being TOO eclectic.

I thought I was on the right track, now I'm not so sure.

Maybe I need to rearrange a few things and have my 'pages' set up for each interest.

Next would be to give it a whole new look. Which I'm planning/working on at the moment. But what is my overall theme, and do I make it my main theme, then my Twitter and Facebook pages match!

AND do I move to Wordpress!

Oh the indecision!

My Creative Space

Wow it's been a while since I did one of these.

Visit here for more fabulous Creative Spaces every Thursday on Kootoyoo.

I've been playing around with photoshop tonight as it's been a while since I did that also. I've started an eCourse on blogging and wanted to have a folder to keep my notes, so I decided I would 'decorate' it with some beautiful photos.

Part of the course in a week or 2 will be about styling your own photos at home. Now I still only have a point and shoot Fuji camera, which is fine, but when I saw my son's new Canon 7D, I now really really want a DSLR.

Be patient T!!

Tonight I hunted around the World Wide Web for some gorgeousness, settling on some very classic and subtle colours. Here's what I came up with.