Blog

Button Week day 1

13/06/2011

Ooops - sorry pressed the wrong button - just writing the post.

Welcome to BlogEngine.NET 2.5

11/06/2011

If you see this post it means that BlogEngine.NET 2.5 is running and the hard part of creating your own blog is done. There is only a few things left to do.

Write Permissions

To be able to log in to the blog and writing posts, you need to enable write permissions on the App_Data folder. If your blog is hosted at a hosting provider, you can either log into your account’s admin page or call the support. You need write permissions on the App_Data folder because all posts, comments, and blog attachments are saved as XML files and placed in the App_Data folder.

If you wish to use a database to to store your blog data, we still encourage you to enable this write access for an images you may wish to store for your blog posts. If you are interested in using Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, SQL CE, or other databases, please see the BlogEngine wiki to get started.

Security

When you've got write permissions to the App_Data folder, you need to change the username and password. Find the sign-in link located either at the bottom or top of the page depending on your current theme and click it. Now enter "admin" in both the username and password fields and click the button. You will now see an admin menu appear. It has a link to the "Users" admin page. From there you can change the username and password. Passwords are hashed by default so if you lose your password, please see the BlogEngine wiki for information on recovery.

Configuration and Profile

Now that you have your blog secured, take a look through the settings and give your new blog a title. BlogEngine.NET 2.5 is set up to take full advantage of of many semantic formats and technologies such as FOAF, SIOC and APML. It means that the content stored in your BlogEngine.NET installation will be fully portable and auto-discoverable. Be sure to fill in your author profile to take better advantage of this.

Themes, Widgets & Extensions

One last thing to consider is customizing the look of your blog. We have a few themes available right out of the box including two fully setup to use our new widget framework. The widget framework allows drop and drag placement on your side bar as well as editing and configuration right in the widget while you are logged in. Extensions allow you to extend and customize the behaivor of your blog. Be sure to check the BlogEngine.NET Gallery at dnbegallery.org as the go-to location for downloading widgets, themes and extensions.

On the web

You can find BlogEngine.NET on the official website. Here you'll find tutorials, documentation, tips and tricks and much more. The ongoing development of BlogEngine.NET can be followed at CodePlex where the daily builds will be published for anyone to download. Again, new themes, widgets and extensions can be downloaded at the BlogEngine.NET gallery.

Good luck and happy writing.

The BlogEngine.NET team

Friday FREEBIE - 23

10/06/2011

Wow our Christmas selection meeting was tough on Wednesday, although all the Christmas trimmings made it fun. Tony kept his bah humbug hat on throughout the meeting while clutching his calculator, which at one stage looked as if it was smoking!!! "Do we really need THAT MUCH?" Yes, yes, yes we all shouted.

That's it Christmas is all sealed and we now await delivery, and have we found some corkers for you. Every year I say this is our best Christmas Ribbon Collection EVER, but this year............................................Simply the Best.

I noticed a calm in the warehouse yeaterday, everyone seemed to be relaxed and almost relieved (well all apart from Tony), so now we can enjoy our......

.................wooopie! Sandcastles, ice creams, buzzy bees, flip flops, kiss me quick, sunglasses everything you will need on your summer holiday. All on ribbon of course! Almost 60 different designs in super summer colours.

I am being a little bit naughty, these ribbons are not due on the website until next week, but................well...............you are all so good to me..............I wanted you to see them first. I just love the sandcastle ribbon above, and it comes in another colour.

So who wants some Summer Holiday ribbon? Nobody? Oh goodie I can keep it all to myself.................no, thought not. Sixty summer ribbons for this weeks prize, think we will share, don't you? Three prizes with 20 ribbons each (I promise I will cut an extra sandcastle ribbon so you get one each).

Leave a comment and we will pick the winners from our "Bingo" bag on Monday.

To all our Button Challengers, I must apoligise that I have not shared your creations, I do feel really bad about it. They have all now been photgraphed and what a super aray of buttonness. What with illness, Christmas and lack of Mojo, I have got a little bit behind. But next week...............I am declaring it a "Button Week", no matter what. I just hope Mojo returns over the weekend so I can come up with a Button Hello wednesday project! Maybe it has been away on it's Summer Holiday or got scared away by all this Christmas talk!

Have an awesome weekend, enjoy the rain. If you are coming to the Isle of Wight Festival, DO NOT forget your umbrella!

