Early Christmas Gifts are FUN !

Yep, they sure are !  I've been wanting a new DSLR camera for a very long time.  I have a digital point and shoot camera that worked "ok" but not great for my needs, which of course was bead and jewelry photography.  I also have an old Canon AE-1 Program 35mm film camera which I LOVED and used for MANY years.  Have a bunch of lenses to go with that camera too.  Well, a couple weeks ago, QVC had a great TSV for a Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR package. Came with 2 lenses and a great package as the Q tends to do.  :)  I ordered it.  It came Monday and let me say - a lot has changed since the days of using 35mm film but a lot has remained the same as well.  It's just a matter of learning new things - again.  lol ! 

So once again I am on a learning adventure but this time with a camera - and I'm having a fantastic time !  I'm just going over the various functions of the camera this week but will start really practicing hopefully next week one chapter (in the instruction book) at a time.  :)  Simple and easy at first so I'm thinking the auto function will be a huge part of simple and easy.  lol !  Still I'm anxious to learn more about depth of field the most.  :)  

I've added just one picture I took just playin' around.  The octopus bead is a "Secret Santa" gift I received a few days ago. The glass forum I belong to has a Secret Santa every Christmas and this year I participated.   I have been drooling over Joy Munshower's octopus beads for some time.  She brought a HUGE smile to my face a few days ago when the package from her arrived.  I tore into that package and there it was - (along with a few chocolates and a lovely Christmas card), a fantastic octopus bead !  That bead will go into my faux fish tank as soon as I can find time to do the rearranging.  Thank-you once again Joy for helping make my Christmas a little nicer.  :) 

Anyway, octo bead was just sitting there on a sheet of white paper, I set the camera to close up and just shot.  No special lights, no adjusting the lenses, nothing.  Just shot.  I didn't even edit the colors in my edit program !   I was amazed !  The colors are PERFECT !  I do know of course, this won't happen with bead photo's much.  This is a HUGE bead though so I'm guessing that was part of the reason the photo turned out so well.  So more fun will follow.  :) 

 

I have but one photo of a bead I made this past week.  Alas, this little guy is all I could come up with.  A doggie with no tail !  lol !  So he'll stay home with me.  I do have some flowers in the kiln this morning.  Just been busy with other things this week.  Sometimes melting glass has to wait.   

 

 

Thanks much for coming by !  I hope you come back again very soon ! 

 

 

 

 

    

A New Week - Even Though It's Friday

I don't know if that even makes sense but I guess in a way it does.  Depending on when your week "starts".  lol !  I figure mine starts today cause it's kinda been a rough week.  Anyway, enough of that and on to more fun things.

I finally figured out how to add my Etsy shop to the links over there to the right of this writing.  :)   Took me a while but finally got it right.  So no more posting my shop in my posts.  Just click on any of the photo's and it'll take you right over to my shop. 

Speaking of the shop, the Grand Re-opening Specials are still going on but only for a limited time now.  Check them out.  I've also run out of Destash BEADS  to list as far as those go, that's it. I still have lots of other goodies to get listed.  More jewelry, some kumihimo braids and Viking knit and more beady supplies possibly.  

Ok so onto the really fun stuff !  I've been back at the torch a bit for the last few days !  Yay !  It's kinda like riding a bike but then again it's not.  lol !  Just depends on what I'm trying to accomplish I guess.  I've been making those great little bell flowers, some organic stuff and then a lot of stuff is ending up in the water can !  lol !  I got some new presses to use and I'm just not use to those at all.  I rarely used them in the past.  In fact, for many years I only had one and that was it.  So now, I have 5 brand new ones plus one I got at Christmas.  So lots of PPP has to take place before I can get a handle on them.  Just trying them out the last few days has been lets say a tiny bit frustrating so back to relearning. It's just a matter of figuring out how much glass to add for the mold and then pressing.......and pressing..........and pressing.  lol !   

So here's one focal bead that is worthy of showing right now.  Using my favorite color blue then adding silver foil and my all time favorite frit over that.  Thing is, I put it in my Etsy shop one night and the next morning it was sold.  :)  I really didn't expect that but hey, I'm glad it did sell.  :)  I made it using one of those new molds and got very lucky with the shape.  :)  It is BIG coming in at 12x30mm and the second mold in that group of two is even bigger !  lol !  I'll make more of these for sure.  I love the look.  I need one for myself.  lol ! 

 

So it's time for me to get my week started.  lol !  Thanks so much for coming by.  Please come back again soon.  And if you get a chance, come by my Facebook page and like me or make a comment or just enjoy. 

 

https://www.facebook.com/AllMyBeads