DIY-Lampshade Using Slides

by Kristina

Last week while visiting my mom in the Midwest, I made this awesome lampshade.  My mom got the idea while visiting a local craft fair.  So while I was there we decided to work on the lampshade she started and make another one for me.  Isn't it cute?  I just love it!

My mom had boxes full of slides from when she and my dad first got married and I loved looking through the slides and picking out various images for this project.  It was so fun to see my parents as newlyweds....they were and are such a good looking couple!

Anyway, this craft looks easy at first glance, however the original idea involved using jump rings to attach the slides together which was extremely time consuming (and a bit frustrating).  We improved on the idea by using lanyard clasps to attach the slides together....which made this so much easier and I was able to whip one out in an afternoon.  My moms project on the other hand is still waiting to be completed as we ran out of jump rings.  :(

So here is what you need to make one of these treasured beauties.....

• An old lampshade---you'll want to tear off the shade portion and just use the wiring.  Try and find one that is not too big or this project will require more slides.  The one I used measures 7 inches across.
• Hole punch.  Get a heavy duty one.  One that can punch through the thickness of the cardboard slide.  My mom picked hers up at Michaels.
• Slides--of course it is more meaningful if they are of your own family but you could probably find some at the Goodwill or flea market.  For the lampshade I made, I used 36 slides.  
• Lanyard clasps.  I bought a pack of 60 at Michaels for $3.00
• Crystals to hang on the last row of slides or any other decorative element.  You can also attach the slides to the wire base from your lampshade but I preferred using the decorative crystals.

Assembling the lampshade is pretty simple (if you use the lanyards).  Basically, all you have to do is  punch a hole in the middle of each side of your slide and use the lanyard clasp to attach them.  Note:  in order for the images to be right side up, your slide will actually face upside down.  I made all the rows and attached them all together before hanging them onto the lampshade wire.  

The project took my mom and I about 3 hours.  She punched holes, while I attached the slides.  It was such a fun project to make together.   

I absolutely love this lampshade and have it proudly displayed in my family room.   If you decide to make one, we'd love to see it!  Please share a link in the comments below. 

Getting Organized & a DIY Porch Daybed

by Kristina

This weekend while my husband was out of town on a bike race, I decided to organize some of my photography props which ended up in me rearranging our porch and putting together a daybed.  It was one of those "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"kind of days.....

I'm sure many of you can relate, I have various photo props coming out of my ears. From an array of jars and vases to buttons and ribbons to scales and backdrops, I am accumulating a fair bit of photo-worthy goodies.

So I decided that I should turn an old armoire that we have on our porch into a little storage unit for my treasures.  But in the process of doing that, I thought what would really spiff up our porch would be a daybed and that is when I got sidetracked and a new project began.

You see, I have always wanted a daybed on our porch.  When we moved to this house from foggy San Francisco, I envisioned lounging on our porch on a daybed...but it never happened.  The porch started off and remained more of a playroom (first it was train tables and then ping pong tables).

Anyway, with this new bee in my bonnet, a quick peek on Pinterest (where I found this great idea from The Apprentice Extrovert) and a little help from my boys, we moved the ping pong table to our covered side yard and dragged in two old mattresses from the garage.  Next, using an striped duvet cover from IKEA and an extra plain white sheet (both of which I already had), I slip-covered the two mattresses.

Because our porch tends to get a fair bit of dust and dirt blown in through the screens, I decided to head over to Home Depot to purchase particle board underlayment to act as both a backrest and pillow protector.  My initial idea was to buy plywood and paint it white, but when I found this white particle board I thought that would be perfect and save me a few steps and it is very light (cost $20.00).  The Home Depot guys cut the piece down for me (it was 4'x8' to 3.5' to 6').  

Next I was off to TJMaxx/Home Goods, for some pillows.  I found these bright colored Sunbrella fabric cushions and pillows (I love the combination of orange, turquoise and green...look familiar?) and was so excited to come home and dress up the bed.  Oh and I hung some party lights that my friend Suzanne gave me a few weeks ago... they matched perfectly! 

