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Showing posts from December, 2017

A new light/magnifier for crafts

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Some of my beadwork is seen through the magnifier on a new floor lamp my husband bought for me. My husband surprised me with a combination light/magnifier that I can use while working on my crafts! How sweet is he? It has a flexible arm that can be positioned however I need it to be. It also stands firmly on the floor, which I love, because every time I've had a light on my table, I've knocked it over or have accidentally knocked it into my beads, which is never a fun cleanup. One section has a stronger magnification than the rest of the glass, which I assume I'll be using a lot as I work with my seed beads. I also love how big the magnification glass is. When I've beaded before, using my reading glasses to see my beads or doing (more often) without glasses altogether, I could only see a small section in detail at once. But this magnifier is big enough to show a large area, making it easier to see how all the pieces fit together. I'm so excited! We

Books: "Making Beaded Jewelry: 11 Free Seed Bead Patterns and Projects"

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I got a pleasant surprise while I was looking for books to inspire me recently on Amazon. I found a free e-book that contains 11 patterns. I immediately downloaded it to my Kindle Fire. It's called "Making Beaded Jewelry: 11 Free Seed Bead Patterns and Projects." I haven't had a chance to try to make any of them yet, but in scrolling through it, I can say with certainty that I'll give each a try. As a bonus, at the front page of the e-book are links to free downloads to other craft e-books, including ones with patterns for jewelry making, crocheting, knitting, quilt making and children's crafts, just to name a few. I had no idea there were totally free craft e-books. This little find has made my week. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Beading photography is easier said than done

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Over the past few weeks, when I've been away from this blog, I've been struggling to get decent photos of my beadwork for my Etsy shop . I haven't had much luck. I tried the tips for setting up an indoor home studio that I mentioned back in October last week and the week before. I searched for a full-spectrum light bulb. I bought poster board to reflect light back. I tried different ways to diffuse the light. All of that experimenting, and this was the best I could do: I debated whether I should post those on Etsy, and I decided to give it a try. However, the colors are wrong and the earrings are out of focus. They look better in the photos I took before and featured in my October post. Is it the black background? Do I need a different item to diffuse the light? Sooner or later, I hope, I'll get the hang of this. Until then, I have a lot of work to do. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising pro