Google+ +1 Button – It IS a Big Deal

This is the 7th installment of Google+ For Creative Bloggers. Here are the first six posts:

Part 1 – What is Google Plus?

Part 2 – The Pros and Cons of Google+

Part 3 – Setting Up Your Profile

Part 4 – Google+ Circles

Part 5 – Creative Ways To use Circles

Part 6 – Google+ Cheatsheet

Using Google products is really simple, but understanding what they do and why is another story altogether. The Google +1 button has been around for quite a while now. If you’re like me, it’s been a bit of a mystery, and reading Google’s explanations just deepened my confusion.

I thought it was similar to Facebook’s “Like” button, but it’s not. If you ‘+1’ a blog it doesn’t add that blog’s posts to your Google+ stream, which Facebook’s “Like” button does. So what does it do?

Honestly? I can’t begin to explain it. So I’ll offer a quote from Hubspot, one of the giants in internet marketing, who highly recommend being on Google+ -

Add the Google +1 button to your website and blog so that people can easily share your blog posts and landing pages with their friends, and help your pages rank better at the same time. You'll also benefit from increased traffic, as our research shows that websites using the +1 button generate 3.5x the Google+ visits than sites without the button.

 

Faux (paw) Finish Alabaster Eggs

I should probably call these faux ‘foil-wrapped chocolate eggs’ but that isn’t what this faux finish is. It truly is a finish that would mimic alabaster, IF I had used eggs with a smooth finish. Which I didn’t.

Let me explain. I got all excited when I heard Young House Love was hosting a Winter Pinterest Challenge. I knew I had to make something . . . but what?

Easter! Of course! It’s right around the corner and I have not.a.single.thing ready. I did a search on Pinterest for “Easter” – oh yes, it’s a fabulous ‘search’ tool – and saw these beauties.

*cue angels singing* How absolutely gorgeous are these italian alabaster eggs from Williams-Sonoma? I fell head-over-heels in love with them. The more I looked at them, the more I thought I could come up with something close to a faux alabaster finish.

Tell me you’ve looked at something and thought, “Hey, I could do that!” C’mon. You know you have.

St. Patrick’s Day Crafts

A few weeks ago I was all ready to break out the green paint and do some serious holiday crafting with the grandson. Then he asked me what St. Patrick’s Day is and why do we celebrate. (He’s 4.) I had no answer. Not a clue.

If you have a 4 year old ask a question and you say something like “Well, just because” you know that doesn’t work. So, with full disclosure here, I didn’t paint a single St. Paddy’s day craft. Not one. We just hopped over it into Easter.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t LOVE all of these projects I’m sharing today. Especially the green Quatrefoil Bulletin Board from Mel @ The Crafty Scientist. No, it doesn’t scream St. Patrick’s Day but doesn’t that pop of green feel like Spring? And that fabulous quatrefoil . . . love. Drop by Mel’s and see how she stenciled it!

(Btw, I met Mel at Google+. Yep. I’m telling you, more and more creative peeps are hanging out over there.)

Part 6 Google+ – A “Cheat Sheet”

This is Part 6 of an ongoing Google plus series written specifically for creative bloggers. If you haven’t read parts 1 – 5, grab a cuppa coffee and have at it. I’d love to know what you think.

• Part 1 What is Google+
• Part 2 Pros & Cons of Google+
• Part 3 Setting Up Your Mini Profile
• Part 4 Google+ Circles
• Part 5 Creative Ways to Use Circles

It’s been a while since I’ve tackled written about Google plus. For a variety of reasons. Not the least of which my poor pea brain just couldn’t assimilate any more geekspeak. For this post though, no overuse of gray matter is required.

First, let’s review a bit and cut thru all of my dribble about Google+. There are two things that I consider “Must-Do’s” if you spend any amount of time on Google plus and want any followers.

Create a Mini Profile and Set Up Your Circles

How To Paint Furniture – Bloggers’ Resources

A lot of people refinish and paint furniture. A lot of people enjoy refinishing and painting furniture.

I don’t happen to be one of them, however. In fact, I seem to have a few ‘issues’ about painting furniture. That doesn’t mean I can’t recommend some excellent bloggers who paint furniture. As a matter of fact, it almost makes me an expert in recommending bloggers who paint furniture.

Almost.

Here’s the thing, since I write about painting, like, almost every day I don’t want to let my ‘issues’ stop me from writing about bloggers who paint furniture. Okay?

And there are a lot of awesome ones. But when I think ‘blogger’ and ‘painting furniture’ these five gals immediately spring to mind.

