DIY Matchbox Business Card Holder

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[pinit]
Make a Matchbook business card holder @savedbyloves[pinit]

In preparation for SNAP! 2013, my very first blogging conference, it was time to update my business cards.  I haven’t gotten new ones since before Pinterest, and lots has changed here at SBLC since then.  Of course with new cards comes the need for a spiffy business card holder.  It needed to protect the cards, but more importantly, it need to be handmade and super cute.

Craft blog business card design

So here are the new cards.  I used this QR code generator, which quickly and easily (and for free) created a downloadable graphic that I opened in Photoshop and added to my design.  I ordered the high gloss cards from Vistaprint.

Saved By Love Creations Business Cards

Here they are close up.

Sizzix Movers & Shapers L Die - Matchbook Set

To make them, I cut the matchbooks (using  Sizzix Movers & Shapers L Die – Matchbook Set) from grunge paper that I covered on both sides with scrapbook paper (adhered with Glossy Accents).

Mod Podge Satin

I coated the entire inside, outside and edges with Mod Podge satin finish to seal.  Let dry 3o minutes and applied 2nd coat, which I let dry overnight.

Make a Matchbook business card holder @savedbyloves

I punched a hole through the bottom flap and back cover on both sides for ribbon placement.

Make a Matchbook business card holder @savedbyloves

I put the ribbon through the holes and wrapped around the bottom flap and back, tying a knot on the left side (which is hidden under the flower).  I glued the flower in place with Fabri-Tac (it is like hot glue in a bottle, but not hot).

The cards slide under the bottom flap, and the top flap slides over the cards and under the bottom flap.

Make a Matchbook business card holder @savedbyloves

For the text, I stamped onto a tag with archival black ink, using my rolling alphabet stamp.  I inked the edges of the tag with broken china and  antique linen distress ink pads using the ink blending tool.

PRODUCTS USED:


Crafty Blogger Frustrated With HTML

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I share this with you to explain why things look differently here at Saved By Love Creations, to bring you a jackpot resource I encountered, and to let you talented html gurus out there know that I would love to trade services with you. Seriously. Go to my Artfire store. Will craft for code. Just sayin’.

It turns out I am clueless somewhat lacking in the area of html. I know exactly what I want my site to look like, and am having a heck of a time describing it to the template editor. It just doesn’t get me, you know?? Being the DIYer that I am, I have been resistant to hire my site’s design, but after yesterday’s futile coding session… oh, who am I kidding? It has become a thing. I must succeed (unless my the above offer gets some bites, that is).


I have been on an internet scavenger hunt through all of this. I must share with you this impressive resource I have found; Daily Blogging Tips. When I started blogging a year ago, I really didn’t have goals in terms of income, subscribers, traffic and the like. I was a frequent flyer on several inspiring DIY crafty sites, and decided it would be cool to contribute to the idea sharing. In no way was I aware of the monetization opportunities available to anyone willing to put in some time and effort. While I don’t have capital to invest at the moment, I do have the commodity of time, a raging craft addiction, and a love for graphic design (coding, not so much).
After investing several years of my life and energy on a path to a career I never wanted (a story for another post), I am still finding my way. In the meantime, I may as well step things up a bit. Daily Blogging tips (DBT) details exactly how to do so. Here, Daniel shares the lessons he has learned since he started blogging and developing websites in 2005. He is generous with what he knows, and presents the information in very practical terms for bloggers of any level to benefit. Today, DBT is among Technorati’s 500 top blogs in the world. I am not surprised in the least.

While this was a nice respite from the whole blogger template fiasco that started this post, it is back to the ring for another round. In case you missed it, I am very much open to swapping skills.


A Few Clayless days… A Blogger’s Fresh Start…

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Not sure what spawned it, but I have delved back into the land of HTML code for the past couple of days. I would like to monetize my blog by doing product reviews and giveaways, and I will only take that dive when I have figured out how to get the exact site design I want (without paying hundreds of dollars to some very talented designer to do it for me :). Gotta be a good steward of the finances I am blessed with, and my situation just doesn’t have room for that kind of expense.

I will figure this out, oh yes. What do you think of my new header design I plan to implement? Seriously. Click it for a bigger view. I have been looking at it so long that it appears to be melting at this point. Feedback appreciated. I will be back to clay soon! Blessings…

Create Signature in Photoshop, Then Add it to the End of Your Blogger Posts…

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See mine? It follows every post – not just the ones published subsequent to the addition of the code.

Ok, first make your signature. I did mine in photoshop. Here is how…

1. Open a new file. I made mine 220px by 96px (trial and error – it fits best after my posts). Make sure you choose “transparent” in the background contents tab as below.
2. Choose the Text tool (keyboard short cut T) and pick your favorite font. I used “Hannah’s Messy Handwriting”, which I downloaded here at dafont.com. Pick your font color and size, and type your name…
3. I added a heart using a heart brush that I made (that is for a later tutorial)…
Choose the brush tool (keyboard shortcut ‘b’), pick a foreground color and brush that you like and paint design of your choice…
4. Save file and upload to image hosting website (I use Photobucket)…
Save File as .png, so that transparency will be maintained and the signature file will not come with a background that may vary from your post background color.
Now put code for your image into your Blogger HTML template…
Go to your blogger dashboard and click ‘layout’, then ‘edit HTML’, then
check the expand widget box as follows…
Find the line:

Then place this code immediately following it:
Replace “IMAGE URL” with the direct link address for your signature file, which you got when you uploaded to your image hosting site.

6. Click “preview” to see how it looks on your blog, then save template. You are done, you HTML master!


Blogger Code Tweaking; the Sites That Helped Me Survive…

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For the past 48 hours, I have been swimming in html code, attempting to make my blog look just like I want it to look.

I have a medical degree – html is not something I know… even a little.
Could I have paid someone to do this for me and saved myself a lot of time? Yes. However, I do not regret my efforts. Although my page is not exactly where I want it, I learned much about coding, and about myself. Turns out I love playing with code. Putting that with my love for graphic design… web designer in the making? We’ll see. I never pictured myself in this area at all. Anything is possible.
Here, I would like to share the links that helped me the most in my changing code adventures…
  1. Get a 3 Column Blog: I originally had the blogger minima template. I wanted to go to three columns, which I learned via this tutorial at Three Column Blogger. It was very helpful, although I had to make my outer wrapper width smaller than its suggested 940px in order for my page to load correctly in my safari browser. I found it is wise to stay at 780px or less. Then I had to decrease my main wrapper, sidebar wrapper and new sidebar wrapper widths to fit within the 780px. I found a wonderful diagram explaining margin, padding, wrapper width and how to put them all together here at Blog Buster.
  2. Adding a Horizontal Nav Bar: As you see, there is now a horizontal nav bar under my page header pic. This web tutorial is the best I have ever seen, and really is why I am writing this post. Nicole at The Pixel Boutique did a superb job, and has my full attention.
  3. Adding background image: At Tips For New Bloggers, I found a great tut on this fairly simple tutorial (click here). There are many helpful tutorials on jazzing up your blog on this site.

I also found a site with a list of top blogger resources here at Blogger Plugins. I plan to make the background for my sidebars a different color than for my main post area. I am also considering placing both sidebars on the right and main post on left. Undecided. There are some widgets I plan to add, like blogs i heart, and so forth. I am trying to figure out how to put all of my favorite links in one spot accessible by a link in my new horizontal nav bar (which may just have a new background color next time you see it).

Ok, my husband is giving me that look. You know the one. The -are you seriously still on the computer… really- look!”
So grateful for all of the awesome tutorials I found out there. Much love!!
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