Demonstrators who do stamp clubs or would like to share training videos with their downline may want to create and upload private videos and may not want the videos available on YouTube for the general public to view. Here is how to make a blog with private videos using YouTube and Blogger. Note: Keep in mind that when using YouTube (which is free), you will get promos at the end of your video to other videos (which may not be yours). If this bothers you, then you may want to invest in a paid membership service (such as Ning) to keep your videos free of ads and promos.

Written Instructions:

1. Login to YouTube (upload a video if you don't already have some posted.)

2. Click on "My Videos" in the dropdown menu by your username (upper right side)

3. Scroll down to the video you want (I chose "Stamping on a Wine Glass") and click "Edit"

4. Under "Broadcasting and Sharing Options" click on "Unlisted"

5. Click "Save Changes"

6. Add "place" information, date information for the video if you desire and "Save changes"

7. Click on "My Videos" in the dropdown menu by your username (upper right side)

8. Scroll down to the video you want (I chose "Stamping on a Wine Glass")

9. Click on the Name of the video to go to that video's page

10. Click on "Embed" under the video. Select and copy the code in the box.

11. Go to a new post in your Club or Downline Blogger blog. Click on "Edit HTML", Paste your YouTube video code, Click on "Compose" and add text to your post. Click on "Publish Post"

12. To protect your blog from public viewing, click on "Settings", click on "Permissions"

13. Change "Blog Readers" from "Anybody" to "Only People I Choose" and invite members by entering their email addresses. Click "Invite"

14. Now you have a FREE private Video blog for your Club Members or for Downline training. Enjoy!

Interested in learning more about monitor resolutions and how it affects your blog design? I wrote an article about it which can be found here: Optimizing your Blog Width for Best "Fit"

Enjoy!

I've had a few people ask me how to add a Facebook "Like" button to their blog. Heather Wright Porto at BlogsbyHeather.com has written two tutorials… one for Blogger and the other for Typepad.

Please click on the links for the tutorials!

Facebook "Like" button for Typepad

Facebook "Like" button for Blogger

For those who want to move their blog from Typepad to Blogger, one of the problems you may encounter is that the images don't convert along with the posts. I'm sure the thought that you will need to re-upload all your images into your past posts does not make you happy. This tip won't eliminate the work, but it will make it less painful for you.

If you are using a Mac, Download the Picasa software and add your images from your former posts into it.

Upload your images from Picasa software into Picasa Web Albums in bulk into your blog image gallery

Have your blog image gallery open and your blog admin open at the same time in two separate windows.

In each old post, toggle to html and change the image links from the Typepad link to the image link in your Picasa web album. Save

That's it.

You'll need a Mac and you'll need to know a little html to do this, but you can save some upload time this way.

 Here is a Random number generator for you to use when you give away Blog Candy!

Random.org

Have fun!

While you’re waiting to see some new finished blogs, I’d like to mention something that … well… I discovered quite by accident today when I happened to be on the phone with Amy Celona.

We were chit-chatting about … stuff… and I had mentioned that I needed to take a look at my old (currently abandoned) Blogger blog to see if I had any links up there to Design Team companies I used to design for. I’d need to take those off to remain in compliance with the new IDA.

So… I go there… to my old stamping blog on Blogger… and guess what???

Without my knowledge, it was hi-jacked!

Yes! 

It was hi-jacked!

So… guess what, Blogger users… be careful, your blogs can easily be hi-jacked! And then your only alternative is to reset it up using a new url, which is exactly what I did.

It is up and running again here. And I made the old one private so no one will see spam when they go there.

It was a fairly easy fix for me. I was able to fix it in about half hour while I was multitasking…

but for those with Blogger blogs, Beware of the Evil Blog Hi-jacker!

Maybe it would be a good time to pay for a privately hosted WordPress blog or invest in Typepad! 

One learns something new every day… I sure learned something today!