Polymer Clay Tutor

Cindy has been dropping in here and leaving friendly comments for a few years now.  Her own website is bursting with tips and tricks for polymer clay beadmaking, and she runs a successful business, selling video tutorials on the subject.  Recently when I was needing a refresher about an aspect of transferring photos onto polymer, a Google search brought me straight to Cindy, who had a very clear description of the process.  It answered my question (and I few I hadn’t thought to ask).

Q&A with Cindy Lietz

When and why did you start your blog?

My husband Doug and I started our blog back in February 2008. I was originally a mixed media artist and craft instructor teaching night school classes. Teaching and prepping for over a hundred classes a year in the evenings was getting crazy to balance with a small family. My husband had been working in the investment and television industries and was wanting a change. He suggested I take my teaching to video, which we could produce at home. We worked together, starting with a Beginner’s Course for Making Polymer Clay Beads, progressed to the blog and then ended up developing the library site.

How does blogging (reading and writing) fit in to your daily life?

What Life? LOL Doug and I pretty much live and breath the blog and the business. Up until recently we blogged every single day. Now we don’t on the weekend, just so we can catch up  on the commenting. In fact over the past couple of years we have posted more than 890 posts with over 20,000 comments. I write the posts and Doug takes the photos and does the actual publishing.

What kind of a reader are you?

I read tons of other peoples blog’s (like yours Lisa) every day. The only way I can keep track of them is to read them in Google Reader. I find it easier to see what’s new and comment where I feel inspired to do so. Great titles and great photos are what draws me in the most. If those are good, I usually read the full post. If not, I skim right over.

How important are reader comments to you?

Extremely important! Without comments, there is no community. Without a community, we would have no business. Besides, how are you going to know what your customers/readers want if you’re not talking to them? In the early days I responded to each and every comment. Now with sometimes more than a hundred new comments a day on the blog, I can only respond to a few of them, but I do read every single comment. Readers and members now offer their help since it is now impossible for me to do it all on my own. It really has become their community. It’s our Polymer Clay Family.

In what ways has your involvement in the blogosphere enhanced your life, if any?

As I said above, we have become a family. A family that keeps growing everyday. Nothing warms my heart more than to know how much it means to my members to have a place to come and share their love for their craft. Many people who do polymer clay may be the only one in their family or group of friends that work with medium. Sometimes they are living in rural communities, have health issues or disabilities and have no way of connecting with others that understand their passion for polymer clay. Blogs make it easy to find others that ‘get us’ and we feel we are part of something bigger. Through our art, we get to know and care about each other. We are not alone. That has been the biggest eye opener for me. And the community is global too. Very cool!

If you could only visit three blogs today, what would they be?

• A Bead a Day
• Katiedids
• Tim Holtz

I think it is good to see what’s happening in the craft world outside of polymer clay. Helps to keep my work fresh.

Thank you, Cindy, for sharing your work and your thoughts on blogging with us! (And for being patient while I took my time getting this interview posted!!)

Want more?  You can find Cindy in the following places:

• Blog/Video Store:  Polymer Clay Tutor
• Facebook: Polymer Clay Bead Making Tutorials
• Twitter: @PolymerClayTips

Too Aquarius

Elaine is one of a small handful of people who has been actively commenting on my blog since those long ago LiveJournal days.  Our mutual interest is polymer clay, and even though somewhere along the line I went from polymer artist to ADD crafter, I’m so happy she’s stuck around.

Q&A With Elaine Robitaille

When and why did you start your blog?

I’ve had a blog of some sort for around 10 years but the current incarnation of my  blog, at Tooaquarius, is 4 years and counting. Past the terrible twos. How fast they grow up!

I like writing, chatting and showing what I’m doing. Having a theme to it – in this case, my polymer clay art and business – helps me be more coherent and creative and still get the therapy and networking jolt.

How does blogging (reading and writing) fit in to your daily life?

I read my feed list every morning. Religiously. Some of it indepth, some of it is a quick scan but every morning. So that I’m ritualistic about. And usually before everyone else is up, with coffee cup in hand.

Writing my blog is something I TRY to schedule in but invariably it’s a by-the-seat-of-my-pants thing.

What kind of a reader are you?

I read a lot. Online, offline, books, magazines, cereal boxes, blogs… you name it. For blogs specifically, I read primarily in Google reader. I do visit blogs to leave or read comments but I read the feeds first.

I love the variety you can have with blogs. There are news items in my reader. There are market research (shop feeds for colleagues) ones. There are comic strips. There are blogs by artists I know (like Lisa!) in fields I’m a part of. There are artists, moms, comedians, computer geeks, productivity bloggers, personal finance bloggers, who I read just to fill my brain up with good things.

I also tend to read the corporate blogs of about a dozen sites I sell on or buy from just to keep an eye on my work world.

How important are reader comments to you?

I would blog without comments though I love comments. Discussion is important. Networking is important. I am a reclusive craft-geek and at my worst I am downright hermit like. I find that blogging is good communication.

I try to comment on a few blogs every day though I find it too easy to just read and move on. I watch people without talking, too. Working on that.

In what ways has your involvement in the blogosphere enhanced your life, if any?

oh boy! The short list: I’ve met many, many customers at shows who found me through my blog so that rocks. I’ve met friends I made online through blogging. I’ve been picked up for promotions, product testing, gallery showings, classes because I am a reasonably prolific blogger.

