details

During last week I had so many wonderful kids hanging out with me.  One of them was a tremendous organizer, who couldn't begin sewing until she had put some order to my various pins, scattered in different bowls and assorted pin cushions. She found satisfaction in sorting by color and type. Order, pattern and details… she has an eye for the macro world. Her focus inspired me to think about perspective. And to reach for my new macro "toy" for my iPhone from photojo*.

It's a little lens attached to an elastic band that slips over any phone camera lens. Super simple and portable. And fun!

Trying to zoom in on the details of this feather with just my phone gave me this blurred mess:

With my new lens- there was this:

 

And even a soft dreamy close up:

 The quality doesn't compare to my Canon… but it's pretty impressive for a "rubber band". It's been fascinating looking up close and personal at the details around me, so I've been wearing it on my wrist for just those moments. It's fun and user-friendly for kids too, as you can imagine.

*I'm not affiliated with photojojo- just like sharing when I enjoy something!

scrumptious chard pesto and some food photo tips

Hello food loving friends!  I am so excited to tell you about our delicious discovery Saturday night- chard can be substituted for basil in pesto! Who knew? Probably YOU, but I hadn't a clue. I've successfully tried other greens before, but nothing has come as close to basil as swiss chard. The funny thing is that I'm not even a big fan of chard. I love all greens, but it's one of the lowest on my list. Not so anymore. So if you're missing the fresh vivid green pesto of summer, just substitute some chard (with the stalks cut) off for basil in your favorite pesto recipe. I added a squeeze of lemon juice and a little extra olive oil.

 ***

My weekend was all about baking and souping (new and old recipes alike). There were so many opportunities to snap shots of pretty food that it got me thinking about my relationship with my camera and our kitchen. Uninspiring food pictures just make me sad, especially when the recipe is a good one. I've definitely taken my share of poorly photographed meals, but have improved over the years. If you have a blog and like to cook, most likely you've included some food posts. I thought I'd share some of the simple things I do to make the most out of what's on our plates. Let's use Sunday's breakfast as a teaching tool, because I took a rather blah pic, before I got in gear for more enticing one.  As a huge popover fan, I had been wanting to try Amy's Dutch Baby every since Amanda blogged about it last week. The time change had me all turned upside down and a super fast recipe was in order for growling tummies. Because I hadn't planned on taking pictures, that puffy Dutch Baby collapsed before I even grabbed my camera.*Sigh*

There were lighting obstacles, as well, so I let everyone serve themselves a slice and then served YOU a slice and ran outside with it. I reached for a tablecloth on my way out the door.

Isn't that  final photo a little tastier? With caramelized apples and a dusting of sugar it was devoured instantly. In fact, I might double the recipe next time. So here's a little list of things I do to ensure delicious images:

9 tips for better food photos:

1. keep your camera in the kitchen
2. use natural indirect light- set up a tray at a window or bring it outside, but not in direct sunlight (I take almost all of my pics outside when the weather permits)
3. keep backdrops at the ready- a tablecloth, dishtowel, or favorite piece of fabric ( I love my old cutting board's rustic appeal and it's in many of my shots)
4. shoot above it, but not directly over it
5. use simple plates and bowls that don't take away from the food
6. style a pretty serving and then offer it as seconds to someone in your family
7. keep your camera hand steady or use a tripod
8. tweak with any simple photo editing tool if the light isn't just right
9. upload your photos to your blog in a nice large size... now that it's a delicious picture show it off!

(Instagram is a fun new way to casually share food photos- but I still use most of the same tips above with my phone)
Note: I am not a food blogger, even though I pretend to be some times! I am not a trained photographer and use a fairly basic camera. I just like nice pictures of good food. Between the time change and this post, I may need an early lunch today!

shooting shadow silhouettes

Taking a walk in the woods is a surefire way to synthesize ideas and sort out new projects in my head. The air is clear and the birds are good company. Inevitably, I come home with a few bits of tangible inspiration- leaves, branches, sprigs of this and that. I find botanical patterns fascinating. To reduce the shapes into simple silhouettes, I use the sun when it's high overhead. I photograph the shadows so that I can incorporate them into stencils, stamps, illustrations and embroidery later on. It's really quite simple. If you're looking for interesting patterns and shapes for your own designs give it a try.

