Inspired: My Craft Channel

A new website launched last week and I’m finding myself really inspired by it.  I’ve learned a number of things and now have several projects floating around in my head.  The site is called My Craft Channel (www.mycraftchannel.com).  Each weekday, there’s about thirty minutes of video- two different segments and a tip.  Topics include sewing, baking/party throwing, scrapbooking, jewelry making, photography, and more.

I caught my first one on Tuesday- the Books & Crafts with Ella Publishing.  Several scrapbook layouts came to mind as I watched- one of which is done and I’ll share it with you later this month.  since Tuesday, I’ve made the show a part of my day- Cody comes home to watch PTI on ESPN, I settle in to watch my craft shows.

I’m really looking forward to this new part of my daily routine.  Check it out!  (You can go back and watch previous episodes too!)

Saturday, I went to Hobby Lobby to get some scrapbook paper and glue to the Book Binding technique that Heidi Swapp showed on her Create to Remember show.

Here’s the results:

This first book, I added calendars to- just printed some from Patti Knox/ Designer Digitals.  I still plan to add some embellishments I’ll print from my digital supplies but I need to get printer ink first.  I’m thinking I’ll use it for meal planning.

The second, I’ve no idea what I’ll do with it.  I wanted to play with the different size pages.  I did find it easier to line up edges by cutting them once adhered together- It would make things much easier to do them all after adhering them, I think.  This was a case of just wanting to commit an idea to memory by actually doing it.  I love the fun colors though.

I do wish I’d used something different for adhesive- Hobby Lobby didn’t have what Heidi used and I wasn’t entirely happy with what I did get.  I did use my corner cutter to round the corners and loved the finished look it gave me.

For directions, check the episode out here.

Beloved Waffle Iron of Mine

Have I ever told you about my waffle maker. It’s more precious to me that you might imagine. Ask me what I would take if I had 5 minutes to save stuff out of my house and my waffle maker would be #1 or 2 on the list. Seriously, I’m a bit crazy about it and the quilt that my Lisa’s granny made me.  I’ve been known to put it in the fire-proof safe at times

This waffle iron is unlike most any other waffle iron- you’d be hard pressed to find one like it that works today.

Here’s I’ll let the layout do the talking.

Journaling Reads:  This waffle iron is one of my two most prized physical possessions- seriously, It’€™s one of the first things I try to protect when a hurricane or wildfire comes our way and would be one of the first things I’d grab in a fire.  You see, it’€™s probably not replaceable.  It must be over 30 years old.  I got this waffle iron from Aunt Elta’€™s house- oh how I loved that house growing up.  I knew instantly I’€™d hit the jackpot when I found this waffle iron- it’€™s just like mom’€™s was.  I cringe at the thought of the day that will inevitably come. The day when it won’€™t work anymore, it’€™s given me a couple of scares and we’€™ve had to replace the cord several times.  I have so many memories wrapped up in this waffle iron.  Memories of mom making waffles and watching (and silently hoping for a disaster) when the batter would ooze over as a child.  Mom was good at that.  Her waffle iron gave up the ghost a long time ago but it was nowhere near as perfectly seasoned as this one.  It makes perfect waffles- all I have to do is whip up some homemade batter- never the powder mix.  Mom spoiled us that way and I’€™ve passed that down to my nephew who can whip up his own batter.  And of course, waffles always make a god dinner.  This waffle iron is so very precious to me.

(And yes, mom, I overflowed it just to capture that memory of something you almost always did!)

I See: Family and Friends

 I’m working through a backlog of photos created because I needed to go through over 1,000 hot air balloons. I finished pairing those down and am now looking at the other shots I’ve taken. I know I’ve been quite here on the blog and truth be told, except for a few spurts, haven’t taken nearly the number of shots that I normally do.

But looking back, I see lots of family and friends. That’s a great feeling especially all the memories made. Here’s just a few of those shots.

“Nieces” and “Nephews”- Some being born, others getting older

Friends and Favorite Activities

Family and so much time spent in the Kitchen

A few short vacations. . . . a reminder of a stranger nice enough to stop us and let us know about this bird’s eye view of Dallas.

