Create An Instagram Photobook with BLURB

It's official! I'm an Instagram addict.  It's barely a month since I began sharing photos there but there's no stopping now.  I have fallen in love with it like everyone else.  I love the fact that you can freeze moments in a click and file all those little things that made you giggle or smile.  I like that you get to choose effects to transform your photos in an instant. And I love that you can share photos straight from your mobile phone on the spot.  I'm too lazy to upload photos on my computer. I'm also following a couple of people there and it's amazing how glimpses of daily life can be so inspiring.  

Wouldn't it be nice to have a real copy of those precious pictures so you can watch them from the pages of an album? I think photobooks would make interesting pieces of decor at home.  It's cool because BLURB has made it so easy to turn your Instagram photos into a photobook.  Today, I gave it a try and here's what I came up with: 

Yeah, you can say I still feel that little jig inside for having made my very first DIY.  I'm thinking maybe I would be brave enough to try out other projects these coming days and how about compiling all those DIY crafts into a book?  

It's very quick and easy through BLURB.  You simply sign up with your email, username, and password to make an account and you can begin creating books online. Here's what the interface looks like if you will make your own book.

I chose the Instagram Photobook option. You will need to sign in to your Instagram account so BLURB can access your photos and basically,  just drag and drop the photos you want to include in your book. You can see on the bottom all the photos from my instagram account.  I only selected a few pictures for this book and I have yet to make more DIYs and take snapshots of them.

You can choose from different layouts for the cover and the pages, the font styles and colors, the background ~ you can customize everything from the design, the size, and the type {softcover, hardcover (dustjacket or image wrap)} of book you prefer.  Once you're done, you can save it as draft online if you wish to have have it published at a later time.  You can do edits later if you want to make some changes.

It's pretty neat I think!  I would love to create a photobook of my dogs, my favorite recipes, my family, ~ it would be exciting to make these and actually order.  

I'm inviting you to visit BLURB and give it a try.  Don't worry because you can start making your book online for free, like I did, save it, and just order when you're ready.  You can also make a Facebook Photo Book, or a photo book from the photos on your computer.  And did I mention that you can also sell your books and get royalties?  If you order now, you can save 15% off your entire order until April 30th.  Just use the promo code APRIL15 on your checkout.  So, what do you think of my book idea?

The Day for the Outdoors Sale At One King's Lane

I know that a lot of you are excited for Spring.  For us who live in the tropics, we can already feel the heat of summer.  These are days to enjoy the outdoors, have picnics in the park or by the beach, or hold afternoon barbeques in the lawn.  In line with the fine weather, HGTV pairs with One King's Lane for the Day of the Outdoors Sale, (Wednesday, 4/3 - Friday, 4/5)!

I'm imagining buffets in the garden with family and friends so I picked up some great finds from the Help Yourself collection.  I love that the Bumble Bee teapot is now only $12, and the 3-pc Creamer, Sugar & Saucer set is now just $18.  I like the Mason Ball jar, striped straws, dotted napkins, and checkered plates - they would look cute together. If you like window shopping online like I do, check out One King's Lane, browse over the various collections on sale today, and find practical interior design tips by HGTV. I'd love to know what caught your eye?

Feeling Crafty: DIY Rossette Fabric Corsage Necklace

I'm excited to be sharing my very first DIY project on this blog. The reality is that I'm not a very crafty person but I definitely appreciate handmade things and I am in awe of creative people. I love discovering DIY crafts; I enjoy looking at photos of the step-by-step process; I collect DIY tutorials on Pinterest, wanting to try my hands on various projects but haven't found the time or the compulsion to do any of them.

Yesterday, I saw this project on A Few Pretty things and I felt this itch to actually create something.  Today, I stopped imagining and just start.  And so, here it is, a rossette I made out of pretty fabric scraps which can be worn as a corsage necklace or a brooch.

This isn't a complicated DIY.  You can trust me when I say this because I'm definitely a beginner in this field.  I was quite hesitant to do this but then I really wanted to give it a shot.  If you're not skilled in cutting patterns, sewing and putting things together, like I am, but would like to try your hands on crafting, this is one project that you can do.

The only tools you need are needle, thread, scissors, a necklace chain and a compass or a circular ruler.  You can also use jar lids to draw circle patterns on your fabric like I did.

Of course, you will need some scraps of cloth with different patterns.  I've been saving these, wanting to do something out of them for the longest time.  It's an awful waste to throw away scraps of pretty fabric when you can turn them into something nice again, isn't it?  For my rossette, I chose to combine dotted denim; black, cotton cloth with smaller dots; and a cambric shirt in blue & white stripes.

The next step is to cut circle patterns in three sizes out of each fabric.  I chose the dotted denim to be on the center so I made four circles of those in equal diameter.  Don't worry if the edges are not perfect as long as they are round.

I folded three of the circle denims in half twice and stitched the bottom corners.

I assembled my circles one on top of the other, and stitched them all in the middle. Then I sewed the three half circles side by side on the center like this: 

When I was done, I realized that my black, cotton fabric was too soft so I needed an extra layer.  I cut two larger circles using the same blue & white striped cloth.  I stitched the sides of these two circles to make it one so it would be strong enough to hold the entire rossette without folding down.

