Monday, January 31, 2011

Macro Linky Party

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I can’t wait to see all of your close up photos this week.  Macro can be beautiful photo art. 

My husband and I took a nature trip Friday so I could take some photos.  We had a blast until a ranger said we had to stay on trails only because a dead tree might fall on our head.  Seriously. 

We visited a dried lake that is now Buffalo Lake Wildlife Refuge.  Everything is dead at the moment, but I see the beauty in it anyway. 

Here are some of my shots.

Dead flowers.

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Pile of bark and dead weeds.

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Addition:

I totally forgot about this photo I took this summer in Florida.  It is the neatest macro I have ever taken and it was all pure luck that I got such a neat photo.

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If you want to see more of my photos from there I have them posted on my photo blog.  Go here.

Ok I am really excited to see your photos so link up.

Tracy

 

Sunday, January 30, 2011

$35 CSN Giveaway

CSN has offered my readers a $35 giveaway.  With over 200 online stores they have everything, but I didn’t know that you can even buy a swing set and get free shipping!

  Swing Sets from Flexible Flyer

I am so ready for spring and being outside.  This swing set makes you long for spring and summer even more doesn’t it? 

I recently won a giveaway for CSN from Cheri @ It’s So Very Cheri and got a great set of knives.

They look so nice I even keep them on the counter top.

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I love them! 

What do you have to do to enter and possibly win?  Just leave a comment.  That’s all.  I am a simple gal with simple rules. 

The giveaway will end at 5pm Central time Sunday, February 6th. 

Good luck.

Tracy

 

Saturday, January 29, 2011

How to Get Ready for the Macro Party

Don’t forget about the Macro party next Tuesday February 1st.

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Today is gorgeous outside in the panhandle of Texas.  It is about 73 degrees.  Yesterday was about 67.  I hear snow is headed our way next week though.  Sad smile

I took advantage of the sunshine and snapped some photos outside in about 10 minutes to practice macro shots.  I took them in auto mode using my little flower setting. 

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Here’s what I found in my front yard.

A weed.

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Some grass.

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Brick.

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The top of a plant that looks kind of like a flower.

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And a feather.  I will show you 2 shots.  One is the first shot and the 2nd is the after I cropped it and it made it appear more macro like.

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Same feather cropped.

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One of my readers had a great idea.  Post your photos if you are happy with them or not.  Ask for tips if you struggled and see what comments will help you.  Everything is a learning process right?  Another tip to help show definition with your macro shots is use the sharp tool on your photo editing program. 

I hope you snap some photos and join in. 

Tracy

 

Ballard Inspired Table Top

There is something about about string, twine, jute etc. that I like.  I think it is the texture and look of it and yet it has function.  Anyway, I have had these things sitting in and around or stored in my house.  While browsing through the Ballards catalog, I noticed they have a thing for string too. 

Here is the catalog photo that caught my attention.

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So I thought I would join in Donna’s Funky Junk SNS Table Top Theme using my string. 

First I placed my items on my bench.

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Isn’t string pretty?  I got the tall one at Walmart in the fabric department and the thick stuff to the right is upholstery cording.

Next I placed my string on a metal tray on my coffee table.

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Who knew string could make such a lovely table top vignette.  (I dislike that word for some reason.) 

One more thing.  My son plays with this harmonica that is missing the top and bottom.

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Look how cool it looks like that.  Makes a neat addition to a grouping of old things doesn’t it?

Tracy

Linking to

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Anyone Up For Another Photo Linky Party Next Tuesday?

I am a firm believer in practice makes perfect.  Probably once a week I take about 100 photos or more at one time.  I think I took about 70 of my dog today.  I usually like to use the manual setting.  Today I had to take several photos until I get the settings the way I wanted them.  And then when my dog moved to a new location I had to change them all again.  The more I do this, the better I get at it. 

My great shot from today was actually one I took inside of her.  I love this photo. 

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It melts my heart.

My manual settings for this shot were f1.8 (aperture) 1/15s (shutter speed) and ISO 200.  The sunlight was coming in through the window so I had good lighting. 

My outside photos I used my automatic setting because I wanted to do action shots.  I can’t adjust my camera fast enough for action shots so the auto just works better.  An action shot must have a high shutter speed around 1/1000 to stop action and not have blur. 

