Crafty Photos!!

I found the coolest camera's at Tate's before Christmas and picked one up for a creative friend who I knew would appreciate it. It was a fisheye camera from Lomography. I didn't do much research - it just looked like a cool gift for a cool person. Last weekend I returned to Tates and spent some time checking out the line and the books on Lomography. I was captivated! Besides fisheye, there are lenses that infuse color into your photos, make mosaic tiles of one image on a single print, like this one that I pulled of of the e-lomography flickr group,


and cameras that take four quick shots in 2 seconds for a tiled action print. I got the latter one at the prodding of my son who thought it would be so cool to take on vacation. (He, like his crafty mommy, is very creative.) There is no flash on my little toy so i have to take pictures outside in bright sunshine. The fun thing is it turns ordinary shots into artist photos! I bought some cheap film (yes, not digital either.) and can't wait to have my first roll developed to see what comes out!!!

The Elf in Art Class

This crafty mommy has been one busy little elf in my jewelry fabrication class. As anyone who makes jewelry (or other things) knows the problem one has shopping at mass merchandisers. You see things and say "I can make that." The key is whether or not you actually find the time to do so. While not everyone on my holiday gift list will appreciate a handcrafted item or not be worthy of the time spent to create one, there are recipients who will hopefully cherish and enjoy one.

My friend and I created three sterling cuffs with a cool impressed texture. We gave them to the gals this morning over coffee and they were well received and looked great on. We're so proud (corny, too.)

While my girlfriend has decided she has had enough of art school for now, I am continuing so I can learn how to make the designs in my head come into reality, not to mention how to do the techniques on the fabulous pieces I see at stores and in cataogs. Today, however, was spent on more gifts.

While the lighting in the photos is awful, you can see I created the initial M cut out of silver and strung with silver and pearls. The finish on the pendant is a brushed satin. It looks great on - I hope she likes it!

Yuck - I went to the mall

I braved the crowds and found time to put off the inevitable at this time of year. Yes, I wish I could have pledged to buy handmade but I need to be realistic. I am in South Florida, mecca of "shiny and new". Some friends are getting handmade (by myself and others), but others are getting store bought/mail ordered.

I left myself less time to shop, arriving later than I expected, so I have to go again.

Every time my son needs new sneakers are asks for the exact same ones that he wore out/out grew, they are discontinued and I now have to take him shopping to try on sneakers. eek.

Anthropologie opened up at our local mall last month. I do like the store but I get the feeling that it is so mass produced masquerading as indie/handmade. Example: Flower necklaces made out of the cute vintage plastic flowers (are theirs vintage?) like the ones I use for my bracelets. Only they had a rack with 15 identical necklaces. hmmm. In their case of more unique jewelry they had a few bracelets like the ones I have using vintage findings and pieces of jewelry mixed with new. Lots of people create similar things. But for sale at $298.00?!?! I did pick up a hostess gift for a neighbor.

I still need a birthday gift for my step-father-in-law who is turning 80.

I also need to add some photos to my posts. How about this:

via cute overload. I love this site. I have it sent to my phone so I can amuse myself with cutie photos in carpool line.

Gift Shopping Assistance Needed!

If you are reading this then perhaps you have better ideas for gifts than I do. I can always shop for myself and am good about picking up things all year long for the Christmas gifts for friends who collect things. When on a deadline, however, I get stuck. I was relegated to shopping for a group gift for a girlfriend. I don't have enough time to shop online for her so the cool indie things were out. She collects so I went to the local antique mall and had no luck (but got some stuff for me - see below). I have to go back out later today. Wish me luck.

I do, however, have until December 1st to find his and her 40th birthday gifts for friends. They are having an 80th birthday costume party (forty together - how cute is that). Both artists. Any suggestions?

When I was at the antique mall I found a good mix of buttons, some vintage necklaces that I can deconstruct for my jewelry, a vintage table cloth, and another tin for storage (can't have too many).