One of the challenges of washi tape is that it often is not called washi tape. Variations include “printed tape”, “paper tape”, or “decorative tape”.

Target and Target.com

Target has Up & Up brand “Printed paper tape”. Unfortunately, not all Target stores have all color options and Target.com does not appear to have the tape. My local Target also had Smash brand tape including a nice one with white on black dots.

Michael’s and Michaels.com

At least some Michael’s stores have Recollections Crafting Tape. Michaels.com has Smash brand paper tape.

Amazon.com

Amazon’s stock varies depending on what sellers have in stock. Names vary, but “washi tape”, “paper tape”, and “printed tape” will all give you results. Some tape is listed as eligible for free shipping and some is not.

Barnes & Noble and Bn.com

Bn.com has 7 Gypsies brand paper tape ($7.95) and “Decorative Paper Tape” (price $15.95), and Martha Stewart brand paper tape ($4.99 for four rolls). The marketplace does not have free shipping.

Joann’s Fabric & Craft Stores and Joann.com

Joann.com has Gypsies paper tape and Martha Stewart paper tape. My local one does not appear to have any washi tape equivalent and none of the sales people I talked to are familiar with paper tape, printed tape, etc.

Sears.com

Sears.com has Martha Stewart Brand tape (marketplace)

CuteTape.com

I have not personally used Cute Tape, but I have seen positive reviews elsewhere and looking over their site they appear to have a large collection of designs. Shipping costs look reasonable.

Find It on Etsy

Etsy is a great place to check for washi tape. One of the Etsy stores I have heard most recommended is Pretty Tape.

Making Your Own

A number of people have come up with DIY washi tape suggestions. DIY washi tape has the advantage of being cheaper and allowing for more variety, but most adhensive substitutes do not have the same qualities as washi tape.

Links to DIY Washi Tape

• DIY Washi Tape (Nifty Thrify)
• Handmade Custom Paper Tape (Just Something I Made)
• 19 Washi Tape Craft Ideas (Tipjunkie)
• How to make Your Own Washi Tape (Glue and Glitter)
• Craft DIY Printed Paper Tape (Aesthetic Nest)

Notes and Linked at

The tape pictured above is from Target.

Thanks to several heads-up about the cheap washi style tape (listed as “printed paper tape”) at Target, I’ve been having fun with using it for decorating.

Notes

The third picture is washi tape I put on an old plastic frame that no amount of cleaning seemed to freshen up. In the fourth picture, I used two layers of washi tape (red dots over plain red) for the first stripe.

Finding Washi Tape at Target

Unfortunately, the tape is not the easiest to find. This post at The 36th Avenue has pictures to help you find the correct aisle. It does not appear that all the colors are at all Targets.

Linked at

• Washi Tape Mania

Keep your carbonated drinks fizzy

I found these at the supermarket and decided to give it a try. I prefer to buy larger bottles of seltzer and other carbonated drinks because of the price, but they tend to go flat quickly. I have noticed a definite improvement in how long the carbonation lasts. The cost is about $5.

Simple take off the cap that came with the soda, screw in the fizz keeping cap, and pump until you start encountering resistance.

Linked at

I have seen sugar and salt scrubs recommended since I was a kid. The standard sugar scrub combination of sugar, brown sugar, and oil is great, but for those with more sensitive skin sometimes it can feel a little rough. Adding the baking soda decreases the grittiness which is helpful for whose who find the regular scrub a bit harsh on sensitive skin.

As an added advantage it uses exclusively common kitchen ingredients so for many people the cost will only be pennies worth- much cheaper than the commercial alternatives.

Gentle Sugar Scrub- Basic Recipe

• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 1/2- 1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
• 2 1/4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil of your choice

Directions:

Notes

I know people who swear by Olive Oil, but I prefer an oil that doesn’t smell.

To make it more gentle use more baking soda. To make it more gritty decrease the baking soda.

This recipe is scaleable. It can also be made with 1 Cup Brown Sugar, 1 Cup Sugar, 1/2 Cup to 1 Cup Baking Soda, etc.

I used a container I had in my “container cabinet”, but if you making some for a gift you can “pretty it up” by decorating the top, adding a bow to it, etc.

Warnings

This is not intended for internal use. All recipes are provided for your information and you take responsibility for using them. While this is gentler than most other recipes I have seen, it may still not be appropriate for those with specific skin or other health issues.

Linked at

Using Good Photos to Get More Visitors

One of the first things I noticed on Pinterest is that pins with bright clear pictures are significantly more likely to be repinned than ones with darker or ‘muddier’ pictures. Not everyone has the money or inclination to buy an expensive camera, but you can work on a picture after you put it on your computer to make it look brighter and attract more attention.

Photoshop is the industry standard and if you have it or can afford to buy it, I recommend it. However, it is also quite expensive making it a poor choice for many people. Luckily there are free alternates including IrfanView and GIMP the latter of which is similar to Photoshop 7.

Improving Pictures with IrfanView

Go to Image -> Color Corrections. Increase contrast by a lot and saturation by a little. I used 60 for contrast and 10 for saturation and increased Gamma to 1.1, but your adjustments will vary depending on the picture.