Decorating With Paint – Always In Wonder

It’s no secret that there’s a wealth of talent and creativity in Blogland. It still amazes me that with a click of a mouse I can easily be transported into a DIYer dreamland.

Frankly, I’ve been remiss in not featuring some of these incredible DIYers. I’m gonna remedy that by regularly showcasing bloggers who decorate with paint.

I’m gonna start this series off with someone special, a BBF of mine (Best Blogging Friend), Jennifer at Always in Wonder. This gal literally has talent oozing out of her fingers. Okay, maybe not literally. Let’s just say she’s gifted. That picture up above that looks like it’s from a magazine? That’s a stenciled wall in Jen’s dining room. Gorgeous, isn’t it?

Cupcake Canvas – guest post from Mod Podge Rocks!

I am so excited to have a special friend here today, Amy from Mod Podge Rocks. Amy is not only an exceptional blogger and crafter, she’s also incredibly generous. I can honestly say, if I didn’t know her, I might’ve given up this whole blogging thing a long time ago. But like I said, she’s generous – with her friendship, support, and her time. I’m thrilled she is sharing this darling project with us today.

This is Amy from Mod Podge Rocks, so pleased to be here at Mural Maker today! I have been blogging for almost four years at MPR, and I am (as you can guess) addicted to crafts and DIY. I love creating, but I also love writing. I co-own Decor Hacks with Heather Mann, and I contribute to Babble.com's The New Home Ec. Not to mention that I have a new book coming out this June called Mod Podge Rocks. You could say I keep busy.

I hope you enjoy my cupcake canvas. It was so fun to do, and I'm all about colorful. The best part about this project is that it's easy to customize. Just use different paper! Here's how to make it.

Would You Let a 4 year old Decorate Walls?!?

Seriously. Would you . . . let a four year old ‘decorate’ the walls in his room? Call me crazy (go ahead. you won’t be the first.) but that’s exactly what I did this weekend.

If you read this entire post, I just might convince you to step over to the Crazy Side too.

First of all, let’s back up a bit. A few weeks ago Grandson complained to me that his walls are boring. Not in a “Gramma, I want you to paint something for my walls” kinda way either.

I’m not so crazy that I can’t tell when he’s setting me up, ok?

So I asked him what colors he wanted his walls to be. Red. Orange. Yellow. Pink. Pink? I thought that was a girl’s color. It is, but I still like it. Okay, what else? And black. {oh, yay.}

I’d like to tell you that I’m a really cool, calm grandmother and was fine with his color choices. But in actuality I’m none of those things. Mainly because I was picturing the walls painted those colors. He knows that his grandmother paints walls for kids, so my mental image of walls awash with psychedelic colors seemed logical. To me.

My 4 year old grandson, on the other hand, just wanted some splashes of color, not floor to ceiling I’m gonna be sick colors. Alrighty then. I’m so glad we cleared that up. And the theme? I already knew the answer to that one . . .

Dinosaurs!!!

Using Rope for Decorating

Houzz.com

I gotta admit, I’d never thought of using rope for decorating. I’ve never been a ‘beachy’ gal and I’m just old enough where rope + decorating brings to mind macrame. I wasn’t fond of it in the ‘70’s and I don’t think I’d like it much better today.
But a couple of blogger friends have recently changed my mind. First I saw Traci’s rope roundup (pardon the pun) on Beneath My Heart.

By the way, Traci hosts an awesome link party each month with some great projects. Drop by and link up your best project!

Then I dropped by Infarrantly Creative and was thrilled to see that Kim of Sand and Sisal is now a contributor! What an awesome addition to an already fabulous blog. Kim’s first project? A sisal lampshade, of course! With a full tutorial.

Google Friend Connect is Retiring . . . NOT Google Reader!

I had totally planned on writing a different post today – one of those “what I did in February” posts. That is, until my blog reader started filling up with ‘alarming’ posts saying “Google Friend Connect” is leaving!!!

I clicked onto the first blog with that title (or something similar) and realized it was a Wordpress blog. Google Friend Connect (GFC) is being retired today from Wordpress blogs, not Blogger-hosted blogs. Although I’m removing my GFC box today too.

Ok, first, if you have a Wordpress blog, don’t panic. The only thing going away is the little ‘badge of honor’ thingie. Your followers are still there and can still read your blog on Google Reader.

But that raises an important question -

But what about NEW followers?

Does this mean new followers can’t follow you on Google Reader? No! All they need to do is Subscribe to your blog on Google Reader. No biggie.