erin terrell clarkson [etc]

Create Your Own Custom iPhone Ringtone

I haven't done a tech-related post lately, so here's a fun one...

Want to make your own iPhone ringtones? Of course you do! Otherwise you'll end up using the cheesy options Apple gives you. (And really, who wants a quacking duck as their ringtone? NOT ME!) 

Here's a step-by-step tutorial. First, always make sure you're using the most updated version of iTunes. Just makes sense to keep things updated, right? I'm using 10.2 (or something like that) for this tutorial. The next thing to remember is that the iPhone currently only allows for a 30 second ringtone, so, you'll need to find a song that has a 30 second section or chorus you like. 

• Right-click on the song you want to make into a ringtone and select "get info". [For my sample, I'm going to go with Joe Nichols' "Gimmie That Girl".]    

           

• Select the "options" tab and go to "start time" and "stop time". Check both boxes. Put the time you want your ringer to start and to stop. (Remember, the ringtone has to be less than 30 seconds). Click "OK". [For my sample, I'll have it start at 35 seconds and end at 59 seconds.]

          

• Right-click on your newly "clipped" version of the song and select "Create AAC Version". (This will only work for songs that aren't Digital Rights Management [DRM] protected songs. If your selected song is DRM protected, you'll have to use Garage Band to create an iPhone ringtone. HERE is a tutorial for doing it that way.)

          

• After creating the AAC version, go to your iTunes "Music" folder and locate the song. You should have two versions of the song now - the full version and the "clipped" version you've just created. 

           

• Select the "clipped" version and drag it to your desktop.

           

• Go back to your iTunes Music folder, locate the "clipped" version of your song, and delete it.

          

• Return to the song on your desktop, and change the extension from .m4a to .m4r (select ".m4r" when the pop-up window asks which extension you prefer to use). [You can see the file in the lower right-hand corner on my desktop here]:

          

• Go back to your iTunes Music folder and find the original version of your song. Right click on it again, select "get info", go to the "options" tab, and be sure to uncheck the two boxes next to stop and start time (so the full-length of the song will play again). 

          

• Double-click on the song on your desktop and iTunes will automatically load it into your ringtones folder. From there, all you have to do is connect your iPhone to your computer/iTunes and update your ringtones. [Sorry if you're offended by any of my ringtones listed in the photo below, but I'm not going to delete them for the sake of this tutorial because they are ringtones I actually use. ;o)]   

           

If you have any questions, ask away in the comments! 

Scrapbooks etc Page Share: February 2011 (It's Official...)

Sharing another layout from the February issue of Scrapbooks etc. This one is in the Made In Minutes category, so it's a great one to copy for those of you who prefer your pages to be quick and easy. 

This is a page about my parents 45th wedding anniversary. I just love the photos! They're so cute together. My parents have been through plenty of rough patches - just like any other couple - but it's so sweet for me to see them kissing and holding hands after so many years together. They make me believe in true love!

How adorable are they?

As seen in Scrapbooks etc. February 2011 issue (page 116). SOURCES Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper. Patterned paper: BasicGrey (pink), Little Yellow Bicycle (green). Font: Gill Sans off the Internet. Stickers: American Crafts (letters, "45"), BasicGrey ("it can't get better than this...", pink circle), Fancy Pants Designs (blue stars). Die Cut: BasicGrey. Punch: Fiskars. Software: Adobe Photoshop CS5.

I'm only showing a peek of this page so you will go out and buy the magazine. I can't show all of my pages here!! Truthfully, I lost the shot of the full layout or I'd probably show it, too. ;o) But still...go buy the magazine. 

Scrapbooks etc. Page Share: February 2011 (I Left My Heart In SC)

I wanted to share a layout I created for the February issue of Scrapbooks etc. I can't list the page number and sources, because I haven't received my copy yet - but I will try to remember to add that information once my copy arrives. Since some of you may be scrapping Valentines pages right about now, it seems like a good time to share:

Here is a detail shot:

I designed my title in Adobe Photoshop and added a dingbat font in the shape of a heart. I printed the photo, then used a needle to poke holes along the inner edges of the heart. I stitched pink floss through the holes to fill the heart - I like the way it adds a bit of texture to the page.

