If you're missing seeing my posts

Google has done some changing.  Earlier this week I noticed that I'd lost around 50 followers of my blog.  It made me wonder if people were just cleaning up their list of blogs they follow or if followers were no longer interested in my posts.

I asked a question in a Facebook group to other bloggers to see if they'd noticed a change in followers and this was posted:

An update on Google Friend Connect
December 21, 2015
 
In 2011, we announced the retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites. We made an exception for Blogger to give readers an easy way to follow blogs using a variety of accounts. Yet over time, we’ve seen that most people sign into Friend Connect with a Google Account. So, in an effort to streamline, in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes that will eventually require readers to have a Google Account to sign into Friend Connect and follow blogs.
As part of this plan, starting the week of January 11, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other OpenId providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count.
We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.
We know how important followers are to all bloggers, but we believe this change will improve the experience for both you and your readers.
Posted by Michael Goddard, Software Engineer

Reading this did make me feel a little better.  I was concerned that my not posting every day had caused followers to lose interest.

This time of the year I'm working as an income tax preparer for a tax franchise office.  We work long hours and sometimes seven days a week.  By the time I make it home, I pretty much just have dinner and call it a night.  Once tax season is over I'll get back into the swing of things and start making more cards to post.

I certainly hope the decrease in the number of followers of this blog is just the result of Google's changes! 

Girl's Silhouette Card

Using Silhouette software I printed the free clip art image of the girl and cut the ovals.

I eliminated the balloon she was holding in the original image using photo editing software and replaced it with an embossed heart.

The sentiment was printed on my computer.

Scallop Trim Border Punch Card

Stampin' Up scallop trim border punch and heart punch were used.  I punched with the border punch first then measured up 3/4" from the punched edge and drew a fine line with a pencil to use as a guide to punch the hearts.

The sentiment was printed on my computer.

"Paws-ing" Valentine

The image is Great Impressions stamp Friends Forever.  It was colored with Promarkers.

The sentiment was printed on my computer using Xiomara font.

The small red hearts on in the inside were done with a Martha Stewart punch.

Sweet Friend Valentine Card -- 30 Minute Card

It was super easy to cut the hearts using Make The Cut and my Cameo.

The top layer was embossed using a Divine Swirls folder.  The sentiment was computer printed and attached with a matching pink brad.

The embossed layer was adhered onto the pink printed cardstock and pop dotted off the card base.

"Hanging Heart" Valentine

Using Hallmark Card Studio, I printed the sentiment onto white cardstock in each of four sections.  This gave me four card fronts.  Then I placed the cardstock onto the cutting mat for my Cameo and cut the heart opening.

Once the hearts were cut out, I used a guillotine cutter and cut it into four pieces 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" to make four fronts and trimmed 1/4" off two edges.  That allows the red card base to show.

A Divine Swirls folder was used to emboss each of the four fronts.  Then I added a small piece of baker's twine and a pre-made bow.

A smaller heart was cut then pop dotted for dimension.  I coated the small heart with Crystal Stickles.

This idea came from a Stampin' Up demonstrator's blog.

Blue Gingham Valentine

The swirl is a clip art imagae.  I used a Martha Stewart punch for the small hearts and cut the blue heart on my Cameo.   The white heart was done with a Stampin' Up punch and stamp.  It's pop dotted onto the blue scalloped heart for dimension.

30 Minute Card - Three Punched Hearts

Super quick.  Just cut three strips of cardstock 1 3/4" wide by the desired length.  Use Stampin' Up heart punch on the bottom edge.  Then leave a small space between the punched strip and the heart shape.

I embossed the bottom half of the card front with the Divine Swirl folder, added a pre-made bow and two red gems and it was complete. 

You could use this for Valentine's Day, a wedding card, or just an I love you card.

Butterfly Valentine Cards

This was inspired by a birthday card by Wanda Pettijohn that I saw online.

I made two versions to see if the butterfly would look better and stand out more if I used red cardstock.  I also tried different sized butterflies before deciding that a 2 1/2 inch tall version of the Silhouette file #19799 looked best.

Both versions turned out nice and I'm pleased with them both.

Pink and Blue Valentine

The past few days have been spent making Valentine cards for the local nursing homes.  Each one has included traditional colors.  Today I decided to go the non-traditional route and I made a pink and blue Valentine.

