(another!!!) new venture

i opened up a shop on 1000markets.com



you can visit my shop here.

don't forget to buy something while you're there :) not enough time for christmas delivery now, but you can always get new years delivery and celebrate the new year with something beautiful and ahem...new? ;)

2 updates

1) i was published in the January 2009 Bead Trends Magazine (woo hoo)

bracelet is for sale in my shop: here

bracelet:


necklace (should be available tonight after i list it):


2)i LOVE photoshop and i'm glad i'm good at it! (shameless patting self on back here) today i had an 'emergency' photoshop for a family who needs photos of their kiddos to send them out in their Christmas cards (yes, for THIS christmas). Unfortunately, the younger one just did NOT want to cooperate, so, here are my before and after images:







go me! :) come on, admit it. they're pretty good, right?

Through the Viewfinder - 1st attempt

So, yesterday I stumbled upon some photos that I really liked the feel of. They were vintagey (is that a word?). I thought they were done with some post processing in photoshop, (something i do ALL THE TIME) but they WEREN'T! They were done with something called Through the Viewfinder (TtV). So, I found this blog: Russ Morris and did some reading. Today Cameron and I headed for the nearest antique store where I found a nice Kodak Brownie. I wasn't sure how great the mirror on it was because it was pretty dirty, but when i got it home and cleaned it, it looked NEW! that's good and not so good. here are some examples of a picture i took today in the backyard while cam was taking a nap (and i wasn't)

before photoshop (straight out of the camera - except the cropping):


after photoshop:


basically you take your digital camera and using a macro lens take a picture "through the viewfinder" of a vintage camera (like i said i'm using a kodak brownie, but i'm looking for a duraflex). they're cheap older cameras and your photos have the neatest feel to them. i can't wait to take some pictures of the kiddo!

oh, there's also a ton of these types of photos on flickr. i'm just getting into it, but there are people who have been doing it for a while! if you're interested i'll post more about it later!

enjoy!