Friday, February 24, 2012

Success

So every month I can not wait for this magazine to arrive in my mailbox, it's one of my favorite times of the month when this baby shows up!! Just one more reason why I love being a Stampin' Up demonstrator...bonus!!! check this out(by simply clicking on the picture above)... you can see just a little sneak peek at the recently redesigned Stampin' Success magazine! This free monthly publication for demonstrators includes an abundance of project samples, business tips, stamping techniques, and product highlights. Stampin' Success is just one of the many reasons why demonstrators love what they do! This monthly magazine comes into my life and helps jump start the creative juices. I also save every issue because sometimes going back and looking in back issues can really help when I am at a total road block and can not come up with anything for my gals that come for Coffee & Crafts on Thursday morning at the studio.  
Happy Stamping :)
-Leslii
 
 
 

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

My favorite place on this planet!

We have a house up on Pemaquid Point, New Harbour Maine and it is my favorite place on this planet! Coming here in the dead of winter is always a treat...it's like having the whole place to yourself!

 Our house on the point! and yes all those windows do look out onto the ocean

 Pemaquid Light...that damn light shines in my window all damn night long every 4 seconds!

 Trini at "Big" beach morning walk with the dogs

 "HOLY shiCRAP!!! it's cold water!"
 Stolii & Skyy on "big" beach...morning walk

 Trini, Stolii & Skyy morning walk

 Trini really really wants to go in!

 Stolii is like oh hell no that's some cold ass water!
 Trini being Trini
 Trini swing outside the Carpenter's Boat Shop

Trini's favorite place on this planet! Mother's beach or small beach

 house over looking mother's beach

 mother's beach

Mother's beach

 Trini being Trini
 Mother's beach
 Mother's beach...low tide
 mother's beach low tide

 mother's beach low tide

Mother's Beach low tide

Mother's Beach low tide

Mother's Beach low tide

Trini in her happy place!!! the great treasure hunt! mother's beach
mother's beach low tide

mother's beach low tide

mother's beach low tide

mother's beach low tide

mother's beach low tide

loop road. pemaquid point.
 
 
 
Hope you enjoyed just a little peek into my favorite place on this planet!
 
It's always a happy day up on the coast of Maine...no matter if it's winter, spring, fall or summer.
-Leslii

Monday, February 20, 2012

Journaling, Scrapbooking, Creating oh my!

I have gotten a ton of emails lately on my altered art journal books so here is just one of the many starter kits I have put together. you can find them in my Pressing Dandelions Shop
 
 

Discoverer the artist inside yourself with this very fun and colorful starter art journal kit. Personalize your journal by covering it and filling it with pretty designer papers, colorful card stocks, twine, ribbons, inks, photos or just about anything embellishments you might find. This fun little book comes with a bunch a pretty designer papers, card stock, twines and glassine envelops to get you started on your way. Makes a great scrapbook too.

Kit includes:
1 5 1/4" x 5 1/4" hard board front & back cover blank book with 20 5" x 5" vanilla card stock pages
6 double sided designer 4 1/2" x 5" papers
1 double sided designer 3" x 5" paper
1 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" double sided newsprint paper
1 5 1/2" x 8 1/4"confetti cream card stock
1 4" x 4" luck limeade card stock
1 4" x 4" bashful blue card stock
1 4" x 4" crumb cake card stock
3 2.75"x 3.74" mini glassine envelopes
3 yards of red & white baker's twine
3 yards of blue & white baker's twine
1 2 page creative challenges 16 tips to help you get creative

So go get your kit and get started on fun and creative adventure today!

Happy Creating 
-Leslii


Friday, February 17, 2012

How to Optimize the Traffic You're Getting from Pinterest


I have a slight addiction to Pinterest...well okay I may need a 12 step program at this stage!   Believe it or not, as with everything, there is a right way to go about pinning on Pinterest. I have been asked by so many "newbies" lately on Pinterest how does it work? How do you use Pinterest for your small business? So I figured I would pass along some of my helpful tips that I have found to be a great asset to my small business!
Pinterest-Optimization-Tips
Have any of your products, blog photos, or Flickr photos been pinned to Pinterest (by someone other than yourself)? Did you do a happy dance the first time you saw one of your creations pinned to a board?


If you've ever had the excitement of seeing one of your products appear on Pinterest (with appropriate credit and a link to your site, of course), I'm guessing that you'd like to see that happen more often, right?


Stay tuned to find out how to optimize the traffic that Pinterest can bring your brand.


First, let's think about the various ways your images can be pinned to Pinterest:


1. Photos can be pinned from your online shop.
2. Photos can be pinned from your website or blog (yet another reason to maintain a blog for your handmade biz).
3. Photos can be pinned from Flickr.


So, how do you know if one of your images has been pinned to Pinterest?


1. Check the link.
http://pinterest.com/source/yoursite.com/ (replace your site.com with the URL of your site) This formula does not appear to work with Etsy shop URLs at this time, but it will work with your own website or blog URL.


