Klout Business Tips

Klout is a website that gives you social media analytics and tells you how influential you are on the web. You enter the social networking websites you are involved in and it gives you a Klout score ranging from 1-100. The higher the score, the more influence you have.

I thought this site is interesting to see how much influence you have. My Klout score for my Etsy related websites is 13 right now. It's not that high, but it's interesting to see what my score is and what I can do to improve it.

Do you use Klout? Is so, what's your Klout score?

Roses are Red Box

I updated the photos for my Roses are Red Box in my shop:



Do you like to use boxes?

More May Photography Project Photos

Here are some more updates to my May photography project where I'm taking a photo every day in May.



The topic for this photo was multiple textures. I saw this thing of strawberries in my fridge and thought the texture of them was was interesting. I also liked the texture of this plate mat.



The topic for this photo was shadow. This was on my sidewalk.



The theme for this photo was high ISO.



The topic for this photo was book. I found this old recipe book in my basement that has handwritten recipes.

You can see all my photos here. I also made a set on my Flickr for misc 2012 photos. Have you taken any photos recently?

Personal Art Journaling Scans

I recently uploaded some scans from my art journal. I actually kept this journal last year, but just got around to editing the photos from it. The journal was a watercolor Moleskine so it has an interesting horizontal format.











You can see more of my art journaling on my Flickr. You can see journals I make in my shop. Do you like to journal?

Storing Greeting Cards

I love seeing how people organize things and finding new ways to creatively organize. This is how I store my Etsy greeting cards:



I use baskets that are a little bigger than the width of my greeting cards. I have the cards organized by different topics and another basket for envelopes. I also have a basic round basic to put some of my craft items like glue and tape.



The clear box in front has labels with my Etsy shop link that I put on the back of my greeting cards. I also keep my business cards in here.



These baskets are also good for displaying my cards at craft shows.

If you make/sell crafts, how do you organize your work?

May Photography Project Photos

I can't believe I'm more than half way through with my Like a Bird May photography project already. I'm taking a photo with a different theme every day in the month of May. Here's some of my recent photos:



The topic for this photo was to take at 4:10PM. I took this photo on my back porch. I like the lighting and shadows made by the chairs and table.



This theme was waterscape. Since I'm not near any body of water, I just did this in my bath.



This theme was to break the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is a guideline for composing interesting images. You can see my rule of thirds photo here.

Do you like to take photos?

Lace Inspiration

I love lace patterns. It would be fun to use a lace material as a cover for one of my journals or incorporate it in to my greeting cards. Here are some photos of lace used in clothes and makeup:

Do you like lace?

May Photography Project

I'm taking a photo every day in the month of May as a part of a photography project.



 The topic for this photo was breakfast. I eat cinnamon toast a lot and this was the photo I got.



 The theme for this photo was something metal. I liked the way this wheelbarrow looked in my backyard and I like that it matches the flowers in the background.



The theme for this photo was black and white. I just edited the saturation in Photoshop. It's fun to see how different photos can look in black and white.

You can see all photos from my May photo project here.

Updated Photos for Bingo Box

I updated the photos for this Bingo Box. I used my new camera which is better quality.



To see more photos I've updated on my Etsy, you can click here.

More Like a Bird Photos

Here are some new photos in the Like a Bird May photography project:



The theme for this photo was soft. I decided to take the prompt literally and took this photo of a blanket.



The topic for this photo was surroundings. I snapped this photo from my porch and I like how it came out.



The theme for this photo was square format. Square format is originally taken with square format film cameras. For a digital camera, you can just edit it in to a square shape like I did with this photo.



This topic was motion. I caught this bird lifting off the ground. I think it's funny too because this photography challenge came from a blog called Like a Bird.

Do you take photos on a daily basis?

Rainbow Treasury

My card was recently featured in this treasury:

The Lovely Colors of the Rainbow

The card featured was my Glittery Sweet Tooth Fabric Greeting Card:



Have you seen any interesting treasuries lately?

Recent Etsy Favorites

I love finding unique items on Etsy. Here are some of my recent Etsy favorites:

Large Dreamer Laptop Decal

I would love to have a decal like this for my laptop. You can also take it off easily if you want to change the decal.

Red and White Love Heart Coin Purse

The pattern of this coin purse is really cute and it's great for holding small items such as coins or earphones.

Hummingbird Recipe Cards

These cute recipe cards are perfect for organizing your favorite recipes. I love the hummingbird designs.

Libra Constellation Silver Necklace 

I love astrology and constellations so I thought these constellation silver necklaces from this shop were really cute. This one is for Libra.

Mini Twig Pencils

These twig pencils are unique and practical. I'd love to own a couple of these to draw with.

To see more inspiration from Etsy, you can look at my favorites tag. Have you seen any interesting craft items recently?

May Photography Project

These are some new photos from my May photo project.



The topic for this photo was hands. I originally took a photo of my hand doing half a heart. I had to hold the camera with my other hand so I didn't get the full heart. When I was editing the photo, I thought it'd be fun to do a photo inside a photo and put my other hand in it.



The prompt for this photo was guilty pleasure. My photo is of a melted chocolate bar.



This topic was dappled light. I love the way the light looks on the street when it's coming through the trees like this.

You can see all photos from this project here. Do you like to take photos?

