It's not the camera you have ----it is what is behind the camera that counts.

Hello and welcome to April/May 2010.  

I can't believe it is almost into May, where has the year gone by?  They say the older you get the faster time goes by.  Man, I didn't know it would go by this fast.  WHEW!!!!

I wanted to touch base about photography.  I am certainly not a technical person--at all.  I use to have a dear friend, who is now in heaven, and she said I just got by in photography by the seat of my pants.  I guess she was right.  I would create an image and other photographers would say how did I do that? What  f stops or film speed.  Man I didn't know, I just shot what I felt.  I had a very good camera angel that took care of me.    Once when I was around some photographers at a convention I could hear some talking that they could take better photographs if they had a better camera and lights.   I just didn't and still don't understand.  I honestly think it is what is behind the camera that really speaks, not the camera.  Now don't misunderstand me, being a professional I had the best camera and it was  such a workhorse.  Even when I would drop it, just kept on working.  Guess like a Timex watch.  "Keeps on ticking after it takes a lickin".  (Something like that)  I know some will disagree about what kind of camera you need,  but hey----this is my blog.   Right?

Now today everyone has a digital camera and they are "photographers".  I am talking about professional photographers here, not the wonderful moms , dads and  grans that capture time.    There is no depth at all to a lot of their photography. Just flat  little pictures.   Go to seminars and conventions learn what is out there.  So many talented photographers would share what they have learned thru the years  and they have programs for teaching you wonderful steps and their process to become wonderful.  If you want to be a professional do these simple things and you will excel beyond belief.  I pinkie promise you.    Think to your self, would you like what you are shooting to hang on your wall?   I have been a professional photographer for 24 years now and I am now going back to my beloved art.  I feel like I made a lot of people happy with my journey with professional photography and I got to meet some wonderful people, well a few cranks but I won them over.    Ok, enough of my soap box wanderings.   Don't know how I got on this subject.  

The very first camera I had or actually it was Eldon's and I copped it when we  got married.  Remember we were married when we were three.   It was cute and little and a Baby Brownie.  When we could afford the film, yes FILM, we would get film  and I would take a roll of photos almost instantly , I am thinking it only took 12 pictures on a roll.   I think, dont' hold me to that.  Now remember I never held a camera before and had never taken a photograph before.  After looking at a couple of these now, 49 years or more  later I thought hey some look pretty good.  So here goes.  Enjoy the story down the line.  

 The wonderful little Baby Brownie, isn't it just to cute and so little? You had to take the little silver slides off to get into the back of the camera to load the film. This was a true "point and shoot"  didn't have a clue of what you photographed  until the processed photos came back .  It was always so exciting. This was before I knew to WRITE things down that you did and then it wasn't a guessing game.   

 Very first photo I took. Vickie, our oldest had fallen asleep so I ran outside and shot this one thru the window outside.   No flash you know.  If I remember correctly had to climb on a box to be able to see inside the room.  Love this available light.  No light meters or any thing fancy just the little Baby Brownie.   I loved it and is still one of my favorite photos.  Of course she was dressed to the nines, as much as a baby could be back in 1961.  Yes that far back. 

 Here is Miss Vickie a little older and posing for me in the little rocking chair we got with the wonderful S & H Green Stamps.  Just window light with the same little Baby Brownie camera.  

Group shot!!!!! Granted the little camera did deliver a little soft photos but it did capture the time.   Today we could call it SOFT FOCUS.  Wonderful Eldon holding Vickie and his sister's family.  Yes there are twins here, Lynn and Gwyn  and Jan.   Guess Jerry Don just didn't want us to get his face.  Maybe he was looking for  the cookie lady . 

Now times are getting better!!!! I got a Kodak Fiesta camera.   Oh I thought I was uptown it had a FLASH!!!!! Color is almost making an entry to my world but not quite yet.   Color comes when we have our daughter number three.  

 Here it is!!!!!!  The camera of all cameras.  Well at this time in my life anyway.  Look a strap and everything.  I wore this camera out.   The little flash bulb came in  packs and never ever lasted long enough and a lot of the times just wouldn't work and then you messed a shot of film and hoped the next try the flash would go off.  Always wanted to take more pictures and the the flash bulbs just were gone.  