And lots of hunting.  This was one of the best moments this month! 

Exciting News: Join Me for Finding Photo Freedom

So, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the chance to announce this and encourage you to join me for Finding Photo Freedom.  Finding Photo Freedom is the 2011 version Library of Memories taught by Stacy Julian.  I took Library of Memories for the first time last year- right after I’d gotten back into scrapbooking.  It was clear to me then that I needed a better way to handle my pictures. . . . the sheer volume and the month-to-month albums of pictures were clearly slowing me down. . . . keeping me from telling my stories- here on this blog and in my scrapbook pages. 

This system originally began for paper scrapbooking but when I took the class I set out to make the system mine- and that meant digitally.  The class works for all scrapbookers and truly, I think anyone interested in telling their stories.  (Even if that’s on facebook or in a blog).  It’s allowed me to focus on the stories that I want to tell- especially those priority stories- the ones I never want to forget. 

This year, Stacy asked me to be one of the coaches for Finding Photo Freedom and I couldn’t be more excited.  I love this system!  I want to encourage you to sign up and join us for what can be a storytelling life changing experience.  I’ve seen in my own scrapbooking life and the hobbies of other alumni.

Considering a DSLR: Considerations, Thoughts, and Tips

Are you considering getting a DSLR?  Need some real world advice. . . . This is mine.  Here’s a list of things to consider, some information about lenses to consider, buying options, and a few things to plan on once you get your new camera.  Keep in mind this isn’t to be all inclusive or expert advice, this is what I would (and do) tell a friend considering a DSLR camera.

Things to Consider:

#1 Just How Much you can afford. I highly recommend getting the most camera you can. . . The lower levels are the ones people grow out off. There are limitations to Nikon’s D40, D60 that limit the lenses you can use etc. Once you choose your camera body, you’re not going to want to keep upgraded. . . That technology is constantly changing and after you purchase the body, you’re better off investing in the lenses.

For me, that meant waiting longer but I got the Nikon D80- for some of the reasons I’m about to list. . . The biggest thing I knew was that given the next level, body only, was going to be several thousand dollars- there was no way that I was going to be able to upgrade for a long, long time. (Of course, now the D90 has replaced the D80). I also knew that I’d be buying a second camera for DH at some point- so that also factored into my price considerations. DH and I both of have D80′s. (I might could have upgraded to the D90 when I got the second one but I wanted the both of us to have the same controls etc. The D90 also brought a higher price tag to this level of camera . . . and video)

#2- Focus Points- The more focus points the camera has the better. For example, some only have 3, some 9, I think mine had 11, and some have 51. These are the points where the camera will focus etc.

#3- ISO- ISO is like when you chose film speed. ISO is another big factor if you ask me. You want to be able to have a higher range. Basically, the higher the ISO the more you can do in low light. Cameras with high ISO’s typically have less noise at the same range as cameras with Low ISO’s. (Non Techie term for Noise- messed up photo- LOL- you’ll see pixels etc)

#4- Full Frame vs Crop Factor. OK, unless you’re ready to spend big bucks, you really won’t be considering this but it’s something you should know. . . There are two types of DSLR. . . Full Frame and Crop Factor. Full Frame gets more into the picture but these are the big high $ ones. A 50 mm lens is going to be seen at 50 mm. Crop Factors get less into the picture. . . A 50 mm lens is going to be like 85 mm. So, assuming you’re going to get a crop factor camera, you’re lenses will be zoomed in a bit more.

#5 Size and Fit- This, along with price, was a huge factor for me when I was deciding Canon or Nikon. . . The Canon in the same feature range was much much larger. It was heavier but because of the size it was harder for me to hold. My brother busted up laughing when I went to pick it up. (At the time, he was working at Circuit City and I visited him at work just to physically lay eyes on the cameras I was considering)

#6 Video- This wasn’t even an option when I got my camera. . . But, if that’s something you might like to have, it should factor into your decision.

#7 Factors such as frames per second, flash exposure braketing etc. Just take a look at the features list and think about what you might want.

