"Stay" is such a charming word in a friend's vocabulary.  Louisa May Alcott

About Me

Subscribe
Copyright 2012
The content of this website is the property of Pretty By Hand. I'd be delighted if you chose to link to this blog, but please ask me for permission to use my original photos or writing. Thank you! 

 

« 10 Things I Know Today That I Didn't Know 3 Weeks Ago | Main | I'm Fancy Free »
Monday
Jan302012

Too Gone For Too Long

Country music fans will recognize that title from this Randy Travis classic.  Oh gosh, the next line of that song is "it's too late to come back now" ... ??? ... geez, I hope not!!!

I really didn't think I'd be down for 2+ weeks.  But I am.  Now I'm waiting for my new Photoshop software to come in so I can start showing you what I've been up to.

In desperation, I dug around my old photo files and found this ... you may recognize it as my blog banner on steroids.

In fact, I made it as part of an exercise for a blogging course I took from Holly Becker of Decor8 last year.  My banner is the edited version of this collage.

Ooooh, wait ... I just had an idea. 

Back story required.

When I first discovered blogs, one of my very favorite things was when bloggers changed their banners.  And when I started my blog I SWORE I was going to change MINE every.single.month.

Yeah, right!  Sometimes I can't even stand my own delusions of grandeur.

When I came up with my current ... oh, let's be honest here ... ONLY banner, I really fell in love with it.  I mean really.  I'd never done anything like that before - made up a collage of my favorite things - and now I'm afraid it was a creative fluke and I'll never be able to make a new one that is just as pretty ... kinda like a one hit wonder.

That said, I wonder if you're getting bored of it.

But on the other hand (another Randy Travis hit ... I'm not really a Country music fan, I just happen to know a few of his tunes),  I wonder if you guys still like it and would prefer I just keep it forever and ever ... amen?  LOL, ok now I'm just messin' with ya!

So how 'bout YOU tell ME if I should keep my current banner or try to come up with something new. 

(See how I'm trying to trick you into talking to me?)

EmailEmail Article to Friend

Reader Comments (64)

I LOVE your banner. I think it is one of the best I've seen. I bet you can do it again. So, I love this one but would like to see more! You can always go back to this one if it doesn't work!

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterColette

I love your banner. It is so 'You'. But I suspect if you decided to change it, you would find something equally 'you'. Or, if you wanted to keep the theme, you could crop the bigger collage into different sections and swap those out regularly.

Remember, this is your blog so make it what you want it to be. If you love your banner, keep it!

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterLee

You know that you don't have trying to trick me into talking;-) I love your banner but I'm sure it isn't a one-hit-wonder. If you feel like creating a new one just do it. How about keeping a few things of the current banner (like the pins)? And hey, there's hardly a more creative woman than you out there (expect for Camille ... and me,hee;-)
Hildy

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterHildy

It's your thing, do what you wanna do!! I can't tell ya.... Look what you did to me. Now i can't stop with the songs. I like your original but I think it would be great to see one that also incorporates your beautiful embroidery work (sans french knots)!!

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterTracey S.

I love love love your banner. Part of the fun in blogging is changing things around and having fun doing it! I think you should change it, we will all enjoy seeing what you come up with. After a while, you can always change it back if you still like your original one the best :)

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered Commentercynthia

I love your banner. I stare at it in awe. Having said that, I would love to see what new lovely pretty by hand banner you could come up with. I too would love to see some beautiful embroidery incorporated in what you love.

Quilting in Texas
Vonna

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterVonna

Love your banner. But you could most likely do another that would be just as good, or better. You're just talented that way, you know?

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterMarge

I LOVE your banner. I really wouldn't worry about it unless YOU are just dying to change it. I probably pay more attention to the loveliness going on in your posts than in your banner (since I've seen your banner so much~)

Amber

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered Commenteramber

In my humble opinion, you have THE best blog banner! I love it! It makes me sigh. :) I don't think I could ever get tired of it. That being said, if you are wanting change, I believe you would totally nail another one. You are uber-talented that way. :)

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterA Little Blue Dragonfly

Krystine,

I am trying to find a way to contact you. Do you have an email address? I wanted to ask you about possibly being a guest blogger on my blog (featuring you and your creative space). Please email me.

Amber Johnson
Gigi's Thimble
adctd2qultng@gmail.com
http://www.alittlebitbiased.blogspot.com

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered Commenteramber

I love yours...but certainly understand that sometimes you need to freshen up!

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterDianne

I love the banner now - it seems like a signature, like a classic. I'd keep it. But if you feel like changing, how about embroidering your logo in a Flower Sugar color and incorporating the FS prints into the collage? We KNOW that you can embroider letters!

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered Commentergreg

I had read that bloggers should design a really good banner and keep it. No changes, no modifications. The basis of this was branding your image. People come to recognize your banner as you, and don't like it to change. Now, I think changing it subtly is fine, but keep the basic feel the same. I love your banner, and personally think you should keep it. My blog banner I paid someone to design (well, I designed it, and they made it happen), so it's not going anywhere...I'm too cheap to do another, and I still love it anyhow =)

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterAndrea

I love your banner - please don't change it!

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterArchie the wonder dog

I love your banner - it tells me about you and what to expect on your blog! Don't change it unless you have something more wonderful - which I can't imagine.

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterJeanna

Yes! Keep it! It is a party for my eyes.

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterRuth B

Keep it - gorgeous!

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered Commentermary

LOVE your banner but I think you need personal blog growth...just fiddle around with your beautiful things and snap some pics. If you don't like them...figure out WHY you don't like it and change that element. Sounds crazy? Nope.

This is the exercise we went through for an entire year with kitchen design magazines. If we liked a picture we had to say WHAT it was we liked. Same for the reverse. If we didn't like a picture...what didn't we like. It really helped us to figure out what we wanted and why.

As Miranda Lambert likes to sing: 'I'm your crazy ex-girlfriend'...

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered Commenterina

I love your banner! That was one of the things that attracted me to your post. I read about you on Simplify and I had a "look" but when I saw what you did!!!!! I felt when I started to read your blog that I was looking at my self! Not trying to creep you out but the whole Laura Ashley thing ( I still can't throw out my old catalogues and my girls rooms and clothes were from L.A.), all the fabric collections (I don't know anyone else who likes Susan Branch) the tech issues, and that you work at my favourite quilt store in Calgary! Anyway...I have been wanting to send you a comment for a long time. I just love love your blog and all of your beautiful projects and colours and especially what you did with Camille's book! I checked it out from the library and am also attempting to go through my stash as I too" saved" collections. I still have oodles of Seaside Rose! What am I waiting for!You have inspired me! Anyway keep posting and showing your beautiful work! Did you really only start blogging last year? I have gone back and read your entire blog from the beginning!

Kerry

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterKerry

I say if you like it, keep it. I think it's pretty! :) I change mine every now and then because I get bored of things pretty quick. I'd change the furniture around in my house if my husband would let me. :)

January 30, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterBabychaser

PostPost a New Comment

Enter your information below to add a new comment.
Author Email (optional):
Author URL (optional):
Post:
 
Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>