 Well, have advanced to flash,  same little chair and same little girl.  We have added a prop.   A sweet little kitty, not sure if it is as happy as Vickie to be there.  Doesn't look to happy does it?  By the hair I think this is about the same time as her posing with the cookie.    Check out the drapes.  Aren't those doozies?   Would certainly be vintage now.   This probably about 1962ish.  

 This is an easy one,  1965.   I am sure you all have some wonderful pictures like this.  BUT I am using flash.   Oh they were so happy to have an ironing board.  They didn't know what they were asking for did they?   Does anyone iron anymore?  I did and still do.  I use to even iron their t-shirts.  They didn't go out of the house with out hair done, bows in and clothes nicely ironed. 

I think I have worn your eyes out now.  I am going to write some little blogs about photo hints.  I know some of you have requested this and there are some web sites I can give you links to that will help you.  Surely I did professional photography  for all these years for a reason to help someone.   What do you think?  I do have some sweethearts that email me for advise and as you know I can give the advise.  I have even been told I have an opinion.  Can you believe that?   LOL

 Just had to add this one made with the Fiesta.   My how time just goes by to fast.
Check out the wonderful Pontiac.    

Thanks for dropping by and seeing what is going on in my world.  You never know.    See you next time.   Hugs and hugs.  

The Floor Cloth!!!!!! WHEW

Well hello there and welcome.   I have finally finished the floor cloth.  You know sometimes you get a bright idea and then the idea just goes on and on and on?  You are thinking am I ever going to finish this project?   The floor cloth is one of them.    

I wanted some kind of rug for the kitchen so when I bake and cook my back just doesn't kill me.  We have tile and by the time I finish my back is screaming at me--my hips are loving it but that is another story.    Sooooooo I went on line and typed in Floor Cloths.  I was certainly in for a surprise, so many sites popped up.   I was not willing to pay the price for one so the light bulb turned on and I thought  OK Annette you can do this.   I found a site that gave pretty detailed instructions so here I go.


First I had to find a place that sells canvas, found a wonderful place here in Lubbock and they were so helpful.  I ordered #4 weight canvas which is probably the heaviest weight they make.   It came in and then I  had to shrink it.  It was raw canvas you know.   Heat and water right?    So I have one of the wonderful Sharks that steam clean your floors-heat and water!   After I don't know how long it took to cover the canvas- no shrinkage.   Second try-I have a professional clothing steamer-heat and water!  Nope that didn't work either.   Now remember when I started this project it was cold and icy and had snowed outside.    So we backed the car out of the garage, laid it on the cold floor and Eldon, what would I do without him, poured hot water on it while I mopped (kind of) it in the canvas.   Well lo and behold- SHRINKAGE!!!!  We aren't going to say how long it took to dry being so nice and cold outside

The wrinkles ment shrinkage.  But not enough.   Needed to be about 4 to 5 inches.   

Next step was to put several coats of art primer on it.   Several on the front and one on the back.  It just seals it.  That was easy breezy.

What color to do this floor cloth?  Well out kitchen is beigh, boring and just nothing.  I have some pretty colorful dishes so I went with that.   It is yellow let me tell you this will brighten up a dark cave.   So the three coats of a yellow it got.

Then the fun part started, the wonderful red and then some leaves.  Now I used a stencil and just messed with the colors.   Guess this was cheating some but a stencil anyway.  This floor cloth is 4 foot by 8 foot.

What to do with the edges after you trim it to size.  The canvas company said they would hem it but I didn't want a sewn one.   I went to Lowe's and got some clear liquid nails and folded the hem over and loaded the edge down with books.  Lots of books, I knew all the scrapbooks I have done would come in handy for something besides looking at and seeing our life in photos.  

Just starting to put the books down, this little brain storm actually worked.

The final step is to let everything dry and put several coats of polyurethane on it.  Suppose to use Marine but couldn't find that.  I just used regular.  I am creating all this wonder in the basement with a ceiling fan.    First coat of the sealing wonder was done down there in the basement.  Lets not talk about the fumes.   OMG.  We had to open the front door to help us breathe.  Now remember we live in West Texas.  One day it snows and the next day we have a full blown sand storm-the wind blowing 50 miles an hour and red sand filling the air.  Well we got to contribute poly fumes as the sand blew in the house.   Good trade off-sand in house vs breathing.     We then moved this project to the garage and it has to dry several days between coats.   Finally dry and then went to Lowe's and bought some padding and oh my it is wonderful and cushey.   