Most humbling though, is that I’ve been able to see that I have a nice chatty spot in a whole world of nice but different chatty spots and that all of this talking, chatting and visiting will truly shape the world. It is hard to hate or even to really dislike people once you learn about them and get to know them. And the blogosphere brings that right to you.

If you could only visit three blogs today, what would they be?

Boringly then, because I read the “”work”" related ones first:

• Polymer Clay Daily by Cynthia Tinapple
• The Storque, Etsy’s mix of articles
• The Art Bead Scene

Do you have a theme or a reason to blog? Like are you a tech blogger or a mommy blogger?

I blog about my work as a polymer clay artist. I try to keep my personal life sort of as the side notes. I try to keep my technical work out of it for the most part. So the bulk of my blog is craft related to keep it cohesive.

Just like you’ve found some of the good of the blogosphere, have you noticed negative aspects?

Sometimes the blogosphere is like any group of highly opinionated people (given that bloggers are going to be people who have opinions AND the willingness to express them). It’s loud. It’s rude. It can be mob-like. Rumours get spread. It amplifies the worst parts of gossip and blaming. And once you write it, it’s out there, so your reputation follows you.

Thank you, Elaine, for taking the time to answer my questions!  It’s been fun reading your answers and recognizing some of my own tendencies in the habits you describe…

Want more?  You can find Elaine in the following places:

• Blog: Too Aquarius
• Artfire Shop: Too Aquarius

I have always thought that one of the things that makes this blogging thing fun for me is all of the participation from those of you who come here and read, comment, or even carry on the conversation on your own blogs.  It’s the community aspect that really does it for me.  So it occurred to me that it might be nice to get to know some readers better, and maybe you might enjoy that, too.

A few weeks ago, I checked the comment stats, picked the three readers who had commented the most in the last several months, and approached them about participating in the Morning Coffee series.  Happily, they all said yes, and today I am sharing with you the first of these interviews.

Welcome Becky!

Q&A With Becky Jorgensen

When and why did you start your blog?

I have been blogging for 2 years and love it! I really do like to share and meet others– I am a sewer and that is what I blog about.  I found the online community interesting, and entertaining. There is a big long list of blogs that I read and love.  After searching and reading for a bit I thought- hey, I could totally do this.  I jumped into blogger and switched this year over to wordpress.  I did a few tutorials at the beginning of my blogging career that got picked up by a few big sites and my readership spiked.  I loved that! I found out that I need outside approval to be happy. {not really, but it is nice}

How does blogging (reading and writing) fit in to your daily life?

I usually write the post the evening before, or if I am in the groove, i write a few and then have them scheduled.  I wish I had a routine….when school starts again I will have to follow something. My blog is on sewing and so that is what I share. I do a lot of it, so sharing it is pretty easy.  I guess it isn’t the posting time that is hard, it is keeping up with the projects.

I find myself on the computer A LOT. ugh…. but I do like it there.   I sometimes have to say -outloud- get off the computer. hee hee.  Then I go sew. lol. What to do. what to do.

Flying by the seat of your pants is totally me too.  I think that makes it a bit spunky and keeps your readers entertained.

What kind of a reader are you?

Ok. I am not a big fan of the feed reader. Not sure why. I just don’t use it.  I have my favorites saved on my computer and hop down the list every once in awhile.  Because of my obsessive behavior with my sewing group website {tweaking and adding a few things} I have slacked in the readership lately.  I am catching up though— and making comments. Those are totally important {to me on my blog- love them} so I make them on others.

I love reading about others experiences and photos. love photos. I wish my computer ran better so I could do more things with my photos…other than slapping them into the post.  {It’s on the wishlist}  I love great tutorials, and project ideas. I love reading about mistakes and faults too- nice to know we are all human.  Oh, and I love reading others comments.  There is usually an abundance of good opinions and knowledge stuck in the comment sections.  someone was offering good luck and commented– ‘break a needle’ on anothers sewing blog. got the giggles on that one.

Another thought– when I find a blog that I truly love and enjoy I check out their reading list.  They are usually full of great blogs and links.

How important are reader comments to you?

It is totally important!!! And guess what?, I don’t get many. I am not sure why….my followers are not chatty. Maybe because I say too much. Who knows. I know there are 8,000 monthly readers….google analytics tells me this… but I get maybe 5 comments a week. That really stinks. I like comments and comment back when they are made. It can be discouraging sometimes– hello, anyone there? — but, hey this is for fun and for me…so does it really matter? {um, yes} anyways.

I love to comment on others blogs and do when I hop onto their site. Sometimes when searching and I pop in on it and jump out I go back and make a comment. I have to remind myself to share the comment love.

Remind yourself that you like to get comments….why wouldn’t they?

In what ways has your involvement in the blogosphere enhanced your life, if any?

I have a store. I design patterns and sell them.  I love to be cheap too.  I get lectures from everyone..but hey after they buy the pattern they still have to buy the supplies- so I try to keep this in mind.  Plus, I am totally a cheapskate too. I don’t buy expensive patterns! hee hee.

I also sell my goods at Art Market 3 times a year in Utah.  Other boutiques have asked also- but I have kept with 1.  I am not a big mass producer, so this works out good for me.

