Thursday, December 22, 2011 0 comments
We would like to thank all our followers and friends for the support you have given us this year... we appreciate it SO much....YOU ARE AMAZING!!!! We would also like to wish you all
A Very Happy and Peaceful Christmas and a Wonderful New Year.
May all your wishes come true.
Lots of Love and a huge Christmas hug to you all

Gracie & Tracy x x x x x x

YouTube's Snow Effects

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If you liked Google's "let it snow" Easter egg, YouTube has some special effects for you. YouTube's player has a new button for snow, the progress bar includes a snowflake, while the search results page for queries like [snow] or [Christmas] use a simplified snow animation.



{ Thanks, Sterling, Venkat and Cookie Lee. }

The Google News Search Box

Wednesday, December 21, 2011 0 comments
The Google News homepage uses a special search box with a few interesting features. Google only shows a list of suggestions and doesn't use Google Instant, even if this feature is available for the Google News results pages. The last suggestion lets you search the web and you can use the up arrow key to select it or just press Shift+Enter. A similar feature is available in Gmail, but you can't use the Shift+Enter shortcut.


When Google redesigned Google News and other services, the "Web Search" button seemed extraneous and it was removed.

Offline Google eBooks

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"I find it amusing that reading books offline is a new feature." (Krewe Maynard)

If you've used Google eBooks for Android or iPhone, you probably noticed that the mobile apps had a clear advantage over the desktop app: you could download books to your device and read them offline. The same feature is now available in the desktop app, but only if you use Chrome.

Just like the apps for Gmail and Google Docs, Google eBooks requires some advanced features that can only be enabled by installing a Chrome Web Store app. Another shortcoming is that the offline version of Google eBooks can only be accessed by clicking the app icon or by bookmarking its special URL and not by visiting books.google.com.


To be able to read a book offline, you need to mouse over the book and click "Make available offline". Advanced features don't work offline, even if not all of them are disabled. You can't search inside a book, take notes or highlight some text.

Right now, the offline app is pretty flaky and buggy. Sometimes you need to wait a few seconds to load the list of books because the app tries to connect to the server. Some of the time, the books didn't even load. Offline Google eBooks looks like an experimental app, but it's nice that you can still try it and help Google improve it. Hopefully, the app will work in other browsers.

{ Thanks, Venkat. }

Google's Christmas Decorations

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It's no longer a surprise, since it happens every year. Google shows a colorful bar above the search results when you search for [Christmas], [Xmas] and other Christmas-related queries. There's also a special bar for Hanukkah.



You can also check the decorations from 2006, 200720082010, when Google also celebrated Kwanzaa and Festivus, the famous Seinfeld holiday.

{ Thanks, Venkat. }

Memories Of...by Gracie

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 0 comments
Used Cinnamon by LMurphy Studio Rosey Posey x x

Experience My Thoughts by Tracy

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Loving this beautiful new kit from Rosey Posey called Cinnamon xxx

Updated Interface for Google Bookmarks

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After removing the lists feature, Google Bookmarks updated the interface to match all the other Google services. It's nice to see that Google Bookmarks still exists, but the service only integrates with Google Web History and Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer. The integration with Google search has been removed, now that Google focuses on Google+, and the Android ICS browser uses the bookmark sync service from Chrome.

Google will have to find a way to merge Google Bookmarks with Chrome's bookmark sync. Google Toolbar could show the bookmarks saved in Chrome, while Google Bookmarks could be a web interface for Chrome's bookmarks. Unfortunately, Chrome uses folders, while Google Bookmarks uses labels, so merging the bookmarks is not an easy task.

Memories by Gracie

Monday, December 19, 2011 0 comments
Used You Are... by LMurphy x x

Rainy Days by Tracy

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Image from net.
Kits are Butterfly Escapades and You are both by Rosey Posey.
Wordart my own.
Finished in fotosketcher. xxx


Project of Love by Gracie

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Used You Are by LMurphy.

Happy Birthday Kelly

Sunday, December 18, 2011 0 comments




 Firstly want to say thanks for your kind thoughts last time I blogged, much appreciated when life's tough going and you can't do the things you love doing. Been a while since i had such a long spell of feeling so out of it but I did have two good days this week and it felt so good. Have a mad week ahead since I'm behind with everything so fingers crossed. Cards are  few and far between at

The Bells are Ringing by Tracy

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CT Page for Lindsay and Amelias gorgeous new Christmas kit called 'Weathered Christmas' Links to the kits available via Meels or Lindays blogs via Scrapping Naturally or Angelbaby Scraps.

Everything in the kit is from the Weathered Christmas kit.