The only tools you'll need are your camera and the sun. This will work most times of the year, but fall stalks and weeds are especially stark and lend themselves to shadows beautifully.

Bet,you can find some interesting materials out your back door, too. Try a neighborhood park to expand your repertoire. This is quiet, meditative work that doesn't take very long, but will slip you into an instant peaceful state. If your children are about, they'll enjoy it too... they are expert foragers, as you know. Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

maya*made calendar 2011

I nearly hugged my mail carrier yesterday. A much anticipated package arrived, and I'm so happy  to finally reveal one of the many things I've been working on behind the scenes: a calendar for the upcoming year! It features some very favorite images from maya*made unfolding with the rhythms of the year. I couldn't be more pleased. I've had many requests to purchase photos over the last couple of years, and that's finally in the works.  This was the first step.

Creating a calendar has been on my list for some time.

When I was invited to contribute to last year's Whip Up calendar (a heartfelt thank you to Kathreen two days in a row!), I decided to hold off on my own one until 2011. As fall rolled around, I knew it was time to jump in, and after much research decided to stick with what I know best: Lulu publishing. I've had a Lulu calendar on my wall for the last two years, so I feel confident that I'm offering something well made with beautiful quality. Selecting the photos took an embarrassingly long time, but in the end I feel so good that I didn't rush.
I wanted to ensure that you (and I) would enjoy a full 30 days or so with each one. You purchase it directly through Lulu and they'll ship it to you in 3-5 days ! So are you curious? Go have a peek. Or just check below for a nifty little preview with all of the details. You can even click on the button to enlarge to full screen.

Hope you enjoy! Any questions, please ask.

kerchief and a sneak peek

Good morning and happy August! Our new favorite accessory began with the millions of t-shirts I've been dissecting for skirts. Scraps were discarded all over my work table.  I made a little cut here and another there and slipped it over my head to keep my hair back as I worked. It happened to be dusty rose (or pink!), and of course that attracted my five year old who quickly claimed it for her own head. She never gave it back! In fact, she has worn it for four days straight! She's also quite happy in her latest version of the skirt shown above: short and simple.

I decided I had to make my own kerchief , but refined it a bit. But is it a kerchief? A hat? A headband? It's all three, and I'm now making them for friends and family. They're that good!

 I just added the kerchief "how to"  to the skirt pdf, because you'll have all the scraps discarded around your cutting area, too! 
"And how's that skirt pdf coming?" you politely ask.
Just about done!  Phew! I've gotten a bit carried away sewing up skirt after skirt to create an "inspiration board" of different variations... there are endless possibilities for you to be the designer. Just a few more snips of stray threads and a couple more photographs to go. A call for testers is coming up. Here's a look at the pretty pictures I'm having far too much fun taking...

 Have a great start to your month!

crows

I'm quite fortunate to be able to find inspiration right out my back door... but sometimes all I have to do is look up from this screen, and I can catch something magical. The crows have been gathering and cawing each morning this week. The above photo was taken from my studio window, above my desk. I caught this single crow in our old chestnut tree and edited the photos together. I'm finding that I can't stop looking at it. I feel connected to each dual side that this crow represents: the quiet, mulling things over bird and the wild, leaping-out-of-branches bird. A carving or stencil is definitely brewing...

fall knitty!

One of my dearest friends, Laura, is a knitwear designer (loladesigns) . She is currently the design director of Schaefer Yarn Company and is always coming up with incredible new pieces. I love seeing whatever she has on her needles, knowing it's destined to be some incredible new sock pattern or a gorgeous sweater I didn't even know I needed to have. She's prolific and even though we see each other a couple of times a week, I rarely catch her knitting the same thing twice! There are many (knitting) perks related to being Laura's close friend: late night calls when I get stuck with a pattern, hearing the latest news in the fiber world, being nudged to join Ravelry (even if I'm a bit overwhelmed by it's vastness), and most recently playing a little role in one of her successes. Her patterns are popping up everywhere and currently she has one featured in the Fall Knitty! It's this cozy sweater vest, the Abrazo.


