Ladybug Lake Update

Here is the latest and greatest pix of Ladybug Lake. I am going to compare the last one with the latest one, which was taken with my little Canon camera.

Taken with my old iPhone

Taken with Canon camera

The Canon pix has the colors right, and there isn't a distortion of the fabric color like the iPhone. Now my iPhone is an old hand me down from my husband, who is more taken with phone technology than I am, so he gets the newer phone and I inherit the old. It's a good working arrangement for the two of us. However, an older technology means that there are discrepancies to be put up with, i.e., the difference in color from the phone camera to a real camera. You can see here too that a bit more progress has been made on the design.

So now with this great upgrade to provide better quality pix, I can feel confident that what I put up on my blog is true to what I am actually seeing, and that is what I want, a better experience for those readers of my blog.

Hopefully the next time I give you an update, I will be at the bottom of the stitching as shown in the pix, and will be starting on the last twenty or so rows beneath it.

In the meantime, I have been experimenting with my Shiva Paintsticks for the next project. I am thinking about painting the background with either the Paintsticks or Jacquard fabric paints to match the stitching, that way I won't have any white background show up. This will take some time to get the fabric ready if I do this, since I have to wash the fabric to get all the sizing out of it so it will take either the oil or acrylic paint and then letting it set up after I paint it. I may even use my Martha Stewart's. I'll have to see how the matching goes. I have also been looking at fibers for it too. So it has been busy here at Pear Blossom Designs, which is okay, because the weather outside has been sweltering. Summer truly is here in Oklahoma.

Stay cool, comfortable and serene until next time.
Debbie

Picture Perfect

I have been taking photos of the project Ladybug Lake with my iPhone which has resulted in the colors not being spot on. I have a small less expensive version of a Canon and will start to use it to take the photos to get better resolution and color matching. I'll experiment with it this weekend as we are supposed to get some rain on Saturday or Sunday, can't quite remember which, and that would be a good day to play around with it. I'll repost the pictures next week with the old phone camera and the Canon so a decent comparison can be made. Once my designs are finished and framed, I will look to really get the best pictures I can. I have a friend whose daughter is a professional photographer and maybe I could get her to do some shots for me at a decent cost. I know a setup to do product photography isn't that expensive and I may even try it myself if I'm feeling particularly brave and the price is right. I know how important good photos are to show off products in the best way possible to produce sales because I have shopped on Etsy and there have been terrible pictures taken to sell items and I'm not sure why they would think anyone would purchase something that is out of focus, too dark or too light. The really good pix really knock your socks off and reinforces the product's written description in a visual way that allows it to either speak to the purchaser in a true fashion or not.

I received my Miyuki bead shipment and they are absolutely gorgeous! The colors are wonderful and so different than the other beads they make. Stunning. I already had a design going using just beads before I even knew about these, but now that I have them I know they will be perfect for the piece. I love it when a plan comes together, especially when it does so unexpectedly.


As an aside, and while discussing beads, I have to tell you I am reading a book about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton which has so far been quite interesting. They mention the jewelry purchases Burton made for Elizabeth which made me go back to my copy of "Elizabeth Taylor, My Love Affair with Jewelry" to see them in color and beautifully photographed. I love using vintage brooches in my work (which I will be working to make happen hopefully before the end of the year) and she had some truly stunning newer pieces along with wonderful vintage ones. It's nice to be in good company with someone like Elizabeth Taylor when it comes to appreciating gorgeous baubles and beads!