The photo of me with my parents is from this summer (2010), when Daisy and I visited South Carolina for our summer vacation. We ended up spending the majority of our visit in the hospital, because my dad had to have heart surgery. As soon as his doctor released him from the hospital, he insisted we drive down to Hilton Head and spend the last few days of our vacation together at the beach. That's just the way my dad is...always worrying about everyone else and making sure the people around him are happy. My parents are both so amazing. I truly have the best family a girl could ever hope for!!

We had a great time, and I just enjoyed every second I was able to spend with them. We even celebrated my parents 45th wedding anniversary while we were there that weekend! We had the "best steak on the planet" (according to Daisy) and the 'most expensive steak on the planet' (judging by the price on the receipt). It was all worth it, because Daisy still talks about that steak - and I still have fond memories of watching my parents walk hand-in-hand down the pier outside of that restuarant. I love visiting my parents, and I do leave a little piece of my heart behind each time I return to Texas. I hope they know how much I miss them. (I love you Mom and Dad!)

Thinking of You card

I just made a card for a friend (Danni, that would be you. lol) and thought I'd post it here. Hope everyone is doing well and having a great 2011. 

The stickers and papers are from Imaginisce. 

•     Imaginisce Garden Party 6x6 paper pad
•     Imagnisce Garden Party Sticker Stackers

Here's a full shot of the card:

Christmas Decor

I wanted to show a VERY easy idea for Christmas decorating. I know you have photo frames around the house, right? I have them in every room, but I've mentioned before that I like to swap the photos out to represent the season - particularly Christmas.

Here is what I did with two frames to add some holiday spirit to the house:

Both frames are from Pottery Barn. I removed the glass from the frames so I could add bulkier embellishments. I'll store the glass someplace safe (under a bed is always good) until the holidays are over.

For the "JOY" frame, I filled each 4x6 photo opening with lime green snowflake paper. I then added large turquoise letters to each opening to spell out the word "JOY". I lightly sanded the edges of the letters so they would stand out against the green background. Next, I added cardstock and patterned paper to decorate a white chipboard Christmas tree and stars. I adhered all of the chipboard items with dimensional adhesive.

The chipboard shapes are made by Little Yellow Bicycle and you can find them HERE at Scrapbook.com or HERE at 2Peas. The sparkly cardstock is Gemstone cardstock by Core'dinations.

To create the Santa frame, I backed the 5x7 opening with turquoise paper. I trimmed Santa from a sheet of cut-outs, then used dimensional adhesive to adhere him in the opening. I added ribbon and a cotton ball to finish off his hat.

The Santa Christmas cut-out is made by Little Yellow Bicycle and you can purchase it HERE at Scrapook.com or HERE at 2Peas.

I can't stress how easy these projects are. You can select patterned papers to coordinate the decor of any room. The samples shown here are playful, but keep reading and I'll show a very simple way to create a more traditional look. 

Photo Gift deals...

I wish I had checked my email earlier today so I wouldn't be posting this deal so late, but I'm still posting it so someone can hopefully benefit from it. 

If you use Groupon (or even if you don't - you should) click on the Groupon link over there on the right side of my blog [the fourth and fifth blinkies down under the "for the holidays" link section] --------->

You can order a 16x20 canvas print for only $45. THAT is an amazingly good deal for that size on wrapped canvas. There are only 3 1/2 hours left to get the deal, though. That even includes shipping and handling! Or you can get a gift card worth $126.95 (the regular price for a 16x20 print). It's one of the daily deals for San Antonio, but it's an online website, so you don't have to live in San Antonio to cash in on it. 

Same thing if you want to order a photo book. One of the daily deals for Chicago today is $10 for a 40 page 8x8 soft cover book from A&I Books. That's an online site, so you can order the deal no matter where you live. 