I think that one of the best things is that I have a way of making some fun money for myself.  I can use it for whatever without having to answer to the honey.

Because I hop all over the place on projects–In January I just started an online sewing/quilt group.  I belong to a few groups locally and thought– wouldn’t it be fun to have one that is worldwide?  So, this is why I started it. I have teamed up with a bunch of talented designers.  I love the group!  Each month we ‘meet’ and have a guest, maybe an interview and of course a fabulous pattern.  We have a block of the month, mystery and quilt shows. Everyone is able to share photos, a bit of themself and of course everyone there loves to sew!  The group is slowing growing, kind of like the blog…it takes time.

I also {because I am crazy like that} started another blog, Sew Help Me Design. Really it was for me– to help me keep organized sort of. I listen to webinars on growing your blog, and find great articles, and have a to-do list for myself for the week. This is where I can share it and help others translate that info to their crafty blog. I also wrote an e-book — 20 easy steps to boost your crafty blog.  Man, I am all over the place!

If you could only visit three blogs today, what would they be?

Let’s see- 3 seriously? I am so full of variety that is a hard one!  I might have a few more- ok?

1. The Boiled Peanut -  short posts. quick read. but fun variety.
2. Wee Wonderfuls – I love her stuff and a few of her items have springboarded some of mine.
3. The Twiddletails Blog – she has a great block of the month. very friendly
4. Little Black Crow Studio – spunky! she also changes what she is working on and jumps around just like me.
5. I of course love One Pretty Thing — hi Rachel!
6. and Swapdex

What are your thoughts on consistency in blogging?

I found that I like to have consistency with some of the posts. This year I have started Focus Friday where each month there is a topic and every friday there is a post on that topic.  This helps with mental post blocking.

I also try to do 1 tutorial every 10 days or so.

I love to do swaps. I search the dex every once in awhile and pick up the ones I like. This helps me get links out there for my blog + I meet some great people. A few of them are designers for the sewing group!  How great is that?!

Any last bits of advice?

Just remember it is like the indoor plants that I love to kill….it takes time, a lot of consistancy, patience, and there will definitly be times when you are ready to just toss it- but keep on working on it…and it will flourish.

I love mine.  I love blogging. I love making new friends, finding new things, and growing from others experiences.  I find it a great ‘me time’ where I get to make visits around the world to others living rooms and chat for just the quick moment that I have.  Love it.

Thank you, Becky!  I am so glad you agreed to be interviewed.  It was nice getting to know you better, and I hope that everyone drops by and checks out your websites when they’re done here!

Want more?  You can find Becky in the following places:

• Blog: Patchwork Posse
• Shop: Patchwork Posse
• Online Sewing Group: Patchwork Posse
• Crafty blog advice: Sew Help Me Design

Under the Tulip Tree

I stumbled across Julie’s blog sometime early this year, I believe, and I was instantly hooked.  She’s a relative newbie on the blog scene, but her comfortable, friendly, easygoing writing style doesn’t easily reveal that fact. She chats about the same kinds of topics I do, although she seems way better at follow-through on the home-related projects than I am (I could probably say that about most people, though), and her green thumb puts my shriveled little black one to shame.

If she ever finds herself in New Jersey, perhaps she’d like to come tame my clutter, like she did for her own garage.  I need help.  Big time.

Q&A With Julie Smith

Julie is a talented illustrator, a cookie baking sheet repurposer, a stand in front of a chalk board and show off what she sewed-er, a grower of pretty flowering things…   Read on!

When and why did you start your blog?

I started my blog in October 2009 as a way to record the stories and photographs of my day-to-day life with my family. Most of my posts are the answer to the same question: What do I want to remember about this day?

Has your blog evolved significantly since you began it, and if so, how?

I don’t think my blog has evolved much (yet). I don’t labor over my posts as much as I used to, though, so maybe that’s a change. I will say that in the beginning, I was very interested in setting the stage of my life. I felt I had to include my whole family history in order for people to understand who I was and where I was coming from. I don’t feel the need to do that anymore. I think those details eventually come out by simply telling the stories of my day anyway, and if they don’t, that’s fine, too.

How does your blog fit in to your daily life?

In this case, I suppose I am a fly-by-the-seat-of-pants kind of girl. I start first by bringing my camera with me everywhere I go. I’ll download the pictures at night and usually some thoughts and words will come to me while I’m downloading. Every once in a while I’ll have something specific to say but mostly I’m just rambling.

Is blogging something you can easily explain to your family and friends?

Luckily, blogging is very easily explained to my family and friends. They all understand why I do it and I think they enjoy being a part of it with me. I do get the occasional “Why are you taking a picture of this?” response but mostly that’s from confused strangers.

How important are reader comments to you?

Reader comments are very meaningful to me. The fact that people visit my blog and take the time to share their thoughts and words is indescribable. Yes, I would still blog without the immediate feedback but knowing that there are people out there reading, and that we are partaking in a collective discussion of sorts, makes this process all the more special.

In what ways has blogging enhanced your life, if any?

Like I’ve heard many bloggers say, blogging has enhanced my life tremendously. I appreciate the little details of our days so much more than I used to. I look back on pictures from even a few weeks ago and I remember things that I’ve already forgotten. I’ve only had my blog for less than a year but I can’t imagine not having one. It really does change things—for the better.

