By Melanie Blodgett.

If you have some serious crafting skills and love Alt Summit, this contest has your name written all over it. Kollabora is teaming up with Alt Summit to give bloggers, designers and makers of all kinds the chance to create the most pin-worthy fashion forward accessory. The three finalists will win a trip ticket to Alt Summit 2013 and the chance to teach their original tutorial in-person at Alt SLC!

Here’s what you need to do to earn one of those three coveted spots:

• 1) Create a fashion accessory that is either sewing, jewelry, or knitting based. One entry from each category will be selected as a winner. 
•  2) Sign up for Kollabora (it’s free!) and upload all steps and corresponding photos to your project. 
•  3) By November 5th, post your most “pin-worthy” picture from the tutorial to Pinterest and caption it Kollabora Alt Summit. 
•  4) Spread the word and wait for the winner to be announced November 12th.

One finalist will be the most “Pin Worthy” and will win based on number of total re-pins. The other two finalists will be judge’s picks and will be selected by Kollabora, Alt Summit and BERNINA. Consideration will be based on quality of project, photographs, style, and level of technique.

The three finalists will win a trip ticket to Alt Summit 2013, the chance to teach their original tutorial in-person at Alt SLC and $100 gift certificate to use on Kollabora. In addition to this amazing opportunity, they will also get the chance to become a Kollabora ambassador with future opportunities to promote your work. Now get crafting!

Read on for the small print.

By Victoria Hudgins. Artwork by Les Deux Garcons.

While we are just starting to see the leaves turn and the fall chill set in, it is not too early to be thinking about your holiday blog sponsorship. The coming months are the busiest shopping months of the year, and your advertisers are waiting and ready to connect THEIR products with YOUR readers. Here are five tips to make the most of the season by strengthening your advertising partnerships:

1) Share vision

Whether you are talking with current sponsors or interested new companies, be sure to share a compelling vision for the season. What are you excited about showcasing during the holidays? What is your blog aesthetic, and how will you bring something unique to the blogging world this holiday season? If you are planning a special series or focus, then share it! Advertisers want to know that you are committed to growing your site and reach. A strong vision compells them to come on board.

2) Offer something special

As eager as companies are to advertise this season, everyone is counting their pennies. A company will want to know they are getting a good investment with your site. It is a great time of year to offer up a little something special to entice a partnership. Are you doing a gift guide? Consider including your advertisers (with proper disclosure of course). Are you throwing a party? Perhaps they have products you could use. A featured post or giveaway can be great incentive for sponsors to come on board. Even something as simple as your Christmas Cards can be the start of a strong site sponsorship.

By guest contributor Ciera Holzenthal. Photography by Darwin Bell.

Twitter is a great way to promote your content, share your expertise, and connect with like-minded people. It is a fast and easy way to give quick updates to followers. Here are a few easy tips for using Twitter to grow your blog:

Tweet Regularly
Tweet when you publish a new blog post, and then again later in the day. Since content flows quickly on Twitter, it’s okay to post multiple tweets about the same thing. Just make sure you are not posting the same exact tweet all day long. Switching up the intro to a link helps to keep your followers engaged and interested in your content.

Explain Your Links
Be sure to give a short description that’s intriguing and will entice your readers to click on the link. Your followers should trust your twitter content, so give accurate information.