We are each others cheerleaders, so Laura is fully aware of my current love with photography. She put her faith in me, and gave me an opportunity to practice my camera skills, by hiring me to do the Knitty photo shoot! It was a beautiful setting...


and we had a wonderful woman (Ms. Baxter) modeling. Here are a couple of the photos that didn't make the cut, but I still love.



Maybe you are a knitter and not familiar with Knitty... please, go grab a cup of something good and spend some time perusing their free patterns and wonderful articles. Not familiar with Ravelry? You'll need to sign up to receive an invitation, but once you're in... an entire knitting and crochet universe reveals itself. You'll need to bring a huge pot of tea or coffee before you sit down to check it out.

My knitting needles have been gathering dust for months, but this nippy weather (and Laura inspiring me) has my fingers itching to cast on. By the end of the week, I should be well into a new knitting project. I'm going public with this goal, so you can all be my witnesses.

On another note, I want to thank all of the friends that have been writing in to tell me that they've been enjoying using my tutorials. I'm thrilled to hear from you! I love creating them, but they can be time consuming...hearing that you've given them a try and seeing photos really makes it all worth while! I recently started a flickr group for you to share your photos of things you've created via maya*made. Please consider adding you photos to the pool...the more the merrier! You can also find the link in the sidebar.

Have a great start to your week!

lovely mail

Oh, how I love to get mail! It's my son's job to check our box when he gets off the bus and rarely does he say the magic words, "it's for you!" I heard them THREE times last week...well, the third time was actually, " for you...AGAIN!" I have been madly putting energy into everyone and everything but myself recently, some treats were a good idea. I had never made a single Etsy purchase and it seemed like a good time to try it out...ooooh...now I understand how hard it will be to resist more "treats"! It was too easy. A little disclaimer first..I don't buy new things very often, if I do it's for someone else, or maybe a book that I couldn't get at the library. Oh listen to me...I sound so defensive...am I really trying to justify the wonderful act of supporting fellow artists and beautifying my space? "What did you get, already!" you ask? Gorgeous images... created by three incredible woman I adore. I will put them up in my studio and surround myself with inspiration without having to click on the computer. I click on to stay connected and also to plug into the vast energy of so many creative minds. I think having a tangible part of some of the people I admire and love on my walls will enhance my work and help wean me from the constant plugging in to the screen...which will give me more time for my own work. That's the plan anyway. Not that I will post less, just not get so lost in my journeys from one lovely blog to another... I know you can relate!
So here are my first prints by these beautiful woman:

Mrs. French's (bliss) Little Moon

I feel so fortunate to be blog and flickr friends with someone so kind, gracious, and inspiring. I absolutely love everything she's doing... her eye for beauty can be found in each photo she takes. She only opened her Etsy shop a couple of weeks ago, but a huge flurry of attention has been paid to her by many new fans. It's incredibly joyful to watch someone you care about exploding with success by doing something they love so much. Gives me goosebumps! There's also is a little voice inside of me that keeps saying...to the rhythm of the The Little Engine That Could: "I knew she was special...I knew she was good...."! Also check her Monday "I heart" posts (on her blog) ... they're always filled with delicious finds for great window shopping from your seat.
shop
blog

Helen's (Zuk Zuk) Jelly Bean Birds and Martin's Chair


I can's say enough about this tremendous woman...she funny, bright, and oh sooo talented! Her use of color just fills me up. I love each and every print she makes...you must stop by her shop, these pictures don't capture her work at all! I have to tell you that Martin's chair was completed during the same week that I did my chair re-do...there is a little story that goes with this print here...I realized I was Martin(with a garage filled with old chairs!) and knew instantly he had to come home with me. When I first discovered ZukZuk, months ago, she was having a give-away with one of her Jelly Bean Birds prints. I didn't win, but Helen magically knewof my huge disappointment (be aware of the comment trails that you leave) , and crazy generous woman that she is... tucked the print in behind Martin's Chair. I was so dumbfounded upon opening my package, that I checked my pay pal invoice twice to make sure I hadn't bought it without realizing it...I mean I knew I loved it, maybe I had! No, Helen is just extremely generous, sensitive and good at making people cry over their mail.
blog
shop