Thank you, Julie, for dropping by and chatting with us today, sharing your perspective, and letting me use these lovely images from your blog!

Want more?  You can find Julie in the following places:

• Blog: Under the Tulip Tree
• Website: Julianna Smith Design and Illustration

Pennamite

I think I find it easier to write these little blurbs for people who I only know through their blogs.  I’ve been staring at this page for 15 minutes unsure of where to start.

Penny and I met on a message board for mothers of babies born in March 2000 (mine actually showed up two weeks early in February – they let me stick around anyway).  We’ve exchanged CDs and enjoyed each others’ musical taste.  She’s given me valuable advice when I’ve needed it.  We’ve only met in person once.

I’ve always found Penny to be an interesting person.  And in that regard, with such content as My appalling birthplace (sixth in an infinite series) and Mocha Antlers Hat, her blog doesn’t disappoint.

If you’ve been here for any length of time, you might remember Penny’s winning bag from the Big Button Challenge we had in the Spring of 2009.

Q&A With Penny Richards

Penny is super creative, with a knack for thrift shopping, and a bold sense of style (not to mention an enviable collection of hats & shoes).  So let’s get on with the questions, shall we?

When and why did you start your blog?

I started blogging about disability topics at Disability Studies, Temple U., at the invitation of my friend Mike Dorn in 2005.  He thought it would suit my listserv editor’s love of sharing tidbits and gathering up links, and he was right.   I still blog there, too, but have since added… gulp… nine other blogs to my profile.  Pennamite is my personal blog; I have two project blogs (Letters from Sanquhar and Mordecai Female Academy), where I’m unfolding some history projects in blog format; I manage blogs for some local organizations (South Bay Hands on Art, Huntington Women’s Studies Seminars) and contribute to others (Art of Making Change, Madison School CSA).  I also sometimes contribute posts to The Thrifty Garde Robe and Indicommons, which aren’t local.  I think that’s it!

Has your blog evolved significantly since you began it, and if so, how?

Probably answered that above.  I like the possibilities of the blog format for seeing someone’s work evolve, and for gathering contributions and feedback from a wider audience.   But I also like having separate, very focused blogs for separate projects.

How does your blog fit in to your daily life?

Posting when the mood strikes, pretty much.  Blogging is a volunteer thing, I don’t want to feel obligated to it.  Some months I’ll have dozens of blog posts in me; some months, I might get around to doing five posts total.  If someone wants more from me, they can send me a check.

Is blogging something you can easily explain to your family and friends?

My mother comments on my personal blog!   Cracks me up.  Honestly, I don’t know who all reads what, anymore.  I guess a lot of folks read whatever gets linked at Facebook.  I just try to remember it’s all out there and anyone CAN read it, anytime.  That’s good for keeping me honest and civil.

How important are reader comments to you?

Comments are fun!  But would I blog without them?  Sure.  I like writing and I like making sites that reflect my interests and projects–that’s the main focus.  And it’s handy to have your favorite tutorials and lists and photos and recipes and whatnot all in a linkable, searchable format.

In what ways has blogging enhanced your life, if any?

The disability studies blog was a great place to start, and remains a valuable outlet for me.  I developed several posts from there into encyclopedia entries, for example.  The way blogs let you participate in larger conversations is also a joy (most of the time!).  I love organizing the Disability Blog Carnival (though I haven’t hosted an edition in years), and hosting editions of the History Carnival, and joining in blogswarms for various causes.

What are your thoughts about the ways blogging has morphed into a part of the whole social media picture?

I used to blog more, but now I find some of those functions are better served with Twitter or Facebook; many of my blog posts are only images from Flickr, which I started on because of YOU, Mrs. Clarke.  And… If I hadn’t started on Flickr, I wouldn’t have found the Flickr Commons, and then I wouldn’t have started making purses with their images, and then I wouldn’t have my Etsy shop.   So you and your blog are responsible for that, in many ways!

Thank you, Penny!  I enjoyed your answers, in particular the last one.  I will be keeping an eye out for my commission check

Want more?  You can find Penny in the following places:

• Blog: Pennamite
• Shop: Pennamite
• And all of those blogs listed in answer to the first question!

Polymer Clay Daily

Polymer Clay Daily began the same month and year as my own blog, the biggest difference between them being PCD had a well-defined mission from the start, and mine was the result of my husband saying, “you should try blogging” and me saying “what’s a blog?”  In the intervening four years, this space has undergone several cosmetic face lifts and a significant realigning of goals, while Polymer Clay Daily has remained a constant.

While most of my morning reading is of the personal blog variety, I do enjoy my daily dose of polymer clay, via Cynthia.  I like that it’s short-and-sweet, and I can tell in a very quick glance whether the artwork featured is something about which I want to learn more.

Twice I’ve had the kick of waking up and finding my own work staring back at me on Polymer Clay Daily.

Q&A with Cynthia Tinapple

Cynthia is an accomplished artist in her own right, and a disciplined blogger with a well-honed affinity for ferreting out fabulous artwork to share.  She provides a great service to the polymer clay community, both for lovers of good art, and makers of it.

Welcome, Cynthia!  When and why did you start your blog?