Finished in fotosketcher. xxx

Weathered Christmas kit

Amelia and I have made this huge vintage themed christmas kit called Weathered christmas.It has 156 elements,13 frames and 39 papers and is available here and here

The List by Tracy

Saturday, December 17, 2011 0 comments

Kit is Winter Wishes by Rucola.
Wordart my own.
Finished in fotosketcher xxx


You Are by Gracie

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Used You Are by LMurphy
Passion by Mystique
Elven Valley by Joelle
Cryztal Rain butterfly x x x

Google's Snowy Easter Egg

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If you search for [let it snow] using Google, you'll have a hard time checking the search results. Google uses a JavaScript animation that adds some snowflakes and covers the entire page with snow.


Fortunately, Google added a "defrost" button that makes the search results reappear. You can also click anywhere on the page and move your mouse to "defrost" the page or draw something. Click the "+" button and you can share the Easter egg with other Google+ users.




{ Thanks, Venkat. }

Google Zeitgeist 2011

Friday, December 16, 2011 0 comments
Google Zeitgeist 2011, the list of the fastest rising queries in 2011, brings a great news for Google: the second most popular query this year was [Google+]. It's the first time in Google's history when a Google service makes the top 3. In 2005, [orkut] was the 5th gainer, while [youtube] was the 6th fastest rising query in 2007.

"Google+ became the fastest growing social network, acquiring more than 10 million users in three weeks. From July 3 - 17, Google+ and related keywords like Google Plus and Google + had more traffic than the keyword Sports," explains Google.

Here's the top 10:

1. Rebecca Black
2. Google+
3. Ryan Dunn
4. Casey Anthony
5. Battlefield 3
6. iPhone 5
7. Adele
8. 東京 電力 (Tokyo Electric Power Company)
9. Steve Jobs
10. iPad2

It's interesting to notice that 2011 is the first year since 2007 when Facebook is no longer included in the top 10 rising queries. Google+ is actually the only online service from the top 10, down from 6 services last year (Chatroulette, Friz, Myxer, Twitter, Gamezer, Facebook).

Here's the year in review:

Merry Christmas Krystal by Gracie xxx

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Krystals Christmas Freebie kit available now on her blog 
http://krystalskraftyplace.blogspot.com/ 


Little Angel by Tracy with Krystals New Freebie kit!!! - thanks chick xxx

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Everything on page from Krystals fab freebie Kit 
http://krystalskraftyplace.blogspot.com/ 


Wordart my own.
Finished in fotosketcher xxx 

Calling All the Crazy Ones

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While watching this ad for Galaxy Nexus...


"Calling all pretty faces, all visionaries, all the pass-it-alongers, all meeters and greeters, all wandering navigators, and mad scientists. All high-defers, all late-night poets and daylight dreamers. The possibilities are calling."

... I realized that there's a famous ad which uses a similar enumeration. It's Apple's "Crazy Ones" commercial from 1997. Here's the unaired version narrated by Steve Jobs (you can also watch the version that aired on TV):


"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

A Great Ad for Galaxy Nexus

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Sometimes you need a great ad to show that your product stands out. Now that Galaxy Nexus is finally available in the US, Google uploaded some promotional videos. One of them is good enough to be a TV ad:


"With Hangouts, the unplanned meet-up comes to the web — and the phone. Let buddies know you're hanging out and see who drops by. Chat face to face with a group of up to ten people using your 1.3-MP front-facing camera, all on the go," explains Google.

No More Cosmic Panda

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When YouTube launched the new interface, it was obvious that Cosmic Panda was just an experiment and its purpose was to test some new features. Now Cosmic Panda is no longer available and users have been switched to the regular interface.

"Yesterday marked the last day of the channels and watch experiment, otherwise known as Cosmic Panda. Contrary to what some might have thought, Cosmic Panda was not the new version of YouTube to come, but just an experiment we used to test out some new and interesting ideas. Since launching the experiment in July, we learned a lot and incorporated many results of the experiment into our recent homepage and channels update, which you're using now. We're happy with what we found and are now bringing Cosmic Panda to a close," informed a Google employee.

Card Patterns

Thursday, December 15, 2011 0 comments
I hope I can get this one in before the challenge closes at      http://cardpatterns.blogspot.com/
The colours match a lot better IRL - my scanner is getting a bit old! but never mind - it happens to all of us!!!!

