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play | display your favorite photos in a collage

2012-05-10T00:49:27Z

my absolute favorite thing to do is to use your favorite photos in a custom photo collage. what a spectacular way to display all of your favorites at once, and to turn your favorite images into a beautiful memory.

the collage above is the one i made for my granparents 60th wedding aniversary. in one photo collage we have 5 children with 4 spouses, 5 grandchildren with 2 spouses, and 4 great grandchildren! what an amazing legacy from 60 years of marriage. (this is printed as a huge 24 inch x 36 inch canvas. awesome!)

this one is very special. i made it for for one of my long time clients after her mum passed away. not only did we include all of her favorite photos, but the border is actually a poem that her mum wrote. life is so very short, and memories are often all we have.

this one is made from a mum's favorite photos from a monumentoal occasion - a first birthday! time goes so fast doesn't it? (not only do i create a custom collage but i edit the photos as well to make them look their best.)

this one shows that you can use your favorite snapshots or even mobile phone photos to create something really special to display. let's face it - these are the photos that make your memories. the every day moments that show your children just as they are. these are the ones that should be up on your wall. right?

smile | have some fun with your photos

2012-05-03T02:08:40Z

i don’t think anyone can deny, we are living in a very visual world. photos are shared and liked and tagged all over facebook, pinterest is the fastest growing social sharing site in the world, and instagram has raised so high in popularity that facebook went and bought it!

with the availability of low cost, high quality dSRL camera’s, not to mention the high quality photos we can take with our phones, anyone can have a go at taking great photographs. you no longer need to invest the money or time into a hefty program like photoshop either, there are many free options for editing and enhancing photos – even right on your phone!

so why wait? you can have some fun taking, editing, enhancing, and sharing photos right now. here are just a few examples of what you can do…

i started with a photo i took using my android smart phone.

and here it is edited, right on my phone, with instagram.

unless you have been under a rock you have probably heard of this app. instagram is both a photo editing tool (it allows you to add filters and frames to your photos to enhance their look) and a social network (you can follow other instagram users, ‘like’ their photos, leave comments, and post your photos to facebook, twitter, & tumblr). you simply take the photo, add whichever filter you like (you can turn the frame on and off) and then post to your instagram account.

this one is with another smart phone app, pixlr-o-matic:

if you love the idea of enhancing your photos right on your phone but are not interested in the social sharing aspect of instagram (or maybe you aren’t into cropping all of your photos square!) there are many other photo apps to choose from. i really like pixlr-o-matic. there is a huge array of filters to choose from, as well as adding effects like vignette or bokeh, and then a variety of frames to finish off with. i really like that you can mix and match! then you simply save and share online, or email your photo.

of course phone apps are fun, but there are also many free online photo editors that will allow you to edit, enhance, and even add text to any of your favorite digital images (without having to purchase or doewnload software. awesome!) so i set off to try a few and see what i could do...

the first one i tested was pixlr:

pixlr is very similar to using photoshop (which is what i am used to) and allows you very fine control of editing photos. if you have a keen interest is taking gorgeous photos and editing them to be just perfect, this editor seems like it would be a great choice. (plus there is also pixlr express which is perfect for anyone was a fan of the now defunct picnic).

the next on my 'must try list' was picmonkey:

i had a lot of fun trying out this editor. picmonkey is very simple to use, with a very easy & intuitive interface and a quick learning curve. if you want to have some fun with your images (adding filters, text & frames) and have some editing control without a lot of fuss, then this is a fabulous choice. (note: it looks like there will soon be a paid version to get some of the new features that are avaialbe to try now, like the photo corner frame i used.)

the last editor i tested was ipiccy

i wanted to try ipiccy because of the ability to make collages, and you can see the result at the top of this post. the actual collage interface was fun to play with, but i found the editing controls a bit tricky to figure out and it was sort of frustrating to use. i don't think i would go back to this progam for editing, but the collages feature is great, and would use it again (though picmonkey says they have a collage feature coming too so i will definitely check that out.)

so there you have it. 5 free programs that will allow you to have some fun with your photos. go have a little ‘play’ and let me know what you think! and of course, if you want to save yourself the time and frustration, i can edit & enhance your photos for you; my favorite thing is making custom portraits & collages!

tip: if you are trying to figure out any photo editing program try looking for tutorials on youtube. it will save you heaps of time!

play | printables for mother's day

2012-04-15T03:08:00Z

give yourself a gift this mother's day, or use your favorite photos to create a special gift for someone you love. these printables are high resolution files, 8x10 inches in size, and have space to hold a 5x7 inch photo. print them out, fix your favorite photo in the space provided, and pop into a frame. easy!

if you love this idea, but would like something customized for you or the special people in your life, no problem! i create custom portraits using your favorite photos, quotes/dates/names, in a design that suits your style. click here to see examples. i can email files for you to print yourself or take care of printing for you. easy!