As I lay on the bed, glancing around the room satisfied with my accomplishment, I realized that what I really meant to do was organize my stash of photo goodies........So that's what I did but instead of drinking a cold glass of milk, I had an ice tea.  

DIY Fig Rig: DSLR Video Stablizer

by Tina

Lately I've been shooting a lot of video and creating show reels for several clients.  But rather than dish out $300 for a Monfrotto Fig Rig (which I'm sure is a great product) I checked out a number of DIY fig rigs from various photography forums.  Several people highly recommended the particular DIY fig rig that I ended up using.

Turns out the rig was super simple to make and so far I'm pleased with the results.  I do want to figure out a few improvements but for the time being this serves the purpose I was hoping for.  I've included the video that I used for creating my fig rig.  Thanks to the guys over at MediaUnlocked.  Please check out their site for other useful tips and tricks.

By the way, I checked out several of the DIY youtube videos.  I feel the one I've embedded below is by far the most thorough.  By following their instructions it was super simple, easy-to-follow and I am very happy with the results.

To start out you will need the following supplies:

• One - 5' of 3/4" PVC Pipe (White, low end.  No need to go for anything fancy)
• Ten - 45 degree PVC pipe connectors
• Two - T-cross pipe connector
• One - Cross PVC connector
• Two - end caps
• PVC primer and cement (sold together at Home Depot)
• Two 1/4" nuts
• One 1/4" butterfly nut
• One 1/4" 2" Bolt (I think I'm going to try a shorter bolt to provide better stability)
• Lawn Mower Grip (cut to size)
• Black spray paint
• Drill with 1/4" bit
• PVC pipe cutter (or do as I did and see if someone at the store can cut all of the pieces for you. The also provide some of the tools to use in the store. Try that and save a little money.)

You will need to cut the PVC pipe in the following sizes:

• Six - 6"
• Four - 2.5"
• Two - 3"
• Four - 1.5"

Next it is important to connect all of the pieces before you prime and glue.  This will stretch out each piece and helps ensure you have all of the pieces you need in the right order.  I took a black sharpie and numbered the pieces in sequence to make sure I had everything ready for priming and gluing.

Next, prime and glue each section starting at the 12 o'clock position based on the photo you see here.  Alternate the left and right sides and make sure everything is aligned as you glue.  The primer dries fast as does the glue.  So once you set each piece of PVC pipe together (making sure each piece is inserted fully) it will glue quickly.  There's isn't much wiggle room for mistakes once the glue sets.

One change I made to this fig rig is I did not glue the mount to the PVC pipe.  I'm thinking of creating a different piece where I can mount and dismount my camera more easily like you have on a tripod.  

I used an old hook stand (many fabricators have something called a Shepard's hook) to rest the glued pieces while I spray painted the entire rig.  I put on 2 coats of paint and rotated the fig rig to be sure I got all of the undersides of the device.

The video will explain how to assemble the mount with one of the end caps, bolt, washer and butterfly screw.  What I want to improve is the bolt.  I think it should be shorter, more like a 1.5" bolt.  But I went with the recommendation that the video shows.  While it looks a little precarious sitting on that bolt it is actually very stable.  But there's really no need to have it this tall.  So below are a few more photos.  We tested it out and I'll post some more examples later on with and without the fig rig so you can see the difference.  They show that in the video below as well so you can see it right away if you view their DIY video.  Thanks to the folks over at Media Unlocked for the great Youtube tutorial!

DIY Photo Booth Props

The other day I posted some quick props I made on our Moms Who Click Facebook page (please like our page if you haven't already).  I was surprised to see how many people liked the idea.  It's probably because so many of us have things like this just lying around.  And now there's a way to put these things to use.

If your kids are like my kids they get all sorts of cheap plastic sunglasses when we go on vacation or they get them in goodie bags from parties.   My husband even gets them from corporate events.  So we had a lot more cheap plastic sunglasses than I realized.  Previously I made a bunch of photo booth props out of foam core but those got flimsy quick.  So when I saw these sturdy and unused sunglasses just everywhere in our home I decided to make use of them.

