The Magic Bean

Free Night Blooming Jasmine Panel Doll Tutorial in Honour of the Release of Eucalan's New Scent Wrapture

Panel dolls are a quick way to make a fun ornamental doll.  This free panel doll is based on the trumpet-shaped blooms of the night blooming jasmine flower with her lower body forming the base of the flower and her upper body seeming to blossom from the petals.

When Eucalan, one of my favourite products announced they were releasing their latest fragrance called Wrapture based on the scent of night blooming jasmine and designed by Kristin Omdahl, the sensual scent immediately brought to mind this exotic, but simple to make doll. 

Here's how to make one:

What You'll Need:

• The free printable panel, just click the link to Download Night Blooming Jasmine Panel Doll

Tip:  If you are having trouble downloading the panel doll then please ensure that you
have Adobe Reader installed and that you have updated your Adobe Reader.  It is free to both download the reader and to update it, just click the link to visit the Adobe site.

• Printable cotton sheets such as Jacquard InkJet Cotton Fabric or EQ Printables - Inkjet Cotton Satin Fabric Sheets 6/Pkg
• Sewing machine, thread, scissors, hand sewing needle
• Polyester stuffing
• Eucalan No Rinse Delicate Wash in the new Jasmine scent Wrapture
• Access to a home printer
• 8"(20.3cm) wide ribbon for loop
• 6"(15.2cm) square of white felt
• Haemostats (US spelling hemostats)
• Finger Turning Tubes (optional)

How to do it:

1.  Print the front and back doll image that you downloaded above onto paper first, just to
make sure that it prints correctly.  Once you are confident that the image is printing properly, follow the printer ready fabric manufacturer's instructions to print the photos onto the photo ready fabric. I advise feeding one sheet into the printer at a time. It is also usual to leave the paper backing on the fabric for 24 hours after printing to allow the ink to dry fully.

2.  I find that printer ready sheets can have a quite crispy texture once the backing is removed due to the amount of sizing in the fabric to allow it to feed nicely through the printer.  It is particularly important when stuffing a panel doll that the fabric be soft in order to facilitate turning.  Some brands of printable cotton sheets (such as EQ Printables sheets) will recommend soaking the sheets in fabric softener, but I find that the lanolin enriched formula of Eucalan No Rinse Delicate Wash conditions the fibres and improves the hand of the fabric.  You might be tempted to skip this step but you will find it makes the doll easier to turn, ensures that any excess ink washes away and the new Wrapture scent from Eucalan makes the doll smell fantastic.

Hang the sheets up to dry.  Once dry iron the sheets if necessary.

3.  Fold the 8" (20.3cm) piece of ribbon in half to form a loop and tack the loop in place at the top of  head on the front side of the doll so that the loop faces down over the body and the cut ends of the ribbon point up above the head. 

4.  Place the printed cotton sheets with right sides together, matching the dotted outline of the front and back of the doll exactly with the ribbon loop sandwiched between the layers. Pin layers together.

5.  Sew around the outer dotted outline of the doll just to the inside of the dotted line as accurately as you can.  Leave a small opening approximately 2" (5cm) along one side of the doll.  Be sure to back-stitch at the beginning and end of your stitching.

5.  Cut out the doll leaving a 1/8" (3mm) seam allowance around the seam.  Clip into the
curves . 

Turn right side out through the opening.  You may find it easier to use a pair of small haemostats or even finger turning tubes to turn the hands. 

To turn the arms with finger turning tubes, first, select from the turning tubes, a tube that is the right size for the arm and slip it in the arm through the opening placing the turning tube right at the end of the fingers.  Take the small brass rod from the turning tube set and press it against the end of the tube that is inside the arm.  Push the rod against the seam as the seam is stronger and less likely to burst.  While maintaining pressure on the tube with the rod, gently roll the hand up and over the small rod.  To finish turning the arms reach inside the opening and grab onto the arm with a pair of haemostats and continue to turn the rest of the body.

6.  Stuff your doll using a pair of haemostats if you have them, or alternatively use
something like a chopstick to get the stuffing into place through the opening.  First fill the doll's hands and arms with polyester stuffing, continue to stuff the body lightly with stuffing.  If you are used to making art dolls, do not stuff the doll as hard as you would stuff an art doll because it will distort the dolls features - keep her relatively flat.

