Felicity at All Things Bright and Beautiful has put together a fabulous series of blogging tips for new bloggers, including many tips from various guest bloggers.

There’s some fantastic stuff there, but I’ve been astonished at how many tips include very complex HTML instructions for things like setting up tables, resizing pictures etc. etc.

I’ve got a slightly vested interest in the following, since, as you know, the Husband works for Microsoft (though in a completely different part of the business) but a year or so ago he introduced me to a small downloadable app called Windows Live Writer which has transformed my blogging experience.

Essentially, it’s gives you a WYSIWYG interface for blogging, much like Word in Microsoft Office.  So you can drag images and text round the page, line them up side by side, make them bigger and smaller, just with your mouse.  To insert a link, you just right-click on the link text and post in the URL.  It’s all easy peasy lemon squeezy and doesn’t require an ounce of HTML knowledge. (The only time I use HTML is to add polls and other widgets to my posts).

I use Windows Live Writer with Typepad but believe it’s compatible with Blogger and WordPress as well.  Don’t think it works for Macs though.  It’s also now just out of beta, and doesn’t have any glitches that I’ve come across. It’s also the most intuitive piece of software I’ve ever used (much better than the usual overcomplicated Microsoft offerings – and don’t tell the Husband I said that.)

Here’s what this post looked like in Live Writer, just before I hit ‘Publish’ . The toolbar is down the right hand side.

I just wanted to introduce you to the work of another hot new jewellery designer… me!

I took my first jewellery-making class – ‘Beginning Beaded Jewellery’ –  at Fusion Beads the other evening and this is what I came up with.

They took us through the basics of making the little chain link loops that join the beads together and then had us rushing about the store choosing beads and findings to make our earrings. Talk about a kid in a candy store – I felt like one of the designers on Project Runway rushing around Mood in a very stressed way, while trying to ‘design’ something on the fly.

In the end I chose a mixture of gold-filled findings, Swarovski crystals and pearls and black wooden beads for texture, though realise now that there are so many things to think about – such as weight and size –  other than just colour and sparkle.  These would be a lot nicer, for example, if the square clear crystals didn’t line up exactly with the bottom of the hoop.  You also really don’t want to look too closely at my loops – they aren’t very round or robust at all. 

They took me forever to make – we were shown how to thread a bracelet and add a crimp beads and a clasp at the ends, but I really didn’t have the time (in a three hour class!) to thread anything.

But I’m hooked, it really was the most tremendous fun, though I now have a huge new found respect for anyone who makes jewellery. I’ve bought a set of little tools and a mat and will try a couple of the ‘recipes’ on the Fusion Beads inspiration pages so I can practise my loops and crimping before doing ‘Beginning Wire Wrapping’ next month.  I have a feeling this is going to become a horribly expensive hobby.

I photographed the earrings on my new rug!  Just a sneaky peak before I show it to you next week.  It really is the most exquisite thing but I need to tidy up the bedroom before I do.  And yes, I do realise I’ve had about five months since actually ordering the rug to tidy up.