All you need to do is get these small wooden dowels at your local hardware or craft store.  I got mine at Michaels (be sure to have their handy App on your smartphone as they almost always have a discount coupon).

Then use an eyeglass screwdriver to remove the ear piece.  In some cases I use a wire cutter to carefully remove the piece that sticks out so it doesn't poke someone in the eye.  But typically the area is pretty smooth.

Then I get my hot glue gun and glue the frames to the stick.  Instant photo booth props that are easy to make, fun and they make use of these plastic frames that end up in your messy drawer (we all have at least one messy drawer in our kitchen don't we?)

So take out those plastic frames and make a bunch of Photo Booth Props for your next session.  These help break the ice and gets your clients smiling!

DIY-Polaroid Photo Tiles

I saw this very cute Polaroid coaster idea in Country Living Magazine this month.  Thank you mom for the subscription!  They found these super cute drink rests from blogger, Brittany Moser of darkroomanddearly.com and I loved the idea!

We just got back from a week in Santa Barbara and I decided to make my dad (who joined us on our beach vacation) the set pictured above for his birthday using photos from our trip.

This is such an easy and inexpensive project and I think they are sooo cute!  To make them all you need is 4"x4" ceramic tiles (I bought mine at Home Depot for 16 cents each), a bottle of Mod-Podge, a can of Krylon Crystal Clear spray and 3 3/4"w x 3 1/4" h photos.  I sized my photos to these measurement  in PSE and printed them on 4" x 6" photo paper and then cut them out.  

Assembling the tiles is a breeze.  Just place them on the tile leaving a bit of extra room at the bottom to give it that Polaroid look and brush on the Modge-Podge.   Add 3-4 coats (allowing drying time in between each application) and once they have dried spray on the sealant.  To finish it off, add felt pads to the corners of the tiles, so you don't scratch up your furniture. That's it!  So cute!

Thank you Brittany for the great idea.  To see her original post which has more details click here (you are going to love her blog, it is full of all kinds of great ideas and projects).

Behind the Scenes--Still Life Set-Up

by Kristina

Inspired by Kim Klassen's Beyond, Beyond course (affectionately known as 2B), I thought I'd show you how I set up the still life pictured above for this week's assignment.  It is actually a set up that I have used for a few product photography gigs that I've done in the past (one where I shot baked goods...yum! and another where I shot pieces of a children's game that is soon to be released).  

Anyway, the set up is super simple.  Basically all you need is a good natural light source.  In the morning I have the best light near a window in my front room which faces East and in the afternoon, I get lovely light by a window in my family room which faces....West.

Next, using two pieces of foam core board found at Michaels for around $5.00 for a two pack and a couple of clamps that I purchased on Amazon 6 for $4.50, I put together this set-up.

After shooting a few dozen images (you know how that goes), I uploaded the photos into Lightroom and did a little post processing.  I then brought the image into Photoshop Elements 10 and added one of Kim's textures (Sybil from her Downton Abbey collection) and used her quote brush (A Touch of Whimsy) to add the quote. Voila, the lovely image that you see above was created.

Note:  the final image shown at the beginning of this post was taken in my family room and the shots of my set up were done the next day in my front room, after I realized that showing you the method to the madness might make for a good post. :)  Oh and in case you are wondering where I found that cute mug....TJMAXX... $4.99.  Love that place!

DIY Project--Inspiration Board

by Kristina

Like many of you, I am a huge fan of Pinterest.  You can find all my boards here.  As much as I love having this wonderful online tool to organize all the great things I find on the web, I still like the idea of having an IRL (in real life), tangible board.

With this in mine, I set out to make an inspiration board that would be something that I could see every day.  Something that I could hang on my walls and use to inspire me every time I walk into my office.  I wanted to make a board that could be dynamic...one that could change over time.