7.  With a hand sewing needle and thread, ladder stitch the opening closed.

If you don’t know how to do the ladder stitch, have a look at this diagram.

I’ve used red thread so you can see the stitch better. The blue lines indicate where the thread is travelling through the fold of the fabric. When you pull the thread taut the two bits of fabric butt together. You should pull the thread taut as you go, but I have left it loose at the end here so you can see the stitch better.

When you have closed the opening, finish by anchoring your thread and bury the tail in the body of the doll.

9.  Give the doll's body a light press with an iron.

10.  Print the last page from the Panel Doll pages that you downloaded onto paper.  Cut out the Jasmine Flower pattern, remembering to cut out the inner circle of the flower.  Trace the Jasmine flower pattern onto a single piece of white felt.  Cut out, again remembering to cut our the inner circle.

10.  Slip the felt jasmine flower onto the doll's body so that it sits just at the top of the green portion of her lower body.  Position the felt flower so that the doll's hand can grasp the area between two petals so it looks like she is holding onto the petal's edges.  With a hand-sewing needle and white thread, stitch the felt flower to the doll's body from the underside of the flower using a small whip stitch.

Hang up your Night Blooming Jasmine Panel Doll ornament and enjoy her exotic beauty and beautiful jasmine scent.

Never tried using Eucalan No Rinse Delicate Wash before?   Tried one of the other scents like lavender or eucalyptus, but want to try the new jasmine scented Wrapture?  Here's your chance!

How to enter the Eucalan Wrapture giveaway:

Just leave me a comment on this blog post and I will enter you into a draw to win a 3.3oz (100ml) bottle of the new Wrapture Eucalan. 

The giveaway is open to US, Canadian and British residents only.

Entries will be accepted until midnight (Eastern Standard Time) Saturday December 16th. I will then choose the winner with Random.org and will notify the lucky winner via email. In
order to secure your prize you must respond to my e-mail within 48 hours or I'll have to pick a new winner! 

 

Just so you know, I was asked to write this post about one of my favourite products as part of Eucalan's Wrapture Blog Tour (click the link to check out some other bloggers tips on using Eucalan for everything from washing crochet swatches to sudsing your lingerie).  I was not given any payment for this post except a free package of Eucalan's new Wrapture No Rinse Delicate Wash.  I'd like to give you some free Wrapture too, so leave a comment now!

PS Can't wait to try the new Wrapture?  You can purchase Eucalan's Wrapture by clicking this link. 

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The Mystery Doll is Finally Revealed...Drum Roll Please

Announcing the Doll Street Re-Imagine History Challenge Hosted by Colleen Babcock

A Doll Street Challenge – sponsored by Fairfield, Studio Galli and Eucalan
Hosted By Colleen Babcock

Announcing the Doll Street Re-Imagine History Challenge
For this challenge, use your imagination to reinvent a historical era to come up with a whole new alternative to the past or even the future.

For example, Steampunk is a particularly popular re-imagining of Victorian England or the Wild West with an industrial feel, incorporating gears and gadgets into the aesthetic. Or for another example, the TV show Firefly and subsequent movie, Serenity supposed that an over-populated Earth gave way to a pioneering colonialisation of space creating a look that is part American Wild West mixed with Chinese influence (explained by a population surge in China on Earth). Another television show, Stargate SG-1 imagined that the ancient Egyptians were actually an alien race, giving the costume designers license to put an other-worldly spin on ancient fashions. 

The idea behind the challenge is to incorporate into a doll, elements of historical costuming with something else, something unpredictable, to come up with a whole new style.  What would the characters in your “old world made new” be wearing and why?

If you think that you are a beginner and stand no chance of winning, then think again. 

Check out the prizes and categories which have been created with ALL abilities in mind.

The Prizes –

• Fairfield's Best Overall Doll made by a Beginner – 10lb box of Fairfield’s Poly-fil fibrefill or an assortment of different fibrefills* + a one year membership to Doll Street  + your choice of Colleen Babcock pattern + Eucalan Custom Gift Pack.  *Please note:  Fairfield reserves the right to substitute the prize for alternative products if the winner is resident in a country outside of the continental US or Canada, due to the prohibitive cost of shipping.
• Most Imaginative Concept (This prize is to be judged on concept only, not the execution of the doll, so imagination counts here, not experience) - Patti Culea's Cloth Doll Making DVD (donated by Studio Galli) + a one year membership to Doll Street + your choice of Colleen Babcock pattern + Eucalan Custom Gift Pack.
• Best Use of Historical Costume Elements by a Doll Street Member (open to members only, again this prize is to be judged on recognizable historical fashion elements, not necessarily on skill level) - Patti Culea's Cloth Doll Making DVD (donated by Studio Galli) + one year membership to Doll Street + your choice of Colleen Babcock pattern + Eucalan Custom Gift Pack.
• Best Overall Doll - Patti Culea's Cloth Doll Making DVD(donated by Studio Galli) + one year membership to Doll Street + your choice of Colleen Babcock pattern + Eucalan Custom Gift Pack.

