Cameras, lights and action!....nothing ever easy!

Got lucky today! well, a little late for 'this' project (am doing some tutorials), but will make it easier for future ones. Seems that DSLR (digital single light reflex) cameras are becoming the thing for professional digital pictures and more and more publishers are asking for them. Not a thrilling thought just when we thought that we finally could do away with 'slide' requests. We all know there is a lot of talk about megapixels. Then comes jpeg, tiff and raw and if that doesn't sound confusing add a 300 dpi request. I always thought that my 3.3 megapixel Sony Cybershot DSC-S70 did just fine....the white balance is actually better than for my daughters 6 megapixel Kodak.
Now size isn't supposed to be everything, but the Canon D30, it weighs a whopping 1.72 lbs without the battery! My Sony weighs a scant 14.5 oz. with the battery. Newer cameras weigh probably HALF that. Cameras are supposed to be light.

So what else is different between this 3.1 megapixel camera and my Sony?! The lens in the Canon is twice as large and can adapt other lenses.
I always thought megapixels mean the same things for different cameras but apparently there is a lot more to pixels than the numbers imply. The 3.1 megapixel DSLR Canon can take greater pixel sizes and at greater resolution BLABLABLA...
I still don't understand this technical stuff, nor should I have to understand all this stuff, should I? I'm an artist not a professional photographer, but seems the two are becoming more and more interwoven as we post pics of our work on blogs, on Flickr, on Etsy and Ebay. Critical eyes looking at our work and judgment based on the visual effect. If the picture sucks so does our work. Being ever critical of my work, my pictures SUCK! lol How do others do art and photography so well!...?? I need some lessons!

I'll give the camera a try. My friend Wayne is loaning me his DSLR since he uses it about as often as we take Polaroids. There is a 150 page manual to read through (big groan here) so I'll have to do some experimenting to see how different it actually is from my Sony. These DSLR's aren't cheap, this one goes for about$1300. My Sony when I bought it 2000 cost me $1500, so am not so anxious going out and buying another. Will see if 'quality' makes a difference.
Most importantly....I might still take crappy pictures with the better camera, lol! Nothing ever EASY, but always more complicated. Don't you agree?

Chunky Beads and what is inspiration....

These polymer clay beads are a bit out of my normal range. Hard to tell without a scale, but the ones on the purple background are about a third larger than the ones I'm holding below. 25mm to 35mm is pretty big isn't it? Is big in style? No clue, living in the Rainforest here, lol, but then it doesn't really matter as I'm not a trend-watcher either. So, what is the inspiration?! Perhaps I subconsciously pick up stuff from TV....even though I listen more during the day than watch because I work while the boob tube plays in the background. During day-time there isn't much on (is there ever?) except for maybe TV Judges, lol, or digital music. I gave up watching Soaps a long time ago, after 'Another World' left the Air. I think Felicia used to wear Chunky stuff. Being a news junkie, TV anchors may have an influence on me.
Anyway, I guess I go with what comes natural. I always start with 'NO PLAN', then ask myself if I'm going to make a 'pendant', a 'pin', or 'beads'. Something like that and it doesn't always evolve into that 'title'. I take a block of polymer clay, then add this, then that and it just sort of 'flows' and ends up being 'something'. With Beads I tend to have major attention deficit because making more than 10 beads and I start to get blurry-eyed and it takes some effort to keep going.

The large beads are strung with Russian Serpentine and Lava. For the beads in the lower picture, I strung the beads on antique copper chain and with Gold Pyrite Stone beads. That necklace hangs to ones belly-button and can be double wrapped.

So it's not only large pendants I'm working on, but the beads are getting bigger also. The caps are polymer clay too. What should I call these? I'd be pleased to call them something other than 'Chunky Beads'...any ideas?

A new twist

A new twist to my work. I'm finding my polymer clay work is evolving along a different style from usual, and these past few weeks have been very fruitful and I've got much accomplished that I wanted to. I've been 'combining' my old and 'layering' with some new and with each successive piece my muse tells me to try 'this' or 'that'. It's kind of funny, really, how I sort of zone out when I work and I almost get angry when the phone rings at a 'critical' moment because POOF!! what was I going to do next??! Listening to some alternative music has been great. Amy Winehouse soulful retro vintage style has me thinking 60's. My husband and working partner commented on these pieces that they are 'chunky' for me because I usually work in much smaller style.
I'll be adding bolder colours next and large florals and patterns....is that 60's or 70's? I was born in the 60's so should remember, lol.
The large 65mm (2 1/2") round pendant with the flower has a cut-out where I incorporated a hammered wire swirl. It also has Swarovski Crystals. Back in 1989 I used a lot of rhinestones in my work, so still have a nice stash to use once again.
I also have an idea in my head for some new bracelets using my wire cut-outs....stay tuned ;)

It's been a heart day at work...