Of course I checked out the many versions on Pinterest but I knew I didn't want to use cork and I wanted something that was inexpensive to make, light weight and easy to hang.  I decided to go to Home Depot and looked at various material options and came across this insulation foam board and realized it was perfect!

I then set out to the fabric store to buy some inexpensive muslin or table cloth fabric and picked up a yard of each.  But while I was there I had an epiphany, what if I used a pillow case instead?  I could cut the foam board to the size of the pillow case and just slip the case right over it and be done and that is exactly what I did!  For $3.99 (at Ross),  I purchased two gray, standard pillowcases and put this inspiration board together in a matter of minutes.

I love displaying all of these items that have stories behind them.   What better way to honor all this goodness than create an inspiration board that you can see every day, not just when you log onto your computer?

Below is my second board...a blank canvas, ready to be filled with all kinds of hopes and dreams. For this board, I stabled the fabric that I purchased to the full sheet of foam board (total cost for this size $9.00-- $3.50 for the board and the fabric was $5.50).

Note: to hang the boards on the wall, I used 3M velcro picture hanging strips.  It worked perfectly.

Idea for Using Your Holiday Cards on Your iPhone or Smartphone

I love this idea that if I remember correctly I saw a few years ago at Tiny Prints......

If you are like me and you hate to toss out all of those beautiful holiday cards you received last month, you'll love repurposing your cards in this way........

Take a photo of each card using your iPhone or smartphone and then assign that photo to the corresponding contact on your phone.  Now when your friends call, their beautiful holiday card photo will pop up on your screen.

I just did this over the weekend and love when my friends call that instead of seeing a black screen with their phone number, I now get to see a photo of their cute family. And while I still can't bare to throw away these cards (yep, they are stored in a box next to last year's cards), at least I am using them in a new way.

DIY Chalkboard Frame

by Kristina

I love getting my craft on.  If you have been following this blog, you know that I love to share my various DIY projects including; photo blocks, magnets,  fingerless gloves and even camera bags.

My latest project was making a chalkboard frame.  I have seen chalkboard frames with cute messages in many of my favorite decorating magazines and at some of my favorite stores (retailing for big bucks) and  decided to try making my own.

So I headed over to my nearest Michaels and found this elegant, gilded 16x20 frame for $11.99.  After popping out the matting and glass, I used chalkboard spray paint (Krylon $7.99 and a 40% off coupon brought it down to $5.00) and painted the backboard.  After the backboard dried, I put it back in the frame and voila....super cute addition to this year's Christmas Mantel.

I think it turned out great.  It is festive and fun and something I can use all year long.

DIY iPhone Photo Cover Case

I thought I'd repost this great DIY iPhone cover project because I've been having so much fun turning my summer photos into cases.    This project is super easy to do and inexpensive to boot....especially compared to how much these personalized cases can cost if you order them online.  

I originally found this tutorial on a terrific blog, The Ambitious Procrastinator.  She has all kinds of great DIY projects...so check out her site.

Anyway,  my version is tweaked a bit....I used Photoshop Elements to resize my photo and she uses Word in her tutorial (if you are not familiar with PSE, check out her instructions....they are great!).

Anyway, after a going on our fantastic summer vacation, I was inspired to make several new covers to remind me of our travels for my phone.  Here is my latest.....cute huh?

To get this project rolling, the key item that you need is a clear iPhone case.  I searched all over the South Bay and ended up finding one at a kiosk at the mall.  My key requirements for the case was that it needed to have a clear back and that it needed to have rubber sides.

Note:  I first tried a hard shell case and decided I didn't like that because it was too difficult to take the case off and on.   I have the iPhone macro, fish-eye and wide angle lenses from Photojojo, so I needed a case that was easy to slip off and on.  

The one I ended up with cost $19.99 and was not a name brand...it was some off brand called Wireless (imported from China).

Onto the fun part.....creating your photo insert.........

