Sunday, June 17, 2012

Week 5: Blog Hop News, Advice, and a Giveaway

Plum and June

Weekly calendar: (be sure to visit these blogs this week to meet these fun bloggers, learn more about them, and see their great tutorials prepared especially for the blog hop!)


Tuesday, June 19
    Jennifer from Sewlandia
    Nicole from Mama Love Quilts
Thursday, June 21
    Suzanne from SuzClaas
    Mina from Kindaquilty

Click here to find links to the awesome tutorials from the last four weeks and to see some fantastic events currently being hosted by blog hoppers.

Plum and June

1.   Nicole from bold goods put together an excellent tutorial explaining how to use powerpoint for your blog including a header, a button, and even business cards.  Check it out here.

2.  Alyssa at Pile O' Fabric is writing a series called Sewing and Quilting Events 101 - so far, she has posted about quilting bees and swaps.

3.  Last week, I encouraged everyone to join Twitter.  (Follow me here.)  Some of you have been tweeting for years, some joined last week, some were confused by Twitter, and some of you said you were scared of it!  If you haven't already, consider trying it out for your blog.

4.  This week is Let's Figure out Flickr week.  I'm new to Flickr so I am going to open it up to you - let us know in the comments how you use Flickr or what questions you have about using it.  To get us started:
  • You can add me as a contact - find my Flickr here.
  • I created a few Flickr groups for you to join.  
    • Plum and June Inspired Projects - this group is open to anyone to post any projects you make inspired by my projects.
    • Projects Inspired by The Let's Get Acquainted! Tutorials - this group is also open to anyone to post projects you've made inspired by any of the projects from the blog hop.
    • Let's Get Acquainted! Blog Hop - this group is for bloggers participating in the blog hop and those actively following along to post photos highlighting your projects.  I also started a introduce yourself discussion so we can, you know, get acquainted.  When you have a chance, please do so and post a few photos of your work.

Plum and June

This week's advice post is by Megan from Canoe Ridge Creations.  Megan has an absolutely beautiful blog filled with wonderful inspiration and fantastic tutorials.  She also hosts a weekly link up on Mondays for modern sewing creations (I'm a regular.)  Some of you may also know Canoe Ridge Creations as she held the Festival of Half Square Triangles earlier this year (which was um, very, um,  exciting for me as my HST doll quilt was in the, um, Top 10 as was a gorgeous quilt by blog hopper Jess from The Elven Garden.)  

     



This week's giveaway is a custom bundle from the wonderful Fabricworm - this is a fat quarter bundle of Rally Champ.  Fabricworm has a fantastic selection including japanese imports and organic fabrics.  And until June 21st, Fabricworm has a great deal - 15% off any custom bundle - either yardage or fat quarters.  


To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post.  Leave any comment you want to enter but  want something to write about?  -  what about Flickr - do you use it?  how?  suggestions?  advice?  One comment per person for an entry (replies to other comments don't count so reply all you want!)  The giveaway will be open until Friday, June 22th at 8pm EDT and a winner will be chosen at random.  And, PLEASE, leave an email address unless you are sure that you are not a no-reply blogger.  The winner will be announced in the Week 6 Blog Hop News on Monday, June 25th.  


The winner of last week's giveaway from The Intrepid Thread is Ginny!  


       
Plum and June


Anyone participating in or following along with the blog hop can add a link.  Please either post the button or a text link somewhere in your post or on your blog and please visit (at the very least) the person who links up right before you and leave a comment!



76 comments:

  1. This whole series/blog hop/ advice thing has been so incredibly helpful! I have no Flickr advice, as I'm a total Flickr newb too. Thanks for the awesome giveaway!

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  2. Sometimes I am really good about flikr. I love seeing all the inspiration and sharing. I also really enjoy the bees. however, i am taking a break as I am too overwhelmed with projects right now. I need to get some of my projects done before I can start sharing projects with others :)

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  3. I dabble in Flickr and Twitter. I don't know how to check blogs through FB. I am loving these posts!

