Hello there - it's time for another sketch challenge over at Scrap Africa. Denise created this wonderful sketch and i loved working with it.it's a wonderful sketch that is versatile and can be whatever it is you need to get your creative juices flowing. i used my favourite Mister Huey inks to add colour to my background and then worked onto that to create my layout...

I used some Docrafts Madame Payraud patterned papers under my photo and together with some washi tape on the left edge. A Marion Smith doily stamped image was cut in half and used with some beautiful Petaloo flowers for a pop of colour.

i found a matching Prima Butterfly with just the right look and enough bling and glitter to make a statement.

some stenciling in the background...

and some hand sewn detail

the other half of my stamped doily was used in the opposite corner for repetition

i hope you will play along with us...you could win some awesome goodies and we would love to see what you come up with - wishing you a wonderful and creative scrapping week!

There’s nothing worse than a beautiful layout that has been badly photographed. It’s not always that easy getting the perfect shot of your artwork if you don’t have the right tools. By the right tools I mean Studio lights, speed lights, tri-pods and hi-end cameras with top of the range lenses. I never used to have all of those and only acquired some of these in the last year. So how can you at home photograph your layouts – I am sharing some of my tips and tricks that I have learned throughout my career of spending lots of time with professional photographers and my own experience. **The below steps is a beginners guideline that has helped me over the years, you will most likely not be a pro and it does take lots of practice

Photographing from above and editing 

Find a spot in your home that has lots of nice natural light. 

This is typically next to a window with nice and bright light streaming in. You can also go outside under a covered stoep or patio – as I do since our thatch house is so very dark inside. I do want to point out that it is best to have light that is indirect or diffused rather than harsh direct light shining right on your layout. 

It is also best to photograph your layouts during the day when you have nice light so you don't have to use your flash. If you do it at night with your flash, your layouts will look more flat and less 3-dimensional and you also may get some bad shadows and flash spots on your photos. Photographing at night will cause colours to be off. 

Find something to use as a background for your layout. You are looking for a clean solid white background that doesn't distract from your layouts. There are lots of things you can use for example a sheet of white project board, a large flat canvas, mounting board or even a white bedding sheet, plastic sheeting used for infinity curves etc. 

Simply place your layout on your background and make sure you have good lighting without any sunspots directly on your layout. 

To photograph the layout I stand directly above it and get in close enough (either physically or with the zoom on my lens) so that you are filling the frame with your background and layout. I always leave about an inch or 2 of the white background all around the image visible. The white board also reflects some light which is good. 

You can also use a tri-pod here (recommended) and a remote control for your camera. Position the tri-pod directly over your layout and then photograph it to avoid any camera shake and blurry images. 

After photographing the layout I upload it to my computer for editing. When taking the picture I try to make sure that the layout is straight but if it is off a little I have a “Straightening tool” and “Perspective Correction Tool” in my editing software to get it perfectly straight without any distortions. I crop and size my image for web with a 150dpi which is nice enough to see details but small enough not to load for ages (a pet hate). 

Now it’s time to get up close and personal and take some close up images to show details, texture and patterns or focus on something specific you used or want to show off. I normally use a Macro lens for this or simply turn my settings to “Macro” the little flower on your camera.

Photographing your layouts head-on 

Unlike above, in winter I photograph my layouts head on. I also attach my layouts to my white infinity curve board using mounting squares and then place the board on a window sill outside. The reason I do this in winter is because the lighting is very different to the harsh summer light and I have no issues with the sunlight ending up directly on my layout. I stand in front of the board directly facing my layout with feet apart to steady myself. I have a steady enough hand and just shoot away, but you could also use a tri-pod which is always better and recommended. Once I have my images I edit them for web publishing. Photographing your layouts head on is another option if you don’t have a steady hand or a tri-pod. I recommend this for most people – it’s a simple way of making sure your layout is straight and in focus. I have seen some amazing scrappers and bloggers with images that are always out of focus.

Some other tips 

I never use a flash when photographing my layouts – flash is a mood destroyer I always shoot in “P” Program Mode or “M” manual mode - this allows me to set the camera to specific settings, like ISO speed, Shutter speed, Aperture, White Balance (WB) [pull quote] ISO, Shutter speed, Aperture and brightness of light are variables. They will always change depending on the light and the shooting situation so be prepared for that Setting the white balance can help when photographing indoors to avoid things looking too blue. 

Shooting indoors you are dealing with “manmade lights” that will have an effect on your camera hence the blueness of a photo It helps to know your camera and how it works – changing settings and getting off of “Auto” is a must Invest in a tri-pod – it will be worth the money spent in gold And after all this – the best advice I have is, do not be in a hurry when photographing your layouts. 

Take your time and have a steady hand, wait for good lighting outside and keep a white background separate and don’t use it for anything but a background to keep it crisp and clean. Oh…and go and buy that tri-pod this year!

Jowilna Nolte (from Scrapcouture) and Cariena Basson (from Scrapbook Studio JBay) 

Saturday 26 July and Sunday 27 July 2014

Schedule:

Saturday 26 July 2014
8am-8:30am Arrival & Registration

8:30am – 10:30am Session 1
10:30am-11am Tea Break
11am – 12:30pm Session 1 Continues
12:30pm-1:30pm Lunch 

1:30pm-3:30pm Session 2
3:30pm-4pm Tea Break

4pm-5:30pm Session 2 Continues
Sunday 27 July 2014
8am-8:30am – Arrival & Tea
8:30am-10:30am Session 3
10:30am-11am Tea Break
11am-12:30pm Session 3 Continues
12:30pm-13:30pm Lunch
13:30pm-15:30pm Session 4
15:30pm-16:00pm Tea Break
16:00pm-5:30pm Session 4 Continues

Deposit of R500 secures your seat followed by 5 payments of R250 - final payment 30 June 2014!

Book now to avoid disappointment! Only 30 seats available!

Join us for a day filled with Amazing New Techniques, Lucky draws, goodie bags!
There will also be lots of Retail Therapy!! For any further queries, please email events@scrapbookstudio.co.za

Every now and again i forget how much i love my embossing and die-cutting - only for a brief moment until the next new amazing set of embossing folders and dies are released by companies like Couture Creations. so this is a reminder to you and myself of how much i love it...and a design team call they have put out. So if you love their products as much as i do then have a look at their blog for more details. These are only a few of my favourite projects created using their embossing folders and dies.

add colour and texture by adding other products into the mix - here i used my Artiste markers to add colour to the stamped and embossed images on my card

stamping onto patterned paper is a great alternative to plain cardstock...

combining stamps is always a great alternative to add interest to your work...

bright and beautiful inks make for a nice statement to a somewhat traditional stamp design.

On this gift box toppe i used an embossing folder to add detail to my die-cut flower

i love how the embossing just adds enough dimension and texture to add loads of interest to this simple project

a quick and easy way of jazzing up a special gift for a friend

i hope you are having a wonderful and creative weekend filled with cutting and embossing. thanks for stopping by and if you need more info on the design team call remember to pop over here

Have you laid your hands on this amazing range of new Petaloo blooms yet? Well let me tell you, there are flowers and there is something so beautiful it makes your heart flutter and skip a beat. Yes I have said this many times about scrapbooking products – but these are totally different. They are soft, delicate and life like! Too gorgeous for words actually – they are best touched and experienced for yourself. So this week I used them turn a little recycled jar into a sweet and delicate sweetie jar. I covered the base of the jar in some pretty Prima patterned paper using the amazing this to that sticky double sided tape. I only needed a few strips of this take to make it stick perfectly and permanently – really amazing stuff.