Quick Dash, Low Cash Photo Studio

It may be that I'm the result of Depression-era parents or that I'm just plain cheap. I rely on elbow grease and baking soda to clean the bathroom; we use clothespins to keep our chip bags shut; plastic bags work great the second time around; you won't find that many pieces of clothing in my closet that cost more than $20; and my workout "club" doubles as the laundry room.

I played around with different scenarios quite a bit and found that the setup that gave me the most flexibility and least headache was pretty low-tech: two 60W task lights pointed at each other over a white paper "corner" I made with sheets of white card stock. This configuration reduces the amount of shadow coming off the pieces when I shoot them. It works well for me, too, in that I can instantly set it up on my messy worktable and break it down just as quickly--no storage.

When shooting with this light box, I make sure to set the white balance menu in my camera to "tungsten" to compensate for the yellowy light. I also up the exposure to +1 so the piece doesn't go dark.

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Posted May 19, 2008  | Read More... | Read Comments (0)

Bead Embellished Buttons

Download Bead Embellished Buttons

How to Make Bead Embroidered Buttons

Today's post marks a Beading Daily first: my challenge project for Beadwork's June/July issue was directly inspired by one of you! When Beading Daily reader Bethany sent me an email asking me about creating jewelry using her grandmother's buttons, I started thinking about button jewelry. Many of the instructions I found on various websites mentioned cutting the shanks off the buttons. I knew I couldn't ask Bethany to do that to an heirloom collection.

Posted May 16, 2008  | Read More... | Read Comments (0)

Healing Beads: The Special Meanings of Gemstones

After experiencing a frustrating year of health concerns, doctors, and hospitals in 2007, I started seeing a naturopath. I'd never been to a natural healer and can't claim I welcomed Diane into my life without a big dose of skepticism. But as I have since seen results (restless legs abated! digestion quieted! back surgery cancelled! pounds lost!), I'm not going to question how or why.

Posted May 14, 2008  | Read More... | Read Comments (12)

Thread is Cheaper Than Frustration and 4 More Thread Tips

"Thread is cheaper than frustration." That was some recent advice I received from Bead Expo Philadelphia instructor Liz Smith. I laughed when I read her email because it reminded me of when I started to learn beadweaving. Coming from the world of expensive beading wire, I was afraid of wasting thread so I used these ridiculously short pieces two and three inches long. I struggled to learn the various stitches until one day I used the exact amount of thread (something like 4 feet!) that a project recommended. I couldn't believe how much easier that made everything! That was a big lesson for me: don't be so afraid of wasting thread that you waste a lot of time!

Posted May 12, 2008  | Read More... | Read Comments (12)