I'm on Patreon?!

That is right guys, as of this week I am on Patreon! 

This is super exciting because it can open up a whole new world of opportunities for me and for the blog, with the pledges I get I can pay for more sewing projects. That comes with another surprise, I plan on posting more real-time(ish) updates and other fun posts about the projects I am doing. 

Plus, I can use the money to help support other parts of the blog as well, I plan on getting CherishNotes back on track and the blog has been in need of renovations I haven't been able to do myself. I would also like to do a lot more things with the blog (and the youtube that goes a long with it) that I haven't been able to, but now can with the funding I'll get.

 I am so excited to get this ball rolling, I can not wait to see all of the awesome things that will come out of this!

Now for the other important part, if you are unsure what exactly Patreon is, 

It is a fairly new site for people who are artists, freelancers, bloggers, etc. to get an income or money for their projects. The website is set up so fans can pledge a certain amount of money that goes towards the person every month so they can continue on there endeavors, and keep creating content for people to see. It is a really neat idea that I am very happy to now be a part of. There are so many great artists and other people that are doing such incredible things because of the money they receive on Patreon and I think that is so awesome!

If you're interested in my Patreon, there are plenty of different options for pledges or if you don't have any spare change/ you just aren't super interested in what I'm selling but you like my spunk you can just follow my page for other neat updates that will get put up there. You can do both of those through this link-

https://www.patreon.com/cherishhornbeck

With that, I am off, There is plenty of other awesome things coming up soon that I have got to get on top of because fro a short time I was falling behind,

Ready to Set Sail ( and be back oh so soon),

                                                            Ms. Sinking Ship

Blogger Tips From Someone who Blogs: Best Blogging Sites!

From someone who not only reads blogs but keeps one up as well, I am constantly on the look out for the best websites to keep my blog up on (other then maybe having your own domain) because the worst thing in the world is having to try to make the best out of something you can't stand using because you can't find anything else. 

I have tried a decent amount of them, and I've come to conclusions about which ones are the most fun and efficient to use, for me any ways.  I'm making this today to help any one else that also seems to have the worst of luck finding something that fits well with them and their blog starting from the 

best-ish to the worst-ish. 

                                                                                                                

1. Blogspot

 I have had problems with Blogspot, it is not always the greatest thing ever but it is reliable and very customizable, along with that there aren't any hidden fees or anything and there are ways to make money off of your blog as well. The  only downsides I've seen are complications with coding when it comes to customization, it takes some time to get used to and figure out how to do those things but it is nothing a little problem-solving can't fix. 

2. Tumblr

The only reason this isn't number one is because it's more of a social media site than a blogging site, but I made one early today because it was the only think I hadn't tried but I constantly hear awesome things so I decided to try it out before I made this post and I love it. It's a little bit difficult to navigate right at first but once you get this gist of it, it is really easy and pretty fun. Above is mine and you can follow me on there as well as mssinkingship of course, I'll probably do a decent amount of blogging on there as well. It is pretty customizable and there is tons of things to work with, if you're looking for something not quite so serious for a blog this is definitely the first place you should try.

3. Wix

So I tried this site the other day and it is pretty interesting, there are quite a few downsides though and it ends up getting complicated. For one, there isn't a trash can so you are unable to get rid of anything that was on the original template you might not have wanted. Also, it does have an apps section where you can add all kinds of cool things to your blog, but a decent amount of them you have to pay for and if you are on a budget you can't always afford all of that. 

The only other downside is that for your domain name it gives you it lists their site before yours and that can seem less professional the other way around. Wix has some cool things to use like some of the templates they have and animation effects, things like that etc, but it the long run there is more hassle than anything else when it comes to this site.

4. Weebly

For those of you that have been reading my blog for it's pretty close to entirety, you will most likely know that it originally started out on Weebly. This site is perfect for a blog just starting out, if you just want to dip your toes into the whole thing, or if you're unsure you really want to commit to any type of thing that's this nature. It is fairly easy but really isn't all to customizable. Weekly isn't the worst but it really isn't something you would hold a blog at for a long period of time.

5. WordPress

I had always heard that if you want your blog to be successful use Wordpress, so eventually a few months ago I had been irritated with bloodspot and I thought it might be a good time to give it a try. I was so frustrated with all of it after the first 10 minutes I have never gone to the site again. I'm sure it's a lot easier and customizable if you buy the packages for your websites from them BUT not everyone (me included) has the money to drop $50 on a website so I can change the layout. That is ridiculous for one and two I've done decently well on Blogspot and never had to shell out large amounts of money to do so. I know people who use it and love it so this one is purely biased as most of these are but for someone who can't spend a bunch of money and want something to be even the slightest bit personal, I wouldn't use Wordpress. 

These are the blogs I've used and the major pros and cons I've had with them.  A lot of the factors in this has to do with customization because that is a big part of blogging and creating a brand for your self, I hope this gives any one who is thinking of starting a blog or wanting to switch from the site they use now.

Ready to Set Sail (and keep playing with my Tumblr),

                                               Ms. Sinking Ship

Tips To Bloggers From Some One Who Reads Them,

I read a lot of blogs, I see them as an inspiration to get me going and also as a hopefully someday peer or something like that, I also read blogs as a way to make my blog better, because if you are trying to do your best at something you have to try to see it from all sides not just one. I read blogs in hopes to see what does and does not appeal and things like that. Something I have seemed to notice over the past few weeks is that there is something to a blog that will always make it seem of more importance than others and I will share this something with you all, 

This something is pictures. Good Pictures to be a little bit more specific, something that might not have something specifically to do with what is being talked out but something that might have words written over it or something with a pretty background, possibly an image that helps add to the post or just something that has really good lighting. These pictures are always what grab the attention more than anything else. They are how you begin to draw the attention of the audience and how you continue to keep it until they are attached through some kind of connection or enjoyment with your blog. 

I have found that these pictures are a large pieces to the whole blogging thing and that they are in every way, shape, and form helpful, so,  use those pictures like there is no tomorrow. The worst thing that could happen is that they might become just slightly misleading if you do not use them carefully. 

I hope you guys find this helpful in some way or another if you like the advice let me know because I could always use some as well, and one more thing, what do you guys think blogs that have multiple pages? that's one of those things that I've never seemed to figure out when it comes to how helpful there are or not so I would love to here it from you.

Ready to Set Sail (and search for more tips),

                                                        Ms. Sinking Ship