And this is the final output.

I know this is a very simple DIY but I'm happy that I was actually able to finish it.  Think this one's going to be special because it's my first.  Have you done this kind of project? If yes, I'd love to see what you've made.  If you would like to make your own, you can also check out these tutorials on these blogs: denim & sweater fabric brooch by A Few Pretty Things; corsage necklace by Polka Dot Chair.

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Joining the link-up at:

J

ModCloth Top Featured in The Carrie Diaries

Do you watch The Carrie Diaries? I don't get to watch it so often but it is interesting to note that for the second time around, a clothing piece from Mod Cloth was sported on the show.  At the beginning of episode 112: "A First Time for Everything", Carrie Bradshaw was spotted wearing the Up in the Tee Tops from ModCloth. The orange peplum blouse is printed with green trees mixed with azure and coral patterns.  Carrie paired it with a statement necklace and a shorter necklace in gold chain.  Pretty :)

My Etsy Picks: Pastelicious Photography

Hello :)  I'd like to welcome the first day of April with this week's Etsy Picks which circles on fine art photography prints in sweet, pastel-icious colors.  What a treat for the eyes!

 Seaside Town : Alice B Gardens

Pastel houses in Burano Italy : Eye Poetry Photography

French Village Street : Marasca Photography

The Banjoy : Jillian Audrey Designs

Endless Summer : Nostalgique Images

Bowl of Buttons : Alice B Gardens

Vintage Radios : Lola's Room

Macaron Platter : Alice B Gardens

Feathers in the Sky : Photography by Karina

Ferris Wheel :bomobob

Pink Sweets : Kris ONeal Photography

By the Sea : Cassia Beck

Pastel Threads in Vintage Spools : Lola's Room

Flying High : Lola's Baby

Pastel Books : Collective Photography

Pastel Carts : Four Trees Photography

Which of these prints would you like to decorate your wall?

Fashion Editorial: Superior Online

And here I go again with another quirky fashion editorial from Superior Online fashion magazine, March 2013 issue. It's that mix of patterns and colors that never fail to  amuse me. 

Model : Nele Heiman @ Model Management

Photography : Valeria Mitelman

Styling :  Inga Kusche

Hair & Make Up :  Julie Skok

Featured Handmade Shop: Serejkin Dom

Anastasia Maltseva lives in Kyiv, Ukraine.  She is the designer and owner of the handmade shop Serejkin Dom.  I fell in love with her creations the first time I saw them.  I had featured one of her lovely necklaces here and asked if she wanted to be a featured shop on my blog.  Thankfully, she said yes :) If you are into pretty, whimsical things, you'll surely love this little shop too.  I hope that you will take a moment to read through the whole interview and get to know more about the talented artist behind this handmade shop.

Let's get to know the Entrepreneur:
 
Why the shop name? 
My shop's name, Serejkin Dom, in Russian means House of Earrings.

How old is your shop?
I've started it in 2008 and since then, my shop has been growing and developing.

What inspired you to start your own home business? 

I don't remember properly how it began. It was summer and I was bored and so I made my first super simple beaded earrings. But it wasn't something surprising: I have a very creative family, who taught me to sew, paint, etc. from childhood.

What was the toughest challenge you faced so far and how did you get over it?

The toughest challenge I faced was me and my fear. Fear to try, to start. When I was creating my etsy shop I didn't know, how it would be and if it will work or not. 

What tips would you want to share for aspiring home based entrepreneurs like you? 

Well, never give up! We have great opportunity to see everything around the world through Internet. Just look around, find your muse and create!

Where can we find you online? 
You can find my shop page on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, tumblr, Instagram and Etsy. Am I a geek? :)   We have a Russian language on-line shop and blog as well.

Let's get to know the Artist:

What are your inspirations?

I find my inspiration in things around me: flowers, music, birds songs, nature, buildings. I really like buildings and think all of them have soul. Especially old ones.

Can you give us a peek on the creative process involved in your craft?

Recently I work in the morning, because of the day light. All process of making earrings or necklace can last for a 1-2 days. Everything starts from a sketch. And if I see in my mind something that I couldn't embody right now, then I start searching of supplies, gemstones etc.

What are your personal picks from your shop?

Oh, I'm in love with our new spring collection: it's so fresh and delicate like morning air and dew on grass.

Let's get a bit personal:)

What do you do when you're not busy in your shop? 

On my free time I like to travel and photograph. And I like to drink coffee with macaroons in a little cafe in an old town.

What are your favorite shops? 

I can't pass by shops with all that cute interior stuff! It's obsession! Speaking about etsy shops I can stand out Coriumi, KaroArt and For Strange Women.

What's inside your bag? 

I'm a girl, so in my bag you can find 5 or 6 red lipstick :) Than there are cardholder, documents, wallet, touch phone (I can't live without it) and my notebook for sketches and plans.

What makes you smile? 

I try to smile for everything, every little moment or pretty thing. I smile at morning, when the sun wakes me up. It gives me energy for the whole day. 

What is your message to customers and the people who support you? 
Just notice beauty of the world and give some love to each other.

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BIG THANKS & HUGS:

 Serejkin Dom