Six years ago, my son and daughter were in their twenties and they sat me down for an “intervention.” My son’s college students had found silly pictures of him posted on our family blog which I’d started in 1996. My children loved my interest in their lives, we’d had fun building the blog but they’d outgrown it and didn’t want the publicity.

I’ve been a communicator all my life and I knew I’d need another outlet. As I looked ahead to retiring from my day job, it seemed that an art blog could channel my need to communicate and provide some fun and a bit of structure for my retirement.

For many years, my personal mission statement has been, “Find Beauty, Share Beauty…and accessorize well” and an art blog fit the mission perfectly. If I’d called the blog PolymerClayWeekly, my life would be simpler but as it turns out, the decision made me develop some good daily habits.

Has your blog evolved significantly since you began it, and if so, how?

When I began PCD in September 2005, there was little on the web about polymer clay. I made it a point to highlight good work, ignore techniques and tools, and try to become a reliable source of information.

I relentlessly nagged artists, urging them to get themselves an online presence. I was quite a pest and I helped launched a lot of sites.

I looked over my shoulder a couple years later and there were thousands upon thousands of polymer-related sites. More than half my audience was coming from beyond the US. The pace picked up and the amount of time required for daily research grew.

Susan Lomuto and Alison Lee had created sister sites about the same time I started and we shared stories and tips and exhaustion. I tried to keep my eye on good polymer clay art and on providing a service to our community. It was tempting to go in other directions, but that didn’t fit my mission.

How does your blog fit in to your daily life?

Smart bloggers have a backlog of posts ready as a cushion but I’m more comfortable finding something fresh every day. After several years, I’ve learned that something will appear and I don’t fret about it too much.

I check mail throughout the day and do a leisurely web surf. After dinner, I look in earnest and select a picture to cut out in Photoshop. Each day’s photo must be cut out and have a white background. I love to improve a picture in Photoshop, it’s like dessert for me. I only write a hundred or so words. No big deal. It’s become a habit (or an obsession according to my husband). Multiply a 100 words a day times four years and you’ve got yourself a mountain of information.

I set each post to appear at 6:30 a.m. (no, I don’t get up that early) and if I have a typo, broken link or grammatical error, I can count on a detailed email from my college roommate immediately. She edits every post and keeps me on my toes.

Is blogging something you can easily explain to your family and friends?

My friends are proud of me and we sometimes laugh at my micro-celebrity status. The global reach of the site is fascinating, almost unbelievable. My family is very supportive and my children and I share a love of blogging.

It’s hard for me to post much about myself though I know readers are interested. That shyness is something I’m working on.

My son teaches digital art at the graduate/post-graduate level and my daughter freelances web work and runs her own site. We’re all a mixture of geek and artist and they’re a terrific resource for me technically. I’m a good editor for them.

How important are reader comments to you?

My favorite comments are the crabby ones which tell me what other people may be thinking but afraid to say. I’m happy when people catch my errors or question me. It means they’re listening and they care.

And of course the ones that tell me I’ve made their lives better or somehow hit the nail on the head are gratifying.

The best ones are those that send in new work they’ve found or share their own work. That’s a terrific timesaver and wonderful resource and it tells me that the blog is becoming what I envisioned, a hub of information.

In what ways has blogging enhanced your life, if any?

I have a privileged perspective on the polymer clay community because of PCD. I can see what’s going on around the world and I know the history of our young artform. I can see where we’ve been and make a good guess at where we’re headed.

I have many deep friendships that have remain intact because of the blog. I’ve made new friends all over the world because of it.

What are you looking forward to?

Creating more video
Sharing more of my own work
Finding polymer clay art in museums
Watching new artists develop
Staying in touch with old friends, making new
Finding beauty, sharing beauty.

Thank you, Cynthia.  I enjoyed your perspective, and I also enjoyed the hunt through your websites for those elusive photos of your own work!

Want more?  You can find Cynthia in the following places:

• Blog: Polymer Clay Daily
• Personal Site: tinapple.com

What Draws me to Artsy-Crafty Babe

Beki has something new to show-and-tell at least once a week.  I love to see what she’s up to.

I wish I had a fraction of her bag-making talent.

Her blog is the first place I remember seeing really fabulous thrifted vintage linens.  I’ve since lucked into some very cool finds myself, but before then I thought Beki must have some kind of magical thrifting powers, or at least one pretty amazing thrift shop nearby.

Beki’s garment-sewing often leaves me inspired, too.

Q&A with Beki Lambert

Beki is a quilter, a dress-from-vintage-sheets-maker, a prolific knitter, and an unstoppable bag-maker.  Read on!

Welcome Beki! When and why did you start your blog?

I’ve been blogging for 4 years now.  When I first discovered craft blogs it was an “a-ha” moment.  I was thrilled to discover other people like myself who liked to make things.  In my every day life, I was the odd bird

Has your blog evolved significantly since you began it, and if so, how?

I think my blog has changed over the years.  When I first started blogging, I wrote about anything and everything.  I definitely edit more now and try to stay somewhat focused.  My blog has always included my family, but I probably don’t write about them as much.

How does your blog fit in to your daily life?

After 4 years, I definitely have a routine.  Writing my blog is one of the first things I do when I come home in the afternoon.  I use my commute time to think about what I’m going to write.

Is blogging something you can easily explain to your family and friends?