#8- Canon Vs. Nikon. This is an age old debate that’s really not a debate- they’re both great. . . Unfortunately, the fact that their lenses aren’t interchangeable means that your either in one camp or the other. Once you choose, you’re going to want to stick with that brand- otherwise you’ll have to swap all your lenses and that gets expensive. Here’s what I consider to be the biggest differences. . . .
Price- Nikon camera bodies and lenses are usually cheaper for the same features.
(Features) In taking a photography class recently, I also learned though that Nikon has several great features that Canon does not. . . two I use all the time- the Auto ISO (Which both have, but Nikon has options that make this setting worthwhile) and the way it sets a custom white balance.
Lens Selection- Canon does offer a greater variety of lenses

(In my book, I wanted the focus points and other features of the D80 and the equivalent Canon. Only the equivalent Canon was like $500 more. . . I’ll never be able to afford most of the lenses Nikon offers so the fact that Canon has more doesn’t appeal to me more.)

I would stick with Canon or Nikon as these are the two widely used.

Purchase Options

Body Only- Literally No lens With it.

Body and Kit Lenses- You’ll see lenses and camera sold together. These are often called “Kit Lenses” and aren’t as good a quality as others lenses. There are differing opinions on whether or not you should get the kit lenses. In my book, for me, I could have gotten one lenses or the two kit lenses- I got a better range by going with the Kit Lenses- I couldn’t imagine not begin able to do wide angle AND zoom in on something. (My D80 came with an 18-55 and 55-200 kit lens. . the only other lens I own is the inexpensive f/1.8 50 mm- a lens that doesn’t work as well on the lower models- like D40- of Nikon cameras) And honestly, I don’t really notice any quality difference in my kit lenses. . . It’s much more about the photography work than the lens quality.

Body and then Buy Other Lenses- This is also an option. It avoids getting the Kit Lenses and gives you the freedom to choose lengths and f/stops.

Rent- You can actually rent both cameras and lenses. There’s several places online where you can do this. It gives you a chance to try them before you buy. I rented a fish-eye which I’d been pipe dreaming about. . . and found I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. . . That experience was enough to teach me that before making any big lens purchase, I’ll be trying it out by renting it first.

Where? I highly recommend you look at places like B&H Photo Video (bhphotovideo.com) or Adorama (adorama.com) as their prices can be much cheaper than what you might find in a store. . . Although, if you have a mom & pop camera store, they’re always nice to support.

Lens Considerations and Info

Telephoto refers to ones that zoom in- that cover long ranges. AKA 200 MM

Zoom Lenses- these are ones that cover a range. AKA 55-200 mm or my 18-55. (Zoom lenses can over lap wide angle, standard, and telephoto lenses- they can be both.)

Fixed Lenses- These are the ones that only go to one length. . . aka my 50 mm. (PS The 50 mm on a crop factor camera is considered to be an excellant lens for everyday photography and portraits. . . and because it comes with a low number f stop (1.2-1.8 typically) it works better in low light.

Vibration Reduction- You will want to consider this for longer range lenses for sure. Both of my kit lenses have VR. (I can’t remember what Canon calls it.) Just remember to turn if off when you’ve got the camera on a tripod.

F-Stop- I mentioned earlier that a F/ 1.8 is great in low light. F-Stops are backwards from the way you would think. . . a low number is a larger f/stop or wider aperture. Each lens has a maximum aperature. . . the lower the actual number, the better it can perform in low light. (It’s also part of the equation to get Bokeh or a blurred background.) This part isn’t as good on kit lenses as other lenses. If you’re wanting to capture action indoors, ultimately, that max aperature is going to come into play. (Look for a zoom with f/2.8- but be prepared to pay.)  If you can’t afford a zoom with a fixed maximum aperture, like me, you’ll see lenses that have a range.  My 55-200 mm has a range of 4.5-5.6 for a max aperture.  What does that mean?  At 55 mm I can get a max aperture of 4.5 vs at 200 mm I can only get to 5.6. . . meaning that I can’t do as well in low light zoomed in.

Plan on:

Reading Your Manual

Purchasing another manual. . . Like the Magic Lantern guide for the specific camera your purchase. Then reading it. I recommend that when you have a question, you go back to the guide and try to figure it out. Wonder what that setting is? or having a problem? Try looking it up. (Sometimes it’s easier to digest when you’ve got a specific something you’re trying to figure out.) Refer to the manual often.