 The Rules

• The doll entered into the challenge must have been created especially for the challenge.
• Steampunk dolls or dolls based on the other examples mentioned will not be accepted.  The idea is to come up with something new.
• The challenge is open to everyone, in any country, but only a Doll Street member will qualify for the Best Use of Historical Costume Elements by a Doll Street Member prize.
• Only a beginner can win the Fairfield’s Best Overall Doll Made by a Beginner.  Everyone is different, so please use your best judgement to decide if you fit into the beginner category.  However, as a general guideline, a beginner may have made in the region of 8 full size dolls or fewer.
• No entrant can win in more than one category.
• Dolls of all sizes and mediums are welcome.
• The doll can be an original design or from a pattern, however, if you have used another designer’s pattern please make sure to give them credit on the entry form.
• Entries are to be submitted via an online entry form on or before June 15th, 2012.  Three images of the doll must be uploaded to the form and may include a front, side, back view or a close-up of the face or other feature and should demonstrate what is special about your entry.  Please make sure the images are clear and easy to see (if your photos are not clear, it will affect judging).

Sponsors

Eucalan is a no-rinse delicate wash that is non-toxic, biodegradable, phosphate free, with a lanolin enriched formula that is great for crafting as well as offering an eco-friendly alternative to dry cleaning.  Visit www.eucalan.com to find out more about this outstanding product and to request your free sample.

Andrew Galli, of Studio Galli is a Pianist, Composer and Producer of Arts and Crafts DVDs. Beginning in 2005 with several films related to silk painting and Shibori Japanese textile arts, Andrew has released several titles related to guitar lutherie, encaustic arts, fabric painting, wire bead jewellery, machine embroidery and cloth doll making. Visit www.gallifilms.com to find out more.

Fairfield Processing Corporation puts pride into every roll of batting, every pillow form and every bag of fibrefill they make. Each product is developed to inspire your creativity and help you express yourself.  Visit www.fairfieldworld.com to find the full range of Fairfield products and to search through their free projects and patterns.

Doll Street is the premier online doll club with online art and doll making classes and downloadable e-patterns for everyone.  Visit www.dollstreetdreamers.comto see the free projects, downloadable patterns and available online classes.

Colleen Babcock is a craft and cloth doll designer, offering patterns, online classes, and in-person classes across North America and the UK.  Here on The Magic Bean you can see my full range of doll patterns and get your hands on free tutorials.

How to Enter
Create your doll according to the rules and on or before the deadline of June 15th, 2012, fill out the online entry form, upload 3 photos of your finished doll and submit!

Fill Out the Entry Form

If you want the challenge rules and list of prizes close at hand, Download Re-Imagine History Challenge Announcement and Rules  and print the document. 

Tip: If you are having trouble downloading the rules then please ensure that you have Adobe Reader installed and that you have updated your Adobe Reader. It is free to both download the reader and to update it, just click the link to visit the Adobe site.



Email me if you have any questions.

Considered yourself challenged to be as creative as possible this spring!

We have a winner...

 
Using Random.org, I selected a winner for the Eucalan prize pack.  At lucky comment number 8 Jen who writes a blog called Bayou Quilts and Dolls  was the winner!  Jen will soon be enjoying her Eucalan products.  Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway and to Eucalan for providing such a fantastic prize.

 

A Delicate Disposition: A Free Eucalan Bottle Doll Tutorial

I get some of my best ideas in the shower. Consequently, my idea folder tends to get a little damp.

The idea for this doll tutorial came about because I was washing some of my delicates in Eucalan No Rinse Delicate Wash. While my laundry soaked in a tub on the bathroom counter, I multi-tasked and took a shower.  Suddenly it hit me that Eucalan bottles look really rather like a feminine form. 