I don’t talk about blogging much to my family and friends.  They all know that I have a blog, but not many read it – even my own husband doesn’t read it.  Sometimes my kids ask “mom, are you going to put this on the internet?”, but that’s as much input as I get.

How important are reader comments to you?

I love comments.  I read each and every one of them, but they don’t affect my interest in blogging.  I’d write the same thing whether I got 3 or 300 comments.  I am always surprised by what gets a response.  I wish I had more time to respond to all my comments, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

In what ways has blogging enhanced your life, if any?

Blogging has certainly made me notice the little things in my life that I may have over looked in the past.  Or rather, blogging has made me take note of them.  I probably noticed them, but never thought to capture the image or put words to it.  I like that.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to consult my blog archives to remember something that took place in my life.

Where do you see your blog in 5 years?

I’d like to say that in 5 years my blog will still be here, going along as it always has, but I’m not so sure.  Recently I have been thinking about pulling the plug, but something holds me back.  Since I started my blog, I’ve seen many blog friends stop blogging and so, so many more have started.  I feel a little lost.  But, I don’t think I’m done yet.  I’ll keep on making and blogging about it until it isn’t fun any more.  Hopefully in 5 years, astsy-crafty babe will still be hanging on!

Thank you, Beki, for sharing your photos and your blogging story with us this morning!

Want more? You can find Beki in the following places:

• Blog: Artsy-Crafty Babe
• Shop: Artsy-Crafty-Babe
• Books that include her projects:
  • Pretty Little Potholders
  • Pretty Little Patchwork
  • Pretty Little Purses and Pouches
  • Sweet Booties
  • Absolutely A-Line
  • Quilt it With Wool

What Draws me to Beauty That Moves

I found Beauty That Moves just over a year ago, when Amanda of Soulemama mentioned Heather’s “Month of Balance” series.  Balance is one of those things that I often find elusive, and I was struggling with it particularly that summer.  I was so inspired by Heather’s photography during that month, and I’ve been reading ever since.  I’ve found more to be inspired by since then, too.

In my journey from Junk Food Junkie to Mindful Eater, I still have miles to travel, but I am encouraged by the wholesome way Heather feeds her family, and I appreciate the frequent recipes and photos she shares on the subject.

After seeing them pop up here and there online, Heather’s fingerless mitts were essentially the straw that broke the camel’s back last year and got me to finally try making a pair of my own (which set off a nice, pleasant, winter-long loom-knitting hobby that I enjoyed considerably.)

One of Heather’s Mantra Quilts hangs in my bedroom.  It’s full of the colors I love, and it’s a daily reminder to keep a healthy balance between work, family, and play.

Q&A with Heather Bruggeman

Heather sews lovely bags and mini-quilts, has a well-developed talent for thrift-shopping, has passionate views about the foods we put in our bodies, and takes the dreamiest-looking, making-you-wish-you-were-there-too kind of photos.

Welcome Heather! When and why did you start your blog?

My blog began in January of 2007. I suppose like so many others, I was motivated by the start of the new year to try something fresh, to stretch myself in new directions.

I discovered Soulemama several months before I began my own blog while searching around the interent for like-minded parenting/living websites. At the time, I didn’t even really know what a blog was! From Amanda’s blog, I ventured off into the world of craft, mama and mindful living blogs. Everything I discovered was so inspiring to me, I thought I’d give it a go and see if I could find my own blogging voice.

Has your blog evolved significantly since you began it, and if so, how?

Goodness, I hope my blog has evolved! My early days of blogging were gentler in some ways I think. My daughter (who is now almost 12) was nearly three years younger then. She is my number one blog reader and I find the older she gets, the more willing I am to write about subject matters that I once considered too raw or mature. It’s still a family place, just a more authentic view of the bliss and frustrations of my ordinary life.

I have pretty strong views and intentions around how I live my life. The state of our crazy, mixed up, yet beautiful world is so often on my mind. Sometimes I share things that might feel like a bit much or surprise people, but like fingers to a hand, there are many parts to me. As I (and my daughter) get older, I worry less and less about keeping those parts of me under wraps.

Quite a while ago a reader sent a very kind email thanking me for writing my blog, saying that she enjoyed it and others like it so much. She said that these favorite blogs of hers felt like paperless/cashless magazine articles; full of information, beauty, controversy and inspiration. I like that, and I think there is nothing wrong with being a blog writer who keeps that sort of reader in mind. It’s just one direction to take that can make for some very good blogging!

How does your blog fit in to your daily life?

These days it is so hard for my blog to fit into my daily life, but I try my best to keep it as active and prolific as possible. When I started Beauty That Moves, I was teaching yoga out of my home studio, about six classes per week. My schedule outside of teaching, parenting, and my own yoga practice time was pretty open and flexible. I tried to blog most days.

Today, well… life is just busier. I am grateful for the “busy” – it represents exciting growth and change for my family, it just doesn’t leave time for blogging every day. I do the best I can, but it’s kind of funny because there has never been a time where I had more to write about, yet I just can’t get on the computer to do so! Plus, I am a slow blogger who needs about a two hour window to load/edit photos and write a few decent paragraphs.