Taking really bad shots. . . Karen Russell puts it this way- you have to become a worse photographer in order to become a better one. You’re going to take bad shots. It’s part of the learning process. Just be thankful it’s digital and you can just delete.

Shooting in Program Mode and Aperture Priority- You’re not getting this camera to stay stuck in Auto. Start with Program Mode- this allows you to change things like whether or not the flash comes on or your white balance. . .Start making some adjustments. Then, try aperature priority mode. Choosing a lower number f/stop (Wide aperature like 1.8 or it might only by 4.5 depending on the lens) when you want more of the background blurred and less in focus. A higher number f/stop (narrow aperture) when you want more in focus. Do not feel that you have to shoot fully manual.

Changing your ISO- If you don’t have your ISO set to Auto, you’ll want to change it. You really want some control over your ISO. . . To high and you’ll get grain, to low and the shutter speed will be too slow. Try to adjust your aperature so that you get at least a 60th of a second shutter speed and closer to 250th of a shutter speed for action shots.

Taking some classes. . . I know Candice Strigham does some classes at Jessica Sprague. I took the Portrait class and loved it. Big Picture Scrapbooking I know have some classes. By far, though, I cannot recommend Karen Russell’s class (snapshotsofagoodlife.com) enough!!!!!!! That class totally changed everything for me. . . the price was high but well worth it. . . she’s changing things up a bit and so there’s now a few other options.  And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Kelby Training.

A Week in Our Life: This Week, Our Week

As I said, I’m really interested in documenting our everyday life.  And this week, I’m going to concentrate on documenting our life.  I’ve read about this project before on Ali’s Blog but this year seems like the perfect time. 

It’s also a good week to do it.  I really want to capture what life is like now before Cody starts his new job in two weeks.  Things are sure to change- our morning, lunch, and after work routines will change at least some.  He won’t be next door anymore but around the corner.  But lots of things will change over time- our appliances, prices, etc and that part of this project really appeals to the historian in me.

I’ll work on capturing today all week.  I’ve already noticed that I’m finding gratitude in the little things.  I expect that this project will really help me appreciate our every day normal life.   Today’s introit at church talked about meditating on God’s wondrous works.  I think about Mr. Haas and how he talks about the marvel in each breath we take.  I’m welcoming this opportunity take time to think of all the wonderful things in our lives- the little things we often overlook.

It’s fun to think about all the things I want to document and how to do it.  I’ve already noticed though that I’m seeing things I hadn’t thought of that are just a part of everyday life- like being able to see Cody shave while I put on my make-up.

You can read so much more about this project here.

Lunch, Leftovers, and Lowe’s

And Fountain Cokes! But that doesn’t start with an “L”.

Yesterday’s lunch was a typical lunch. Except rather than leftovers we had hot dogs. . . another usual lunch. For those of you who know Cody, you know he loves his fountain cokes. So each day, after he walks over to my office and we eat whatever leftovers we have, we make a run up to the corner store.

Most days, we have time to kill before our lunch hour is over. The most common activity. . . . wandering Lowe’s. We go to Lowe’s just to wander at least three times a week. We really don’t have too many other choices.

You never know what we might look at. Well, except that we almost always go by the mis-matched paint. Sometimes we might look at appliances so we’ll be prepared as ours go out. Sometimes I dream of better ceiling fans. Quite often, it’s the PVC pipe. . . where Cody plots a protein feeder. And if it’s not the protein feeder, very often it’s other projects or supplies for the deer lease.

Yesterday, after looking at the storage stuff, the metal for my craft room, and paint, it was Tool World. It started off looking at sanders (which we actually own one somewhere in the garage) but Cody got off track quickly. I used my 365 project as an excuse to kill a little time taking pictures.

And truthfully, I was glad to capture a moment from our everyday typical lunch routine.

Being Childless Sucks, Life Doesn’t

When I blogged about how being childless sucks Wednesday, I received several words of encouragement which I did appreciate. But, I guess what I failed to get across in that post, is that it was just a moment. . . They come, they go. Sure, being childless hasn’t stopped sucking. But, it’s not the only thing in my life.