  
So while washing my hair, I set about designing a doll that had a simple one piece cloth head and extremely easy clothing pieces made from rectangles, triangles and circles.  At the same time I wanted to make use of the entire Eucalan bottle, including the lid. Eucalan is an environmentally friendly product and I wanted an environmentally friendly project to go with it.

That little round lid made a perfect base for a bonnet, so the doll just simply had to be Jane Austen inspired.  There was nothing else for it.

To find the free tutorial, click the following link to Download A Delicate Disposition Instructions and Pattern

What can I say?  Suds are inspiring.  I want to inspire you to make this doll, but for that you'll need a Eucalan bottle.  And I can help you there too.

You can win a lovely package of Eucalan with this giveaway  - I'm sorry, this giveaway is now closed!

The prize includes:

1 x 500mL/16.9oz No Rinse Delicate Wash in your choice of scent

1 x 100mL/3.3oz No Rinse Delicate Wash in your choice of scent - this is the size of bottle for the doll!

1x Getaway Gang travel set which consists of 8 x single use packets, 4 x stain treating wipes, 1 package of lint remover sheets, 1 nail file and 1 sewing kit 

Scope out the prizes by watching the following video where Jen, Managing Director of Eucalan, walks you through each of these products and the scents that they come in:

 

If you've never used Eucalan before you may not realise all the wonderful uses for this environmentally friendly product. 

Here are my top 5 uses for Eucalan:

1.  Use Eucalan to wash (and block) your hand knits and fine knitwear -  I use Eucalan to block my loom and hand knitted items and then to keep them looking and smelling wonderful ever after.  I won't let anything else near my husband's cashmere jumper (that's a sweater in North America).  Knitting Daily shared some tips on how to use Eucalan for your hand knits with this video:

 

2.  Use Eucalan to create felt from hand knits - Eucalan can also be used to help get a knit item to felt or full as long you combine it with hot water and lots of agitation.  In this case, I put the knit item with Eucalan in the washing machine and run a cycle with hot water (also throw in a pair of jeans to increase the agitation levels) and voila - felt.  The loom knitting book, Loom Knitting Primer, actually recommends Eucalan by name, in the felting chapter. 

Eucalan works well for bringing wool back to life after felting as well. As the lanolin enriched formula of Eucalan helps to naturally condition fibres, it can help to restore the natural hand and texture of felted knits.

3.  Treating Printer Ready Fabric - Whether you use printer ready sheets (such as Jacquard InkJet Cotton Fabric) or Bubble Jet Set 2000 to print photos or text onto fabric, you'll find that the sheets tend to come out a little crispy after printing.  I find that if I soak the printed sheets in Eucalan, the lanolin in the Eucalan softens the fabric and any excess ink leftover from printing also comes out, leaving me with a softer fabric that is much more pleasant to feel and work with. 

4. Use Eucalan to soak dyed fabrics -  I often use Jacquard's Dye-na-flow to dye ribbons, cheesecloth and fabrics, like I did for the cheesecloth headdress on my doll Treasures of the Deep, pictured below. 

Dye-na-flow is non-toxic and goes on like a paint so it is very easy to use in the small space that I have to live and craft in.  However, after I heat-set the newly dyed fabric in either the clothes dryer or with an iron, I find that the fabric tends to be a bit stiff, so I give it a soak in Eucalan with a dash of white vinegar.  The Eucalan restores the soft drape of the fabric while the vinegar helps to set the colour.  Two birds, one soak.

5.  Use Eucalan to save money - Instead of taking some of my fine washables to the dry cleaners, I simply soak them in Eucalan.  I recently washed a silk chiffon, lace and satin dress I wore to a wedding in Eucalan and it came out beautifully.  And you know what that means - more money for fabric. 

HOW TO ENTER TO WIN THE EUCALAN PRIZE PACK:

1. The giveaway is open to US, Canadian and British residents only.

2. Leave a comment telling me what your preferred Eucalan scent would be - Eucalyptus, lavender, grapefruit or unscented.

3. To get further entries in the giveaway "Like" Eucalan on Facebook, or Tweet or Blog about this giveaway.  For each additional entry, you must leave an extra comment for each telling me what you've done in order for it to count as an extra entry.

Entries will be accepted until midnight (GMT) Thursday July 28th. I will then choose the winner with Random.org and will notify the lucky winner via email. In order to secure your prize you must respond to my e-mail within 48 hours or I'll have to pick a new winner!  - please note that this giveaway is now closed!

