Extended Hiatus for Great Reasons

Good morning friends and fans!  Wow, what a few weeks it has truly been, I've been basically MIA so I figured an explanation was in order.  Welcome to my life where a very close friend once told me I'm the busiest person she knows...

First off my husband and I went back to Boston for over two weeks right around Thanksgiving time.  It was crazy to see everyone, crazy fun and crazy busy!  I caught a massive cold about 4-5 days after we got there so despite having plans with everyone, curing ills became the priority.  It meant that other than school work I got about zilch done on the computer so...

The Writer's Retreat I had intended to take myself on for those two weeks after finding out I wasn't painting turned into NyQuil induced sleepy time instead.  But the good news is that while driving to see my sister and attend a lovely fancy pants Christmas party last weekend, Matt came up with the title for the second Manuscript!  Hooray for my super-muse!  Now I'm raring to go.  Which of course means I'll need more time off...

From school and winter break is right around the corner.  Thank goodness!  With only about 10 classes left until I graduate next year I'm so feeling the itch to be done already!  Chapters hover in the 60 page pdf file range, papers vary around 3-4 per week, and of course there is interaction with everyone else that has to happen weekly for attendance.  I'm tired just writing about it!  But with 2 weeks off and a visit from some family during and right after Christmas I look forward to a technical writing break...

Which brings me to my next update of course!  I have started a new blog called Writesy: Online Content Proofreading and Editing Services and it is just in the beginning stages but I plan to amp this hardcore next year as this is the work I absolutely love doing - writing, proofing, editing - it is the passion I have and what I want to be my focus.  I'm going to do blog posts, merch listings, job postings, school papers, and more!  The entire time I have spent trying to build a successful finishing business all I wanted to do was write about it so...

My Chucka Stone Designs shop will stay open for now and I'll still be semi-active with teams, blogs, promotion, but otherwise I'll be focusing primarily on the things that I do best and that mostly includes writing and custom orders...

Now here is where I give an enormous shout out of THANK YOU to all of my clients who commissioned me to create something custom for them this holiday season.  I can not begin to tell you just how much it means to me to have had this opportunity to use my creativity and craft something that you loved.  The single reason why I continue to keep on keeping on with paint/faux/sew is all of you so thanks, a million and one times over!  But that's not all of course...

We are starting the process to purchase our first home in Arizona and the looking/bidding/projecting has us sleep deprived and anxious to get out of this temporary apartment.  Winter sports are in full swing and you know that means I'm all about hockey and football all week long.  Meeting new friends here in Arizona has been a blast!  One of the places I'm meeting new friends is at the Scottsdale Society of Women Writers group which is an amazingly inspiring group of ladies who all work in the world of words in some capacity (publishers, editors, writers, etc).  And none of this even accounts for all that silly life stuff that has to still happen - laundry, groceries, keeping in touch with friends and family, etc.

So you can probably understand the need for the hiatus from the blog and all other stuff associated!

Please continue to contact me about custom orders, I love doing them truly!
Or if you are in need of a second set of eyes be sure to check out my Writesy Proofreading Services and contact me over there.

Thanks for understanding and I'll catch up with all of you in the New Year!  Have a super happy holiday season and please enjoy some re-posts during the last couple weeks of the year.

Cyber Monday, EcoEtsy Gift Guide and A Coupon Code for 12% Off

Happy Cyber Monday to all the shoppers out there!  For those of us who are looking for something unique, one of a kind, handmade or from an independent artist running a smaller business who puts time and love into every piece they make I can't begin to recommend the Team EcoEtsy Holiday Gift Guide enough!

Details about the Gift Guide and its various categories of awesomeness can be found right on the Team EcoEtsy blog here.

I'm fortunate enough to have my shop featured in the Under $75 category of the guide this year and, truly, I couldn't be more excited to share the guide with everyone!

Can you tell by all the exclamation points?  :-)

The team is just chock full of amazing products that have a strong focus on the planetary impact our businesses can have.  Most designers use environmentally sustainable materials and practices while creating, natural ingredients, reused packaging for shipping and as much Green friendly as possible.

Like I said, my shop is included here and as many of you know I primarily create faux finished items with water based paints that look exactly like the real thing but I didn't have to mine the Earth to get the same look!  The pieces used in my faux granite items were either purchased directly from another teammate's overstock stash or from local thrift stores here in Phoenix then given brand new life!

The moss colored faux granite coasters featured at the top of this post are a great example of use of a cutoff from a fellow teammate and were just listed in my shop this morning.

I also salvage fabrics and enjoy upcycling to create something that extends the life cycle of a piece of material which could have gone to a landfill to sit for years.  Heck, I'll even use the cutoff bits of my sample boards to create durable faux finished bookmarks!

To see all the items in my shop click any of the items below.  Those and more await your discerning eco-eye!



And as a special bonus this holiday season just use the coupon code NEWSTUFF2012 at checkout to receive 12% off your entire purchase!  Its my way of saying thanks for spreading the eco love this holiday and saying goodbye to 2011 in style.

Now go, shop, be merry and BE GREEN!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

For those who celebrate I would just like to extend my biggest hug to you all.  I hope that you are able to spend this day with the ones you love, doing what you enjoy, eating what you like and most of all remembering the many things you have to be thankful for this holiday and everyday!

Today I'm thankful for indoor heat and plumbing that runs to the dishwasher, homemade meals, laughter and good times with family and friends, all five senses, football, a glass of wine, hugs, and being fortunate enough to have the means to travel back to my hometown to spend this time with the ones I love!

I wish for the best and most yummy, nap-filled, happy holiday to you all!  Gobble, gobble!

