What to do with all the images?

One of my goals for this year has been to be more organized with the business end of my clay travels. In doing  so I realized the importance of getting good images of your work first and then more importantly you got to know where in the heck they are!

So I set off to my local electronics store with one thing in mind.

Dont ask me why but I thought that was the answer to my issue so I got one and set off to organize my photos I mean I did not think I had THAT MANY! I started with the photo folders I had on the drive. There were only 4 folders and one of them was empty. Hmm where were all my photos? So I started digging and found these.

 What the heck is on these I mean only 3 of them have jewelry written on them so I will start with these. Why did I go to the bleeping store thinking I needed cd’s? Ok I think I should check the blank ones first.

First one says Baby shower TX on the pictures of the blank cd. After a few clicks it is the baby shower and Ruthie is #129 she is my best friend in Tx. I miss Ruthie…..Next! 5 Baby showers, guess I was going to make copies and send to everyone, and 2 blank cd’s later I really did need to get cd’s so that is positive.

Now I have 2 Jewelry and a B&W. I like the B&W so I will check that first. OMG 467 photos thats not all B&W. Here is #21

That’s not the B&W project that is Fouad at the First football game we went to. Now this is the B&W and if I do say so myself that is a good photo.

Hands not too wrinkly looking and the angle is a good one. So the B&W must be on this one after viewing a few pics. Next!

Jewelry practice that should bring back some memories.

I remember that one! I build that box so I could take good pics ROFLOL! I did not follow direcitons correctly that is why you see the box in the background. And my attempts to cover them up.

These really are practice I will go to the next one that is just titled Jewelry. I bet I will have some luck there.

These are still practice but at least I updated to a cloth back that was not an unwrinkled sheet.

So I guess I need to start moving what photos I do have to cd’s mark them and keep it up. I started this whole mess because a friend recently had her comuter crash and she lost a lot of photos and documents and I did not want to be in the same boat.

Where are your treasured photos of your creations? Are they safe? Have you baked them up? If not be prepared to smile a lot at the random images you find, and if you complete your task be prepared to find some wonderful shots of your creations.

Some of the found photos can be found on my flickr site.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluedamselflyjewelry/

Central Mass PCGuild

I wanted this post to be titled I am so Happy but it just didn’t seem right, I have to give props to the Guild! I have not had the chance in my clay travels to take but one class and that was sheer luck and timing honestly. While at the class I learned the importance of joining a guild.  This is the one I found…

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Central_MassPCGuild/

This is the groups home page where we discuss meeting information if you live in the Ma area we would love it if you joined, or even stopped by one month to see if it fits you.

I am so happy to have found this group of women. I mean for me claying is such a solitaire art. I am at the  clay table  by myself ALL THE TIME! If something does not get done or done correctly it is my problem I have no one to blame but myself. Practice, practice, practice, or as my online mentor Aunty Alias says baby steps. We all have to start with baby steps.

My feedback is my husband, son, and coworkers. The customers who I have that know I design will ask about the piece I am wearing and give feedback from time to time. My coworkers are used to the fact that I may bring in a bag of rings and let them wear it till it breaks BUT if you take one you have to tell me what you were doing when it broke, and show the broken piece to me if you can.  This way as an artist I get to see what does not work about a certain design I am working on.

Hubby and son see the piece in the works sometimes with each step from cane creation to finished piece. Often I do not know if they really like a piece or if they are just telling me what I want to hear so I will go back to my cave and leave them alone. On the rare occasion I catch them “in the mood” they will go so far as to select colors or give a direction for a piece.

I can not tell you how happy I am to have found others with the same sickness as me. All t he women are extremely talented and creative as is seen in our project this month …..Bracelets. I found them to be so giving with the information or tips they had I can not ever begin to give back what I have received. I am so happy! Look at everyone’s semi finished pieces so unique each and every one of them. I am so inspired by these wonderful women.