Just so you know, I was not given any compensation or payment for this post, but I thought all my readers deserved to try one of my favourite products.

Good luck.  Gets sudsy and get inspired!

I have a dream

I have a dream where my hair is never frizzy.

I have a dream that I can actually buy shoes in the adult department.

I have a dream that I when I blow my nose in public, strangers do not laugh out loud.

I have a dream that when I swim, I look sleek and fast and where I can do that amazing flip where I change directions by pushing off the end of the pool wall.  Without cracking my head open.

I have a dream that I am a black belt.  In Kung Fu or Tae Kwon Do or Jujitsu. 

I have a dream that my husband did not make up an entirely new form of martial art at which he felt I could excel called Beanjitsu - "Way of the Deadly Crafts" where I can bring down my opponents using only my baby finger and a sewing bobbin.

I have a dream where the mere thought of the mastery of a martial art would not automatically prompt my loved ones to make up fake martial arts in my dubious honour.

I have a dream where I have my own craft empire and even Martha Stewart is jealous.

I have a dream that with my fortune, I am able to buy my husband the Honda Pan European motorbike he has always lusted after.

 

And in this dream we ride it around the world.

The dream-me uses the trip to explore the crafts of the globe.

Dream-me will attract the attentions of Channel 4 documentaries who will air a show all about our travels and the crafts we uncover.  The documentary directors from the creative minds at Wieden + Kennedy will say that they feel "honoured" to have spent time in my presence.  But I'll be cool about it and refer often to my mates at  W+K.  Only the insiders will understand the reference, but everyone else will pretend that they do.

Dream-me will learn to speak Mandarin, Russian and an obscure dialect from Papua New Guinea that has stumped anthropologists and linguists for decades.

Dream-me will look so cool in biker's leathers.

Dream-me will make crafts from the back of the motorbike and bikers everywhere will admire my chutzpah.

Dream-me will look so at home on the back of that motor-bike that no one will dare call me cute.

It could happen.  Well, the motor-bike part could.  And maybe the round-the-world trip bit. 

I'm not sure that I could manage that pool flip without damaging my cranium.

And helmet hair is likely to exacerbate the frizzies.

And admittedly, the making of me into any sort of deadly martial arts weapon is pretty unlikely.

But the documentary part - that could totally happen.  No really, I'm not suffering from a failed-pool-flip head injury.  Honda is sponsoring  Channel 4 documentaries and releasing a series of mini-documentaries directed by W+K as well as an online hub.  These mini-documentaries will feature regular people who use Honda products in strange and unusual ways.  The quirkier the better.  You just visit the Honda online hub and upload your story with a photo, maybe a video and you might just find yourself starring in a documentary.

Like if you round up your alpaca herd with your Honda

Viral video by ebuzzing

 See it's not a pipe-dream.  Some people appreciate quirky.  I bet they wouldn't even mind that I'm cute. 
 


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Viral video by ebuzzing

Freebies and Features From Fairfields

Fairfield, makers of my beloved and favoured stuffing Poly-fil fiberfill have featured little ol' me in the April 2011 edition of their monthly newsletter under the "Friends of Fairfield" section. 

 
After reading all about moi, I strongly suspect that all the free patterns this newsletter contains are going to get you excited.  There are several free projects that you won't want to miss:

 
- Eve Leder's gorgeous rainbow coloured crocheted bunny (as seen  Soft Touch® Poly-fil Supreme® fiberfill packaging)

- Betsy Bunny a free sewing pattern in time for Easter

- a stuffed polar bear cuddling an applique penguin designed by Janet Maurer

- Meryl Ann Butler designed the Fast and Easy Decorator Pillow pattern

- For Amigurumi fans there is a free pattern for a Japanese Maiden that designer Eve Leder says is the perfect beginner crochet pattern

To see any of these free patterns click here  and download the April 2011 newsletter in PDF format (on the left of the screen).

If you want to make sure that you never miss out on any of Fairfield's newsletters (and any of those freebies) then just click "sign-up" in the far right, top corner of Fairfield's website.

For even more free patterns you can  revisit past newsletters  from Fairfield.

Let Fairfield know how much you like free patterns by liking them on their Facebook page and check out all the videos they have on their page while you are at it.