Waka Flocka & French Montana - Lock Out (Hosted By DJ Drama & DJ Green Lantern)

Wednesday, December 14, 2011 0 comments

Waka Flocka Recording His Verse For Cal Me Inky

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Slim Dunkin - Lights On (Remix) (Feat. Wacka Flocka, Jadakiss & Styles P) [BTS]

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Gmail Scribbles

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Gmail's app for iOS and mobile Gmail added a cool feature that's not even available in the desktop interface: Gmail Scribbles. "You can now open up a canvas and scribble a message that will be attached to your email. It's perfect for sending a quick sketch that is hard to express in words or adding a fun graphic to make your email more personal. Scribbles support different colors, brush sizes, lines, erasers and spray paint." Maybe Scribbles is just a sneak peek at an upcoming mobile version of Google Drawings.


Gmail 1.1 for iOS also changed the notification sound, added better support for nested labels and Google+ Circles. The settings page that was available in the mobile web app, is now included in the iOS app, so you can add a custom signature and a vacation responder.

New in Chrome 16: Profiles and Cloud Print for Any Page

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Chrome 16 is ready for primetime and it brings some new features:

1. The print preview page now integrates with Cloud Print. That means you can now print any webpage or PDF file using Cloud Print.


While Cloud Print makes more sense on a mobile phone or a tablet, you can also use it on your computer. The printer management page lets you share printers with your contacts just like you would share files in Google Docs. You're no longer limited to sharing a printer with other computers on the same network.

2. Chrome now has an interface for creating profiles. Go to Options > Personal Stuff and click "Add new user". After creating a new profile, Google asks you to log in using a Google Account and sync your settings and data, but this is optional. You can change the profile name and the icon that's always displayed in the top-left corner of the window. Profiles work just like the incognito mode, except that the data is saved and you can use multiple profiles at the same time. Just click the profile icon and you can open a new window in a different profile.

It's important to keep in mind that profiles can't be password-protected and they aren't intended to replace the user accounts from your operating system. Profiles are useful if you need different settings, bookmarks, apps at work, at school or in your past time. You can create a profile for games, install your favorite games from the Chrome Web Store, download a game-related theme and add some bookmarks.


3. YouTube, Gmail and Google Search are the apps that are automatically added when you install Chrome or create a new profile. The Search app was about to be removed because the icon was ugly.


{ Thanks, Abhishek. }

Creating a little Magic by Tracy

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Image from net.
Kit is Holly Jolly by Cucciola and Yalana.
Wordart my own.
Finished in fotosketcher xxx 

The Boss by Gracie

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Used our G&T Christmas Mix and Vintage Christmas by SpicyLily..which is a freebie at the moment from Digiscrapbooking.ch x x x

Mr Snowman

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This is just the most adorable snowman, who can rock on his base. The template can be found at the member's area at Cardmaking Paradise (see link on sidebar) I have made him for my Grandson and is in the post to him now. I would like to enter the challenge at
http://paperplaychallenges.blogspot.com/    for Snowman
 http://trulymadlycraftychallenges.blogspot.com/    for Christmas images and colours
 http://craftspotbykimberly.blogspot.com/    for Christmas shape

Christmas Past by Gracie

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 0 comments
Used Igeis Winter Wishes and G&T Christmas Mix x x

Christmas Montage by Tracy

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Vintage images from Far Far Hill.

Kits: Winter Wishes from Rucola and Artistic Accumulation Faith by Christine Renee. Wordart my own. Finished in fotosketcher xxx

Changing the User Agent, a New Google Chrome Feature

Monday, December 12, 2011 0 comments
Changing the user agent of a browser is sometimes helpful if you're visiting a site that doesn't work well in your browser or if you're a developer and you want to test a site. Until recently, changing the user agent required installing an extension, opening about:config or adding a command-line parameter.

Now that browsers started to include powerful developer tools and even Internet Explorer has a built-in user agent editor, Chrome added a similar feature. It's only available in Chrome 17 (Dev Channel / Canary) right now.

Here's how to change the user agent:

1. open the Developer Tools (Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows/Linux, Command - Option - I on Mac OS X)
2. click the "settings" icon at the bottom of the window
3. check "override user agent" and select one of the options (Internet Explorer 7/8/9, Firefox 4/7 for Windows/Mac, iPhone, iPad and Nexus S running Android 2.3). You can also select "other" and enter a custom user agent.


{ via François. Thanks, Venkat. }

Christmas Simplicity

Saturday, December 10, 2011 0 comments
For this card I have used a bauble and chain from the set 'Christmas Decorations and Embellishments' by My Paper World, and the Merry Christmas is from Kaiser, which I have had for a couple of years, but still find it useful.. I have stamped them in red and clear embossed. edged with a silver pen, and layered onto red card from stash.
I would like to enter the following challenges at
http://craftycardmakers.blogspot.com/   for heat embossing
http://www.doyoustackup.blogspot.com/   for something old (Kaiser stamp)
 http://celebratetheoccasion.blogspot.com/  for Christmas (no green)
 http://joannasheenchallenge.blogspot.com/   for Christmas Wishes
 http://trulymadlycraftychallenges.blogspot.com/   for Christmas

Thanks for looking.