I happen to love giving photo books for Christmas. I have one I recently made for this awesome lady, and I can't wait to give it to her. It's full of photos from a recent trip to the Bahamas. Here's a little peek (a tiny photo because I have no idea if she looks at this little website of mine):

Also, did I mention that I received my Christmas card order from Tiny Prints? (that link is also under the "for the holidays" section) So pretty... I highly recommend that website for Christmas cards. I'm hooked on them, 100%. They have amazing customer service.

OK, I'm off to watch bridalplasty. Daisy and I are hooked on it - it's like watching a train wreck. Check back tomorrow because I'm going to show an easy idea for Christmas decor!

*edited to add... if the groupon link doesn't work, try this one: groupon link

Catching Up

I wanted to mention a fun event happening this weekend. If you're in or near the San Antonio area, stop by North Central Baptist Hospital this Saturday (December 11th, 2010) from 10-3 for the Stone Oak Winter Festival. It's a huge FREE event for the community with parades, games, and tons of prizes. Santa is flown in on the airllife helicopter and real snow is brought in for the kids to play with (My friend Kathleen is probably laughing at the fact that we actually pay someone to bring snow to San Antonio, right Kathleen? She lives in Colorado and is always trying to escape the snow!). Here is a link with more information about the event and here is a link with a map to the hospital. I'll be volunteering there, so be sure to say hi if you bring the kids out to play!

Ho Ho Ho!! Did you know there are only 16 days left until Christmas?

I've posted a photo collage I created from our trip to Gruene this past weekend (mentioned in my last post). It's such a fun little town, and it looks beautiful now that it's all lit up for Christmas. Now I just need to make a trip down to the San Antonio Riverwalk to see how pretty it is for the holidays. The lights reflecting on the river always look amazing. It's listed as the number one southern city for viewing Christmas lights according to Southern Living magazine, so it's a sight to see if you've never been before.

Gruene, TX:

Hope you're all having a great December so far!

Shopping Links

Cyber Monday. That means I'm in the shopping mood. (but when am I not?) I know, I should just turn this blog into a shopping one instead of a crafting one. Don't tempt me, because I might. :o)

This dress is soooo cute for holiday parties!! In South Texas, that is - I don't know if you'd want to wear it where it's snowing. I don't even know if my workplace has parties - I guess I need to find out.

 
If I could have any dress on the planet right now, I would want this one that Leighton Meester wore to promote Herbal Essences recently. I don't know who makes it, but I want it!! Here's another view of it: awesome dress. That website is a great time-waster, btw. 

This town is the best place for shopping. Seriously - love it. Daisy and I just spent a day there this weekend, and we didn't want to leave. I would consider moving there, but that would probably be dangerous for my wallet. I would literally shop all day, every day. This store is my favorite. This restaurant is one of the best in Texas. If you want to visit Gruene anytime soon, go on December 4th!! I'll be there then because they're having their Town Lighting that day. Cowboy Kringle rides into town on horseback and lights Gruene for the holidays. The kids can have their photos taken with him while he's there. Gruene Market Days are going on that weekend, too. That also happens to be the day when the Pony Express makes a stop in Gruene and riders bring a Christmas message from the Governor of Texas. If you bring your Christmas cards you can have them stamped that day with the 2010 commemorative stamp of Gruene, TX. Let me know if you're going that day and I'll meet you out there. :o)

My favorite new shop in San Antonio...Brittan's House. Such cute clothes for me and awesome goodies for the house + a great place to shop for last minute gifts. 

This t-shirt...I love it. It's from The Sabrina Barnett Collection and many of her items support various women's charities. I just love the angel wings on the back of it. 

Cyber Monday deals: 

Francesca's has free shipping if you aren't lucky enough to have a store near you. 20% off one piece of jewelry, 30% off two pieces, and 40% off three or more. 

Macy's buy one get one free on select boots. Hello?! Awesome deal. If you buy these can you please get a free pair in size 6.5 to send to me? Muchas gracias. 