For example, here is a screenshot of the page that appears when I enter my Studio23hudson.com  URL in the place of "your site" above: (http://pinterest.com/source/studio23hudson.com/)


and here is the example screenshot of my Studio 23 blog page that appears when I enter my http://studio23hudson.blogspot.com/  URL in the place of "your site" above: http://pinterest.com/source/studio23hudson.blogspot.com/





2. Check your Site Stats
If you use Google Analytics to track your site's stats, follow these steps:
* Log in to your analytics account.
* Click Traffic Sources in the left sidebar.
* Click Sources.
* Click Referrals.


Directly below the graph, you will see links such as Source, Landing Page, and Other. Click Source.



Now, click on the Pinterest link to see the individual pins that lead from Pinterest directly to your site. Each pin has its own unique number. If you're curious what images people have pinned from your website or blog, simply click the little squares with the arrow (see the figure below).




So let's assume that one or more of your images have found their way onto Pinterest. I'll bet your site is getting increased traffic, right? So how can you capitalize on that added interest in your brand?


Here's the bottom line:


You need to optimize the pages that Pinterest users are clicking on.


1. Optimize with a kind welcome.
For example, "If you've found this page via Pinterest, welcome!" This type of welcome would be particularly appropriate if Pinterest is huge traffic source for that particular page or post.


2. Optimize with the Pinterest logo.
I've tried this technique on a couple of my posts that are popular on Pinterest. My reasoning for including the Pinterest logo is that people who click on the page from Pinterest are already Pinterest fans, and they might have a stronger connection with my post/page if they see the logo.


3. Optimize with a link to your Pinterest profile.


4. Optimize with a kind request to follow you on Pinterest.
A person who ends up on your site via Pinterest might be interested in seeing what else you have pinned.


5. If you are a blogger, optimize with links to Pinterest articles you've written.
Again, if a person clicked on your site via Pinterest, he/she might be interested in tips for using the site effectively.


You can see an example of a blog post I've optimized for Pinterest here (scroll to the bottom of the post).


Have you tried optimizing your blog posts for Pinterest? What creative ideas would you suggest?
Share them by leaving a comment :).

Happy Pinning,
Leslii

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

The perfect day



Pin It With the cover, page 1 and 2 all finished it was on to yet another blank page page 3. With our resent trip to Paris still fresh in my thoughts I printed out a very small version of one of my favorite pictures I took while there.  There is a cute little story that goes along with this picture, we had just taken a private tour of the city and as we were getting out of the car there we were at the end of this very pretty ally way and this was the view we had, just breath taking!  Trin, our 7 year old daughter  looked up at the Eiffel Tower and said "Holy shhhhiChap! it's so big!" Greg and I both laughed and said how big did you think it was going to be and she held her hands a little bit over her head...silly little girl. I do have to say that our one day on January 16th 2012 in Paris France to celebrate Trin's 7th birthday will go down as one the most perfect days in my life.

Thanks for stopping by
Leslii





p.s if your visiting here from Pinterest I would be honored if you followed me here.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

My silly little Valentine's


Pin It So every year my daughter insists on making her classmates their Valentine's Day cards and of course this year was no different. She says " It truly comes from my heart when I make something." So how does one argue that point! This year she was going for a "you color my world" theme, so we gathered all of her many tons of crayons one night and started to peel off the wrappers and had a blast mashing them up into tiny little pieces to be melted into heart shapes. It was pretty cool to see them all becoming  little worlds of color. She then set herself up in "her" studio (the kitchen table) and went to work making the heart shaped cards and with my help we had come up with a clever Valentine's Day card for all her friends and teachers. Happy Valentine's Day to you, hope you enjoy your day as much as I enjoyed my time making wonderful memories with my daughter. 




Thanks for stopping by
Leslii





p.s if your visiting here from Pinterest I would be honored if you followed me here.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Bohemian...


Pin It Bohemian Bangles.   The newest collection in Trinti's Closet. These very earthy organic bracelets are just so much fun to wear in a bunch. You can find them in my jewelry store here.

Thanks for stopping by
Leslii







p.s if your visiting here from Pinterest I would be honored if you followed me here.







Saturday, February 11, 2012

Dreams into plans...page 2


Pin It ...and page 2 comes to life! I stubbled upon a quote that I just fell in loved with..."She turned her cant's into cans, and her dreams into plans." I knew I had to somehow find a way to add this into my little art journal book. I just love my sassy little word girl!

Thanks for stopping by
Leslii





p.s if your visiting here from Pinterest I would be honored if you followed me here.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Coffe & Craft Thursday...Tea for 2


Pin It Coffee & Crafts Thursday! We had so much fun yesterday morning making this cute "tea for two" card.

Stamp Set: Stampin Up's Tea Shoppe (w)125545 (C)125547 

Inks: Stampin Up's Poole Party 123938
Markers: Stampin Up's Pool Party 123002, Calypso Coral 123002              
Papers: Stampin' Up's Very Whisper White 100730, Calypso Carol 122925, Pool Party 122924, Domestic Goddess 122355
Accessories: Stampin up's Everyday Enchantment Ribbon 127279, Extra Large Oval Punch 119859, Designer Frames Embossing Folder 123130, Houndstooth Embossing Folder 123134, Oval Dies 114525, Big Shot 113439, Dimensional 104430

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