Sweet Fabric:
housekeeping

Hey folks if you've been over to this little patch lately you'll notice I've been doing a bit of housekeeping on the blog. Just hoping that you'll consider updating your sidebar & reader feeds to...

http://www.kootoyoo.com

Thanks so very much.

watch this space...

www.kootoyoo.com

I've got some fun stuff planned.

I use JS Kit comments on kootoyoo.

I know that a few people have problems with JS Kit & have had trouble with their service. Personally, I have had positive dealings with JS Kit support & am keen to continue with this system of commenting. Mainly because I think that the blogger comment system is less than ideal.

Why I like it...

-I like that I have the option/ability to respond to each comment.
-I like that if used to full advantage I can click directly to a commenters site.
-It's made me engage more with the folks that do leave comments on this site & afterall that's what it's all about eh?

I think that JS Kit is most beneficial if you actually sign up to it. It doesn't cost anything to register with JS Kit. They have a strict privacy policy & the site owner (me) doesn't actually have access to your email address...

-Then you have the option to receive my responses (or those of other commenters via email).
-You can add a number of sites where people can visit you. It actually lists the name of the site so that people know where they are heading.

There are other options for logging in to leave a comment which are all fine but you may not see the benefits that I describe above.

Anyway, I just thought that I would include a how to as it seems a few people are stumped &/or confused when it comes to commenting using JS Kit.

...

I've said something or shown something that you'd like to make a comment about...
Click "comment"
This box will pop up. If you want to comment as a guest (& you don't have a blog) that's fine...just try to remember to type your name in the guest box so I know your name.
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OR
you can sign in using one of the following in the drop down under the "From"
Here's where you would choose "Blogger" or "my other site" or "JS Kit" . If you choose "Blogger" or "my other site", you still need to type your name where it currently says "Guest". You can also choose to upload an avatar but you won't receive email responses.

To get the most out of your comment...
sign up to JS Kit (you only need to do this once)

If you do that your comment will look like this. I know it's Tania from Myrtle & Eunice before I even click. I recognise her icon (& I'm pretty glad she's stopped by). I can hover my mouse over Tania's name & I've got the option to visit her on her site if I like. You know I'm gunna because I'm loving what she's got to say & she's made it super easy for me. You should probably go & visit her too. She's good!

If you sign up to JS Kit you also have the option to change your avatar from your "comment box".

I hope this was helpful & I hope it might make commenting on kootoyoo a more valuable/fun experience.

Thanks for stopping by.

Just to let you know that I have reinstalled JS Kit comments on this blog.

I really like the chatty nature of the comment system.

How to make the most of JS Kit comments:
Sign up to JS Kit OR comment as a guest BUT be sure to leave your email address.

I have configured the reply system so that you should receive an email when someone (either me or another blog reader) replies to your original comment.

I quite understand that some people find email replies annoying and in this case you should choose not to provide your email when you leave a comment.

I honestly think that this system is the best that is on offer if you have a blogger blog.

If you are one of the few people who do not receive the reply emails despite including your email address, I apologise. BUT you will be able to find your replies in the comments of the original post.

I welcome your feedback on this system. If you've got something to share please do & sorry for the flip flopping.

I think I'm done with the housekeeping at kootoyoo for a while.

I've refreshed the side bar & you'll find that the regulars are there as well as a few people I'm shouting drinks for. The shout list will updated through the month. There are some really lovely links there already.

So...I was planning a move away from blogger but you know, I've worked pretty hard in this space for a while now & it seemed a bit like going back to square one. The main reason I was considering a shift was that was the flash commenty systems going on elsewhere.

I've been enjoying the friendly chat over on twitter & was hoping to get something like that going on.

I'm trialling JS-kit comments which seems to be pretty good.

However ... I did transfer my comments from blogger yesterday afternoon so anyone who left a comment last night or today - your comment had disappeared. They are still saved behind the scenes in blogger & if I dump JS they will magically reappear. I'm sorry girls.

Anyway, let's try it out for a few days & make a call after that.

Note: All those trial comments are live on this post. Feedback most welcome.

EDIT: Oh yikes...it seems as though all previous comments are not properly readable. Need tech support.

UPDATE: I think I'm going to keep on keeping on. I can always reload original template tomorrow morning.

I'm clean slating at kootoyoo.

I've made myself a new banner & am considering a move to Typepad. It seems like it's easier to keep everything under control over there? I'd appreciate your thoughts if you've experience in both blogger & typepad.

I've been feeling that things have gotten a little stale over here & am enjoying the friendly banter over at twitter. I want to make things a bit more friendly here too. We'll see how it goes...

This is the current blog roll. All well loved blogs I visit but I'm needing to shake things up around here.

• 13 mimosa
• 62 cherry
• assemblage
• aunty cookie
• bricolagelife
• craftapalooza
• curly pops
• dear fii
• design for mankind
• earl & cookie
• hop skip jump
• made by girl
• nikki shell
• nomad mother
• one red robin
• pia jane bijkerk
• potty mouth mama
• ric rac
• teddy bears wednesday
• thornberry
• whip up
• you SEW girl

• allsorts
• angry chicken
• boobook sausage dogs
• elsie marley
• kaotic kraft kuties
• loobylu
• maya*made
• meet me at mikes
• pigeon pair
• three buttons

Today I cleaned the website. I pitched a lot of stuff out & then I added shops for swizzle rings & music boxes.

I've still got a bit of "mr sheening" to do but all in all I'm quite happy.

Then I figured that this space probably needed a bit of a wash behind the ears too.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence isn't it? After I visited Nadine's beautiful space I knew I needed a little bit of what she was having. I enlisted the help of this tute & this one too & my blog has had a bit of tarting up.

gets a second chance.

He seems to be running along OK so if you didn't get to add your creative space link you could pop in to this post & fix it up. I'm out the door now but I'll try & make sure that the link list includes everyone this afternoon.

Cute apron from this girl

Badge making night was lots of fun.

Gemma helped everyone out with the rolls royce super swank badge makers, Pip shared a cute as a button house badge & Anna Laura showed us all how to make gorgeous felt badges.

Everyone was very busy & very productive. It was lovely.

Now onto matters blog...

I've totally dropped the ball. I don't have wireless & I've been popping down to the office to post & that is absolutely it. I'm so behind in my reading & comments & replies - sorry.

So, I'm just shoving all that dirty washing under the bed & starting from scratch.

Just following on from my comments about comments.

A few people have asked "How?". It's super easy & it really does make it much easier to get back to people. Blogger is the main culprit (fab as Blogger is it does have it's limitations).

Firstly go to your dashboard & click to edit your profile.

Now make sure your email details are here & that the little box is checked.

All this has come about because of my rule about responding to comments. It got to the point where I was spending way more time getting around responding than I was actually writing posts or making stuff. So I've made some new rules & the email thing is working really well for me at the moment. Maybe it will for you too.

Just so you know, I comment without expectation. I never expect a reply & am always pleasantly surprised when I get one.

Artist Credit: Nogadin
(& how beautiful is it? - who would have thought...).

Yesterday I had a light bulb moment...I've finally figured out why I haven't been getting emails when people comment.

I have an inbuilt filter. Spam doesn't even get to my "possible spam" folder, it just disappears into the e-verse some where.

So...I've redirected to webmail so I'll be sure to get the message & I'll be able to respond via email to comments. BUT if you haven't configured your blogger profile for email I can't respond - I just get "noreply-comment@blogger.com" & that's just annoying. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why the pro's use wordpress.

I have to say I only set it up because gorgeous Christie said I should & really it makes life a LOT easier (now that I'm getting the email notification). Please consider enabling your email.