Best Squidoo Lenses
Top Linchpin Challenge Lenses
Feb 17th
We didn’t get a lot of Linchpin lenses submitted for this challenge but the ones we did get are outstanding! Take a look!
Going for Giant
Going for 100 Club
100 Club Members
And even though this particular challenge was for Linchpin people outside of Squidoo, I think it’s completely appropriate to showcase:
A Linchpin Like Me by 100 Club member enslavedbyfaeries who created her own Linchpin lens after attending a luncheon where Seth Godin was speaking. Read it to learn why!
Top Lenses from the Back to Basics Challenge
Feb 11th
Sorry for being so tardy in posting these. It’s been a crazy week!
Going for Giant
Know the Benefits of Meditating
Drift into the Driftless Market
Ultimate Frisbee Best Sport Ever
Going for 100 Club
Already a 100 Club Member
Squidoo Pets
Feb 8th
Giant Squid lensmaster OhMe has created a fun lens about Squidoo Pets.
Excerpt: Lensmasters on Squidoo have often written about their pets so I thought it would be fun to have a quiz to see who can quess which pet belongs to who.
The lens is just adorable but what I really like about it is the way it’s designed, and how she used several Quiz modules, each containing one question, instead of placing all of the questions into one. This really spotlights each question, and pet, and I’d bet it inspires more people to answer her questions.
Have you used a quiz module in a creative way? Share the link here so we can all take a look.
And be sure to stop by OhMe’s Squidoo Pets lens to try your luck!
It’s Monday! Are you busy working on a new lens? Did you know that more lenses get created on Mondays than any other day of the week?
The next busiest day for lens creation is hump day, Wednesday.
Top Music Challenge Lenses
Feb 3rd
For last week’s Giant Squid Training Camp lens challenge we teamed up with the RocketMoms and the Squidoo Music blog.
Tons of new lenses were created and I honestly have no way of knowing who posted their lenses where. 
So in order to show off at least some of the many great lenses that were created for this challenge I’m going to post the lenses that were added to to Friends of the RocketMoms plexo at the RocketMoms Session 5: Music Lens
- Top 3 Rock Bands of the 70’s
- Robert Lockwood Jr.
- Coffee Cup Blues
- Folk Music Icons in Concert
- Fairport Convention
You’ll find this week’s GSTC lens challenge by visiting: Back to Basics Lens Challenge
All are invited to participate, no matter how many lenses you have!
GSTC – Top Hey MonkeyBrain! Lenses
Jan 27th
Last Week’s GSTC – (Giant Squid Training Camp) lens challenge was to build a Hey MonkeyBrain! lens that really got people talking.
We had many awesome entries but here are the top two from each category that had the most discussion going on when I viewed them this morning.
Going for Giant
Cats are TOTALLY Better than Dogs
Going for 100 Club
Animals Should be Rescued after a Natural Disaster
Who are you Calling a Monkey Brain?
Already in the 100 Club
Visit the Hey MonkeyBrain Lens Challenge lens to see all of the wonderful participating lenses.
This week’s challenge is to create a Music Lens. Read all about it here: 1/27/2010 GSTC Music Lens
Visit the So You want to be a Giant Section of Squidu to join us for Giant Squid Training Camp!
All are invited to join in, no matter how many lenses you have!
You’ll find all past daily tips and weekly lens challenges at the Official Giant Squid Training Camp Lens
Top About Me Lenses
Jan 20th
The top lenses from last week’s Giant Squid Training Camp About Me lens challenge were:
Going for Giant
Going for 100 Club
- Quiz: What Do You Know About Ohme?
- My Charm Bracelets
- Living Happily Ever After
- 10 Favorite Love Songs From My Past
100 Club Members
Oops! There were no lenses added to the 100 Club members plexo. Somebody missed the chance to get 2 quick backlinks.
This week’s Giant Squid Training Camp weekly lens challenge was posted today at Squidu.
Learn more and join us for the next lens challenge at: Hey Monkeybrain Lens Challenge
Everyone is invited to participate, no matter how many lenses you have!
And the Top Lenses Are…
Jan 12th
During the December Giant Squid Challenge, which was held at the Ning, the Giant Squid Greeters ran several lens challenges for our participants.
The following are the top lenses from those challenges made by Giants going for the 100 Club. Be sure to visit each of these awesome lenses!
- Local Lenses – Visiting a Covered Bridge
- Animals and Nature – Teton Trek at the Memphis Zoo
- Books – The Gift of the Traveler – Book Review
- About Me – Loving an Alcoholic
- How To and DIY – Man-Tracking 101: How to Find and Follow Tracks for Search and Rescue
- Parenting and Kids – Holiday Tips for Special Needs Kids
- Halloween – The Green Man Jack O’Lantern
- Entertainment – Who is James Galway
- Holiday – Decorating Our Christmas Tree
- Pop Culture – Twilight Meadow Scene
- Shopping – Footed Fleece Pajamas
Watch for our first weekly lens challenge for this quarter to be posted tomorrow at the So You Want to be a Giant Squid thread at Squidu.
December’s Top Lenses and New Lens Challenge Information
Jan 11th
During the December Giant Squid Challenge, which was held at the Ning, the Giant Squid Greeters ran several lens challenges for our participants. Top lenses were chosen for their Giant Squid quality and let me tell you that it was reported to me that the competition was really tough. A visit to each of these amazing lenses is well worth your time!
Here are the top lenses created by our potential Giants from those challenges.
- Local Lens Challenge – Top Ten Sport Climbing Areas In Colorado
- Animals and Nature – Really Weird Mammals
- Books – The Best True-Life Family History Stories
- About Me – Survival as a Straight Spouse
- How To and DIY – How to Cook Healthy
- Parenting and Kids – Ever Wonder What It’s Like to Homeschool?
