Ahhhh ~ the crispness in the air just makes you want to take the deepest breath ever! This will be our last "unseen" month up here and we are looking forward to it so much! It's hard to believe that we've been up here for almost a whole year already. Time flies ~
You know how you get the "evil eye" from people when you point a camera at them and the flash from it literally blinds them for several minutes? Well, there's a totally "free" and really great way to avoid that. If your camera has a pop up flash, you can use an empty clear/opaque film canister {I got several from the local CVS, they have them in a drawer @ the Photo counter}. You just cut out a rectangle with a hobby/exacto knife a little larger than the flash on your camera, so that it will fit on there snug enough to not fall off: And that's it! This also works great for taking photos of your items when you don't want the "flash" taking away from the pictures. Another "free" diffuser is an empty cigarette packet. I've never tried it, but people I know who have says it works great:
...is actually the name of a book I have, but I always thought it was quite a "catchy" title. Now I'm not sure about how much "smart advice" I can give, but hints & tips I'm pretty sure I have plenty to share. What I understand from most people on Etsy is that their biggest challenge is pictures. Of course, when you are photographing jewelry, the challenge is even greater. I've found that you can get the best pictures outside, under the shade of a porch, with indirect sun light, or even better on an overcast day. Use the "macro" setting on your camera and get the lens as close to your subject as possible, without losing the focus. Take at least 10 pictures, at all different angles and use whatever props you have available. I have a giant seashell and several big flat rocks {readily available around here!} that I use most of the time. I also have several childrens picture books that are great for backgrounds, as well:But I guess the most important thing is software, so you can lighten/darken your pictures and crop them to the all requested "Etsy Square"! I personally use "PhotoShop CS Version 8.0", but there are lots of other options. If you want to purchase software,"PhotoShop Elements 5.0" is great. It's not very expensive and you can purchase this book "Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 Classroom In A Book" that will teach you hands on lessons on how to use the program. But, if you want something for "free" that is totally awesome, I would suggest downloading "Picasa 3"from Google. It is a wonderful program and allows you to do tons of really cool things with your pictures. I promise you will love it!
Well, I gotta run for now. I'm feeling a little better ~ I hope I'm on the downside of my cold. But before I go, I must share these awesome little earrings I made this morning and please do check out the shop ~ I have several new things in there from yesterday :) I named them "Dogwood In Fall", because they were inspired by the Dogwood trees that are bursting with these awesome little red pods right now:I hope this post helps a few people. Check back tomorrow for a post about a camera "flash diffuser" that is absolutely "free" and works great!! Have a wonderful day!
I thought this little necklace would make my throat feel better, but it just made my neck warm, instead. It was inspired by my severe sore throat & pounding ears. The only relief I have is my "Gypsy Cold Care" Herb Tea, Chicken Noodle Soup & Zicam. But it seems as though if one of those things is not in my mouth, my throat is causing me excruciating pain. And of course, tonight is the benefit dinner in support of the programs for the Cradle of Forestry Interpretive Association that I've been anxiously awaiting to attend for a month now. I'm going anyway ~ I'll just sit in the corner with my Kleenex and hope I don't draw much attention. At least I'm not coughing {yet}. Ugh! Any suggestions!!!! Please!!!! I need to get well, fast.
Happy Friday!! xxoo & peace always ~ Kathy
"If you want to find a deeper meaning in your life, you can't find it in the opinions or the beliefs that have been handed to you. You have to go to that place within yourself." ~ Wayne Dyer
...It could happen ~ A new necklace for the shop, plus a few others.....check it out
Happy Wednesday!!! It's getting all nice & fallish around here: ...the perfect weather for riding up the Parkway with the top down:Ozzy & Lita seem to think so, too. We're off to enjoy the day!! Hope you do the same :)
xxoo & peace always ~ Kathy
"A mind at peace, a mind focused on not harming others, is stronger than any physical force in the universe." ~ Wayne W. Dyer
Well, I guess the rumor was true! Steve Martin showed up and played the banjo with our friends "The Steep Canyon Rangers". It was awesome! We had a great time at the "Mountain Song Festival", which benefits the "Boys & Girls Club" here in Transylvania County. I hope you enjoy the video!
Have a wonderful day! xxoo & peace always ~
"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." ~ Aristotle
I'm on my way to the Music Center for the Mountain Song Festival ~ more later. Oh, and rumor has it that Steve Martin {yes, that wild & crazy guy} is going to make a "guest appearance" and entertain everyone with his banjo. We just found out that he has family that lives here in Brevard and he actually owns a home right close by. Anyway, I hope to get some pictures of that, too.
And thanks Jen for this awesome quote:
"We must welcome the future, Remembering that soon it will be the past.
And we respect the past, Remembering that once it was all that was humanly possible." - Santayana
This is a picture of a friend's daughter & little boy. I made this awesome little print with it today! I'm really getting back into my digital scrap-booking again. I just love the little birds!
And this is the whole little happy family! And this is the "Saluda River" @ Jones Gap State Park ~ the print is for sale in my shop ~ I named it "Tranquility" ~ listen closely and you can hear the water trickling....