One thing that I find helpful to keep my thoughts organized and flowing is to have a Brain Drain, I read about this somewhere online. Essentially, it is a notebook that sits on my desk (I also carry another in my purse) where I can write down any fleeting thoughts, sentence fragments, post ideas, project ideas, etc. A place to record anything so I don’t have to try to hold it in my mind. It is such a big help when I do finally sit down to write. I also love to write in complete silence which is kind of a tall order. My favorite time to write is about 4:00 in the morning when I am the only one up and the house and my thoughts are all mine.

Is blogging something you can easily explain to your family and friends?

No!!
At some point in the early life of my blog, I told most of the people close to me about it. I sent out one of those “Hey, I’m writing a blog!” emails to almost everyone in my contacts. I know my mom, my sister, my teacher, a few friends and a few cousins read it, but it’s not something we talk about much, if at all.  I know there are also plenty of people that read it that I know in my community who keep that fact to themselves, which is totally fine and I understand that. Sometimes when I visit a friend that I haven’t seen in a while they joke that they don’t need to catch up with me because they already know all that I’m up to!

So, aside from those early email announcements almost three years ago, I do not make it a practice to mention my blog to anyone (it just feels weird), there have been just a few exceptions. I guess because like your question asks, it is not easily explainable.

For example, if I meet a new mom on the soccer sideline at one of my daughter’s games, I MIGHT tell her that my family is moving to Vermont for a simpler/cleaner life in ten months, that I love to cook for my family, that I am a yogi and a yoga teacher who loves to hike, listen to music, and thinks nag champa and green smoothies are two of the best things ever… but I won’t tell them about my blog. No way.

How important are reader comments to you?

They’re wonderful! I love hearing from people all over the world and they definitely fuel the fire for future blog post topics. I’m very much in love with Typepad’s new interactive comments section, it has made that section of the blog such a dynamic place to visit.

I do suffer from a huge amount of guilt however as I am perpetually behind on answering emails and comments. I often find myself wishing and hoping that people do not take it personally, that I’m doing the best I can.

In what ways has blogging enhanced your life, if any?

When I stop and think about it, so many opportunities have come into my life via my blog and there is no accurate way to express my gratitude. Whether they have been creative, personal or professional opportunites, my personal and simple mantra of “just keep putting it out there…” has provided time and again to be a postive and bountiful experience which I hope to continue for many years to come.

Thank you Lisa, it’s been great fun visiting here!

Oh, you’re welcome, Heather.  I’m so glad you dropped by to chat with us, and share your beautiful photos!

Want more? You can find Heather in the following places:

• Blog: Beauty That Moves
• Handmade Shop: Beauty That Moves
• Vintage Shop: Mayberries Vintage

What Draws me to House on Hill Road

I don’t remember where I first came across House on Hill Road, but I know I’ve been a fan for at least two years.  Erin does a lot of the same things I have recently begun to do, but she’s been doing them since she was young, and is much better at them than I am.  It gives me something to strive towards, really.  Her Picnic Blanket with Rock Pockets heavily influenced my own beach quilt.  And let’s not get into the unhealthy obsession that was triggered by her Rose Hill Hat…  I’ve picked up many little tips and tricks in the course of her show-and-tells.

Erin loves green as much as I do, and we share a birthday to boot.  Same year and everything.  So, really, what’s not to like?

Q&A with Erin Harris

Erin’s blog is brimming with beautiful quilts, and lovely knitted objects.  She is a regular stop on crafty blog book tours, and her photos are so pretty, they often become part of my flickr favorites mosaics.

Welcome Erin! When and why did you start your blog?

I started my blog three years ago after doing a google search for kids crafts.  The first site that I landed on was Soulemama and from there I went from craft blog to craft blog and was amazed at the talented people doing the same kinds of things that I enjoy doing.  After three or four months of reading behind the scenes, I jumped the gun and started House on Hill Road.

Has your blog evolved significantly since you began it, and if so, how?

The blog started out more as a day to day chronicle of what I was making and how I spent my time with my children.  As time has gone on, I still blog about the crafts, but less and less about my kids.  I want to respect their privacy – I think it’s important to remember that as they get older, they may not want their photos published on the internet or that they may completely embarrassed over what I consider a cute story.  I still do mention them from time to time – they obviously are a big part of me and great inspiration for my art.  And really, I think that most readers are more interested in what I am making than what my kids are up to.  Well, everyone except the grandparents, of course!

How does your blog fit in to your daily life?

My blog routines change depending on what else is going on at the time.  During the summer, when our days are less structured and my free time comes at different hours, I’ll post whenever I feel like it.  Now that the kids are in school for the year, most of my blogging happens in the morning after they have been dropped off at school and I am enjoying my second cup of coffee.

Is blogging something you can easily explain to your family and friends?

I don’t make a point of telling many people about it because it is hard to explain.  Some of my family and friends read the blog, some don’t.  I do think that those who take a bigger interest in it understand me better, or at least understand why I do what I do.

How important are reader comments to you?

I like comments because I like feedback.  That said, I would still be making the same things that I make with or without the feedback, with or without the comments, and really, with or without the blog.  Also, I find it interesting to see what people really respond to.  Sometimes I post something that I really love and there isn’t much response at all.  And then there are those times when I post something and I am overwhelmed by the feedback I do receive.   I also like the sense of community that comments bring to blogging.  Comments have started dialogues that never would have taken place without them.  I have made many good friends, too.  That alone makes comments worth it for me.