Swirl And Hearts Card - 30 Minute Card

Just a clip art image found online, a computer printed sentiment and some punched hearts-- definitely a 30 Minute Card!

Mickey and Minnie Silhouette Card

The Mickey and Minnie silhouettes are from a Cricut cartridge.

The hearts are Stampin' Up images from their discontinued software program.

The lower border is a Martha Stewart punch.

This card was inspired by one seen online.

Elephant and Hearts Valentine

The elephant image is a free coloring page found online.

It was resized and printed using Hallmark Card Studio software and colored with Promarkers.

The sentiment is a stamp I've had for some time.

Print and Cut Mickey Valentine

The Mickey image and large heart are print and cut images done with my Cameo.  The smaller hearts were done with a Stampin' Up punch.  I rounded the corners of the card.

Chevron Valentine Card

Some time ago I found some boxed cards on clearance at Hobby Lobby so I  used one for the base of this card.

The sentiment was printed on my computer, trimmed down and a corner shaper used on the lower corners.

I added just a single strip of ribbon trim and some hearts I cut out with my Cameo.  Two of the hearts were embossed with a Swiss Dots folder and I added some white pen stitching to the third.

Stacked Hearts Valentine Card

Colleen Fennessey created a gift card holder that was the inspiration for this card.

The edge is a We R Memory Keeper punch and my Cameo was used to cut the red printed heart.

The sentiment was printed on my computer and punched with a Stampin' Up heart punch.

Six Hearts Valentine Card

The hearts were cut on my Cameo.  Four were embossed using my Cuttlebug.  The white hearts are pop dotted for dimension.

The sentiment was printed on my computer and cut out by hand.

Filigree Hearts Card

Using Make The Cut software, I welded some swirls inside the heart shape and resized them to fit an A2 card.

The smaller hearts were done with a Stampin' Up punch and pop dotted for dimension.

I embossed the red strip with a Divine Swirls folder.

Paper Bow Card

The bow and heart were cut with my Cameo.  The swirl is a Sizzix #10 die cut.  The background was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder.

The heart is pop dotted for dimension and the edges of the bow and ribbon were inked with Chestnut Roan ink.

It was inspired by a card seen online.

Red Butterfly Valentine

Inspired by a card seen online, it's a quick, easy to assemble card.  I cut the images using my Cameo and embossed them. Punches could be used for the hearts and butterfly to speed the process up even more.

White On White Valentine

The heart is a digital image of a Stampin' Up punch that was resized and cut using Make The Cut. 

I added a shadow layer and pop dotted the heart for dimension and added some pearls to take up some of the open area behind.

Bird Builder Valentine Card

While scrolling through card ideas online, I saw one done with a monochromatic image using Stampin' Up's Bird Builder punch.

I punched the branch twice and attached just the lower leaves onto the stem to give it some fullness.

The heart in the bird's beak is a Martha Stewart punch.

I used Make The cut to do the hearts and their white shadow.

The background was embossed with a Cuttlebug.folder.

30 Minute Birthday Cards

 A simple clip art image colored with Promarkers and some punched shapes will make quite a few cute, simple birthday cards in no time at all.

These were inspired by a stamp set seen in a catalog.

I used hemp cord rather than ribbon for the bows.

"Bee" Happy Card

Once again the bee images are clip art that were done with print and cut on my Cameo.

The card was laid out and the elements were cut using  MTC. 

A Stampin' Up marker was used to add the antennae and the flight trail behind the bee..

The corners of the card were rounded with a Corner Chomper from We R Memory Keepers.

Happy "Bee" Day Card

I spent the last two and a half hours making four of these cards!  It was inspired by one seen online that was made using a die for the honeycomb cut outs and a stamp set neither of which I own.

Finding a suitable bee image online to do a print and cut with was pretty simple.  Getting it edited, resized and cut took a few tries using Silhouette software.

The antennae and the flight lines were done with a Stampin' Up marker.  I printed the sentiment using Hallmark Card software.

"Tea Time" Die Card

The cups were cut with a Tim Holtz die called "Tea Time".  It's one purchased a few weeks ago and I just now got around to trying it out. 

Chestnut Roan ink was used to shade the edges.