Happy Friday! We are going to the "Duck Pond @ Dusk" tonight to hear "Shannon Whitworth" ~ she is amazing.....check out her website and listen to some of her music ~ I promise you will love it! And lucky for me, she loves my jewelry :) And then tomorrow is the "Mountain Song Festival" here in Brevard @ the"Brevard Music Center". So, I'll be sure & take plenty of pictures and blog about both this weekend!
Another "Murano Glass" pendant ~ this one is really, really awesome! It's called {what else} "Rock You Like A Hurricane" and, of course, it's for sale in the shop, if you feel like being rocked by it.
And speaking of being rocked by hurricanes, in a really strange, probably totally unethical/sick sorta way, I'm a little jealous of all my friends & family in Baton Rouge right now. Having grown up in Louisiana, the overall excitement of the hurricanes still make my heart beat faster, and have me longing for Kentucky Fried Chicken {that stuff lasts for days in the fridge after the electricity goes out - I swear}. I was almost tempted to get a couple of pieces, just so I could pretend that a hurricane was coming. I was a little excited about the "Hanna" one actually making it up the mountains to us! Fortunately, other people must buy it for other reasons, or they could not stay in business if it was all dependent on me, since that is the ONLY time I get it. Oh well, Love is, having friends that write about hurricanes, so I can get my fix. Seriously, I'm really glad that everybody is safe & nothing really serious happened, other than having no electricity {still}, which means no AC, hot water, television, or phone service. That part, I don't miss. But, I'm certainly glad that "Ike" is going away :)
Happy Tuesday everybody!!! Check out this awesome little bracelet I made today:It's made with a beautiful solid brass bangle & some awesome little whale charms. Of course, I named it "Save The Whales" ~ xxoo & peace always ~ Kathy
"Each moment of the year has its own beauty....a picture which has never been seen before and which shall never be seen again" ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Lita always looks so sweet in pictures ~ of course, she's very sweet to everyone except Ozzy:But just how can anybody me mean to this sweet little face...mmmmmwah, Ozzy ;)
So one of my new friends, here in Brevard, started making these awesome Raku Clay Pendants. She also makes wonderful soaps from the Waterfall water around here. Please do check out her shop when you get a chance. She's getting ready to start selling her Raku pieces on Etsy, so I'll certainly let you know when that happens! This little necklace is just sooooo sweet ~ the little paw print is just perfect ~ I love it! And, you guessed it, I named it "Puppy Love" ~ of course, it's for Sale in the shop, if you want to grab it up ~:) This is another one of her pendants ~ it reminds me of a "Mermaid Tail" ~ Isn't it just gorgeous! I love it, too. In fact, I hope it sells pretty quick, or I may end up keeping it for myself. I bought several pendants from her {21 to be exact}, so be on the lookout for the new necklaces. But necklaces aren't the only things I've been making lately ~ this awesome little bracelet is just so sweet & delicate ~ it incoporates things you would find in a Pond, like frogs, fish & turtles. And the Czech Glass Catherdral beads are just beautiful, so I named this "Magical Pond" ~ and, of course, it's for sale in the shop, too :) And then, yesterday I started my exercise routine & my Pilates again. I got everything all set up in the basement and it looks like a gym down there! I have a treadmill, a stationary bike, a rowing machine, an ab lounger & a host of DVD's! Oh, and a step, for step aerobics. I decided that I just had to do something, especially after seeing this:
And once I "master" all of my Pilates & Aerobic DVD's, I'll move on to Morrighan's Pole Dancing DVD's ~ she's really quite amazing & wearing my jewelry :) She's another person I miss terribly ~ hopefully, she'll come visit with Charlie!!! {hint, hint}
Happy Sunday! xxoo & peace always ~ Kathy
And a quote that was sent to me from Jen "If evolution is outlawed, only outlaws would evolve"
Don't you just love the saying on Mark's shirt! I snapped this picture of him Monday night @ Jen's {little Jack's Mama} birthday party, which just so happened to also be "Music Monday". There was tons of food and I made some awesome potato salad, with my new "secret ingredient" "Wickles Pickle Relish" ~ it gives it just enough kick to make it awesome! I'm telling you, it was the hit of the party....
...well, besides the cake, which Jasmine certainly enjoyed :) And little Jack & Patty played and played until they both zonked out on the floor.
I'm still sporadically talking to people in my family that are still in Baton Rouge. They are still without electricity/phones, etc., but all are okay and with no real damage to their homes besides some trees down. But I'll keep you posted on that. In the meantime, congratulations to Jen!!!! She won the earrings from my last post. Yay!!! We can all use a little "World Peace" ~ right!
Happy Wednesday! I'm off to take a look at some awesome new pendants a friend of mine started making ~ I'll keep you posted on that, too.
Ahhhh ~ the crispness in the air just makes you want to take the deepest breath ever! This will be our last "unseen" month up here and we are looking forward to it so much! It's hard to believe that we've been up here for almost a whole year already. Time flies ~
This awesome little necklace was inspired by Autumn ~ it's named "Harvest Moon" and is for sale in the shop. I also made some cute, cute, cute little Halloween pendants:
this one's my favorite ~ it's called "dancing with the devils" and was inspired by "Shannon Whitworth's" new song "No Expectations" ~ listen to it when you get a chance ~ it's pretty awesome. 
