The bloggers's support and blathering thread

[DillyTante]

I thought I would start off a new thread based on a comment by Queen Maeve on another thread, which I completely agree with. In the beginning, the bloggers' chat thread was just that, we chatted, shared links, tips and exchanged views on each others' blogs. Now it has become a bit 'post and run' sort of a one way street really.

While I think that has it's place, as I like to have somewhere to go to pick out new blog posts, I miss the chat and the community, so I am deeming this a chat/support/blather thread. Posts and running will only be tolerated in extremis from regular contributors. Otherwise we shall glare at you via our screens.

So, I'll kick off: how's your blogging going? I hit 101 posts today! That's since July. What sort of numbers are you averaging?

I was really inspired by Latte Lady's post here, and have decided I need to make my blog more instructive, rather than just bumbling around going "oh look, I made this, it's really easy, I bet you could do it too" and sticking a couple of instagrammed photos in. And I want to be more passionate and more interesting. I want to branch out a little, but I'm worried about putting off any followers I do have who follow me for my niche which is mainly crafting.

Blogging has also made me think a bit more seriously about writing. I have always enjoyed writing but never pursued it in anger. I did NaNoWriMo and loved it, but I think that blogging has shown me that if I am going to give writing ago, I don't think fiction is my thing. I'd like to write features. I currently have complete career envy of Perri Lewis. She craft blogs for the Guardian and writes on Mollie Makes and Psychologies. She get to write about craft and psychology, that is what I want to do!

[Flubba]

amelg I think you might have posted that on the wrong thread!

We love camping truly - off to Normandy in the summer. Sure five of us will fit snugly in our 4-man :o

Busy, busy, busy with getting things made for the craft fairs. I'm waking up thinking about what to make! Is it wrong that, just now on the way to pick up DD2 from nursery, I spied a pair of jeans that I thought would make lovely jeans-bucket-pots - (but they were being worn by somebody!) and then another fabric that would be great for my doorstops - (except it was the upholstery of a car ) :o :o

[mrsshortiesmind]

I keep forgetting to come on to this chat, seems like there are a few of you around quite a bit (trys to remember to make more of an effort!). I really do wonder how some people manage to get so many visits in a day, I'm happy if I get over 30!

One thing I did wonder though is whether to 'out' myself and if that would make a difference. At the moment I am sort of anonymous, in that I have no pictures of me or the kids on it (well only with the faces hidden), but starting to think about changing this.

My blog is quite personal as its about my PND alongside other things I feel like blogging, and it feels 'safe' at the moment.

Would be good to get other people's point of views on it. Please! :)

[Dillytante]

I think you have to think of the impact on your kids in years to come. And I don't know if you work or not but would you want a potential employee reading about your mental health challenges? I personally wouldn't want to real me out there, though I do share my blog with people in RL but that's different.

[staranise]

Well, I have nearly, finally finished my cushion cover so expect a crafty blog from me sometime soon! I forgot to take photos of it as I was doing it though so have broken the cardinal rule of craft posts...

I usually find that having ideas for posts is quite easy but writing them up properly and then taking relevant photos - I always like posts with photos - takes ages, hence I rarely post more than once or twice a week. I do try to write a couple up in advance however, to keep in store in case I'm too busy to write one from scratch.

Talking of which, I have children in the bath and needing to be put to bed so must rush, as usual...

[Dillytante]

I always find posting takes longer than I anticipate, even with mainly crafty stuff.

[dandelionkisss]

hi I am new to blogging I am really loving it, I am a textile designer but since having my second child have not found much time to get creative so am loving this new outlet. I have been blogging for about a month now and am getting between 50 and 90 hits a day I don't no if this is any good I am just loving that people seem to be finding my blog. I blog totally for my self and as a kind of diary for my kids hopefully one day to look back on.

dandelionsandkisses.blogspot.co.uk/

[Flubba]

I find you just have to get on and do it when you're in the mood. I blog primarily to keep track of what I've made and how I've made it - so when I've made something I'm proud of, or would like to repeat (and probably with improvements), I blog about it. If it starts to feel like a chore, I don't think it's worth it.

dandelion those are good stats for the start of a blog! Well done :)

[trulymyrtle]

once or twice a week sounds like enough work already! I find it takes ages to get posts put together - it is the photos and making it all look pretty that take time.

[mrsshortiesmind]

Thanks Dillytante, you are probably right, a few people in RL know about my blog and have read it, so might be best to keep it that way. Just sometimes I have great pictures of my kids and would love to share them somewhere, maybe a different blog?

[trulymyrtle]

Apparently I've been nominated for blog of the year and craft blog in the MAD blog competitions. I'd love some support! Feel free to nominate me too There's a link on my blog [http://trulymyrtle.blogspot.co.uk/ Truly Myrtle]]

[yummymummyreally]

MrsShortiesMind I decided to be semi-anonymous on my blog, and I also wonder whether it looses the personal touch, as I also don't tend to have pictures of the children on it (in fact I tried to go through and delete them off, once I realised people were actually reading it!)
I don't feel comfortable putting their pictures out there.