1.  Using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, create a new blank file that is 2.25" by 4.5" and open the images you want to include (this dimension is for the iPhone 4S, size may differ for iPhone 5).  If you want to make a collage like I did above, you need to drag and drop your images onto the canvas and resize them to fit.  You can create any kind of collage grouping you like, you just need to play around with it.  If you want to use one photo,  that works too.....just drag that photo onto the canvas and resize to fill the canvas.

2.  After you've created your  insert, print it out on a 4x6 piece of photo paper.   Note:  In the select print size menu, be sure to click print actual size so that it does not fill the paper....see my sample below.  

3.  Cut out your image and round off the corners.
4.  Place the photo insert into your case and trace the lens/flash area with a pencil.
5.  Using either a craft knife or hole punch, cut out the lens/flash space.  I used a hole punch--I'm craft knife challenged.  I tried using it and the hole I cut out was jagged.  Using the hole punch, suited me better. :)  
6.  Insert your photo into your case and you are set!

The great thing about this project is that if you can easily swap out different photos and because the photos are protected by a plastic case the image doesn't rub off as it sometimes does with photos that are printed directly onto a case.

Here are a few other examples that I made.  As you can see, the sky is the limit on what you can create.

DIY Craft--Sharpie Mugs

by Kristina

If you are like me, and I know there are a bunch of you out there, you may have an affinity for photographing your coffee/tea mugs.  I came upon the coffee craze through Shutter Sister's and the "my mug shot" Flickr group started by Tracey Clark.

I didn't realize that I had been unconsciously collecting mugs over the years. I'd pick up cute mugs or tea cups here and there but was never buying them with the intention that I would one day photograph them.   For me they were more about function.

Well all that changed once I found the "my mug shot" group and now I am a mug-fanatic.  You can find me scouring flea markets looking for victorian tea cups and clearance racks looking for funky mugs (I found a great zebra mug at Pier 1).

But my favorite mug is one I found at Urban Outfitters....the mustache mug.   The mustache craze is definitely in full swing and there is something about that mug that makes me smile every time I use it.

Well, one day on Pinterest I stumbled upon a DIY tutorial from  A Beautiful Mess.  Little did I realize that you could make your own creative cups by using a sharpie and your oven.  So off to the dollar store I went to pick up several mugs and some sharpie pens and then......I got my craft on!

This is the easiest project you will ever do.  Just grab your sharpie, create your design and bake your masterpiece in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Really....that is it!  

Here is a mug I made for my friend's birthday.  Mustache on one side, big kissable lips on the other.....

And here is my attempt at creating a photo related mug.......I need to learn how to draw a better camera......

What a great easy project, right?  It is MUSTACHE-STIC!  So go grab an inexpensive mug, a sharpie and create something fun and let us know what you made! 

Note:  These mugs should be hand-washed only......

CAMERA SENSOR CLEANING: DSLR Maintenance

By Tinarama

My nickname back east is Tinarama - a moniker a friend likes to call me.  That name was ringing in my ears when I started to write this post so I thought I'd share that with you all.  My family travels back east at least once a year to visit dear friends and relatives.  So, after traveling to the east coast this summer including dusty NYC, sandy Delaware beaches, and all that "hot air" from Washington, D.C. my DSLR (I have a Canon 5D Mark II) saw a lot of action.  Once I returned home it was time to give it a once over and make sure it was ready for more action.  Lately I've been doing a bunch of high key product photography which absolutely needs a clean sensor.

So it was high time I opened up my camera to clean it up.  Having come from a tech background I felt comfortable doing this myself.  It's super easy and simple for a novice.  First I checked out a number of DIY videos on YouTube.  Then I purchased a Sensor Swab TYPE3 (for full frame) kit at my local camera shop.  The type I purchased are pre-moistened, one-time use swabs.  This makes it easy to carry in your camera bag for quick on-the-go clean-ups. But you can also get kits that come with a bottle of cleaning fluid that you drop onto dry swabs.  My camera is cleaned up and ready for more shots.  Like I said it is super easy and a necessary thing to do with your camera if you want it to perform at its best.  The step-by-step directions follow:

Step 1: First be sure you have at least a 50% charge on your battery.  Many directions say you need a fully charged battery.  The reason is when you clean your sensor your mirror will need to be in a locked position otherwise there is the potential that it will shut while you are performing the cleaning routine.  Also be sure you are in a dust free area when doing this.  (I don't recommend doing this on a carpet or floor if you have pets like I do.)