The auto action setting on most cameras is a running stick figure.

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I took a ton of photos of my dog playing ball.  She does pretty well considering she can’t see.

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I thought it might be fun for you to try some action shots using your auto action mode and not using it to see the difference. 

Another idea I wanted to try is macro shots.  I read the true definition of macro photography and it is close up shots of very small objects like insects.  My idea of macro is close up shots of home décor, flowers, food, etc. 

The hardest thing about close up shots is getting your camera to focus when you are close to an object.  Sometimes I have to crop a photo so that is looks more like a macro shot.

Here’s some of my macro shots.

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I took this one back in October. 

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A trick to getting as close as possible is inch into the photo.  Push your focus button and when it focuses move in a little closer and push it again.  I am not sure why, but I can always get closer doing this and get my camera to focus.  You can also try manually focusing your camera. 

There is a macro setting on your camera that might make it easier. 

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It is the flower symbol.

I hope this all makes sense.  I feel a little intimidated writing advice about something I am just learning myself.  I realize that action shots aren’t something normally on a decorating/craft blog, but the more you practice with your camera the better you will get, however, most bloggers have children or grandchildren and the action mode works great when trying to capture kids on the move. 

So let me know what you think.  Is this good linky party material?  Would you want to participate?  I am thinking the macro one would be first.  Let me know.

Tracy

Monday, January 24, 2011

A Bigger Better Market Sign

Several months ago I made my first sign.  I took a scrap piece of wood and painted “Market” on it.  It worked, but the board color blended too much with my walls and the sign was a little on the dinky side. 

My husband cut a piece of plywood for me and I made another stencil with my Cricut. 

I wanted bold black with off white letters that got a touch of glaze for aging. 

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Here’s the old one for comparison and the post is here if you want to read it and see how I make them. 

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Back to the bigger better one. 

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I have been asked about my lights before.  They are porch lights from Lowe’s. 

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Bigger is better don’t ya think? 

Tracy

Linking to

Show and Tell @ My Romantic Home

Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous

VIP Party @ Designer Garden

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Sunday, January 23, 2011

To Be Junk Or Not To Be Junk?

You may remember some rusty stuff I got at a sale this past summer.  I still don’t know what to do with it, but I hang on to it just waiting.  Well Donna at Funky Junk has not only done a link this week at her Saturday Night Special party (yes I am late to the party), but she is also having a copycat challenge.  I may use this post for both. 

So I had this rusty stuff and I love numbers.  I love the number 2, but was just not feeling it today. Move over 2 there is a new number in town.  I don’t even like odd numbers so I don’t know why the #3 kept calling to me. 

I took a scrap board and painted it with off white paint, glazed it with dark brown and added extra glaze to the edges.  Next I stenciled a 3 and hammered in a nail and hung my rusty stuff on the board. 

Instant Junk Art that is functional.

Wanna see? 

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What could you do with the hook thing you ask?  Why put your keys on it.

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I switched it out with another rusty thing.  I just took the first one off the nail.

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And added this thing.

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It could hold a towel maybe? 

I couldn’t let my cute 3 stencil I made go to waste so I used it on a galvanized box with a lid that my father in law made when he was in his early 20s.  I am going to put it in my son’s room if when he let’s me redo it.

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What do you think?  Is it Funky Junk?  I think so. 

 

Tracy

Linking to

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Pet Partay at Debbiedoos

I am joining the Pet Partay at Debbiedoo’s Blogging and Blabbing.  How fun to see everyone’s pets.

Our dog is a vital part of our family.  She went blind this summer, but does well without sight.  We planned our upcoming summer vacation so that she could go with us and not be boarded because of how scared she would be in a strange place all alone and blind. 

Here’s our sweet girl.

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She decided to stand up and try and figure out what I am doing calling her name.

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She’s had enough.  Back to lounging and ignoring me.

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Oh the life of a dog.

Oh I have to show you her new bed.  I want it!  You wouldn’t believe how comfy and cushy it is.

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Pet Partay @ Debbiedoos

Share your PET PARTAY

Starts Monday January 24th

 

Tracy

 

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