If you are unable to leave a comment due to our spam filters, please email it to craftyribbons@gmail.com and we will add it for you. All the comments go into our "Bingo" bag and we draw a random number(s) on Monday.
Please check back to see if you have won, it is up to you to claim your prize - we do not contact you.

Friday stand in

06/06/2011

Thanks to everyone that sent me get well soon messages, I am feeling much better although I would not say I am back to normal- but as the girls said this morning "You will never be normal Ali!". Not too sure how to take that. Also thanks to my stand in, didn't he do well!

I have been busy this afternoon taking photos of the button challenge goodies, wow what stunning creations you have all sent back, they are truly scrumptious, more about those later.

But first it is the Friday FREEBIE winner, as Sydney is still on half term until tomorrow, she grabbed the "Bingo" bag first. Ummm sorry about the orange fingers, we had been painting. So who is the winner of our £20 voucher?

The winner is Number 3 = Dee
Hope you feel much better very soon Ali. I`d love to be entered in the Friday Freebie 22 for a voucher - sooo many lovely things to choose from!
Best Wishes
Dee W

Congratulations Dee, please email me at craftyribbons@gmail.com and I will send you all the details to start spending! Any ideas what you may choose Dee? Do tell, I am sure everyone would like to have a virtual look in your basket.

Back to the button challenge, I just have to show you this first (I will do a proper button showcase tomorrow) I think he is super.

Sorry it is such a quick posting, but I have a snowman waitiing for a decision.......

Friday FREEBIE - 22

03/06/2011

Hi all it's me Tony, OK I know you do not hear from me a lot, I am more of a back room boy!

Ali is a bit under the weather today, and did not even feel like sitting at her computer. She asked if I would set this weeks Friday FREEBIE. By the time she finished telling me what to do she could have written the posting herself, I could say "That's women for you" but as 99.9% of our blog is read by women I had better not!

Following Ali's instructions to the letter - as this is the first Friday of June it is Voucher Friday. Who would like to have a £20 voucher to spend on our goodies - ribbons, buttons or both.

For a chance to win, leave us a coment and the little ones will do their thing on Monday with the "Bingo" bag.

That's it, think I have remembered everything, not too many tellings off I hope.

Have a great weekend and I am sure Ali will be back with you next week.

Tony x

Hello wednesday - 1 today

01/06/2011

Don't you just LOVE wednesday's? Say hello to wednesday "hello wednesday" It's all downhill from now on to the weekend - yippee!!!

Hello wednesday is a year old this week - a different ribbon/button project or idea for every week of the year!! Wow how did I do that?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HELLO WEDNESDAY

Please join me with a stroll down memory lane the hello wednesday way!
It is amazing how much you forget, to jog your memory just click on the project title and it will take you back in time.

       Hello wednesday                                   for Dad                                             Dino Day

Poms Away!                                               Belt it in                                                Ribbon Jars

Scarlet Magic                                        party plates                                           just add ribbon

Ribbon Apron                                     Dotty Hearts                                           from the vine

with this ring                                            Lavender?                                         up, up and away

Hair spikes                                                     Spooky                                        Ribbon wands

Funky Christmas                                    Bowdabra                                              Bag for a heart

   Winnie witch                                       Recycle with Jumbo                                     Button necklace

Away from home                                            Ribbon clock                                         Paper heart

Valentine card                                          lots of ruffles                                    Seam Binding rose

  Cute as a....                                        Ribbon pansies                                    Button beauties

2 ribbons & card only                                Wear a bit of ribbon                              Necklace time

Button baby                                     Royal colours                                          LOVE

T shirt blooms                                         Tea towel aprons                                The Royal Cushion

Buttonflies                                         Ribbon carnations                                    Pirate school

Relax in style

We all hope you enjoy your Hello wednesday fix each week, it is amazing how versatile ribbon can be, from cards to jewellery, cushions to aprons, clothing to gifts - ribbon is SIMPLY AMAZING!

I have more hello wednesday projects and ideas planned. Some take me ten or fifteen minutes to think up, others take several weeks.

I always have something on the go, at the mo only 4!

p.s The eagle eyed of you will notice that there are only 49 photos - but remember in December we had the Advent Crafty Truck, which was also packed with ideas, tips and projects.

Friday FREEBIE - 21

27/05/2011

Will you be needing one of these today?

Is it going to rain or not? Just to be on the safe side why not take an umbrella with you......we have added 12 NEW fun Summery colours to our Umbrella range of grosgrain ribbons. With colours to match any of the summer events, Ascot - Hot Pink, Wimbledon - White Pastels, Isle of Wight Festival - Turquoise there is a colour for all. Go and have a dabble with a few umbrellas HERE.