The little leaves in the center are my fav ,  I just had to quit and not do to much on it.   Was certainly tempted to though.  


I chose colors to go with the dishes.   Now at the moment I had nothing in the b,b and jn kitchen.  So I pulled out some of the dishes and went to my favorite place----Hobby Lobby--and found some pretty little plate holders and there you go--some color.  

Some of the little plates I added for some color.  The Daisey and corn crocks are some I did in my china painting days.   The plates in the center are closer to their true color.  

Will I do it again?   Probably.   Now I do highly recommend that when the plastic is on the floor and you put the art primer on your canvas----change the plastic so lots of little UFO'S don't find their way on your floor cloth.  

That is it for now and thank you so much for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world.  

Vertically Challenged vs 10 feet of Wall

Hello there,  

Just wanted to post my last challenge.  Sometimes I feel like David fighting the giant with some of my projects.  Like the floor cloth but that is another story.  

Sometimes you really mess up and I will admit it.   When we moved into this house the bedroom is a lot larger than we have ever had.  Always painted the bedrooms this wonderful red, it depends on what paint you buy what color it is but can be called Cabin Red or several other AKA's.   So why not paint all four walls with 10 foot ceiling and who knows how tall the rest of it is in this house?   Well, have you ever felt like you were in a cave?  This did.   Having gotten back from painting wonderful grandson's bathrooms-two of them- I thought I am going to tackle this little project.   I have been up and down a ladder many many times already.  This eight foot ladder and I are on first name basis by now.   Remember I am vertically challenged.  Of course my feet touch the ground but my head just isn't as tall as a lot of people's heads.

After going to Lowes twice for three test pints of  test paint I finally came upon   Earthy Ocher.  Now how they get these names I will never know.  To me eathy is dark brown or if the land has sand in it a tad more orange and could be gunky clay and it comes in a various amounts of colors.   I just knew I would have to put kilz on it to cover, but the painting fairies are with me.  Nope just two coats of Earth Ocher,  it went well with the bedspread and the goldish color and seems to be an in color.  I am not really into in colors but hey I am in now.  Now I do not tape at all you know the little blue tape they say you have to do.  When I use tape I make the biggest mess.  The paint oozes under it and all.   I  usually use a good cut in brush or discovered one of the little pointed foam brushes.   Once my daughter wanted me to paint their son's bedroom and I used all the things she wanted me to use the tape and plastic and made a MESS!!!!! Took more time cleaning it up than painting  LOL. 

 So here are the pic of the joining walls and the one by the dresser.  Right now have some "stuff" on the floor trying to figure out a display to put on the wall.  It is easier to move on the floor than putting holes and then moving them.  That is ok though holes in the wall, makes it breathe easier.  

 

This is the Cabin Red and the Earth Ocher together.  As you can see it does go together.  The Paintings above the bed are traditionaly done by yours truly.    As are the lamps in my China Painting days.  Actually we did paint but mainly visited .  

  

Another view, I wanted the curtains to look  like a petticoat underneath.  

Well kind friends thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world.  You never know.  

The Cookbook and S&H Green Stamps

Hello and welcome,

I know many of you are way young to remember  S&H Green Stamps.  Oh what  a wonderful bonus when buying gas, groceries and many other things.   These sweet little stamps, they were green, were given to you every time you made a purchase.  On Wednesdays they were double.  You waited until then and bought your groceries and got twice the amount you would usually get.  Back then,  dear Eldon had a Borden's Milk distributorship and had to make many trips to fill the coolers with milk and other dairy goodies he sold.   There wasn't really any room in the back rooms of the stores so just had to keep going back to fill them.  The other route men-Frito Lay, bread men and others all had to do the same.   Wednesday was just the big day for all in the grocery business.

Now the wonder of the stamps is there were redemption centers around and you could trade them in for baby cribs, pots and pans ( I did that) cookbooks ( I have a 1961 Better Homes and Garden  new Cookbook ) children's rocking chairs , lamps most anything you could think of.  You would come out of the redemption center so proud of your FREE goodie.   I remember even getting a guitar case for our daughter Debra.  