Makes me want to finish this and go play ……..but the house is a mess and laundry does need to be done so we shall see.

If there is a guild in your area JOIN! If not start one! I am telling you that you will enjoy it so much if you do.

Now for my question, while wearing a cuff bracelet how do you get it not to move like this one is? Sorry for the bad photo but no one is here to take a pic of how it is resting on my arm. My arm is turned sideways and the opening keeps falling on my arm the way you would slide it on not laying the way it should. I am guessing that I should try to squeeze it tight so it does not move but do not want to damage the clay by doing that.

Thanks for any advice and GO CLAY WITH SOMEONE you will love the inspiration that comes from it.

Big News

A few weeks ago you may have read my post about project 365 I have been getting really positive feedback on this one and wanted to update. The family has been very cooperative for the most part. My favorite picture of the week is very hard to choose I mean I got some good ones so I will throw them in and let you decide YOUR favorite. Sunday was easter so of course you got to have a pic of the day of all the crap that goes in the basket.

An interesting thing happend while on the way to easter dinner. Hubby had me take several pictures of him the whole while commenting on how he liked project 365. He did not like the pictures even while I was taking them because he did not like the angle of the sun etc, which lead to a posing session. He is going to use a real camera for his picture of the day which for him will be successful I think because he always has his camera on him for work. I can not wait to see his pictures that man will come up with some good ones. Here is my Monday picture it is of a sleek looking Harley with the Stooges painted on the front.

On Tuesday there was a bank bowling event where the Plaistow Office went head to head with Kingston. I was able to catch up with a great person Lois who I miss in the branch a lot. I do not know how we got on the subject but I mentioned project 365 to her and she really liked the idea. She found the cloud app which is where you take a picture of a cloud a day she is really excited about both apps. I told her I was old and would not remember to take a picture of the day and a cloud, but if she sent me some of hers she may inspire me. When the bowling night was done there were several awards and I got high score and a ribbon which of course was my picture of the day. BTW Lois is having fun with the cloud app!

On Wednesday there was a customer who came into the bank with her mother. While she waited in the lobby playing with her I phone I being me asked what her favorite app was you never know she may have a good one. Hers was solitare (I waste enough time on Farmville I am not doing solitare too) I told her mine was project 365 and showed her a few of my fav’s. Of course I showed the first one a picture of bedcovers where I dropped the phone in the bed while taking the picture, son’s first sushi, hubby eating his b day cake, duct tape wallet, 5 superbowl rings etc.. She told me her mother had just purchased an I Pad which I could not believe I mean this lady was old I didnt even think she could see the i pad. On her way out of the bank the daughter waved her phone in the air and said she was already downloading Project 365. My pic of the day was my son getting his braces off.

 

 

 

These people in a way I feel have been inspired by me and what i am doing. This is so fufilling for me as an artist I mean I am part of the reason for them taking pictures and moments in their lives and recording them daily. DAILY that is the commitment and they are doing it I am so proud of them and hope they spread the love and get someone else doing the same thing.

Now for the big announcement……….Polymer Clay Cafe wants to publish my next project Woo Hoo for me! I am so excited and really can not wait for it all to come together. This will be the second time I have had an article in the magazine. The first time I really did it because of my son. If not for him I may not have faced my fear and submitted. The story is in the intro of the article it was Vol 7 No 3 published in April of 2009. This time with a lot of inspiration from fellow clayers I have what I think is a unique polymer clay piece. I will update while going through the process.

If I can inspire at least one of you to take a picture/cloud of the day or to submit to a magazine I will feel all this typing alone at my computer and taking the freeken pictures of the day have all been worth it tenfold!

Mini Animal Swap

Another swap has come to a close and here are the participants and items that were part of the Mini Animal Swap 2010.

I want to personally thank all the participants without whom the swaps would never be possible. This is a great learning experience and all that have participated in this or any other swap have learned so much, and connected with clayers from all over the world!

Again Thank you.