Give you something to smile about, imagine - There I am laying flat out on my tummy in our carpark, just cleared the area of dead leaves, camera ready, set up my two little green wellies, added the first pink ribbon, then the turquoise about to place the white.....when......"What you doing Ali?" Thump as Mollie lies on the floor by my side "Mollie help" she grabs the pink ribbon, topples the wellies - "Mollie likes pink ribbon". She gets up and walks away, I might add still holding her new ribbon!!! The pains and troubles I have to go through to photograph ribbons!!!

Would anyone like some Umbrella Ribbon? We have two WANT IT ALL Collections for this weeks Friday FREEBIE prize - 16mtrs in each collection all 1mtr long. If you do then you know what to do - that's right leave us a comment and we will pick the two winners from our "Bingo" bag on Tuesday.

Have a great weekend, and we really hope you will not need those umbrellas this Bank holiday weekend!

If you are unable to leave a comment due to our spam filters, please email it to craftyribbons@gmail.com and we will add it for you. All the comments go into our "Bingo" bag and we draw a random number(s) on Tuesday.
Please check back to see if you have won, it is up to you to claim your prize - we do not contact you.

Spread the word....

26/05/2011

....we have three NEW Button Boxes....

Hearts Hearts Hearts - as the name suggests this box is full of nothing else but HEARTS!

Dolly Mixture - a box of shapes, circles, squares, hearts, stars and more!

Angel Delight - fluffy pink, smooth and silky!

Still great value at £4.50 each or any 3 boxes for £10 find them all HERE

Sadly we have LIMITED STOCK of Choc Chip and Strawberry & Cream Button Boxes. If you have had your eye on these two boxes, please do order them soon as we are unable to repeat them.

We have also added these to our range of buttons.....

As you can see the hearts are bevelled with a shank on the back, they are about 20mm square.

We think they are fab, and at 40p each rather a bargain! You can find them HERE

I was just writing this posting when a email arrived from Beryl, she said a little "thanks Ali" this morning! She needed some small buttons to finish off a card.

She found just what she was looking for in our Button Boxes! Perfect timing Beryl - thanks.
Super card Beryl, I do love the buttons in the flowers - just what the card needed!

As promised here are a few pics of the ring cushion Lucy made for her daughters wedding.

Lucy made this along the style of my Hello wednesday ring cushion (here) but with one large rose rather than 9 small ones.

Close up of the centre heart detail.

Look at the back, it is also beatutiful.

And your little fairy charm is wicked.

So pleased you enjoyed the wedding, your cushion is wonderful Lucy. Your daughter is very lucky to have such a talented mum. Thank you for sharing your creations with us, it brings such delight to us to see what our ribbons and buttons are turned into.

surprise party

25/05/2011

We arranged a surprise birthday party for Ali....

....we even had Buzz, a fairy and a princess arrive....

...a party with yummy cupcakes.....

...and birthday cake with candles!!....

...everyone helping Ali blowing out the candles.....

Hello wednesday - relax in style

25/05/2011

Don't you just LOVE wednesday's? Say hello to wednesday "hello wednesday" It's all downhill from now on to the weekend - yippee!!!

As soon as I saw Bev's NEW Ribbon Bag (here) I was itching to play with the ribbons. But what could I make?

Chatting away to Bev on Friday gave me a spark of an idea.....

She mentioned that she had been trying to relax on her lounger in the garden while watching Sam playing, but could not get comfy. She said she needed a sun lounger pillow. Oooh perfect I thought, I can do that.

So Saturday morning I had a play. I machined several strips of ribbon from Bev's New ribbon Bag onto some lime fabric. I put a backing on it, turned it through, and gave it a good iron. I decided it was too big for a lounger pillow, so turned it into an "Oxford" Pillow case by machining a distance away from the edge. I added a few hand sewn buttons from our Jelly Bean Button Box (here) to the corners and I had a perfect relaxing pillow for Bev.

The hardest part of this Hello wednesday project was trying to take the photos. I am sure it was a force 10 gale, the daisies were almost bent double and the pillow kept blowing away!!! I must have looked a right sight if any one had seen me, but thankfully all the other inhabitants of Blandford had decided it was far to windy to go walking in the daisy field!

Thank you all for all my Birthday comments and emails, I had a totally wonderful day - it was perfect.

I had guessed correctly on Monday, we were heading down to Cornwall to Watergate Bay.

Tony had booked a table at.......