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  4. I have a Flickr account but never seem to have enough hours in the day to post pictures!

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  5. Love flickr! I use it to keep track of progress on projects and to find swaps and bees! I just started using Twitter last week. I'm not sure I'll be able to sustain it after the summer. It seems kind of intense.

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  6. I use Flickr but I'm still getting the hang of it! I do love looking the groups on there for inspiration though. :)

    Thanks for hosting a fab giveaway!

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  7. I'm a Flickr member, but I rarely post photos. Mostly, I use it as a way to search for sewing and quilting inspiration. Thanks for the chance to win!

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  8. Love flickr - I have done over a dozen bees from flickr groups and they are fun!

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  9. I love Flickr! I am in 3 bees through flickr and I find it a great place to post work in progress pics and to get suggestions from my flickr friends! Thanks for starting the new group, I joined :)

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  10. I love Flickr :) its a great place to meet new friends by joining the group. And many activities like QAL, swaps and etc can be found on Flickr too...

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  11. Great post, loving this series and appreciate all the HARD work you put into it. I LOVE flickr, it's my favorite social media site.

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  12. This is great! I just checked out the tutorial on using powerpoint! So useful. I just opened up a flickr account because I notice everyone in quilt blog land seems to use it. I already love it :)

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  13. I'm a huge fan of Flickr. It's a great way to keep all my photos of my work in one place where they can be used in mosaics or linked up with other Flickr groups that I want to participate in. More than anything, it's given me a chance to participate in both fabric and project swaps, which almost always require you to be a part of a Flickr group so you can post and comment with the group. I highly recommend that you get on Flickr if you haven't already!

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  14. I love Flickr, although I am still relatively new on it. I joined a ton of groups and love it for the inspiration. I need to definitely check out that PowerPoint post!

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  15. I originally joined Flickr just to have all my photos in one place, but since starting my blog at the beginning of the year I have found even more uses for it. I have joined Bees and Swaps through Flickr and used it to keep up-to-date with QAL's and SAL's too, I can definitely recommend it!

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  16. Flickr Advise…Get an account!! Flickr is probably my favorite Social Media platform for quilt blogging. I am so inspired by others on flickr and its great getting feedback on your photos. Once you have an account…

    #1. Be organized. Flickr has lots of ways to organize your photos. One being sets. A set is basically a folder. So create sets for all your projects, events, etc. For example if I am working on a quilt. I will create a set just for that quilt project and whenever I add photos of my process making that quilt I make sure to tag them to that set. So try to stay organized.

    #2. Join Groups! There are a TON of awesome quilting and sewing groups you can Join. You can use the flickr search feature to find them. There is Modern Quilt Guild Group, most major bloggers have groups, Fresh Modern Quilts Group, Kona Cotton Groups, the list goes on. Join them. Then when you upload photos add them to the appropriate groups. This will help get your name and work out and you will meet tons of awesome people.

    #3. Once you join these groups don't just add you photos and leave. Take time daily, weekly, whenever you can to go through the groups recent photos and comment, give advice, help others out, and encourage!

    #4. Use Flickr photos for your blog posts. This is a new one to me, but has been very helpful. When you create a new blog post you should use all photos from your flickr. Which means yes, you should upload all the photos you would use in a post to your flickr account. If there are some photos you don't want seen in your flickr stream, but want to show in your blog, you can set the privacy setting to Private just for those photos, but still use them publicly in your blog. Rachel Hauser just gave a great tutorial on how to use your flickr photos in your posts and how to use aviary. Here

    #5. If you don't have a photo editing tool use Aviary! It is built into flickr and allows you to edit your photos, again see the link above for tips from Rachel Hauser.

    #6. If you did use a photo in a blog post link to it in the photo description with something like This is a zig-zag quilt I am working on for my sister Read More or Blogged.