In what ways has blogging enhanced your life, if any?

Well, certainly blogging has given me some opportunities that I wouldn’t have necessarily had otherwise.  My patterns have been published in books and magazines – I am fairly certain that I wouldn’t have pursued those opportunities on my own.  I have made wonderful, life-long friends because of blogging, too.  Silly as it may sound, it’s true.  And of course, I have been inspired countless times by those whose blogs I read and by the people who read my blog.  That is pretty wonderful, too.  Oh, and I take a gazillion more photos than I used to.  I like to think that my kids will thank me for that later on.

Thank you, Erin, for dropping by today, answering my questions, and providing your lovely photos!

Want more? You can find Erin in the following places:

• Blog: House on Hill Road
• Shop: House on Hill Road
• Books that include her projects: A is for Apron, Pretty Little Patchwork

This is the first in what I hope will be a weekly-ish series.  We’ll sit down with some of my favorite writers & creative people, and get to know a little bit more about their blogs and why they do what they do.  If they inspire me, maybe they can inspire you, too!

Comfy?  Great.  Then let’s get started

How I found Posie Gets Cozy

It was the spring of 2007.  I was feeling down and in desperate need of a distraction.  Being a polymer clay artist, and a blogger (albeit one who, at the time, used the medium for little more than a promotional vehicle for her book store), I turned to the internet and began a search for other polymer clay blogs.  I thought that getting lost in an artsy world would be just what the doctor ordered.

Well, you know how one link leads to another on this web of ours, and before long I was exploring past polymer clay, and discovering a world of creative blogging I never knew existed.  And I was getting pretty well sucked-in, too.

Alicia’s blog was one of the first of these “new” blogs that I came across, with its photo-rich narrative and personal voice.  I was especially drawn in by her spread in the premier issue of Artful Blogging.  At the time, reading Posie Gets Cozy was, for me, like sitting down for a chat with a new friend who liked many of the same things I did, and who was not shy about showing  me what she’d been working on – and showing me in glorious detail.  It was an exciting discovery for me, really, which left me wanting more.  It opened my eyes to the myriad possibilities that existed in my own blog – I needed only to tap into them. (And I have!)

Posie Gets Cozy continues to be one of my top five daily must-reads, and I’m thrilled that Alicia agreed to let me ask her a few questions today.

Q&A with Alicia Paulson

Alicia sews beautiful quilts, takes engaging photos, has a love affair with the color aqua, and waxes poetic about her pampered pup.  She’s written a fabulous book and has another on the way.  I could live in her sunny studio, if she let me.

Welcome, Alicia!  When and why did you start your blog?

I started the blog in September of 2005 when I owned a store that wasn’t doing very well and had a lot of time to surf the internet (which I’d never really done before, although I’d had a web site for my craft business since 2000). I had a long history as a writer before I became a professional crafter, so once I found out what blogs were, it didn’t take me long to start writing.

Has your blog evolved significantly since you began it, and if so, how?

I really don’t think it has changed much at all, believe it or not. In the beginning, the blog quickly became primarily a place of personal expression for me, and that is still my motivation for doing it now, in spite of the fact that I have a business. I still think of the blog as a personal blog; it’s secondarily about crafts and the professional aspects of what I do because those things are such a huge part of my personal life, but I don’t see the blog as work. When I started the blog I was really needing to take that time out of every day to notice and record my thoughts about the little things, and I think I need to do that now as much as I ever did.

How does your blog fit in to your daily life?

I fly by the seat of my pants every morning when I’m drinking my coffee. If I don’t manage to write the blog during those early morning hours, it generally has to wait until the next day. But I do like to do it every day. I am a very habitual person.

Is blogging something you can easily explain to your family and friends?

My family and friends have always known me as someone who talks about herself incessantly, so I think they get it . And are not surprised. Possibly bewildered why someone would do it, but not surprised that I do.

How important are reader comments to you?

The comments are important to me because I rely on the idea that me telling my own story is really a conversation — having listeners who understand and offer enlightenment has been profound. Most of the time it’s me responding to the comments in a collective sense — I am not very good at replying to questions or individual inquiries, because I try to save my time and energy so that I can just keep doing the blog itself — that’s the most important thing to me. But I do read each and every comment (as does my husband, believe it or not) and feel very engaged in the ongoing dialogue in a day-to-day, more collective way. A lot of the things I talk about in blog posts are in response to the ideas that the comments suggest (and many times what I’m saying refers to things that I’ve talked about in the blog before — the context is something I never explain, I just expect that people “get” it, and I always write as if they do [even if they don't, because they just arrived, or whatever] ). I always write as if everyone has been reading all along. Those who have are the readers I “picture” when I write.

In what ways has blogging enhanced your life, if any?

It’s given me a way to express myself that fits my personality and tendencies perfectly, I think. I used to make scrapbooks of my life, and now I blog. Both mediums make me feel more organized and appreciative of what I have. They’ve been wonderful.

Thank you, Alicia, for taking the time to answer my questions and for allowing me to mine your blog for the fabulous photos I used to illustrate our conversation.  It’s been a pleasure!

Want more?  You can find Alicia in the following places:

• Blog: Posie Gets Cozy
• Shop: rosylittlethings.com
• General Info: aliciapaulson.com
• Book: Stitched in Time