There were also Gold Bond stamps, golden in color of course.   But the S&H stamps were the prize.   I can't remember now how many books it took for a prize or how many stamps it took to fill one.  I do remember the rocking chair was 1 book.   Our daughters thought it was a prize and I have it still to this day.   It has been many colors and I used in in my photography business for 24 years.

Now this wonderful cookbook, remember I was a baby when we married.  I studied it like it was the national book of treasures.  I knew every word it said.   As you can tell it was well used.   Funny story, one day I thought I can make cinnamon rolls.  Right?  Well I was making them and Eldon came in from work and said why don't we spread them apart more and they will get bigger?  Ok, we did that.  They got so flat as a flitter.  Pure flat!!!!   Guess that wasn't the thing to do, but it was fun and we didn't know any better.     My gravy, oh my.  Before I got the cookbook-------I had grease in the pan and thought alright I can do this !!!!!!    Have you ever seen 1-2 cups of flour in a little grease and just made thick thick paste?  Well I did, the trash got lots of little goodies that first year.  Well, truth be known other years to follow.   I tried many many recipes from this book and still do.  

Well, thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world.  You never know, don't know what prompted me to write on this subject but here it is.  





  

Painting, painting and more painting

You know there is such a great revolution going on right now about painting. ( it is a quiet one but trust me it is here)  Our world is ever changing which is a good thing.   As many of you know I have been a traditional artist for many years, then professional photographer for 24 years and now going back to painting.  It has changed so much.  I think to stay ahead of the game for your own sake you need to still take lessons of some sort, keep studying art and JUST DO IT!!!!

During all these years I have kept up or tried to with the newest of the new.   In photography and art.  Both are tied together,  some photographers don't have the art background and it does show.  Trust me.    One giant thing is Digital Art.   Now I know some think ok she just clicks a button and it is there.   Not so.   I still paint stroke by stroke, study color and draw and practice.   I think if you don't know all that you can still do it but my goodness why beat yourself up like that?   Study all along and take lessons.   I am enhancing my paintings with traditional paints and no, it is not paint by numbers.  I promise.   

I am starting to add some wonderful links about this subject and some teachers that will knock your socks off.  There are out there lots of magazines and books you can also study.  The little painting at the first of my blog of Allex in the flowers is one.   A photograph I took and then painted.   You can get as artsy fartsy as you want or stay traditional it is up to you.

One of the FREE magazines you can get is  http://www.digitalpaintmagazine.com/blog/ and I have added this to my blog list.   If you are interested at all go check this out.    


Just had to start this subject, you will be seeing more of paintings and more on the subject.  The program is Painter 11 and a wonderful Wacom tablet.   These are my tools, besides my brain and want to, for this revolution.   
                                                                              

Thanks again for stopping by Annette's World

Scrapbooking for Breast Cancer Awareness

Scrapbooking also can, besides getting together and just visiting and being creative, also raise funs for charities.    Our daughter had a Breast Cancer Awareness crop.  She gathered gifts  to auction off and I might say one of my paintings went for a very nice price.  It was fun to donate because we knew it was going for a wonderful cause.   A lot of us won special gifts that were given hourly and we all got a wonderful goodie bag.  Now we have gone to conventions of big companies and not gotten have as good  of a bag as these were.   Of course there was food, isn't that part of scrapbooking?   Now if you look closely at the group picture I am in it.   I took the picture but then inserted myself in there.   I am not the tallest person in the world,  vertically challenged is a term I have heard used.   Ok, I put myself in there and later, like a few days ago I noticed I have no legs in there,  just a floating head.   Oh well, guess no one noticed but myself.     

Vickie has these at their diner, not open to the public just a 50's style diner.  A fun place to have these crops and parties if you are a member of the family or attend one of their Antique Car Club Meetings.   You will see int he background a large, and I mean large canvas of a movie banner.   So their cars look like they are at the drive in.  Biggest thing I ever painted, but it was a challenge.   Especially because I didn't really have a place big enough to hang it to paint.  One half of it hung and the other half on the floor, when that half finished being painted we just ooched ( is that a word?  Maybe a Texas word) it up and I finished it.   