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! I don't have any specific Mother's Day items in my shop, but a lot of items in my shop would be great to give out to mothers as a late Mother's Day gift. Here are a few:

Wavy Blue Checkered Doughnuts Card



Rounded Pink Cherry Tree Greeting Card



Red Floral Coptic Stitch Journal



Vintage Rose Greeting Card



How do you celebrate Mother's Day?

Like a Bird May Photo Project

Here's some more photos from my May photo project. I'm taking a photo of a different topic each day for the month of May.



The topic for this photo was Rule of Thirds. You can learn about the Rule of Thirds here.




The prompt for this was out of focus. I took this photo of a piece of art my sister made. I liked the bright colors and thought it would be fun to do it out of focus to make sort of an abstract photo.



The theme for this photo was "between here and there".

If you've taken any photos lately, share them in the comments!

Favorite Pinboards on Pinterest

Pinterest is a pinboard-styled social photo sharing website. I love looking at Pinterest for inspiration and ideas. Here are some of my favorite boards I've found on Pinterest:

SquealyTealy by Tracey Chan

This board has a collection of "teal, aqua, turquoise, mint and blue things". I love the idea of organizing things by color and teal/blue is one of my favorite colors.

Nail Art - Easter and Spring by SparklySharpFab

I love nail art inspiration and this user has a bunch of nail art boards sorted by different themes and occasions. The above nail art pinboard is about Easter and spring.

Stairways for the Most Part by Sam Pyror

Sam Pyror has a lot of really inspiring pinboards that mostly focus on travel, nature and architecture. This pinboard is about stairways.

Do you use Pinterest? You can follow my boards here. Feel free to recommend your favorite pinboards or users below.

New Oil Pastel Drawings

I've been experimenting with oil pastels in my sketchbook lately. Here's a couple of my recent drawings:

You can see more of my artwork on my DeviantArt and Flickr. Have you ever used oil pastels?

More May Photography Challenge Photos

Here's some more photos from my Like a Bird Photo Challenge. I'mt taking a photo every day in May. Each day has a different prompt of a photo to take.



The topic for this was hair. I took a photo once while I was curling my hair and I like how it turned out so I tried to recreate that.



The topic for this photo was your pick so I took a photo of my sister's dog who was over to visit.

You can see all my photos from this project here. Do you like to take photos?

Like a Bird May Photography project

I started doing a photography challenge for the month of May from the Like a Bird blog. I'm taking a photo every day in May with a different prompt for each day. You can see all my photos for the project here. Here are the topics for each day:


Sofar I've done the first two days (I've taken a few more photos, but haven't got around to uploading them yet):



The topic for this photo was minimalism.




This topic was vertical panorama which I've never thought of doing with my digital camera before. These are just some trees from my backyard.

I'll post new photos I take on here throughout the month. Have you ever done a photography project?

Makeup Inspiration: Lips

I found this creative look on Beautylish. It is lip makeup made to look like a watermelon. It is perfect as a costume or just for fun. 

There’s something undeniably powerful about a bold lip. It’s the kind of beauty statement that doesn’t whisper—it announces itself. The look featured in this inspiration post embraces exactly that energy: striking, intentional, and unapologetically expressive. 

Step 1: Prep Your Lips

The first step you want to do is prep your lips for the makeup look by starting with a smooth base.

• Exfoliate gently to remove dry skin.
• Apply a hydrating lip balm or Vaseline and let it absorb.
• Lightly blot off excess makeup on your lips before applying color.

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Step 2: Create the Base Color (Watermelon Flesh)

• Apply a bright pink or red lipstick all over your lips.
• Blend the edges slightly for a soft, juicy effect rather than a harsh line.

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Step 3: Add Depth (Juicy Gradient)

• Dab a deeper red lipstick toward the center of your lips.
• Blend it into the pink to create a natural gradient—this mimics the inside of a watermelon.

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Step 4: Define the “Rind”

• Using a fine brush or lip liner, apply a thin line of green along the outer edge of your lips (especially the bottom lip).
• Keep it subtle but visible—it should hint at the watermelon rind without overpowering the look.

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Step 5: Highlight the Inner Rind

• Add a very thin line of white or pale green just inside the darker green line.
• This detail makes the look more realistic and dimensional.

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Step 6: Add “Seeds”

• With a black liquid liner or a very fine brush, draw tiny teardrop or oval shapes across the lips.
• Keep them small and spaced out for a natural watermelon seed effect.

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Step 7: Gloss It Up

• Apply a clear lip gloss over the center (or all over) for that fresh, juicy finish.
• This step really brings the “watermelon” effect to life.

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Step 8: Clean Up

• Use concealer around the lips to sharpen the edges.
• Make sure the green outline looks intentional and crisp.

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Pro Tips:

• If you want a wearable version, skip the green and seeds—just do the pink-to-red gradient.
• For extra creativity, you can extend the look slightly beyond your natural lip line for an editorial feel.

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This watermelon lip look is bold, artistic, and guaranteed to stand out. It’s less about perfection and more about having fun with color—so don’t be afraid to experiment and make it your own!

Prom and Parties

With prom season coming up, here are some items in my shop inspired by celebration and parties:

Vintage Dancers Greeting Card



Circus Dots Photo Album



Glitter Gold Spiral Greeting Card




Are you celebrating anything soon?