DIY Tutorial Series Creating a Lightbox Part III of III

 
Sadly we have come to the final part in the amazing tutorial series by my mom, and fearless photog, Judi from Judi FitzPatrick Studio.  I hope you've all enjoyed this series as much as I have!  I really can't wait to start experimenting with various lamps and light sources with my lightbox so I can get some amazing product photos of my smaller items.

The final part of the series is all about the photos so read on and enjoy and don't forget if you're looking for some unique holiday cards for your friends and family my mom carries lots of options in her shop, the cute snowman up there is available as Snowman Wishes Handmade Holiday Card so read through the tutorial then stop on over to Judi's shop for your holiday cards today!

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Hi Readers,


This is the third and final installment on product lighting. First you learned how to create a simple light box.  Next you learned at least one way to light up the box.

Now that you’ve got a well-lit place to shoot your product, it would be best if you could do that without the possible blurry shot that sometimes occurs from hand-holding the camera. But suppose you have no tripod, and don’t want to invest in one for a few product shots. You're about to learn that you don’t necessarily need one.

The bottom line is you just need a flat, level, stable surface on which to place the camera. So, you might think – “why not just put the camera on the table in front of the box and take the shot?” Good idea, except this is probably not the best angle for your product to be captured.

Instead, there are a couple of things that can be done.

First, you could use books, magazines, boxes or something else to raise your camera to a better height. Doing this so that the camera angles downward works really well to get the best shot, just be sure the camera is stable. You don’t want it to go sliding downward while snapping the photo, or worse yet, falling to the floor.



Second, you could angle the light box by raising the back edge from a few millimeters to a couple of inches. Raise the box with magazines, pieces of wood, or anything else that gives a useful angle in relation to the camera.  This can be done alternately or in addition to the above suggestion

Place the product in the box, turn on the lights (if CFLs, let them warm up for a few minutes to obtain maximum light), aim and focus the camera, then take the shot. If your camera has a time-delay setting, I’d suggest using that. That is one way to avoid camera shake as you press the shutter. If you are fortunate enough to have a remote shutter release, even better – go ahead and use that.

Now you can take product shots anytime of day or night, whatever the weather, even inside a closet if you’re so inclined!



One more thing – you can use some of these techniques to take vacation or family photos in lower light, such as indoors or early morning / late afternoon. Consider placing the camera on the hood of your car, the top of a cement wall, on a porch railing, or any other place at the right height for the shot you want to take. Using either the time-delay or remote shutter means you can be in the shot with the other people or the scenery! Pretty cool, huh?

I hope you enjoyed this series and find it useful for taking better pictures.

Thanks once again to Jenn for inviting me to be a guest writer on her blog!

Peace to all,
Judi

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Hello awesome!  I don't know about all of you but I'll be making these tips work for me in product and people shots this holiday season.  Thanks again to my mom for putting together such an informative and easy to follow guide to creating and using a lightbox.  You can find Judi's tips and beautiful photography all over the web:

Etsy - http://judifitzpatrick.etsy.com/
Zazzle - http://www.zazzle.com/judifitzpatrick
RedBubble - http://redbubble.com/people/judifitzpatrick
Blog - http://judisjems.blogspot.com/

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To read the entire series...
Part I of III - Creating the Lightbox
Part II of III - Illuminate the Lightbox
Part III of III - Camera Position

Tuesday Tip of the Day Travel Safely

The busiest travel day of the year will be upon those of us in the United States tomorrow as we dash to and from the homes of loved ones to spend some quality time together on Thanksgiving.  All that travel means we have the ability to enjoy each other's company but also that our senses should be heightened to avoid any major issues as we make our way around town.

For those of us on the road, there are some things we can do today to make sure tomorrow's travel goes as smoothly as possible.

Check tire pressure and tread wear - A tire pressure gauge is inexpensive, easy to operate, and can be picked up at most convenience stores or pharmacy type locations.  Consult your owner's manual for the correct pressure rating for your car and inflate/deflate as necessary.  Use the old penny trick to determine the tread wear - If you can see Lincoln's head then its time to get new tires.  Better to buy them today than be waiting for a tow truck tomorrow!

Make sure your fluids are full and fresh - In my Toyota the suggested oil change interval is every 5,000 miles and I'm usually pretty good about sticking to that schedule.  Getting the fluids in my car turned over and refilled at that rate means the car will be running at its best.  A cur running that well gets better gas mileage and saves money overall.

Keep things squeaky clean - There's nothing more distracting than trying to drive for hours on end with a car full of hungry, screaming family members who can't stop talking about the smell of the apple pie in the back seat.  And those are the grownups!  Changing lanes with people pining away over cranberry sauce is difficult enough but if those windows and mirrors are grimy it sure won't help matters much.  Grab some old newspaper and a spray bottle full of a vinegar and water solution for the cleanest possible glass surfaces inside and out.

Plan in advance - In today's day and age everyone seems to have a GPS device either in the car or on their phone and we rely on these tools to get us to our destinations safely and efficiently.  But what if we get rerouted and left to figure it out on our own?  Those of us in the northeast understand because it happens more often than not.  Best plan of attack is to map out the route and review exactly where you're going before ever getting in the car.  Make a mental note of the major roads/freeways along the way and any surprises that come up in route can be handled with no worries.

Fill up - You may be thinking of nothing more than filling your belly on Thursday but make sure to fill up your car's gas tank now just in case there isn't an open station where you thought there might be.  Freeways and major interstates are likely to have open service stations along the way (even on Thanksgiving) but lines could be long so why wait if you can get it out of the way beforehand?  That's ten minutes sooner you can be eating mashed potatoes and gravy!

And there you have it! Just a few quick things we all can do when traveling by car on our way to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends.  I hope these tips help you stay safe and secure!

What are your tips for smooth and easy holiday travel?