Saturday, February 2, 2013

Saturday Afternoons #7 and SIDEBAR talk

A post dedicated to my love of October Afternoon, a manufacturing company with pretty crafty stuff!



using 5 & Dime


Saturday Afternoon Story Time:

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” 
― Benjamin Franklin



Now for those of you who like my chattiness, I am now going to talk about another thing I noticed about blogging. The SIDEBAR. The sidebar of a blogger will have some awards i.e. badges of honor, DT memberships, and some include their favorite designers. Do you notice them? I think they are an interesting phenomenon. I have been honored to be on a few and if you are one of those sweet folks who has my blog on your sideboard--thank you!

So I had been saying to the Paper Crafts Gallery Idol girls (we have a secret Facebook group page together...uh...guess it's not a secret anymore) that I have found myself on some people's sidebar and how honored I felt. Then, one day Joscelyne Cutches, Paper Crafts Gallery Idol Winner 2012, who has put me on her sidebar by the way (just name dropping, bear with me), asks lil' ol' me that she noticed I don't have anyone on my sidebar?

Uh...um...

My analytical brain went into action.

Why don't I sidebar?

I will put it in bullet form:

  • I am technologically challenged. I have no idea how to do that
  • I like a cleaner looking blog
  • I don't want to hurt any one's feeling
  • the sidebar would have about 30 names, I can't narrow them down!!
  • You got to be really confident to sidebar, you are saying, I like these people and that's it! no questions, no apologies, you are proud!!!

So, that's it. I can't sidebar. too much pressure. how about you?


21 comments:

  1. Oh Wida, what a fantastic topic! I'm beyond flattered when someone places my name/blog on their sidebar. Having said that, I don't have a favorite bloggers list because I have WAY too many favorite bloggers to reasonably list. I too don't want to risk hurting any one's feelings. :)

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  2. 1st-gorgeous card! Love OA!
    2nd-I love you
    3rd-I totally agree with not sidebar(ing?). I would feel like I leave people out or it would grow too long. I think there's a place for it though. Like for leading industry people like Tim Holtz or Jennifer McGuire, KWIM? I like the look of clean blogs (I wish mine were but I'm not a whiz with the computer so *sigh*) too and having strings of info and graphics and blinkie's can clog everything up
    4th-I love your blog :)

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  3. I have the blogs I love and follow in my sidebar, but I would have a page a mile long if I did everyone's badges nad blinkies, so I just do my blog roll. I have to say, your blog is nice and clean, and I've never really MISSED a sidebar on anyone's blog.

    ANd now, a question, if I may. I just got my sewing machine to work again, and I am curious what happens to the strings at the begining and end of your stitching, especially on a card like this one (I swoon, btw!)?

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  4. Hmmmm you pose an interesting point, Wida. Got me thinking whilst I have my cuppa & tuck into a yummy doughnut tonight!
    I guess I like to share where I get MY inspiration from with my readers, but I never looked at the flip side of that coin. The thought that I may hurt another fellow blogger's feelings has me feeling really guilty now!!! May be time to revisit my sidebar & even consider removing the links to others. I guess people can check out some of the blogs I follow through my blogger profile anyways...
    Hugs!
    x
    P.S I love your scrummy card! :)

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  5. I was so interested in your topic of conversation I totally forgot to comment on your card. Love the stitching!!! I haven't been brave enough to stitch on my cards yet.

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  6. Darling card! That cupcake is pretty and scrumptious at the same time!

    I do enjoying looking at people's sidebar. As for my own, it's been so long! I'm too lazy to update it, and you are right... If I do, it'll be REALLY long! ;)

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  7. FABULOUS STITCHES!..IF I had a blog..I would feel the same as you mile long list and still hurt feelings. Neat and clean..keep it simple:),

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  8. P.S. Isn't your Diagnosis Design feature your sidebar in a way?

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  9. When I saw the title of this post I thought you were going to announce you'd now added a sidebar Wida! It's interesting reading everyone's comments on this. My sidebar needs a little updating but I tend to save mine for 'industry giants' that I draw inspiration from. I'm slowly expanding on that concept though as my understanding and opinion of who is 'big' is changing. *wink* I don't think people in general will be too sensitive to either being or not being on someone else's sidebar so I'm not going to sweat it either way. :-)

    As for your card - gorgeous as always. I am so in love with the stitching here - I have tried stitching on cards but I just seem to screw up my sewing machine instead so I have nothing to show for it!

    BTW I can't believe you told about our secret group, lol!

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  10. Oh my I have so much to learn about blogger etiquette! Didn't even think about some of these things. Maybe someone can come up with some helpful tips to us new bloggers out there ;-)

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  11. So cute, the stitching is so fun! I love you even if you don't sidebar ;)

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  12. You never disappoint, girl! Sidebar, who would have thought to bring this up as a topic. You, of course. I am too much of a people-pleaser, so no sidebar for me. Plus my take on it is that a sidebar is perfect for industry leaders. They are probably asked all the time who they are inspired by, or where they get their inspiration. So, a side bar is their way of answering that question before people visiting their blog have to ask it. They can just look on the side bar. It's especially interesting when blogs on the side bar have nothing to do with card making. Just a pure source of inspiration.

    Love your wonky stitching!

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  13. your card is gorgeous.. I love how you did the stitching, it looks amazing. I am not a sidebar person either..

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  14. I love your chatter - it's the best :). For the record, I'm a non-sidebar girl, for the same reasons as you!

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  15. Gorgeous card and I so agree what you said..I don't have a blog but follow a lot of them...and those sidebar's(some are miles long...) if I would have a blog would be clean and simple too..just like yours!

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  16. Great card, the stitching adds just the right detail (I think anyways). I'm a no sidebar blogger and I think you just said why!!!

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  17. Love love love this card! That cupcake is adorable and it totally gives me the feeling of being in a nice bakery with the background paper. I guess I never really gave sidebars that much thought but you bring up some interesting things to ponder! ;)

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  18. I'm with you ... the side bar - way too much pressure... like whose in your fave 5 - remember that on Seinfeld? CRAZY! Now your card - I can totally get behind that! Lovin that cupcake with all that fab stitching! Swoon!

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  19. Adorable card! Love the stitching and the cupcake looks YUMMY! Secret Facebook Group for card makers - sounds like FUN :)

    No sidebar for me either. It's nice if people have them but like you I'd have too many favorites to list.

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  20. There she goes, getting all analytical again.... ;) My response - CAS. Blog headers don't get any CASer than mine so I try to keep the rest simple. I've noticed that the more stuff there is, the longer it takes to load and that isn't visitor-friendly either. If someone really wants to know who you like, they can see the blogs you follow on your Blogger profile. Happy weeekend!

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