I honestly didn’t share about that moment when I searched google for those that know me, but rather because I know that there may be others I don’t know who feel the same way and are looking for something to perhaps validate their feelings or just someone who understands. (OK, that’s a really bad run on sentence whith far to many “thats” in the beginning, but you know, it’s a blog not a term paper)

You see just because being childless sucks, it doesn’t mean that life does. All-in-all, I’ve got a great life. A house over my head, a loving husband who truly spoils me, time to be creative, a job, etc. (Since I just made a long list New Year’s Eve, I spare you the long version ’cause I have a feeling this post is going to be long enough.)

(OK, in proofreading this, this next part is going to seem really off topic and a rambling tangent, I promise I’ll be bringing it back around.)

Last weekend as Cody and I were celebrating our 11th wedding anniversary, we discussed a new class that I want to take. This morning as I thought about that class, I realized that my hobbies all seem to piggy back on themselves. Last year, I spent a lot of time learning more about photography and taking pictures. This year, I’ve gotten back into scrapbooking. This new class is about organizing pictures with a scrapbooking purpose (well, that’s just the surface.) One of the assignments before the class starts is to go through your digital pics and printed pics and put them in chronological order. I’m in luck since my digi pics are all in folders my month and year and named by the date and a sequence that keeps the approximately 16,000 pictures in order. . . not to mention digi pics can be sorted by date/time taken. But, our printed pics, that’s another story. The class talks about not trying to do all your pictures but a portion so that you can learn the process and then repeat with the rest later. So, I decided to just tackle the years from when Cody and I met until we went digital- Fall Semester 1994-Deer Season 2003. (Another tangent. . . Deer Season, you may be wondering, why I associated that. . . Because I got my first digi camera on the way to the Campwood and I remember taking tons of shots along the 8 hour drive there. Looking back now, I realize it was purchase and trip that would change my life.)

So this week, Cody and I have been sorting those printed pictures. We really don’t have that many. They filled two plastic shoeboxes longwise (aka short side so that the pano shots would fit). It was so much fun to remember those days. We really enjoyed looking back. We were both amazed at how young we look. . . even though we don’t feel that much older today. In many ways, despite the things we’ve gone through, we’re still like newlyweds or perhaps even those kids in college. We’re still like those two lovebirds in those pictures- two lovebirds who got married and watched as their friends got married, two lovebirds who used to eat on the floor in Etoile, two lovebirds who have watched their nephew grow-up, two lovebirds that have seen great vacations, two lovebirds that met in college, moved to Corpus Christi, and came back to that college town. We’ve been blessed. I’ve been blessed.

And, I realize just how blessed to live in the digital age! We narrowed that lot of pics down to just a little over one box. Purging a lot of awful and failed shots, I realized how much I benefit from being able to instantly see my pictures. Going through the so-so pics, I realized how much easier it is to take advantage of learning photography in a digital world. Looking at how few pictures there were compared to fewer years of digital, I realized just how glad I am that I don’t have to pay for film and processing.

Creative Updates: 365 Link and Scrapbooking

Just wanted to share a simple update for those of you who are interested.

1) My 365 Project is going strong. I’m not sure whether I’ll get around to sharing a bit about each picture in blog posts but I plan to upload them to this gallery on about a weekly basis. (I’m also having them printed and putting them in my 365 binder). You can also see images from that gallery on the right hand side. . . and there’s a link to the gallery in the top menu.

2) More Scrapbook Layouts. . . I haven’t posted the other layouts I’ve done for my class so far. I’ve got one more to do before week 5 of the class starts on Thursday. It’s a 12 week class so just imagine how many layouts I’ll have done by then.

Since I plan to make scrapbooking a better part of 2010, I thought I’d go ahead and create a gallery for the pages I’m amassing quickly. Again, you can find a link up at the top directly to the gallery too!