    #7. Find Contacts. Search for contacts and add them, the more you have the more fun you will have. You will meet people and be inspired. You can add ass many as you want they may or may not add you back, but you can still see there photos and be inspired.

    #8. Have a lot of tutorials on your site? Create a flickr group for your blog readers to share what they made with your tutorials.

    #9. Having an event? Create a flickr group to host your event.

    I think that is it for now. I LOVE FLICKR. Again Beth thanks for all your hard work!!!!!

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  17. Oh wow - just read Pile o Fabric's Flickr advice #4 - great idea. I love Fickr and only started using it Jan/Feb of this year and am having fun with it. Great giveaway - thanks for hosting the Hop - it is brilliant!

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  18. Flickr is such a great addition to any blog and really makes it easy to connect with people in two places without a lot of extra work. I like to link my blog photos directly from Flickr to have another forum for sharing and connecting with folks and as a way to have greater control over the copying/downloading of my photos. Flickr is also a fantastic way to backup your pics and simultaneously have access to them anywhere you have an internet connection.

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  19. I'm still finding my way with Flickr but I have done a couple of swaps and joined the Siblings Together quilt group but like most things I need to be better about visiting regularly and commenting!

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  20. I've only ever really used Flickr as a means to store photos to use on Ravelry. I had no idea there were thriving discussion fora there too!

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  21. No advice from me as I don't do flickr or twitter!

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  22. DON'T start deleting photos once you near you Flickr limit/per account. If the photos were linked only the annoying "photo unavailable" message appears. (Open new account with another identity/email address.) As a blogger you can "give yourself" editing authority on your own blog - like there are 2 of you blogging!
    Likewise - if you upload a photo not needed delete sooner rather than later because you'll forget and reach limit faster than you think.

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  23. Thanks for the chance to enter the giveaway.

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  24. Flickr is good for sharing what you've created with people of similar interests. I regularly post my favourite crafts to the Craftzine group (they even featured one of my crafts on the blog!) and the I Made it Myself group. There are also groups for pretty much ANYTHING you can think of, from modern quilting, to drawing hearts, to fire hydrants and it's hard not to find something cool in each one of them.

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  25. I use Flickr, maybe not as much as I should, but I'm trying! Linking back to your blog definitely ups your views. Effective tagging is the key. Half of mine have no tags, :( yet.
    loritfrench@comcast.net

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  26. An additional Flickr tip for those who don't know much HTML. Instead of pasting your super long link directly into the photo description, try doing this:

    Blogged here


    You can easily add a hyperlink like this with this simple HTML command:

    Blogged < a href="http://BLOG-POST-LINK-HERE.html">here< /a>


    ***I added a space after each "<" symbol to display the code. Remove these two spaces to make it active***

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  27. Does Flickr integrate with other online photo programs? Like Picasa and Facebook?

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  28. I'm really enjoying the blog hop. I've recently gotten into Flickr & I love it - it's such a great way to share your projects, get feedback & generally be inspired. I think it's fantastic! Thanks for the giveaway.

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  29. Loving the blog hop and just signed up for Flickr today, so we'll see how that goes! Thanks for the giveaway.
    Amanda

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  30. My favorite social apps is probably twitter. I do use Flickr, but I haven't figured out how to really utilize it to it's fullest. Not a fan of facebook, but I wish I could get over that! :P Great post over at Canoe Ridge!

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  31. I'm very new to blogging, I've done about 10 posts!!, so this is a very helpful tour. Thank you!

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  32. My advise about Flickr is to use it to host the photos you use on your blog instead of just uploading them to Blogger. It does require a little bit of code knowledge, but only a TINY bit, since to use a Flickr photo on a blog you have to enter it as code (but Flickr provides you with the code). I like having my photos hosted on Flickr because it not only makes me use my Flickr account but it provides a more dynamic photo, since when you click on the photo in your blog it takes you to Flickr where someone can comment just on the photo or favorite it if they want.