Also, my day job is fairly professional (accountant) and again, I don't want colleagues to know what I do in my spare time and quite how unorganised I really am!

But I have got quite used to it, and I think I try and overcompensate with varied content and plenty of interesting pics from free photo stockist Kozzi.

TrulyMyrtle Congratulations! I'm also nominated for Mad Blog of the Year! Can't believe it! I am so pleased. Similarly would love more than one nomination.... go to yummymummyreally.blogspot.co.uk and click the button on the right to nominate!

[trulymyrtle]

Congratulations Yummymummy!

It would help if I put a proper link wouldn't it!
Truly Myrtle

[QueenMaeve]

hello all! I took a bit of a break from blogging, mnetting, tweeting and all things internet based last week. it seems like a lifetime. Congratulations to all blog nominees for wards, there looks to be some great prizes, will be voting for the mnetter blogs not biased or anything!
I wish I had stayed totally anonymous, I feel very conscious people are reading now. Maybe I need to do another blog that I can really let go and rant on.

[QueenMaeve]

just noticing dilly you're a featured blogger!! whoo hoo!

In answer to the stats comments a few pages back I've just noticed they slipped right back because I haven't posted! But can do nothing about that as I can't be chained to the blog. It really can be time consuming to update tweets, facebook, pinterest, etc but it does promote your blog so I suppose it comes down to how seriously you want to take it and the time you have to spend.

[yummymummyreally]

Thanks trulymyrtle!

queenmuave It is really time-consuming, you are right! I have gone a little mad on Twitter recently, and probably need to calm it down to get a better balance!

[JoanneMallon]

I think a lot of people scale back blogging a bit when the weather's better and it's school holidays. I find having a competition running props up your stats quite a bit. Of course most of those people are simply entering the competition and leaving, but some do stick around to read more.

In other news, I have also been nominated in the Best Blog Writer category at the MADs. Really chuffed about that, although my audience is fairly compact and bijou so I'm not holding my breath about making it to the next stage. I've made my plea for nominations here.

[staranise]

I keep mine semi-anonymous in that I don't name the children and rarely photograph them face on (never for the the girls, I think one of DC3) might have snuck on. I also use a different name professionally as I have a rather serious straitlaced day job - some of my colleagues read my blog but I'd rather htat eg, a prospective employer couldn't. Saying that, I think I'm rather cautious about what I post about - careful not to criticise anyone/thing too overtly and never post anything remotely connected to the day job.

However, I'm sure anyone with a mind too could now easily work out all sorts of things about me and the family. I try not to make it too personal therefore - never blog about personal relationships etc. One side effect is that I no longer post on the boards on MN apart from here as I wouldn't want to reveal too much about me personally now that it's easier to work out who I am/which school my children may go to etc.

I think my blog would be more interesting if I did reveal more persoanl stuff but I would be way too self-concious about doing that plus it wouldn't be very fair on the children (cf. Julie Myerson!)

[Dillytante]

Thanks queenmaeve I was v chuffed!

I found my blog was a perfect opportunity to give me children the 'if only' names I didn't get to choose!

[mrsshortiesmind]

It's good to know I'm not the only one who blogs sort of annonomsly.

I know a few of you are craft bloggers and blog about things you have made, but what gives you ideas to do other blog post? I feel like I want to write sometimes, but can't think of a subject! What inspires you?

[trulymyrtle]

I'm a craft blogger - it gives me endless ideas for posts. I love photos and so it suits me very well but I rather fancy the idea of telling a story around the thing I've made and want to do more of that too. Life is fairly inspiring!

[trulymyrtle]

Can someone do me a favour? I've installed a new commenting widget - I saw it somewhere else and liked that you could highlight a post from your own blog when you left a comment. But, I'm not sure that it's working properly.
Would someone mind testing it for me? Leave a comment, make sure the commentluv box is checked and then (hopefully) select one of your posts that lists.... hopefully. It already appears that it has an issue with blogger id's. I might ditch it if this other thing doesn't work.
Thanks!

[trulymyrtle]

i've realised that I've forgotten to add a link, doh!
Never mind. I've got rid of it now - it looked awful in blogger. Getting a bit sick of all the blogger problems. Wish I'd gone with wordpress. Is it a massive fuss to change?

[cadburyseggsarebest]

Ive been thinking of changing, everyone says i should, but I'm so not good at the technichal stuff. Oh by the way its me in my easter name, queen maeve

[trulymyrtle]

I just read somewhere that wordpress is torture too! Might be better to stick to the devil I know?

[mrsshortiesmind]

I'm on Wordpress and so far (1 yr) I've not had any problems, but I'm sure some people will have, it's technology so things will never be perfect.

I've found my blog fairly quite this last few days, is it because of the school holidays?