Vintage Style Broaches

Pintrest has been a great forum for finding neat ideas and for some time I have been yearning to work on making some felt flowers. So last weekend my friend Tiffany braved a few differnt patterns.

• Dahlia
• Vintage-ish Broach
• Basic Five Point

After our brief exploration in the world of felt flowers I set out to do a batch of cute broaches for my girlfriends (to add to their holiday treat baskets). All-in-all I created about 10 broaches in one evening.

Here is what it took:

• Tools: Scissors, Hot Glue
• Materials: Felt, Stiffened Felt (nice backing for flower), Center Piece(s) (I like vintage buttons..but found a great look alike in covered bradlies), Something to Attach the Flower To (Pins, Barrettes, Ponytails, etc.)

Here is a shot of how they turned out:

<insert shot of vintage style broaches>

Photography Workshop for my B-Day!

Today I am taking a seminar on "Capturing True Emotion." This is my first training in photography. I have never taken a photography workshop or class really...though I did take a physics class once, "The Physics of Color Photography," but that was more a study of spectrum color.

I have decided it is time to actually learn formal technique and how to use all the power my equipment has to offer. Funny I spent so much time researching what to buy (from a technical perspective), yet I have not really taken the time to fully learn to use the equipment. I want to learn a lot this year!

The workshop was fairly basic, but it did force me to grab my manual to look up some things on my camera. After the workshop some of the group met to go put our skills to work at the zoo (though I think the zoo was a fairly odd selection for what we actually were trying to shoot). It was interesting, and I met a fellow photographer (Dave) that helped me stumble through finding some of the settings on my camera. This makes me realize I really should join a photo group to improve my skills.

For those who are interested in learning more (and summarizing helps me learn):

• Light - in every aspect of photography you are playing with light. Think of it as being an artist and painting with light!

• ISO - image sensitivity best correlates to the film speed in traditional photography this is how sensitive you want to image sensor to be to light. The higher your ISO, the more light it lets in. This does impact the quality of you photo (in grainy-ness/noise) so unless that is the desired effect you want to pay attention to the ISO you are shooting at.
• Low ISO (100-200) is for bright light days and high image quality.
• High ISO (>400) is for low light situations and reduce the image quality.

• Aperture - impacts light (low aperture lets in little light, high aperture lets in lots of light) and depth of field (i.e. what is in or our of focal range). If you want to blur objects in the background you have a short depth of field (much of this is controlled within your lens). If you want to see everything you need a shallow depth of field.
• Large Aperture (f/1.8,2,4,5.6) = shallow depth
• Practice using this, you want to zoom in and get close to your subject
• Small Aperture (f11,22,32) = longer depth
• Practice using this, you want to zoom out and get far from your subject

• Shutter Speed - impacts light (slow lets in little light, high lets in more) and controls motion.
• To freeze motion use a fast shutter speed (>1/500)
• Practice using this, water is a good subject.
• To blur motion use a slow shutter speed (<1/30)
• Practice using this, animals are a good subject.
• Note: if you are not using a tripod, you do not want to shoot below 1/60 to focus on your subject.

How this translates into digital photography (the modes on your camera):
AF Point: selects where you want to focus (center-weighted, spot, evaluate)

Metering Mode: measure the light for a specifics area in your scene that you want to use, then set to that desired metering mode for your image.

P (Programmable Mode): You control ISO (camera does the rest - watch the impact ISO has on aperture and shutter).
  *Practice by shooting in differnt light conditions. 
      If the shutter is slow, raise your ISO! (1/60 or faster if not on tripod!)
 
A/AV (Aperture Priority Mode): You set ISO + Aperture (camera controls the shutter speed).
  *Practice setting ISO and a desired aperture to accomplish different effects.
      If the shutter is slow, raise your ISO! (1/60 or faster if not on tripod!)

S/TV (Shutter Priority Mode): You control ISO + Shutter Speed.
  *Practice setting ISO and a desired shutter speed to accomplish different effects
      If the aperture can't open large enough, raise your ISO! (1/60 or faster if not on tripod!)

