Photo Editing

I have finally worked out how to get my photos the way I want them! Perfect white background! It might not work on other pieces which are majority white or lighter colours as it might blend in a little bit. Anyway here is a before and after pic of one of the photos I took the other day.

BEFORE

AFTER












If you would like to know how I did it just follow my directions below.

First you need photoshop for this. I use Photoshop CS (i think). You need the photo to have a solid background so either take the photo on a piece of paper or in a photo tent or something.

Next open your photo in photoshop and resize/crop to what you like or want. Next click on Image -> Adjustments -> Levels. A little box should pop up with a weird looking graph thing. If you look on the right hand side above where is sayis 'preview' there should be some eyedropper icons. Pick the one on the far right which should be the 'Set white point' eyedropped. Next click on the background of your photo where it should be white, and voila!

You may get some shadows or colours around the edges on the photo. This is fine, just either erase it or over it with a white spray paint, which is what I do.

New Beads!!

Today I went to the Creative Living Expo at Rosehill Racecourse for the first time. Was quite small but was still good and was nice to go bead shopping and pick up some bargains. The only downfall was there weren't many stalls selling Swarovski crystals and I really wanted to get some!

Anyway here are some pics of the things that I got.

New Project

Well I haven't updated in over a week and don't I feel slack. I have had so much stuff going on lately I've been getting sleep any spare moments that I have.

Anywho there is a new challenge on the beading forum in the polymer clay section for miniatures. So I've decided that I am gonna try and do some! Yay!

So far my ideas are to do a basket with some flowers in it, a vase with some flowers either roses or something with long stems and then I also might try ice cream or a banana sundae..mmm that makes me hungry just thinking about it.

Should hopefully be done over the next few days but I can't make promises because Feb is going to be a very very busy month for me. I also have a new necklace which I need to post but it's been pouring here so haven't had the chance to get any good photos outside.

Book Review - Beading Inspiration: How to use colour in jewellery design

TITLE: Beading Inspiration
How to use colour in jewellery design
AUTHOR: Bead & Button Magazine,Beadstyle Magazine
PUBLISHER: Kalmbach Pub Co
PUBLICATION YEAR:2007
FORMAT: Softcover




Well this is my book which arrived from the states not long a go. I read a review for it in one of my Australian Beading magazines and thought it looked really good and sometimes I do struggle knowing what colours to put together and if 'this' goes with 'that'.

It is approximately 96 pages and the reading is easy and the instructions are simple to follow.

The book begins off with giving some ways of where we can get inspiration from such as nature for example and also explains how a colour wheel works, which I found to be very very helpful. It also has a couple of pages on basic techniques which is good for beginners and it also taught me a few things.

From them on in it has over 30 different projects incorporating colours and showing which colours go with what. I found it really good for the main fact is I struggle with colours that I don't use very often like reds or browns. At the end it also shows how to use metallics in jewellery like silver, bronze and gold. I have found it hard sometimes to make a piece which is majority gold or silver yet finding a colour which won't stand out so bright when used.

All of the projects have a step by step guide with photos showing you exactly how to create each piece. I LOVE instructions which come with photos because I am more of a visual person, sometimes words just don't cut it for me or I talk myself around in circles. I haven't made anything as such from the book yet but I am loving some of the designs and definitely have got some inspiration and ideas from it.

I'm not too sure on the price of this item, as I did buy it from Amazon and all the prices were in American currency. I haven't checked the credit card bill either hehe to see how much it was. I think it is worth it though for anyone who wants some inspiration or wants to learn how to use colours.

New Necklace

EDIT:: Completed piece with an added bead and chain. Also just a overall better photo.


This necklace is for a friend for her birthday. I was gonna use one of my raspberry and black pendants with the silver leafing but couldn't decide which one to use so made something completely different.

The black tear drop shape is made from polymer clay with glaze. Where I inserted the headpins I actually some cute little bali spacers just to dress it up a little bit. The dangles are made with random glass beads and some czech faceted beads too.

Close up of polymer clay piece

I thought I had some chain but don't, so this is just the focal bit of the necklace, it's not actually in its finished form. Its going to be one of those long necklaces which hang bust and below, although when taking the photos on the black wire it does look good at a choker length too.


I also made one for myself using different bali spacers on the headpins and putting a crystal on either side up the top. This isn't glazed or anything and I might think about what I will do with mine. The crystal looks sort of green/yellow but it's really just got a double coating of AB.


I really like this idea. Next I want to try one with some silver leafing.