Piecing Together Fragments of Life

Sometimes when I read articles on the news about archaeological discoveries I am always astonished that small fragments of one pot can tell a bunch of tweed wearing types so much about the owner of said pot.  It might not even be a whole pot, just a fragment of a pot, but the tweedy types find a few fibres and kernels of corn surrounded by Iron Age dirt and somehow they can deduce that the deceased owner of the pot was 5'1", had a limp and a fondness for shell fish.  How do they do that?

I wonder what the little fragments left behind in my lifetime will say about me?  Mind you, we've been walking upright for quite some time now so we do have somewhat better record keeping that Urgh the Iron Age Farmer, so there will be even more detail to leave behind.  But imagine if records were lost somehow and by some crazy coincidence the contents of my flat were perfectly preserved and were the sole surviving clues they had to determine what life was like in 2011. 

Perhaps, those futuristic experts would look at one of my shoes and assume all early 21st people had freakishly small feet.  Maybe they'd see all my little cloth dolls dotted around the place and assume they were religious icons instead my way of expressing creativity.  A scrap of paper might become just like a fragment from an Iron Age pot.

"Well chaps, from this scrap of credit card bill we can deduce that the occupant of this flat required large amounts of wire and fabric and did a fair amount of travelling.  The specimen also indicates that she was fairly intelligent as she used Barclaycard Platinum for all these purchases.  She was obviously using a credit card to establish good credit and to control cash flow, as well as to take advantage of benefits such as Identity Protection, Travel Services and Fraud Monitoring.  I'd say we are dealing with an early 21st century cloth doll artist."  They'd all proclaim that scrap of paper a rare discovery on par with the unlocking of the Rosetta Stone and school children across the country would file past the paper in the climate controlled room of a museum while on school trips where that scrap would later be displayed.  It would become known as the Barclaycard Fragment.

What would your credit card bill say about you?  Could the experts infer that you were smart enough to take advantage of Barclaycard's current offer for 0% on balance transfers?  That you had so much cranial capacity that you rushed to apply for a Barclaycard Platinum  as soon as you found that Barclaycard were the first credit provider to offer 0% for 20 months - the longest 0% balance transfer on offer in the market today. 

Could those futuristic archaeologists create a picture of you as a world-wise traveller who needed Barclaycard Platinum Worldwide Assistance, Emergency Card Replacement and Travel Services?  Would they create a profile that showed not only were you sensible with money but you also liked the finer things offered by Barclaycard Freedom, Barclaycard's rewards program?  Would those experts of the future intuit that you weren't the type to waste time or money and so rushed straight out and applied for a new Barclaycard Platinum between March 15th and May 3rd, 2011 to take advantage of the offer of 0% on balance transfers and the 25% reduction of handling charges to transfer your balance from another lender. 

If I weren't' already a  Barclaycard Platinum card holder, I'd be applying right now.  I want to make sure that the scraps and fragments of my life show the future that I was one smart doll maker.

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Partage propulse par ebuzzing

Photographing Your Dolls and Other Crafts

Whether you photograph your crafts or dolls for Etsy, submit your work to magazines or just want to share the crafts that you've made on your blog, most people will only ever see your work in photographs, so it stands to reason that if you really want your work to shine you better know your way around a camera or know someone who does. 

Sadly I can't help you with that.  In fact, it is probably best that if you were photographing a project that I was locked in a room somewhere far, far away so that I didn't mess things up.  Actually, I'm not that bad, I'm just not all that great.  All the photography of my finished dolls and for Wordless Wednesdays here on the Magic Bean come courtesy of my hubby and his Canon Digital SLR.   So without further ado, here are some photographing crafts and doll tips from "Mr The Magic Bean":

1.  Use a Light Box

A light box allows you to light your craft item properly without having to use a built in flash which can overwhelm your photography. This will allow you to show rich and natural colours.  It will also allow you to use a variety of backdrops to accent your work.

To make your own light tent or light box out of a cardboard box, click here for a free tutorial or try this free light box tutorial.  These tutorials also show what a difference the light box can make to your finished photographs.

2.  Use Static Lights

Static lights to go with your new light box are also invaluable. By positioning them opposite each other to shine through the lightbox material you create a gentle diffused light that doesn’t washout photos like flashes (especially built in ones) can. It will also allow you to eliminate shadow for a really professional look.

See some photographic lighting options here

3.  Invest in a Tripod
A tripod will eliminate camera shake allowing you to make sure you take the sharpest possible images. It will also allow you flexibility when setting up the shot you want.