'floral cherish'

"grunge love"

free, high resolution, printable versions of these examples are available to members of the.love.list. enter your email address below to download these printables and get access to all future freebies as well as new ideas and inspiration each month.

if you would like to purchase a customized portrait - click 'buy now' and i will send you an email to take care of your order.

existing designs (like the ones above) can be customized with your favorite photo/quote/names/dates etc

$10 print it yourself | $20 printed and posted to you

or i can create a new custom design just for you, that suits your exact style and includes your favorite photo(s)/quote/names/dates etc.

$30 print it yourself | $40 printed and posted to you

smile | wedding day

2012-04-11T02:12:52Z

congratulations to my dear friends andrea & sam who got married on easter day! pre wedding photos took place at the stamford grand hotel in glenelg. the wedding was at brighton uniting church with photos taking place afterwards at brighton jetty. the reception took place at seacliff hotel. so basically i got to visit some of my most favorite places in south australia taking photos for my friend. and the sun came out to play so i know the bride and groom will be pleased with their beach photos, this is just what they were hoping for. =)

love | pinterest

2012-04-05T02:58:18Z

are you on pinterest? it is my new favorite addiction. along with millions of others! pinterest is the fastest growing social sharing site online, and it is no wonder. it is visual, simple, useful, & fun!

pinterest, simply, is a online ‘pinboard’ for things you love. it is the virtual equivalent to cutting recipes, images & articles out of magazines & flyers and sticking them in a binder or on a corkboard. cool, right?

it is image based (you pin & share images) but by clicking on the image you can go straight to the article, blog or site where the image originates. this makes pinterest a perfect spot to bookmark and organize all of your favorite things.

you can create your own pinboards for things like recipes, home décor, organization tips, activities for kids, hair & fashion, places you have or would like to visit… the possibilities are endless really.

but the thing that makes pinterest really stand out is the social side. you can follow other people or certain boards they have created, you can share your pins on facebook & twitter, and people can follow you too, which makes it a great place to connect with people who have similar interests & tastes.

i have boards related to many of my interests and passions. my 2012 board is a virtual vision board, reminding me of my goals & intentions for this year. i have boards for my passions of helping women in biz be awesome, do what you love & kick ass as well as to encourage women in biz to SHINE! i have a board of little biz tips too full of great articles and infographics.

for some smile.play.love. inspiration i have boards for gorgeous photos, photographs in the home, colour ideas, quote ideas and more! all i need to do to get my creative ideas flowing again is to browse around pinterest for a bit!

of course for personal things my favourite boards are snark & snicker (because pinterest is a great place for humour and we all need a laugh) and happy hour (this is the only board that i have actually followed the instructions on to DIY something for myself! forget recipes & crafts, cocktails are where it’s at!)

if you are already on pinterest say hi! I would love to see what sorts of boards you have started. if not, and you would like to try it, i can send you an invite. i just need your email address so email me at smileplaylove@gmail.com

just one last thing about pinterest: take a minute to read the terms & the etiquette. you should only pin things you have permission from the author to share so have a look around a website first to see if they encourage pinning or have terms for sharing. and always pin from the original source (the author’s own website for instance rather than an image you found in google images or tumblr etc.

ps. if you have a little biz, pinterest can be a great place to connect with fans & gain traffic back to your site. you can read more about pinterest for biz here. and i wrote about pinterest & copyright here.

it's time to give yourself permission to shine

2012-03-11T12:32:24Z

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one of the things that holds us back from following our passions, interests, or dreams is the limiting belief that we are simply not ‘enough’. not experienced enough, not talented enough, don’t know enough, or perhaps don’t have enough to offer.

whether it is in our personal lives, our home lives, or our professional lives, this excuse pops up in all sorts of sneaky little ways. i see mums who don’t want to be in photographs with their babies because they feel that they don’t look good enough. i see mums who don’t want to volunteer for a committee or to help at their child’s school because they don’t think they have enough time or knowledge to offer. i see women not following through with an interest or hobby because they don’t think they can do it well enough to participate with others. i see women not moving forward with their biz ideas because they don’t think their product is good enough to compete or mums with a successful biz who don’t mentor others because they don’t think they have enough expertise to offer.

i something once and i want to pass it on as it was a turning point for me, and i hope it will be one for you. (i cannot remember for the life of me where i read this, or the exact quote, but this is the gist...)

in as much as you have people that you look up to as being a 10/10 (in business, in their personal lives, in how they manage motherhood, or whatever) there are people who look at what you are doing too. to them you are the 10/10. to those people you have something really valuable to offer.

whether it is your child, a friend, another biz mum, a potential customer – there are people who want and need what you have to offer. you are the exact right person for them. (click here to tweet that!)

i started a new website called SHINE because i believe that women in biz have something valuable to offer each other – their stories. from hearing about what others are doing in biz we can all be inspired, we can learn by example, and we can get past the things that are holding us back. when we give ourselves permission to shine, we pave the way for others to shine as well.

but this is not just true for women in biz. we all have areas in our lives where we can stop saying that we are not ‘enough’ and instead share whatever it is we have to offer. what is the one thing that you would love to do that you have been holding back on because you don’t think you are ‘enough’ to do it? maybe it is time to give yourself permission to shine!

what statement will you make about your little biz?