Abercrombie has 25% off and free shipping on orders of $150 or more (which is easy enough to do in that store - just buy 3 things and you're already at 150 bucks. *wink*). Same deal at abercrombie kids. You only have to spend $125 at Hollister to get that deal. Even less at Gilly Hicks (my personal fave out of that batch of stores) - just spend $100 there to get 25% off and free shipping. 

Guess has 25% off and free shipping. 

Finally, if you're ordering Christmas cards from Tiny Prints (like I am - thanks for all of the help voting on my cards btw...i'm going with the holiday hat tri-fold style) the cyber Monday sale is for $10 off a $49+ order, $20 off a $99+ order, and $50 off a $199+ order. cyber50 is the code and you can click on the blinkie over on the upper right side of this blog to get there ------>

Have fun shopping! Let me know of any good deals if you find them. Not that I need an excuse to spend any more money. ;o) 

 

 

 

 

Scrapbooks etc. Page Share: Dec 2010 (Everyday Blessings)

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted to share a page from the December issue of Scrapbooks etc. This page just shows a few of the little everyday blessings I'm thankful for - sometimes it's the smallest things in life that make me happiest. 

(click on the photo to see it larger)

As seen in Scrapbooks etc. December 2010 issue (page 21). SOURCES Patterned paper: American Crafts (yellow), BasicGrey (purple), Fancy Pants Designs (blue-and-cream, green). The Girls' Paperie (numbers). Font: VT Portable Remington off the Internet. Chipboard accents: Heidi Swapp (letters), Imagination Project ("November"). Ribbon: Fancy Pants Designs. Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3:. Software: Adobe Photoshop CS5.

To create this page, I just gathered a few random fall photos that made me happy. The left-hand side of the page is a photo collage sized to 8x8" and printed on 8x10" photo paper. Looks like this:

I didn't even bother layering the photos neatly, because I knew I'd be adding patterned paper (and ribbon) over them:

I trimmed big funky numbers from patterned paper to label each photo, because I liked the pop of color it added to the page. 

On the right-hand side of the layout, I used tone-on-tone chipboard letters to create the title and I curved the path to follow along the lines of the bracket shaped patterned paper:

The journaling uses a typewriter-style font and I trimmed strips of tone-on-tone paper there, too. I like the way it makes the journaling stand out a little bit, without being too distracting.

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you celebrating, and I hope you all travel safely. 

Help Me Decide On Christmas Cards

This weekend Daisy and I had our Christmas card photo shoot with this fantastic lady. Jana is amazing and I highly recommend her if you are anywhere near the San Antonio area and want to have photos done.

Here are a few sneak peeks she sent me:

(My fave, bc I told her "you made me look skinny!". Hee hee...)

This one I love bc it looks like the perfect Texas setting, right? I'll taunt all of my friends up north and say "Warm Winter Wishes" or something like that. ;o)

I always send a photo of Daisy by herself in my Christmas cards so family can frame it or add it to the fridge or whatever. This is her favorite and the one I'll send out for her:

While the rest are being edited, I figured I'd put my Christmas cards up to a vote. I'm not making a single Christmas card this year. That probably amounts to something like blasphemy for someone who works in the crafting industry, but I don't care. I want a stress-free Christmas, so that means I'm ordering cards. 

Help me out by picking your favorites from the ones below. I'm probably going to do one of the tri-fold type cards for family, so they will get more pictures, and one of the simpler ones for everyone else on the list (to save $$$).

Love/Peace/Joy Tri-Fold card from Tiny Prints

Holiday Hat Tri-Fold card from Tiny Prints

Merry Christmas Ornament card from Tiny Prints (genius! a card your recipient can hang on the tree!)

Joyous Wishes Square card from Tiny Prints

Inspirational Square card from Tiny Prints

Joy/Peace/Love Ornate Snowflakes card from Tiny Prints

Merry Modern Collage card from Shutterfly 

Peppermint Pink card from Shutterfly

OK, that's enough. I could go on picking out various card styles forever. Help me narrow it down -- what should I pick? Thanks!