We use a Slik Pro 700DX Tripod.

4.  Remote Camera Control
A remote camera control will allow you to take photos without touching the camera further reducing the chance of annoying camera shake.  Camera remote controls are not a particularly expensive way to up the quality of your results.

5.  Upgrade to a Digital SLR Camera
Whilst compact cameras are great, if you want a more professional look, investing in a Digital-SLR will give you much more flexibility to enhance your photos. The manual modes Av, Tv and full manual will allow you to control some or all of the camera’s functions such as the aperture (the opening inside the camera’s lens), the shutter speed (the speed with which the photo is taken) or both of these. With a little learning and practice a basic knowledge of how these factors influence a photo can really improve your shots.  I use a Canon EOS 400D camera, known as the Rebel in North America.

Don't drop that precious camera.  Make your own ruffled camera strap from the hilariously titled blog Crap I've Made.

6.  Take Some Lessons
On that subject a basic photographic course can assist you in getting the most out of your camera. There are a wide variety of different options to full in person courses to online ones you can work through at your own pace.

Another option is to get a book on the subject, such as Photographing Arts, Crafts and Collectibles.

7.  Invest in a Quality Lens
If you do decide to invest in a Digital -SLR the chances are it will come with one or maybe two lenses. On entry level D-SLRs like my Canon 400D for instance these ‘kit’ lenses, whilst not top of the range, are well built and offer you the chance to further sophisticate your photography – especially when you use your camera in one of the manual modes (as above). If you’ve always wanted to recreate the effects you see in magazines like close up images of your work filling the whole frame in crystal clear detail or blurring the background whilst making the foreground really pop – then having a quality lens and camera, and knowing how to use them together, can really help.

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Need some way to tote those additional lenses?  Smashed Peas and Carrots shares this tutorial to make a strappy camera lens pouch.

Don't lose that pesky lens cap - Crafty Staci shares a tutorial to make a lens cap pouch to hang from your camera strap.

8.  Experiment with Different Angles
Experiment with different angles as opposed to sticking to traditional face-on images. Whilst face-on images are sometimes necessary, experimenting with different angles can make for more interesting photography and more pleasing images without sacrificing the detail you want.
This also applies to other techniques as well such as experimenting with the colour modes on your camera – for example shooting in monochrome (black and white) can make even the most mundane object look moody and enigmatic.

 
9.  Use High Quality Images
Also always shoot high quality images. Most people will use JPEG format but RAW images offer the most flexibility for editing later on a computer.  In fact, if you need or want a jpeg format you can always change the RAW image to a Jpeg.  Don't know the difference?  Read this article for more information.

10.  Use Computer Editing Software
Also try and make use of a good computer editing programme Canon’s Digital Photo Professional is good, as is Photoshop Elements although the pre-loaded software that comes with most new computers will offer basic editing.

 

Well, that's the advice from the man with the camera!

 

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How to Talk to Your Sewing Machine

I attended York University in Toronto, studying Theatre Design and Production - an institution which taught you to design and construct using the school of thought that you should "just do it".  So as a clueless under-grad, there I was teaching under-grads with even less of a clue how to sew, draft patterns and otherwise "get it done" for whatever piece of theatre we were currently trying to stage.   

There are a surprising number of ways that people can screw up a simple seam.  There was the guy who sewed the bottom of a skirt shut (I asked him how you would get your feet out to wear it and you would have thought I asked him to explain the theory of relativity).  There was the girl who sewed her own sleeve to a period gown and another sad individual who sewed right through their own hand.  Yup, learning a new skill can be pretty hard.  One thing I learned from that early experience of teaching people to sew is that you need to make them laugh.

So, I told them to talk to their sewing machines.  I advised them to whisper sweet nothings in a nauseating voice designed to keep their sewing machine on "our side".  This made them giggle.  Especially when I started to spew pet names at the machine and pet it in a loving manner. 

One day, a hapless first year named Katherine got her thread wrapped around the machine in ways that were bound to lead to her imminent meltdown.  I sat at her machine and I said:

"First you talk to the machine".  I demonstrated this procedure complete with aforementioned crooning and petting of the machine.  She laughed. I told her to press very lightly on the industrial machine's pedal to free up the hand wheel, give the hand wheel a wee jiggle and  the jiggle would allow her to remove the offending thread.  I though nothing of this routine demonstration.