Step 2: Remove either the camera cap or lens from the camera

Step 3: Turn the camera on, and select the MENU button to locate your SENSOR CLEANING screen.  It will default to "Clean Now."

Step 4: Scroll and select "Clean Manually."

Step 5: Once you select "Clean Manually" the next screen will warn you that the mirror will lockup, which is what you want in order to clean the sensor.  Select "OK"

Step 6: This is an upside down view of my camera looking into the sensor.

Step 7: After taking the swab out of the package I used one side of the swab while pushing down slightly to apply even pressure and glide is across the sensor.  Using the opposite side I swept it across the other direction for another clean sweep.

Step 8: It's done! Attach your lens or camera cap and you have a clean sensor.

If you prefer having visuals, check out this long but thorough youtube video that shows both a wet and dry method.  It is really easy and according to the Sensor Swab packaging it is guaranteed not to harm the sensor.
Happy cleaning!

DIY Bottle-Cap Photo Thumbtacks and Magnets

I saw these easy to make bottle-cap thumbtacks on Martha Stewart's website.  You can watch a video of her version here.   I thought they were so cute and decided to whip some up using my leftover crafting supplies from my last photo magnet project.    Note: this is a simplified version, on Martha's site they used resin to fill the caps which is a nice touch but I was fine to do without it.

Anyway, all you need are some bottle-caps, a 1 inch circular hole punch, Modge Podge, thumbtacks or magnets, and a strong adhering glue (like Goop).   Using Photoshop Elements, I printed out a contact sheet of photos that were approximately 1.5" x 1.5".  I then punched out circles using my hole punch (the 1 inch size is a perfect fit).  Using the Modge Podge, I glued the photos into the caps and after they dried, I added another thin coat on the photo to seal it.

I then glued the tacks onto the backs (you could also use disc magnets) and waited a few hours for it to completely dry before pushing them into my bulletin board.

The project took me under an hour to assemble and cost the equivalent of a 6 pack of beer.  :)   Looks pretty good, eh?

DIY Photoshop Blogger Icons

Check out our new Blogger Icons toward the upper right.  These are the icons for our RSS, Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, Pinterest and Instgram links.  These make it easy for our readers to get updates and share the love.

Recently K updated our banner.  To make this more cohesive I came up with a super simple button that incorporates the colors K loves in a simple icon.  Here's how I did it (click on any image to enlarge it):

Step One:

First create a new layer that's 1"x1"

Step Two:

Choose the Elliptical Marquee tool

Step Three:

Draw a circle, filling in the square.  Then select, "Edit - Fill - Foreground Color". I've already done a color select using the banner K created and used the eye dropper tool to collect the orange color.

Step Four:

Here's the completed circle filled in with the foreground color that I choose by using the eye dropper tool and selecting the orange used in the banner.

Step Five:

Create a new layer for the smaller circle inside the larger circle

Step Six:

I created a new small circle and filled it in using the eyedropper tool and selecting the darker green from the banner.  I use the paintbrush tool to fill it in.

Step Seven:

Duplicate the layer that has your new inner circle.

Step Eight:

With that duplicated layer selected, move that new circle to the right.  Use the magic wand tool to select that new duplicated circle (see the dotted lines that indicate it has been selected).

Step Nine:

First, use the eye dropper tool to select a new color from the banner.  Then select the brush tool (making sure that new circle is still highlighted).

 Step Ten:

The new circle has been filled in.

Ta-Da -- the new icon has been created.

To make the other icons, such as the Instragram one, I create a new circle and insert that image in the middle.  You can use the same PDF file with this circle and just hide the layers that are not needed.

We'll make this set of files available later in the week so you can grab them and customize them yourself with colors from your own banner.

Enjoy!