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  33. I haven't started using flicker yet. With four kids, two blogs, all the blogs I follow, facebook, and pinterest to keep up with I hesitate to add yet one more thing but I can see the advantages. Decisions decisions! I'm excited about the giveaway though and I love looking at the link up!

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  34. i just started using flickr to post for my quilt guild- but i do not do it often! i do love to browse and get inspiration though- half of my "to make" list is from flickr links!

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  35. I love Flickr! I have been scared off Twitter by all the random nonsense posts I've seen. But perhaps I should give it another go?

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  36. I dabble in Flickr, and depending on the groups find it really useful, problem is the time it takes to post on FB, Twitter, Pinterest, G+, Flickr... doesn't leave enough sewing time :)

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  37. I just signed up for flickr...I'm not sure how to use it yet, so I look forward to reading all the comments for ideas.

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  38. I'm not on Flickr yet, but I love looking through the beautiful things on Flickr. I should get one soon.

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  39. Looking forward to seeing more about Flickr: I use it, but I'm sure there are tips and tricks that I'll be surprised by. :)

    knitspinquilt at yahoo dot com

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  40. Really liked the post on Power Point. I need to try that. I haven't used Flicker yet - I am using Picasa with my blog. So much to learn can run sewing machine and computer at the same time, sigh ...

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  41. hmm does anyone know what flickr does with all the pictures we upload? - Just something I'm wondering about ...
    I have been uploading pictures on flickr for years to sent them to people with small e-mail accounts or just do a folder for the christmas party make it private and then invite the family, so they can get what pictures they want, though I tend to take the pictures down after a year or so (am I paranoid/crazy/mad?)

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  42. I use Flickr for swaps., I think I have about 8 swaps I participate in on Flickr.

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  43. I really love flickr and saving favorites - now I just don't know what to start next. Thanks for the great advice!

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  44. We use Flickr at my work (library), and it has been a great way to highlight our collections. I'm just now getting into using Flickr for sewing, and I really like it.

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  45. I don't use flicker but would like to start.

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  46. I got started years ago using PhotoBucket, and so I don't think to upload to Flickr. Something else to work on.

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  47. I really like Flickr. I have joined some groups, and love all the great ideas and being able to share with others. Great giveaway! Thanks for the chance to win.

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  48. I use Flickr to show off extra pictures of things I have made. I use it to update items in process for swaps. I find it easier to upload to Flickr for posting pictures to my blog or other websites, as there's always an option to upload things from Flickr.
    Thanks for the great giveaway =D

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  49. I think Flickr is pretty easy to use and it gives us non-bloggers a way to do link-ups on others' blogs. Love the fabrics at fabricworm, especially the giveaway bundle -- so cute! Thanks for the chance to win!

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  50. I use flickr - the groups are great places for inspirations and flickr swaps are so much fun!

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  51. I've often looked at flickr but I haven't joined anything. Going to have to look into further now. Thanks for a chance.

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  52. I love Flickr! I use it to upload bigger pictures and sometimes views I didn't put in my blog. I will also share my photos in related groups. I want to start using Instagram, but I have a hard time keeping up with social media outside of my blog and Flickr! Great prize by the way, I always love their custom bundles!

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  53. Golly, I just started reading blogs, and that's been a lot for me. I signed up for Flickr, but that's as far as I've come. Baby steps.

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  54. I don't use Flikr yet...I guess I should get on that! :-)

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  55. I started using Flickr a couple of months ago when I started blogging. Mainly so I could have a record of my finished project photos all in one place. I have since learned other useful applications - it was great for the quilt along I recently did, we added our photos to the group so we could everyone's progress. I love looking at other's photos, too, and think it is a better way to share since it is so visual.