Elsita's Within Reach

I learned about Elsita early on in my short blogging career. When I first poured through her blog, and learned who she is, what she's been through, and where she's going ...I knew I'd found my hero. Elsita's voice is filled with an unsurpassed warmth and openness that makes each reader feel like they are her new lifelong friend...and they are...she is so genuine and real that each post she writes makes me catch my breath...or I find myself putting my hand to my heart...she's just sooo good. And her ART, well I've never seen more abundant beauty in my life. She explains her motivation and intentions behind individual pieces and generously shares her techniques. How to choose just one little bit of Elsita for my studio? There are so many diverse choices, and if you go to her shop, you'll see just how prolific she is. Actually, this print spoke to me right away and I never wavered. It's a perfect representation of how I would like to feel about myself...how I hope we all can work towards feeling about ourselves. Everything we desire and need is within our self...and WITHIN REACH!
blog
shop

Here's to talented and creative women everywhere!! I know all of you readers are gloriously talented, too...and if YOU don't know it, yet...let's remember together, that it is
within reach...really!

picnik fun

Last night I had a date with a very exciting photo editing site called picnik.
Thanks to my blogging friend over at Bricolagelife and her picnik post, my interest was peaked and I reserved an hour for previewing it. It changed my life...well that might be a bit extreme...it changed how I look at my relationship with my photos and my blog...which seems to be a big part of my life these days. Sharing beautiful pictures of what I'm up to is almost as important to me as what I'm making...they go hand in hand.

I'm an amateur photographer, and not very technically savvy so any help I can get I'll take. My new banner project was motivated by my inability to type text the way I wanted to on a photo.


Pretty pathetic, I know, but good things came out of the challenge: I do like my newspaper bunting banner...sounds like you do too! But now I have some options for future banners and anything else that troubles me. For instance, good lighting is essential for a nice picture. I prefer outdoors and in the morning or late afternoon for all of my photo shoots. This is a bit limiting and will get to be more of a bother when the snow begins to fall. Picnik will allow me to enhance the shots that might not be just right...sharpness...better exposure, etc...

I'm still a purest , and you will continue to see my images straight up with maybe a crop here are there...but every once in a while you might see something wild and crazy and you'll know I was having fun late into the night. The banners I've included today are some very simple things I worked on directly from my Flikr photostream (they're linked together). The possibilities are vast...it's fun and FREE...go check it out! Hope you have a great weekend...I have some wonderful posts I'm excited about for next week, see you then!

happily clicking away

I check out Shutter Sisters each morning for a little photographic inspiration. One photo is selected each day from their flikr pool to be the highlighted "daily click". Today it was one of mine with the above shot, titled Dusk. I can't tell you how fantastic it makes me feel to be recognized for this new love of mine, taking pictures! I've always loved photography, but am completely self-taught and wing it most of the time. In the past, most of my photos revolved around children, but I've been branching out to nature and stills. Whenever a great shot happens, I tend to think it's just luck. My confidence is growing, as more people are enjoying what my little camera and I are producing. Blogging has motivated me to use my camera every day... so many bloggable moments and I don't want to miss out on capturing things to share visually. My introduction to flikr (thanks to great friend, Pat!) has been the most exciting part of my new hobby. How fun to share how you see your world, with others...from all over the world. I had this huge and out-dated clunker of a digital camera up until two months ago...then I bought a new one (sony cyber-shot 7.2) with prize money from the Sew Green Contest, and it's become one of my best friends! Here are a few of my favorite shots in the last week:




I'd love to hear about your relationship with your camera and what role photography plays in your life.