M (Manual Mode): You control ISO + Aperture + Shutter Speed.
  *Practice here is a mnemonic device to remember a good order for shooting in manual, remember -
   I AM So Freaking Cute:
     1) ISO - set based on lightening conditions (i.e. sunny, rainy, night)
     2) Aperture - set based on how much light you need for effect (i.e. short or deep field)
     3) Meter - measure and see light in a specific area of scene.
     4) Shutter Speed - set based on how much motion (try to get needle in the middle)
     5) Focus
     6) Compose

General Tips:

• Use your histogram to see the exposure levels (left is under exposed, right is over exposed).
• Your display lies.
• Things you want in composition: line, shape, form, color, texture, value, space.
• There are many elements, but start with mastering the above.
• Check out the Golden Section and Rule of Two Thirds for composition.
• Many examples out there to learn more.

Happy Birthday to me :)

Cupcakes

For Steve & Skye's 30th I signed up to do cupcakes.

With the fine help of Jason & Sara cupcakes were requested and we made some delicious Key Lime, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Rainbow Cupcakes with Moustaches.

 

I think they turned out fabulous and the chocolate peanut butter was a hit for sure!

Spring

Walking back to my car from the meeting this morning it felt in slow motion and I was caught off guard by the splendor. It is not often one would describe a dreary grey morning with the sky drizzling on your sweater as beautiful. Somehow I intuitively dressed to mirror the day and I could not help but let the thought of this paradox muster a smile. All the warmth escaped me as the wind blew across making the small hairs on my body rise from the chill. It was bright, so my eyes took a defensive stance against light and windy elements retreating into their squinted position. I felt intrinsic in that moment as though I were one with all the elements around me. Stopping for a moment to take it all in I watched as the cherry blossoms elegantly twirled across the rough concrete and made their way in little whips of air to surround me. It felt almost as though spring was working to enchant me as she danced around me ever so slightly brushing my cheek with her effervescent kisses.

I stopped momentarily savoring the complex layers of perfection. It is rare that you notice when such moments cross your path as we are so often caught up in the rest of the world. Spring in the air passed into my lungs and filled my body with a strange fulfillment. I promised myself to capture this image. Closing my eyes I panned across the scene retrieving each synapse as a still frame in my mind. I knew the memory could not entirely be capture this experienced in all the sounds and sensations. So I write this today as an observer and documenter.

Somehow I feel like I a meant to write this to capture today for some reason. Only time will reveal the mysteries of spring...I am excited to see what secrets she is yet to unravel.

Easter Eggs

Pig chicken - a miraculous creation during our Easter egg decorating adventure.

A basket full of died and glitter eggs :)

 

Some swirly eggs too!

Mommy Sierra

Today my best friend is having a baby! She is such an incredible person and I am so excited to see her share that warmth with Sander.

I remember the day we met. Tall person walking in the hall, who looked a little lost. I too was lost, not sure who to sit by. Strange how the simple things when you are young stay true through life. Who do I sit by in the lunch room, who do I talk to, what do I do to look like I don’t care, what’s the right way to show I do care.

The days flipping through magazines on Saturday morning looking at the pics of a life more glamorous than our own. Talking about dreams and goals that we are now living.

She is still the poised, artistic, and compassionate person I always looked up to. So interesting how one day you open your eyes and realize that the dreams and goals of yesterday are what we are living today.

I am proud to be a part of her life and now she will be the most wonderful mommy.

Congratulations!

Tatting

Tonight Sara and I took a tatting class! It was really pretty fun. The teacher was not the greatest, but it was for sure quiet an interesting and different skill to learn. It was just the two of us and an old lady (that the teacher called by name - though I do not think she got our names through the whole evening).

Tatting is done with a shuttle. This is a small plastic or metal contraption with a hook on one end. The whole process is done through tieing very detailed small knots.

The end product is a hand lace, often used on the end of hankercheif or fine detail work for the hems of sewed items.

Here is a sample of the different thread sizing for reference:


I will describe the full technique and how to do it very shortly and provide some more images. For now I am reminding myself how far I am behind on my blog and putting placeholders to get caught up!!!