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  56. I use flicker only when its needed for a follow along I am involved in. I would rather blog and leave pictures there.

    http://richardquilts.blogspot.com

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  57. Love the advice posts. Need to use flicker more!

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  58. I just started blogging and I love this series. I do not have a flicker account, but seriously thinking about getting one. And this week I signed up to twitter and trying to get the hang of it.

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  59. Thanks so much for setting up this Get Acquainted Event. I am hoping to learn a LOT!!

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  60. I have a flickr account, but need to get better at using it. It sometimes seems like too much for me. I use Twitter, FB and Instagram regularly though.

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  61. I just started using Flickr. While I love how it is easy to see a lot of pictures at once, I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed with how many social media outlets there are. I'm afraid that I could spend all day dealing with those...both adding to them and seeing what other people are doing. At this point I'm thinking about sticking mainly with the blog and a bit with Flickr as needed. We'll see if this changes though. :)

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  62. I love flickr! I use it primarily for my quilting projects.

    My flickr advice would be to ....

    1. Get an account and upload your pics. If you have pics of projects you have completed in the past, I would definitely upload those. And whenever you finish a project, take pics and add them as well.

    2. Find people with similar interests and add them as contacts. You can add me if you like! (Sew Addicted to Fabric) The more contacts you have, the more connected you will feel.

    3. Find groups to join. I have joined mostly groups about quilting/sewing. There are several groups out there that are set up to run as a swap. Those are my favorite!!! I love joining swaps on flickr and I have meet so many amazing people during the process. Julie (happyvanillabean) and I have started a swap (Modern She Made Swap) and we are currently finishing the first round. It has been so much fun watching what all of our swappers have created! We will be starting round 2 eventually, so you should come and check us out! Some other awesome swaps that I love are: Pillow Talk Swap, Pretty Little Pouch Swap, For the Love of Solids Swap, Rapid and Tiny Zakka Swap, and the Doll Quilt Swap.

    4. You can also join Bee's but I haven't dove into that option yet, it is on my to-do list for the summer!

    I can't say enough about the advantages of flickr. If you have any questions feel free to ask! And be prepared to have tons of fun!

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  63. This is great! I use Flickr daily- great place to see a lot of inspiration and connect with other sewists.

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  64. I joined Flickr around the time I started my blog, so very recently. I love learning all the new ways to use it though. It's especially great for when I'm out of town and want to share photos on my blog, because I'm not tied to just using one computer then. It's also a great way to share photos for quilt alongs. I'm excited to try out Aviary and all the cool things it can do!

    beaniekins84 at gmail dot com

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  65. I don't really use Flickr as a media tool. I keep my photos private, but I might venture out one day. :) Thanks for the chance to win a bundle!! A great bundle! :)

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  66. Oh thanks for the mention Beth! I love Flickr mostly as a way to find inspiration and do some fun swaps and bees. The fresh modern quilts Flickr group is a wonderful source of inspiration.

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  67. I'm probably not the best for FLickr advise because I am sure I don't use it to the best of its abilities. I am finding all the suggestions here very interesting. Thanks for all this info as well as the giveaway.

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  68. I am fairly new to Flickr but I am really enjoying it as a way to begin to connect with other bloggers and sewists. I find that joining groups is a good way to connect.

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  69. I love Flikr and just wrote a whole blog post about how much inspiration it gives me.

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  70. How did I miss this?! Flickr is fun for me because I connect Instagram to it. So I am able to post pictures to Flickr on the go.

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  71. Oh am I too late for the giveaway...please no, I love what Fabric worm have in store.

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  72. I love flickr - discovered it many moons ago for photos as my brother is a photographer but now use it for the various crafty groups on there and sharing inspiration. Really enjoying the blog hop by the way!

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  73. So enjoyimg the Bloghop!
    Boppiesgirl@gmail.com

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  74. Thanks, Beth! I totally cannot figure out the *new* flickr so I mostly use the app on my phone (way more straightforward!)

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