Making Polymer Clay hearts that is. Not the only thing I did, but its been a hard day. Seems this year there is a lot more interest about Valentine's Day. Don't know why, but even I am engrossed in it and hubby is even asking if I'll prefer Hershey or real kisses, lol. (what if I like BOTH! I can't just choose ONE!) Sentimentals aside...
First it was one heart, then another and pretty soon I ended up making small hearts, big hearts, red ones, green ones, multi-colour, stamped, embossed. You know how when you start something you can't stop. Here are just a few of what I've made...made earrings to match too, teeny hearts.

Whats up?

Funny way of asking 'what is happening'. Well, up here...or OVER here, on the West Coast, we actually received a huge amount of snow overnight. The snow stuck on the trees and there are about 30 cm of snow outside. Couldn't believe it when I woke up. You might think that in Canada we live in Igloos or something, lol, but not here on Vancouver Islands West Coast! We have the warmest climate in Canada, probably because we're so close to the ocean. LOOK AT THAT! lol...do I sound excited? I guess I AM! The picture was taken while the sky was dark, but now it is completely sunny and the snow is already melting again.

So I'm stuck indoors as I'm NOT driving in snow...not used to it is more like it ;)
Instead I spent the day listing a whole bunch of my polymer clay beads on my Etsy. I'm getting a few views, but no bites yet, even though I have some fish beads listed, lol. My shipping costs are very reasonable for Canadian costs which are a real bummer really, but I have to compete with a lot of other countries there.

Easy to use Calculator...

I should have known better, lol, than to list a math problem with 'sine' in it when even I don't have one of THOSE calculators sitting around the house anymore and my daughter just moved out and took hers with her. Sorry about that, folks. Anyway, still want to know how to calculate Murphy's Law? Here's an easy to use calculator, just enter numbers and they do the calculations for you: http://andrew.triumf.ca/cgi-bin/murphy.html
(After you enter all the numbers hit 'submit' and the answer shows up right beneath it).

According to the calculator I have a 17% chance of screwing up my urgent project which is due in a couple of days and that I had better get someone to 'proof-read' it. I guess that'll be my editor, lol. I guess 17% isn't so bad.
What numbers did you get? Let me know.

Long necklaces

Decided to make a lariat with the 'mix of green' polymer clay beads. The lariat turned out to be 53" long and actually looks good as a belt too. Most of the beads are polymer clay, but I added Kambaba Jasper, lemon quartz and serpentine to it. Again, some of my handforged steel scrolls add to the element. Finished with some polymer clay snails.

Inukshuks and new beads

Its beadmaking day...inukshuks from polymer clay and other beads and pendants with various inclusions. Now that they are made, assemblage required...almost like 'batteries not included'. Will have to put on my thinking cap. The inukshuks are fine on just simple buna with clasps, but the other beads...

PEBLS, Toggles, Wire and getting wired...

Using some of my handmade polymer clay Pebls alongside one of my new toggle clasps which I made a few days ago. Hammered and forged some heavy wire links.
I'll be doing a demo at the upcoming "Sojourn" and figure I need to be prepared a bit better than having my supplies on hand. I'll have 30 minutes to show various techniques and am not too used to having a time-limit, so this evening I'll use a timer and do a 'step by step' for my daughter and see what I can fit in. There are so many techniques for wire, almost endless possibilities, but I'll keep my focus on earring hooks, hoops, wire frames, how to manipulate wire and texture it. I guess the only thing I'm not looking forward to is bringing my heavy tapping block as I'll be carrying not only my pastamachine and clay by bus, but also this 2 lb block of steel, lol. I think I'll better plan on a 'rolling' suitcase, although I'll still have to limit myself to what I can lift! Boy, that won't be easy, but I'm getting wired to GO!

Color Scales in Polymer Clay (part 1)

There's been much talk about colour mixing. Here is a great tutorial by Maggie Maggio . The link will take you to the pdf to print out the template. This is part ONE of two.