Friday, May 15, 2009

Saturday Plans??

I'm going to do some organizing of my scrap stuff but only after I hit up a few yard sales!! I plan to get my albums together and figure out how to go about getting those together right now they are piling up!!! So my challenge to myself is just that... lets see I might just take a before and after photo!! That will be crazy! Ha-Ha
I know I keep saying Mommysavers!!! But I absoulutly love learning new things from these girls. They have been doing it alot longer than me!!! But here is a couple of challenges I have done! They aren't great but I'm working on getting them there!

1st challenge was to create a Layout using stckers! I love stickers still so I liked doing this..

2nd challenge was to....sorry Jess I gotta copy...I want to see a card made with the following elements:1. two-color combo (white does not count unless you're doing a B&W card)2. some kind of hardware (eyelets, brads, charms, etc.)3. at least three layers (your card base counts as one)...Jess is awesome and this and the first challeng were hers!!!

3rd challenge I did was to use items you haven't used in awhile because you upgraded so to speak!

They are in the pics below but in backwards order.....LOL



3.2.1












Mommysavers and the girls are the best thing since Google! They are so awesome always coming up with things on there own or even finding clips like thishttp://dawnsstampingthoughts.typepad.com/dawns_stampin_studio/2009/03/acrylic-frame-post-it-note-holder-.html to share. I like this and decided to give it a whirl. I had to add the post its when I got to work but plan on doing this over and over until I get the perfect match!!! LOL

Thursday, May 14, 2009

So last night was kinda a long nite but not in a good way!!!! So I didn't get but one of the challenges done off of the mommysavers forum which kinda lights the fire under my bottom!! LOL.. Really though it looks like it might be a great night of scrapping I have a few things to get accomplished... Stay tuned for pictures

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Thanks to Kodak and trying to make it easier for us!!!

Top 10 Tips for Great Pictures
Do you wish you were a better photographer? All it takes is a little know-how and experience. Keep reading for some important picture-taking tips. Then grab your camera and start shooting your way to great pictures.
1.
Look your subject in the eye
2.
Use a plain background
3.
Use flash outdoors
4.
Move in close
5.
Move it from the middle
6.
Lock the focus
7.
Know your flash's range
8.
Watch the light
9.
Take some vertical pictures
10.
Be a picture director


1.
Look your subject in the eye
Direct eye contact can be as engaging in a picture as it is in real life. When taking a picture of someone, hold the camera at the person's eye level to unleash the power of those magnetic gazes and mesmerizing smiles. For children, that means stooping to their level. And your subject need not always stare at the camera. All by itself that eye level angle will create a personal and inviting feeling that pulls you into the picture.
2.
Use a plain background
A plain background shows off the subject you are photographing. When you look through the camera viewfinder, force yourself to study the area surrounding your subject. Make sure no poles grow from the head of your favorite niece and that no cars seem to dangle from her ears.
3.
Use flash outdoors
Bright sun can create unattractive deep facial shadows. Eliminate the shadows by using your flash to lighten the face. When taking people pictures on sunny days, turn your flash on. You may have a choice of fill-flash mode or full-flash mode. If the person is within five feet, use the fill-flash mode; beyond five feet, the full-power mode may be required. With a digital camera, use the picture display panel to review the results.
On cloudy days, use the camera's fill-flash mode if it has one. The flash will brighten up people's faces and make them stand out. Also take a picture without the flash, because the soft light of overcast days sometimes gives quite pleasing results by itself.
4.
Move in close
If your subject is smaller than a car, take a step or two closer before taking the picture and zoom in on your subject. Your goal is to fill the picture area with the subject you are photographing. Up close you can reveal telling details, like a sprinkle of freckles or an arched eyebrow.
But don't get too close or your pictures will be blurry. The closest focusing distance for most cameras is about three feet, or about one step away from your camera. If you get closer than the closest focusing distance of your camera (see your manual to be sure), your pictures will be blurry.
5.
Move it from the middle
Center-stage is a great place for a performer to be. However, the middle of your picture is not the best place for your subject. Bring your picture to life by simply moving your subject away from the middle of your picture. Start by playing tick-tack-toe with subject position. Imagine a tick-tack-toe grid in your viewfinder. Now place your important subject at one of the intersections of lines.
You'll need to lock the focus if you have an auto-focus camera because most of them focus on whatever is in the center of the viewfinder.
6.
Lock the focus
If your subject is not in the center of the picture, you need to lock the focus to create a sharp picture. Most auto-focus cameras focus on whatever is in the center of the picture. But to improve pictures, you will often want to move the subject away from the center of the picture. If you don't want a blurred picture, you'll need to first lock the focus with the subject in the middle and then recompose the picture so the subject is away from the middle.
Usually you can lock the focus in three steps. First, center the subject and press and hold the shutter button halfway down. Second, reposition your camera (while still holding the shutter button) so the subject is away from the center. And third, finish by pressing the shutter button all the way down to take the picture.
7.
Know your flash's range
The number one flash mistake is taking pictures beyond the flash's range. Why is this a mistake? Because pictures taken beyond the maximum flash range will be too dark. For many cameras, the maximum flash range is less than fifteen feet—about five steps away.
What is your camera's flash range? Look it up in your camera manual. Can't find it? Then don't take a chance. Position yourself so subjects are no farther than ten feet away. Film users can extend the flash range by using Kodak Max versatility or versatility plus film.
8.
Watch the light
Next to the subject, the most important part of every picture is the light. It affects the appearance of everything you photograph. On a great-grandmother, bright sunlight from the side can enhance wrinkles. But the soft light of a cloudy day can subdue those same wrinkles.
Don't like the light on your subject? Then move yourself or your subject. For landscapes, try to take pictures early or late in the day when the light is orangish and rakes across the land.
9.
Take some vertical pictures
Is your camera vertically challenged? It is if you never turn it sideways to take a vertical picture. All sorts of things look better in a vertical picture. From a lighthouse near a cliff to the Eiffel Tower to your four-year-old niece jumping in a puddle. So next time out, make a conscious effort to turn your camera sideways and take some vertical pictures.
10.
Be a picture director
Take control of your picture-taking and watch your pictures dramatically improve. Become a picture director, not just a passive picture-taker. A picture director takes charge. A picture director picks the location: "Everybody go outside to the backyard." A picture director adds props: "Girls, put on your pink sunglasses." A picture director arranges people: "Now move in close, and lean toward the camera."
Most pictures won't be that involved, but you get the idea: Take charge of your pictures and win your own best picture awards.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Sketch 1 Challenge



Sketch 1: Any takers??

Use this layout with inspiration from spring colors

Scrapbooking In Florida

Okay so I was looking for a scrapbooking site for challenges, crops and things like that when I realized I can't find one based out of Florida!!! What is up with that?? Are us Floridians too busy for scrapbooking? Maybe we aren't imaginative?? I think not!! we are supposed to be like kids with Disneyland right down the road or a few hours away. So I have decided to try and take on this on and see how it works!!! What do you think?? Let me know if there are interests because I am all for it!! LOL...

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