Make It Myself Monday: Yum Yum AND McLinky!

The last several weeks I have had a personal goal to begin to exercise and eat better for my health and weight loss.  See my Making Over Me blog highlighting that journey.  Part of the journey includes taking steps to eat "clean"...basically to eat as naturally as possible.

Sooo...all of my focus the last couple weeks have been on learning to eat healthy and creating new recipes for my family that are all natural!  So no handmade products got made by me this week.  My kids are still waiting for their Snuggies!  :)  But, if you are interested, you can see some of the great healthy food I Made Myself by clicking on the links:

1 - Homemade Bread

2 - Cheesy Turkey Burgers & Cauliflower Smash

3 - Made Over Chickie Nugs (aka Chicken Nuggets)

But today it is all about YOU!  Your chance to link up so that readers can discover YOUR blog and the things that you made yourself!  Be the first (or 5rh or 10th) to add yourself and your post to the McLinky below.

Here are the requirements to add your link to Make It Myself Monday:

1 - Make sure your post focuses on something  you created yourself.  This post can be a tutorial on how to make something, but it does not have to be a tutorial.  A post about what was created is just fine too.  

2 - The post does not have to be written on the same day as the MckLinky, nor does it have to have be written on a Monday at all.  It can even come from your archives!  Just make sure that your link goes directly to the post, not just to your blog main page.

3 - If you link up, please grab the "Make It Myself Monday" blog button (upper left sidebar) and either post it in your sidebar or include it in a post that links your readers to Gonna Want This-Handmade.

Can't wait to see your creations!!!

Giveaway: Love Pendant from Eclectic Wendy Designs

Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls is hosting a giveaway from Etsy artisan Eclectic Wendy Designs.  This very cool "I Carry Your Heart" pendant has a retail value of $52 and would be a great gift for any woman who loves someone (that narrows it down, right?)...

Eclectic Wendy Designs has been selling all sorts of eclectic jewelry on Etsy since September of '08 and has a HUGE selection of all sorts of creative jewelry options.  Here are some of my faves...

 

Click HERE to enter the giveaway.  Giveaway closes on January 31st at 9:00 PM (EST).  Good Luck!

Make It Myself Monday: Blog Button Fancy

Since I've become a more regular blogger, I've been learning many things...but the learning curve is HUGE!  It's like drinking from a fire hose, with all the info that is out there for learning HTML, blog design, etc.

My major goal today was to figure out how to make a blog button AND to be able to get that button onto my blog with an HTML code box in order to allow other readers (such as yourself!) to capture the code and display the blog button on YOUR site!  (it is in the upper left sidebar by the way...go on, grab it for your blog...leave a comment and let me know you did!).

It took me about 3 hours to get this figured out.  I had to download a program for my Mac (another HUGE learning curve to figure out...thus the fairly simple blog button design for this first one).  It is called Gimp and from what I read on reviews, it is very similar to Photoshop.  It was a free download and I believe there are formats for PC's too.  Check it out HERE.

Here are my Step by Steps for how I created my new little blog button for Make It Myself Mondays:

1.  Found a program to work for creating and adjusting images.  My Macbook did not have any such program built in, so after some research I downloaded Gimp.

2.  I created a 125x125 square in Gimp.  From there I found a free image I liked on Stock.Xchnge and copied it to my desktop.

3.  Then I pasted the image into the 125x125 square I had opened in Gimp.

4.  Next I put a new layer on top of the image background on my 125x125 square.  I then made the background on that new layer white, selected font (Chalkboard) and size/color of font and added the main text ("Make It Myself Monday").

5.  Next came a third layer, which I situated below the first.  I made the background white and selected the size, color and font (Baskerville Italic) for the text and added my blog address.  In retrospect I would not have done this because the text is so small you can't even read it.  

6.  I then saved the image as a JPG to my desktop.

7.  I then tried a couple of image sharing sites to upload the image to, in order to find the one I liked best.  I settled on Photobucket, and uploaded the JPG image.  It worked very nicely for me.

8.  I then did some research to find a tutorial about how to add an HTML code box below the blog button so that readers could grab the button to use on their sites as well.  I found this post at Blogging with Success to be most helpful.  Following the directions, it worked like a charm!

9.  I then selected an HTML widget in my Blogger layout, and posted the proper HTML script and hit 'Save'.  Checking out my blog showed that the code worked!  I double checked it by copying and pasting the code into a blog post...and it worked!

10.  Finally I saved the Word document where I had created the HTML code for this button - for easy future reference.  Now I'm off to fine tune my skills and create some more buttons for my other blogs!