Waka Flocka - Hi Jackin Planes (Official Video) (Streets Most Wanted Mini-Series Part 1)

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Frenchie - Money Too (Feat. Zoe Balla & Greedy) (Official Video)

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Directed by Tim Video

Yung Joey - She Thick (Feat. Slim Dunkin, Wooh Da Kid, Frenchie & Waka Flocka) [BTS]

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Waka Flocka Shows Off His New Rooster Chain At Shady 45

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Joe Moses - From Nothin' 2 Sumthin (Hosted By DJ Holiday & DJ Ill Will)

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French Montana & Waka Flocka - Hell On Earth 2K11 (Feat. Prodigy) [BTS]

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Frenchie - P Funk Role Call (Feat. Ft. Sony) (Official Video)

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Track Produced by J.Moss On Da Track.
Follow @Frenchie1017 @Sony_MDM @JMossOnDaTrack @MvisionFilms

Cartel MGM - Kilo Lingo (Hosted By Trap-A-Holics & DJ Spinz)

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It's A Southside Track Pt. 2 [Artwork]

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Coming Soon

Google Mobile Search Increases Text Size

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Google Mobile Search increased the text size for search results and reduced the number of words from the snippets. While this change made search results more legible, it also reduced the number of results that are displayed before you start scrolling.

On an iPhone, Google only displays two results in their entirety, instead of three results, and the snippets are way too short.

Old UI:


New UI:

Dream A Little Dream by Tracy

Friday, December 9, 2011 0 comments
Image from net.
Kits: Cracked Papers by Pink Lotty Designs (background)
and Inner Artiste by Rosey Posey.
Finished in fotosketcher xxx

Even Angels Dream by Gracie

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Used Angels Tend To Dream by Verena Designs x x
G

Google Search Pages Hide +1 Buttons

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+1 buttons no longer clutter Google's search results pages. They're now displayed when you mouse over the results for most of the pages. If you have +1'd a page, the button will be displayed by default to highlight the result.



In other search-related news, the preferences page has a new interface with custom controls, while the advanced search page switched back to the old interface. Maybe someone read this post and decided to fix the drop-down lists.


Gmail Integrates With Google+

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It looks like not only Google Contacts integrates with Google+. Gmail also added many features that make it easier to share files in Google+, add new people to your circles and find messages from these circles.

A lot of people complained that you can't find the messages sent or received by the members of a group. This feature is still not available, but you can restrict the messages to a circle. Gmail now displays the list of circles below the labels and you can use it to find mail from your family, friends, colleagues etc. It's obvious that groups are now less important than circles, even though I don't think they'll disappear.

"If you've spent time building your Google+ circles, you can now quickly use them to filter your mail, saving yourself from having to sift through that pile of daily deal emails and newsletters. You can see messages from all of your circles at once or from each individual circle. And if you want, you can show circle names on emails in your inbox. Contacts can also be filtered by circles, making it easier to view your social connections."


You can now add someone to a circle from the widget displayed in the right sidebar. There's also an easy way to share pictures from an email to Google+: just click "share" next to the attachment.


{ Thanks, Petros and Joost. }

Face Recognition in Google+

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Google+ is rolling out a feature called Find My Face, which helps other people tag you in their photos. Find My Face uses the face recognition data from Picasa Web Albums to make suggestions. The feature is disabled by the default and you can enable it from the settings page. Google says that it will share this data with the people you know, which probably means the people from your circles.

"Around the holidays, many of us get together with friends and family, and if you're like me, you take lots of photos! Tagging those photos can be a lot of work. So today we're launching Find My Face, an easier way to tag photos of yourself and your friends. By turning on Find My Face, Google+ can prompt people you know to tag your face when it appears in photos. Of course, you have control over which tags you accept or reject, and you can turn the feature on or off in Google+ settings. Find My Face will be rolling out over the next few days," informs Google.


Unlike Facebook, Google won't enable this feature by default. "We recognize that Google has to be extra careful when it comes to these [privacy] issues. Face recognition we will bring out once we have acceptable privacy models in place," said a Google employee back in March. VentureBeat concludes that "by making a simple opt-in procedure, Google will let the 'privacy-schmivacy' set enjoy the benefits of the new tech while sidestepping any accusations of dirty dealing from those who take privacy a bit more seriously".

{ Thanks, Venkat. }