2012-03-07T10:22:54Z

timeline for pages are here! (well they will be for everyone as of the end of march, but many early adopters have already swtiched them on.)

and they are so pretty!

ironically, i was in the middle of an online workshop on 'facebook for biz' when i woke up to timeline for pages; basically all my tips about branding your facebook page went straight out the window!

but it is worth it because the opportunities for branding your page are even better now! starting with the cover image - that lovely big blank canvas on which to say something meaningful about your biz.

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first, what can't you say:

no promotions, advertising, coupons/discounts,
no calls to action such as 'buy now'
no mention of or arrows pointing to facebook actions such as 'like' this page
no contact details

so that means you need your contact details in the 'about' box, your promotions pinned to your page, your calls to action in the tabs/posts themselves... oh, and your logo is perfect for the profile image!

hmmm. what's left? what about your products images, or a list of what you sell? that is ok, sure, but with a click into your photos or your shop tab they can probably see all the products that you sell. and your products don't tell the whole story of your biz.

see, facebook suggests you 'tell a story' about your brand, your business. after all that is the point of timeline - with a whole chronology of posts and milestones to fill your backstory and engage in the present. and i agree - you should use your cover image to really stand out!

what can you say with your cover image?

instead of just showing your product, identify what it is you really sell. the benefits. the emotions!
be clear about your target audience, who it is you really want to attract to your page, who it is you really help with your products/services.
demonstrate the purpose of your page. the “what’s in it for me?” that fans are always wondering!
show your passion, what it is you stand for or believe in.
express your promise to your customers/clients.
write a manifesto or create a vision board for your biz
have some fun – change it up and feature new themes/challenges/inspiration/entertainment each week or month!
share your brand message – that thing you want all people to know about what you do, why you do it, who you do it for, why it rocks!

remember, you want visitors to your page to take one look and think: “yes! this is the exact right place for me!”

so what will you say with your little biz page timeline cover?

do you need an awesome cover image? i create custom covers for pages & profiles. email smileplaylove@gmail.com or click buy now to get your facebook cover image for $30 (introductory pricing on now)

what statement do you make about your life?

2012-02-27T10:05:36Z

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do you have 'timeline' on facebook yet? if not, you soon will as all pages are changing over. and 'they' say facebook pages will soon have a similar format as well. one of my favorite parts of timeline (and one reason i am excited for it to come to pages) is the large cover image. (oh i love the larger images on your profile too - awesome!)

because i love creating image collages using photos & text, i wanted to create something meaningful for my cover image. one stunning photo will certainly do the trick, but i decided to use my cover image as a place to say something about who i am and what i love.

the more i chat with women in biz the more i believe that we need to share our passions - loud and clear! to live our brand message, so to speak! to be a visible part of our businesses. so with my cover i share my passions, something that i love, and my 'vision' for my year.

what can you do with your 'cover'?

make a vision board for your goals/plans.
share what you are passionate about.
create a manifesto about what you believe in.
make a statement.
spread love, happiness, or humour.
celebrate your life.

here are the covers i made for my mom and my sis.

do you have something meaningful up on your facebook timeline? share your link - i would love to have a look!

would you like to activate time line now? click here - click 'get time line' - and then go to your profile and click 'publish'.

what will you do with your little piece of facebook real estate?

it is time to live the life you've imagined

2012-02-24T03:53:08Z

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over at build a little biz i talk about doing what you love, kicking ass with it, and being awesome as you go. so it is time to do the same here at smile.play.love.

my inspiration for 2012 is this:

she decided to start living the life she'd imagined ~ kobi yamada

i love photography. and i want to keep things simple for families and simple for the biz i run, so i will be making some changes to the photography sessions i offer.

i love quotes, lyrics, and sayings. i love finding the words to share the exact thing we feel, the exact message we want to send, or the exact emotion to go along with a memory.

and i really love to have a play with images & text to create something meaningful to people. my favorite thing to create are my signature photo collages! and so this year i am going to focus more on doing that sort of thing: not just for families but for little businesses and for people who want to shine!

what is your inspiration these days? do you have a quote or a lyric that describes your focus this year? what are you doing to live the life you've imagined?

i would love to hear from you!