I created this blog button because starting NEXT MONDAY I will be kicking off a MckLinky on my Make it Myself Monday posts!!  That way other readers can link up their posts highlighting the things they have made themselves, tutorials and more!  What a great way to find a bunch of creative inspiration all in one place!

If YOU decide to participate in "Make It Myself Mondays", there are a few things to know...

1 - Come back on January 25th to link up your post HERE!

2 - Make sure your post focuses on something  you created yourself.  This post can be a tutorial on how to make something, but it does not have to be a tutorial.  A post about what was created is just fine too.  

3 - The post does not have to be written on the same day as the MckLinky, nor does it have to have be written on a Monday at all.  It can even come from your archives!  Just make sure that your link goes directly to the post, not just to your blog main page.

4 - If you link up, please grab the "Make It Myself Monday" blog button (upper left sidebar) and either post it in your sidebar or create a post that links your readers to Gonna Want This-Handmade.

I look forward learning about what YOU made YOURSELF!

**NOTE**

I am a total newbie to both HTML and the Gimp program.  This tutorial isn't intended to be a failsafe method for creating your own blog button and HTML code box.   However if you find it helpful, let me know!

Personalized Kids' Shirts GIVEAWAY!

Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls is hosting a giveaway by handmade artist Barbara from Sew Cute Creations.

The giveaway is for a personalized shirt from Sew Cute Creations and there are a lot to choose from!

CLICK HERE to enter the giveaway.  It is open until January 24th. 

Make It Myself Monday: Tutorials I Want To Try...

Getting back into the swing of 'real life' after the holidays and a death in the family was tougher than I thought...so no 'Making It Myself" happened this week (unless you count a few meals or some basic crafts done with the kiddos during homeschool (read more about our homeschool fun HERE)

SO I have instead compiled a link list of several tutorials that show the how-to on a number of crafty projects that I plan to "Make Myself" someday...perhaps in the near future.  Here they are in no particular order...


Make Your Own Journal

Make Your Own Terrarium (may try this one with the kids once it starts to warm up!)


Make a Duvet Cover

Knit Bunnies (of course I'm gonna have to learn how to knit first...)


Reusable Lunch Bag

Patchwork Skirt (incredibly cute...but the tutorial is so long and complex, it scares me!)


Doll Blanket (my little Sassafrass would LOVE a few of these!)

Snuggie for Kids (I got a commercial one for Christmas and now all my kids want one!)

Matching Snuggie for Barbie (OMG!  This is too hilarious!)


Summer Event Calendar (you may recall I used another tutorial from this site to make my Crayon Rolls)

I think those links will keep me busy for a while!

What are your "Make It Myself" dreams for 2010?  Leave a comment letting me know one project you hope to accomplish this year!!!

Win It Wednesday: All About Love

The local discount retailers near me actually started stocking a few shelves with Valentines items even before Christmas had arrived!  That is a tad early...but now that we are into early January, it is acceptable to begin thinking about the holiday of LOVE coming up in a month and a half!

So to honor the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday, this "Win It Wednesday" will focus on items that remind me of LOVE...here we go!

The Sunshine Studio is hosting a giveaway by Artful Goodies for one pendant of the winners choice...there are several love themed ones...perhaps a great accessory for Valentine's Day!  Ends THIS Sunday, 01/10!!

 
Bridal Gown Blog is hosting a giveway for a vintage-y handpainted "Love Is Sweet" sign made by The Back Porch Shoppe.  This giveaway also comes with 100 custom printed/stamped party favor bags...perfect for a candy bar at a wedding or other special event!  Ends January 16th.


I have a coffee lover in my house...so anything coffee related always makes a good gift - including Valentine's Day!  Here's a couple giveaways that could be paired to make a great coffee gift for yourself or someone you love!

Melissa over at Sew Sweet Stitches is hosting her very first giveaway, for a very cute coffee cozy...beats the cardboard ones you get from the coffee shop - and it is eco-friendly!  Ends January 17th.

If you enter for the coffee cozy, also enter at Only The Best of Etsy because they are hosting a giveaway from Java Scents for a set of three coffee scented sachets!  Pefect for a caffeine-free pick-you-up in the morning...just sniff and go!  Or keep it stored with items that you'd love to smell java good!  Ends January 11th.

Have you gone sugar-free as you start 2010 like I have?  If so, chocolates for V-day would not be very helpful!  But this felt cake (that looks delicious enough to eat!) from Urban Craft would be a perfect sweet treat that won't add any inches to the waist or pounds to the scale...YAY!  Ends January 25th.

Leave a comment and let me know if you entered any of the above giveaways OR if you are hosting a giveaway or know of a giveaway that I should check out!