Fun for Color Lovers

I was surfing online tutorials today when I stumbled across a super fun site for all those who love color and pattern. In no time at all, I had spent WAY too much time messing around. Check out what I made here (you have to scroll down the page a bit), and then you can create your own fun as well. You can create a new color, a new color palette, and a new pattern using your color palette. It also has examples of color trends to view for those who are trying to stay on top of things. Check it out, but be prepared to stay awhile.

3 Column Blogs and a Blog Makeover Contest!

Well, the Vacuum Queen's vacuum is...NOT WORKING! Oh brother. I don't quite know what's wrong, but I do know that I now have time to mess around doing more fun things than vacuuming. I've got a call in to the guy who installed my central vac for me, but until then...it's time to work on this site.

One big change is that I now have 3 columns! Yay! I can't take much credit for it. I simply cut and pasted some code and voila! 3 columns. Here's the site where you can find the code for yourself. The good news is that it works with many of Blogger's templates. The one downer is that it comes with a backlink to the maker's site. However, it's very small and he doesn't care if you remove it. If you peek at the very bottom of my page, you'll see how teeny it is. Not a problem. His site has so much information about blogging and what works or not. It's a good one.

Of course, I lost my vacuum poll widget and had to start a new one. So please vote again, eh?

Here's the next move. Check out this gal's site for a chance to get an entire blog makeover! I would like to win it myself (very badly), but I will spread the word simply because it looks like a fun contest. She creates super cute blog headers for a minimal amount of money. Please support her if you can.

Hopefully I'll be able to make a few more changes around here soon. Until then...keep vacuuming in my honor!

Free Downloadable Pinhole Camera

I've been taking a digital photography course this quarter, and so I have found several supportive sites online to help give me advice on what I'm doing. One of the best resources for me has been Photojojo. Not only do they email back almost immediately (even at midnight) with help or ideas or suggestions, they also have a really entertaining site. If there was one new site I'd want everyone to check out, it'd be Photojojo. Sign up for the weekly email, too. This week's email included a link for these super hip pinhole cameras that you can download for free. Enjoy!

Scrap Happy - a Travel Tissue Holder

Sew Mama Sew is having a contest right now for the best tutorial. The winner gets a $25 gift certificate to their store. I'm in. This may not be a life altering tutorial, but this project sure made my day happy. My mom gave me 2 tissue holders the other day and they were so cute I had to copy them. I came home, dismantled them, and was shocked to see just how EASY they are to make. And they give such good fabric satisfaction. You can take a peek at your favorite fabric every time you open your purse. Good for all addicts.

I like my tutorials to be all on one page, simply because when you're working on a project, you don't want to keep going back to your computer to scroll down. If you look at my others, you'll see I do it basically the same way every time. You can click to enlarge it, too. Enjoy! And be sure to enter the contest yourself.
Click Photo to Enlarge

Step 1: Gather your supplies: Fabric piece - 5 1/2 inches x 6 1/4 inches; lace or ric-rac - 5 1/2 inches; bias tape binding - 5 1/2 inches x 3/8 inch; coordinating thread.

Step 2: Open up one side of the bias tape and sew it to the wrong side of the fabric (on the 5 1/2 inch side) using a 1/4 inch seam. I like to iron it open in place. No need for pins.

Step 3: Flip the binding over to the right side of the fabric. Slip some lace under. You may want to pin it in place. Stitch it all together at the bottom of the tape, as shown in the photo in step 3.

Step 4: Complete both sides the same way.

Step 5: Fold in thirds, right sides together. You should slightly overlap the middle. Sew a stitch down the short sides of the tissue holder. Follow each stitch with a zig zag to enclose the ends. (That makes 2 trips through the sewing machine for each side)

Step 6: Flip it inside out and press. You're done! Oh wait, slip a pack of travel tissue inside. Now you're done.