Creating an Inexpensive Background

I am constantly experimenting with different backgrounds for my jewelry photos. In the past I've used pages from old music books, seashells, wine glasses, scrapbook paper...you name it. However, looking through my shop recently, I realized that it is all starting to look a little too "busy". One of my latest photos was taken on the cover of an old Walt Whitman novel. I loved how it turned out...you could see the texture of the cover, which gave a nice depth to the photo, but the solid color was not overbearing. The little light bulb went on in my head. I remembered that I had some blank canvases in my supply closet left over from my daughter's arts and crafts party a few years ago. The canvases have a similar texture as the book cover. I took some acrylic paint in various colors and applied them to each quarter of the canvases. I brushed it on in a criss-cross direction to add extra dimension to it. I took some sample photos and am so pleased with how they turned out!

Crazy About Rings!

One of the newest additions to my Etsy shop is rings. I just love them! They are such an easy and fun accessory to add a little bit of fun to your wardrobe. I've created several different styles. Some of them are made with my favorite vintage floral cabochons. I've also created one with text from a vintage dictionary mounted under a glass gem. I plan on making some more like this soon with different words. The newest rings added to my shop are some fun rhinestone ones. I purchased the vintage ring settings from one of my favorite suppliers about 6 months ago without even knowing what I would do with them. I was so excited when I discovered that some vintage rhinestones that I had purchased fit perfectly in them! All of these rings are currently available in my shop

http://outoftheblue.etsy.com/ and they range in price from $8-$10.

Vacation...Boy do I need one!

My daughter gets out of school for Spring Break March 17-21 and we're going on vacation!! Yeah! This is the first REAL vacation we've ever taken the kids on (other than quickie weekend getaways to San Antonio), so I am very excited. I am so in need of a vacation...you have no idea. My husband has been in Key West and Mexico since mid-December with his boat captain job, so I have been juggling everything at home all by myself. I'm going to take full advantage of our time away...I see many margaritas in my future :) I wasn't sure where to go, so I searched online for Texas family vacations and found a cute little boardwalk area in Kemah. They have a small amusement park on the boardwalk along with lots of restaurants and shopping. It sounds pretty commercialized, but the kids should have a good time. We are also planning to take a drive into Houston while we are there to visit the zoo. Other than that, just some rest and relaxation and enjoying being together as a family.

My Etsy shop will remain open during my vacation. Since shipping will be delayed a few days, I am offering a free gift to anyone who makes a purchase between Monday and Friday. Take your pick between a set of push pins or earrings made with my favorite flower cabochons!!

YEE HAW!!

Today is the Kindergarten Rodeo at my daughter's school. They have been learning about Texas for the past couple of weeks and are capping it off with a western-filled day of fun. Shelby looked so adorable in her cowgirl gear! She wasn't as enthusiastic as I was about her outfit though. She's been going through this "punk girl" phase and her new idol has gone from Hannah Montana to Avril Lavigne. So when she was getting dressed this morning she said "Avril would NEVER wear something like this." I swear she is 6 going on 16! Here is a photo before she left the house this morning. So adorable! :)

I'll be heading to the school this afternoon to help out with all of the festivities...it should be a hoot!

Speaking of cowgirls, I have a fun soldered pendant in my Etsy shop featuring a slightly risque cowgirl cartoon. The image came from a vintage postcard I found on one of my shopping excursions on Antique Row in Corpus. I've cropped the picture to just include the cowgirl, but you have to see the entire postcard to get the full appreciation. I just about fell over laughing when I found this one!!