Here we are at the diner and a great group this was.  Oh, Sam's Bird Nest is what it is called.  Why?  They have several T-Birds but other makes of cars have wiggled 
 their way in. 

We had to show the yummy cupcakes Vickie made and the cookies someone has made especially for the event. 


I uses a printed vellum over the solid paper just to give some softness to the background paper.    You always have to remember to journal, be it lots and lots of words or just a few.  You want someone to see your pages and  know what you are doing and playing without having to explain what it is.   I try to make at least two page spreads so the album flows a little better.  I have made two page spreads out of one picture.  It was a challenge, but fun to do.   There is just so much pretties to play with in scrapbooking but I try not to make them the stars.  After all it is the photographs that are the main story teller.


Thanks for stopping by   Annette's World.  

Memory making of Scrapbooks

Several years ago I started scrapbooking.  When I first heard of it, I thought oh my I don't want to do this, piles of "stuff" in a book.  I was remembering when I use to make our daughters scrapbooks and how cards and mementos were put in a book.  Well, did I ever get an eye opener.   I was first introduced to Creative Memories.  A group of ladies and a consultant met,  visited , had a good time and cut and paste.  Not the computer kind but skills you learned as a first grader.   Of course food was also a big part of the togetherness of the ladies.   When I first started I used a black pen, archival of course, and made one sheet of archival safe paper for maybe several pages.  I used them just as accents.   Now, oh has my style changed.  I use, sometimes, several sheets and styles of paper for one finished page.  You are listening to a lady who had put together 27 albums.  Some are giant size and hard to lift.  I know I should divide the pages and make smaller ones, maybe one day.   

Today there are conventions and conventions for scrapbookers.   One of our daughters even go to Arizona to the Great Escape, choosing the artists by lotto.   Yes, lotto.  She has been chosen for two years.  Of course they do one day as a spa day and shopping is a big part of scrapbooking also.   I use to say whoever has the most when they die wins.  Well, scrapbookers may win this race.   There are also retreats you can go to for several days, like the ScrapinPad in Oklahoma.

Here we are at one of the conventions and check out the crowd, part of it.  So many walks of life and ages all enjoying the same thing.   Something to say about this.  

We are at Arlington, Texas here and as you can see my wonderful purse is not scrapbooking material but a purchase at the scrapbooking convention.   

 

The paper I won, maybe $3 worth but hey I was a winner and so excited!

I believe one of the unwritten rules is don't keep up with what you spend because it will blow you away.  Just buy it and use it and have fun.  

One daughter says it is fun to be around creative, funny and talented ladies.  Scrapbooking lets you leave all your other worries behind and usually it reminds you of all the good memories you are scrapbooking.   One sweet friend of mine is scrapbooking her son that is a survivor of cancer.   He and she are such warriors and they both conquered this nasty disease.   I have made a heritage album of my Eldon's family.   I hope one of our daughters or grandchildren will enjoy it in years to come.   My family?   That is a great challenge to find who any of the ancestors are.  

There are so many people doing this and I don't say just ladies.  There are lots of men out there also and they have such a different way of scrapbooking.  One is Tim Holtz, oh such a talented young man and shares all his talents.   Magazines galore  such as Creating Keepsakes,  Memory Makers and Simple Scrapbooks.   Probablly one of the best heart warming things I remember is I had several years, yes years, of this mag and one of my photography clients had just started scrapbooking.  I gave her all the magazines and you would have thought I had given her a million dollars.   

I do have to recommend  you get a good album that you like working with.  I personally use Pioneer Photo Albums.  I have met them personally and a super nice group of people.  Guess maybe that was an ad but just had to say it.   

 Lots of new things going on including digital scrapbooking.  There is a lot to be said about that.  I know probably quicker but there is something to be said about our first grade skills and touching all the paper and "little things" that go with it.    Besides I am on a computer all the time and it is a break to be a first grader sometimes.  

Your style of scrapbooking will change as it should.  I don't scrapbook like this much anymore and my first ones are not very pretty at all.   Oh my, I do need to go back one day and change them.   One day.  


Well there is so much to say about this subject and I won't wear your eyes out but will be back with another post.   


Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in Annette's World.