But the very next day...

Five hapless first years were screaming for help.  I was the only person present who know which end of a sewing machine was up, so I gave them all a number and asked for their patience.  It turned out that one of the waiting number had the exact same problem as Katherine had the day before.  Katherine volunteered to help the girl for me, giving me once less person to sort out.

Katherine sat at her fellow first year's machine and she said:

"First you talk to the machine".  She then delivered the entire demonstration ver batim and with actions.  The other first year laughed and was able to keep going.  I wonder if that first year ever forgot how to talk to a sewing machine?  I wonder if she ever passed on the "How to talk to a sewing machine" lesson to anyone else.  Who knows how far my wisdom (or should I say nonsense?) has spread.

A service that I belong to called ebuzzing is just like talking to a sewing machine.  You get people to laugh and they pass it on. 

 

ebuzzing allows bloggers like you to write articles and display videos about brands and products that you like, when you want and they pay you for it. 

At first, I was a bit hesitant about having any form of "advertising" on my blog.  However, as an ebuzzing blogger I can choose which brands I write about and which I don't.  I only choose to participate in campaigns that will fit into my blog and that I feel my readers would be interested in. All the posts are written in my words with only a few bullet points, links and images that have to appear on the post.  ebuzzing is a completely free service to join and the strict code of ethics at ebuzzing ensures that all posts are clearly marked as sponsored. 

I thought my readers would "put up with" my ebuzzing posts, but these sponsored posts generate more positive comments and e-mails than I ever expected.  Having to come up with ways to make different brands and topics fit into my blog has forced me to be creative and it is has really stretched my comedy muscles.  I now think that ebuzzing has made my blog content better than ever.

If I had a dream brand that I'd like to ebuzz about, it would be Janome sewing machines.  As I've said, I really know how to talk to a sewing machine.  I've used more different brands of sewing machine than I care to talk about (or to) - first in theatre wardrobes and then in doll making classes.  I have a soft spot for Janome.  Janome machines always seem to pose fewer problems than other brands, at least in my experience.  Janome really knows how to make a sewer feel warm and fuzzy and definitely ebuzzy.  Of course, it wouldn't be hard to get the doll making and crafting world buzzing about Janome because sewers always like a good sewing machine brand debate.  It's like a prize fight for us, we're all hedging our bets on who the heavy weight champion would be.  I have the inside track on who would win though - my sewing machine told me!

If you have a blog it is time to register and start earning!  Remember,make them laugh and pass it on!  Find out more on ebuzzing.co.uk



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Colleen Babcock: Famous International Doll Maker

My husband has always teased that I am a "Famous International Doll Maker".  This gambit has been going on for years.  If I say that I have tons of e-mails to reply to, he responds with, "That's what happens when you're a famous international doll maker".  If I say that I need to keep working on a design past normal working hours, he says "That's what happens when you're a famous international doll maker".   When I'm trying to sort out the travel arrangements for classes overseas he chirps up,  "That's what happens when you're a famous international doll maker".   Yup, he says that a lot - if I am working hard, or getting asked to do classes often, or selling lots of patterns, or if it's a Tuesday...

Then HP came along with their HP- Be A Star video app.  And now this Famous International Doll Maker has got her own celebrity expose video - eat your heart out.  I just took a still photograph of myself teaching a doll class and uploaded it, entered my name and my gender and whammo I'm on video. 

You too can be a Famous International Doll Maker or a Celebrity Decoupage Diva or even a World Renowned Quilting Queen or whatever type of star you'd like to be.  Just visit the HP Be A Star site by clicking the link and upload your photo.  I can't think of anything better to do during a lull at work or during a commercial on TV.   And it is a good giggle.  You'll be given a bit.ly link to your video at the end so you can share your video.  

Once you've made it into the A-list with your HP video, make sure to come back and leave your bit.ly link in a comment on this post.  If I get the highest number of bit.ly links, then I will win an HP laptop.  And I could really use a laptop let me tell you - when I travel the world as a Famous International Doll Maker I need to keep in touch with my peeps!

Make sure to tell all your A-list friends to join the party by "liking" the HP app on the Facebook fanpage:  http://www.facebook.com/HPUK.

I'm off to show my husband my video. He's going to regret the whole Famous International Doll Maker schtick when I start demanding higher thread count sheets to go with my fame.



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