Improvements with Infanview

Besides the example listed below IrfanView has an auto correction option (under image) and a limited effects browser. However, you can ‘load’ some Photoshop effects into the browser, thus, giving you a lot more options. The effects that come with the program include Sepia, oil paint, blur, sharpen, rock, metallic and metallic gold.

There are a number of excellent Photoshop filters that are free downloads.

Check Your Settings When You Save

IrfanView allows you to adjust the quality of the picture when you save it. Slide the slider over to “Good”. While saving pictures at the low end will make the images smaller the result is far poorer quality.

Taking pictures with a Mobile Phone

If you take pictures with your mobile phone there are a number of good apps for improving pictures. Most of the good ones cost $1-$4, but there are a few decent ones for free. If you decide to pay it is still much cheaper than the other options.

Content Matters Too

Obviously, a pretty picture is not all you need. You also need good content. But a few minor adjustments to the pictures can really help.

Linked at

• Someday Crafts
• Blue Cricket Design

Charity stores

How does $5 for a new looking non-’knockoff’ Ralph Lauren or Armani sweater sound? While not all charity stores have such great deals you can usually find great clothes, scarves, purses, books, CDs, DVDs, jewelry and decorations. The past few years I have gotten about half the books I buy at charity stores.

Charity stores are excellent for unique ‘finds’. Beyond the standard items you can find candlesticks, decorative plates, vintage dolls, handcrafted designs, homemade dresses, craft making materials, tablecloths, and other unique items.

Charity stores have the added advantage that the money goes to charity so even if later you decide that the color is not quite right or the book is not as engaging as you had hoped you have not wasted your money. The combination of low prices and a good cause make it less risky to try new things.

Find the Right Charity Store

Charity stores vary wildly in terms of both their selection and price range so do some checking. A few years ago I visited a charity shop near an upscale shopping center. The selection was limited and while it was cheaper than many of the stores in the area, the prices were equivalent to what you would pay at a department store sale. However, the shore is only a few blocks from a charity shop that has great stuff and at very cheap prices.

Many charity store’s stock comes from local residents. Thus, if a community book club has just read a book you may find five copies at the store. One of the charity stores I visit is in a neighborhood with a lot of young families whereas a different one is in a neighborhood near a retirement community. The former has a lot of new looking children’s picture books and popular fiction along with some nice casual jewelry. The latter store often features beautiful hardcover copies of classic children’s books, older baseball cards, old photographs of famous landmarks, vintage and beautiful classic wedding dresses and other formal dresses. I have also found books by authors I like, but whose earlier works had gone out of print.

If you are looking for a wedding dress and want a classic look, it is worth checking a nice charity store. I have seen absolutely stunning wedding dresses for $70-$100 dollars including some that looked to have been handmade. Charity shops are also great places to find Easter, First Communion, and other fancy occasions girls’ dresses.

A Note of Caution

While most charity stores have a few good finds they also have a lot of stuff that will not tempt you at all. It is highly recommended that you check clothing and scarves carefully for holes, stains, or other flaws that make it unwearable. While people do occasionally donate unworn clothing most has been worn. While I have found some terrific purses, it is also important to check them very carefully. Often the purse ended up in the charity store because it had an inconvenient hole or other blemish.

While some charity stores have cosmetics and toiletries, it is often better to look for those items at a dollar store or on-sale at your local store. Also if you are trying to be thrifty buying for the sake of buying is not the answer.

If you are not familiar with the charity with which the store is affiliated, you may want to do some research on it to make sure it is an organization you want to support.

Donate to the Charity Store Yourself

Don’t forget to donate your own stuff that you no longer want (or never wanted). This is especially true for items that are in good condition. That shirt you never wear because it makes you look like a ghost might look great on someone else. Often I donate back the books I bought at the charity store.

Please note that charity stores have some restrictions about what they accept. The charity stores in places I have lived do not accept bedding and they do not accept many types of appliances. Remember that if the organization qualifies the donation is tax deductable.

The picture is one I took of a few of my charity store purchases. The purse was in better shape when I bought it.

Linked at:

• Under 10 Link Party
• Trash to Treasure

Photos Light

Photos Light is my new stock photography blog on Tumblr. License information will be posted with each photograph along with any other relevant information.

Ad Block Plus

Ad Block Plus does an exceptional job at blocking ads. There are ready to use features including subscriptions to block ads. There is also the option to add your own filters.

Better Privacy

Better Privacy allows you to limit tracking by getting rid of Local Shared Objects (LSO).

Flashblock

Flashblock not surprisingly blocks flash content initially and allows you to either ignore the flash content or click and view it.

ColorZilla

ColorZilla is an advanced eye drop tool for getting information about the color from anywhere in the browser and pasting the information into another program.

Firebug

Firebug is a popular ad-on for helping with web design. It includes the ability to debug javascript, examine HTML, analyze performance, view a page with the style or images removed, see changes highlighted, resize the browser window, show ID and class information, and otherwise provide tools for designers.

Web Developer

Like Firebug, Web Developer provides tools for web designers. Web Developer allows you to validate a page (HTML, CSS, Section 508), debug javascript,