Sometimes Less Is More

I have to be honest, I love some of the elaborate backgrounds and beautiful props that some photographers use. However, sometimes less really can be more. 

You don't need a fancy background or crazy fun prop to get a good portrait.

Just get up close, focus on the eye, and you've captured a timeless image.

The most important thing to remember is to capture your subject(s) as they are, not how you think they should be. 

You might not always get cooperative subjects with beautiful smiles like this gorgeous girl,

but at least you've documented history as it just was. So dig out those cameras and happy shooting!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone is off to a great 2012!

I don't normally make resolutions knowing very well that I'll probably break them, but I'm going to give it a shot this year. 

My 2012 Resolutions are:

1. To avoid being nominated for the Hoarder's show by PURGING and decrapifying my life.

2. To spend more QUALITY time with my girls.

3. To complete unfinished projects pre 2012.

4. To actually keep up with this blog.

5. To have a crazy fun world.

6. To laugh more.

7.  To take better care of me.

And last but not least,

8. To walk the dog everyday, so maybe some bonding time will allow him to quit being such a rebel and running away from me every chance he gets. 

I hope this year brings you much happiness, good health, and lots of  fun. Happy New Year!

Charmless Holiday Glasses

I love wine glass charms, but more often than not, when I am at a party they're usually not provided so I'm left to cling onto my glass all night for fear of someone else grabbing my drink and drinking from it. Not that anyone is just standing by waiting to get their hands on my glass for a shot of my cooties.

So I decided to take this problem out of the hands of my wonderful friend who will be receiving these pretty glasses for Christmas. 

I cut out some designs on Oracal vinyl using my Silhouette Cameo.

Then I carefully placed them on inexpensive, but pretty glasses that I purchased. I placed the snowflake on one side and my friend's last initial on the opposite side, then I put a thick layer of etching cream on the stencil.

I left the etching cream on for five minutes, rinsed the etching cream completely off, and whala! Cute personalized glasses with no need for a charms. 

Obviously designs aren't limited to winter themes, nor do they have to be cut with a die cutting machine. If you're looking for a inexpensive, but charming gift that you can personalize, glass etching can be a fun idea. Oh and for the non-alcholic beverage drinkers, these would make great water glasses.

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Teacher Gifts

Every year during the holidays I struggle with what I should gift my daughters' teachers.  They are in half day Spanish Immersion so they have an English teacher, a Spanish teacher, and some years they have aides. It can get quite expensive on a stay-at-home mom budget so I try to make their gifts. Last year I had to come up with eight gifts. This year I was lucky to have just four teachers to gift.

My girls and I decided, at the last minute, to make subway art for their teacher gifts this Christmas.  I wanted something with encouraging words, so I looked to blog land for inspiration.

I borrowed some words from eighteen25's printable here,

and This and That Creative's teacher subway art here.

Aren't they both great?

I went to work designing in Silhouette Studio then I went to Lowe's, bought a 24"x 4' sheet of wood for just over $7 and had a friend's husband make three cuts (my husband and his tools were inaccesible). I forgot that one board was slightly wider than the others and I should've cut the vinyl accordingly, but I didn't so you see little more white space on the white board. My girls helped sand and paint them while I cut the vinyl on my awesome new Silhouette Cameo. 

I learned, the hard way, that the vinyl I purchased from Silhouette was not sticky enough. It would not stick to anything, so I dug out some Oracal vinyl I had on hand and it did the job perfectly. I've contacted Silhouette America to notify them of my vinyl issues, after reading that others were having the same problems, and they promptly replied stating that they would send replacement vinyl. I'm not sure I really want anymore of their vinyl after unsuccessfully using up a whole roll of 12"x10' vinyl, but I suppose I'm willing to give their vinyl another chance, perhaps I had a bad batch. 

All in all, I was very happy with the four very inexpensive classroom subway art pieces which were a hit with the teachers. 

For a limited time, download the Classroom Subway art file here. Please give credit where credit is due when using designs or ideas from other users. This is for personal use, and may not be used for resale. 

*UPDATE - This link is no longer available*

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