- Halloween – Group Halloween Costume Guessing Game
- Entertainment – The Best Marilyn Monroe Movie: The Seven Year Itch
- Holiday – Have a Chic White Christmas Party
- Pop Culture – Life Lessons from Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang
- Shopping – Wine Gift Ideas for Wine Enthusiasts
Stop back tomorrow to see the top lenses that were created by the potential 100 Club members!
This time around Bonnie and I will be posting the top lenses at both the So You Want to be a Giant Squid blog and here at the Showcase, on a weekly basis. (Two separate posts to give you double the backlink power!) There will now be 3 categories so that everyone can join the fun!
Going for Giant – for people who have 1 – 50 (or more) lenses who are not yet a Giant Squid.
Going for 100 Club – for people who have 51 – 100 (or more) lenses and not yet a member of the 100 club.
100 Club Members – for lensmasters who are already members of the 100 Club.
Please Note: We’ll be posting the new lens challenges at Squidu on Wednesdays from now on. (Instead of our usual Friday) So be sure to start looking for the top lenses from the new contests every Wednesday starting January 20, 2010.
Spotlight on SandySpider
Jan 5th
100 Club Member SandySpider takes the Squidoo Spotlight today and shares a bit about her other online ventures, her first lens and why she made it, her favorite lens topics and she also explains the background of her interesting screen name.
1. Tell us a bit about your Zazzle store, Sandyspider Gifts?
Both Cafepress and Zazzle might still be a mystery to me, if it were not for Squidoo.
One of the drawbacks of having a basic shop on Cafepress is that you need several different shops (URLs) for each product design. Basic shops are “blah” looking. This is one of my many shops. Election Canine Merchandise
Then I found Zazzle! They offer several sharp looking headers to use or you can upload your own header and make it all your own for free. I have seen some very professional looking shops on Zazzle, where on Cafepress you would have to be a premium shopkeeper. Though there are plus and minuses to both shops.
Sandyspider Gifts started when we were setting a winter record. Snowfall Records for December 2008 It look like there was no end to this bad weather. Immediately a picture of an evil snowflake came to my mind. I created it, uploaded the image as the first product on Zazzle and called it Snowflake Zombie In the product description, “Winter weather can be harsh! If you are not careful…snow can kill!”
Sandyspider Gifts has expanded in a variety of product lines. Products about animals, Hawaii, Wisconsin, flowers, Halloween, chocolate, Favre, spiders, artwork of my daughter’s and her friend, and the list goes on. I would like to say that there is a little of something for everyone.
sandyspider’s Zazzle Gallery Showcase has a list of the many product lines and some of the lenses that are inspired by it.
2.. What is your favorite topic to write about and why?
At first it was about The SpiderWeb and letting everyone know that I have an ebook site. Ebook Tree Saver
A favorite topic is hard for me to define (still looking for that niche.) I just love to write and Squidoo is addictive. My dog Buddy has inspired me to write the many pet lenses, then there are the Travel Wisconsin lenses, not to mention Zazzle.
I found that recipe lenses are fun to write. My first recipe lens has a special meaning for me. It was my introduction to CSS. The first time I wrote my secret recipe down. I was able to get my family involved with making the recipe. Put it on YouTube and add it to the lens. Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup I’m still hoping that (someday) it will make LOTD and a Purple Star.
3. Which lens was first and what inspired you to write it?
In May 2008 I had became a member of the SpiderWeb Marketing System dishing out money on Adwords and countless hours on traffic exchanges promoting this free opportunity. I had read an article from someone on Squidoo before, but thought it was their own personal site. Then I went back to find that this was a social networking site and I could write my own articles. I decided that this was a good way to get the word out about the SpiderWeb Marketing.
I joined Squidoo on July 4, 2008, but it was July 15, 2008 that I wrote my first lens. The SpiderWeb Black Widow Venom At the time my convictions of The SpiderWeb Marketing System were strong. I had planned on making a fortune on this. Many people have done quiet well. But as anything, you get what you put into it. What is successful for one person isn’t always successful for another. Otherwise, we would all be doing the exact same thing.
I am a totally free member of the streams of opportunities it has to offer. The SpiderWeb has changed completely from when it was in Beta. Some of the membership sites that I have joined are no longer part of the system. I still think The SpiderWeb Marketing System has its merit; it has helped me along the way. At times there are some valuable marketing webinars that are beneficial for any entrepreneur. I would still recommend it to anyone who wants to try it.
FYI…the name sandyspider came when I signed up with the SpiderWeb and I have been using it since on other sites.
4. Hawaii or Alaska?
If my husband were to answer this, he would say Alaska. I have always wanted to go to the Big Island of Hawaii
In closing Squidoo is the country club of networks. The community is one of the best out there. Thank you to so many helpful people along the way. Squidoo is a place to be creative, go outside your comfort zone and distress your life.
StraySpay – Nobody can choose just one!
Dec 23rd
When I asked Giant Squid Lensmaster StraySpay to tell me about her favorite lens, she had a hard time deciding.
Her final decision was to showcase two lenses instead! Here’s why:
I am so happy to be part of the Squidoo community .. I’m tempted to say Squidoo family because that’s how I feel about a number of you. When I heard that one of my lenses had been nominated for the 2009 Giant Squid Award I was amazed. After all the great lens I’ve read mine has been picked? But when I received the notification that a lens about Gillis, a dog I had loved and lost, was chosen I went through stages. First disbelief, second numbness and third hysterical joy.
I can’t tell you one favorite lens because there are two I favor equally, they are my 50th lens and my 100th lens. ~Strayspay
50th: In my Dream a Squid came by to Chat
100th: Squidoo has Awesome Lenses
Be sure to visit StraySpay’s Lensography to see more of her wonderful work.