(Again, these are all using Cathy Zielske templates from Big Picture Scrapbooking’s Design Your Life class. . . and the papers/embellishments I did not create are mainly from Crystal Wilkerson/Jessica Sprague)

3) Later this week, I hope to post some of Cody and I’s pictures from the zoo Saturday. There really wasn’t a movie we wanted to see for our anniversary and we had the church’s 50th anniversary dinner Saturday night leaving us with a limited amount of time. So, we went to the zoo in Lufkin after we went out to lunch. You’ll have to see the racoon pics we got! (Cody actually out shot me by 100+ shots) Truth be told neither of us is that much of a movie person and we’d rather be outside and taking pictures any day. It was a rare warmer anniversary as the temps were around 70- so we took advantage rain or not.

October Began With A Trip Down South

We were just down there in July.  But when Coralyn told us that her brother passed away, we knew we’d make another trip down to Corpus Christi.  Cody says it totally messed up his average since before July, it had been a really long time since we were there.   It didn’t matter as we knew we needed to be there.

Since I’ve become a Hotwire fan, I checked out Hotwire and found I could get a 4-star hotel in the waterside area for less than I could get a hotel out by him mom.  (So far, I’ve only hotwired 4-stars because you don’t know what hotel you’re getting and 3-stars can be a lot of different things.)  And most of our activities would be in town so the htoel would be closer.  I checked out what 4-stars were in Corpus and thought we would be across from the seawall.  NOT! We were across the Harbor Bridge- Yipee!  (And on the beach, but we’re not beach folks).  Cody did take it better than I thought he would- probably helped that we’d stayed at the hotel, under different ownership, over 10 years ago.  We had a great room and I always enjoy watching the ships and the tugs come in and out of the port. 

I counted 13 tugboats while I was there.  (Much fewer than I remember seeing in the past)

Our room was not directly overlooking the beach. . . Instead, we had a bit of an angled view- of the beach, the Lady Lex, the Corpus Skyline, the Harbor Bridge, and the Refineries.  Our balcony was excellant for some night shooting.

We had a chance to catch up with Cody’s cousins and that was really nice.  The last time we saw his second cousins, the oldest was 1. . . now 10!  And there were three we’d never met.  We also learned that their dad, Cody’s uncle, wanted to be in Coralyn’s wedding that he and his wife had a second wedding in a Catholic church.  (And that their mom had to convert from Baptist to Catholisism to do it.)  I barely knew his uncle but heard some great stories.

We also spent one late night catching up with some friends we hadn’t seen in years!  That was lots of fun. . . and it was another chance to see how quickly kids and families grow.

We managed to squeeze in some time for the Aquarium.  Literally, we had 1.5 hours Saturday, so we made a run for it. . . OK we walked.  One of the things that stuck out with us was how hot and humid it was.  And windy.  I remember the wind, but neither of us really remembered it being that nasty hot and sticky. . . in October none the less.  On our walk to the aquarium from the hotel, this is what Cody’s hair looked like.

On our way to the aquarium we really worked hard to keep the sand out of our shoes.  We really aren’t folks that enjoy sand. . . though we did take one walk along this beach.

We wound up getting a membership at the aquarium and snuck in another 1.5 hour trip on Sunday.  We always loved the aquarium.  With two trips and the fact that we had other pics of the aquarium, it was an excellant chance to practice some photography.  And a challenge in some of the darker areas.  The otter exhibit has always been one of my favorites and we spent lots of watching them- even saw a girl drop her cell phone into the otters water.  The otters pounced on it. . . a new toy.  We also arrived both days just in time to see the last dolphin show. 

One really huge ship left the port while we were at the aquarium. . . I mean really huge!

Like the distortion. . . they had a dome thing you where you could stick your head “into” the one of the tanks.

Cody took these next two shots of me. . . in the tank. . .

Just for mom:

The aquarium highlight though happened with about 10 minutes before the aquarium closed in the viewing area underneath the dolphin tank- where they held an impromptu underwater show practice.  Oh my goodness, to see the dolphins interact and their faces.  It was amazing.

All of these pics are unedited except for sharpening done when uploading.  We took over 1500 pics which of course have been edited down tremendously but I haven’t had a chance to even begin editing them. And as you can see by the number of pictures posted here. . . I’ve had a tough time narrowing down my favorites.