Owl Love Greeting Card

My new stamps from The Angel Company’s new catalogue have arrived and I’ve been putting them to use.  I couldn’t wait to use them.  I absolutely love the new owl set Be Square.   At $12.95, this set has 8 stamps.  5 different owls and 3 different sentiments.  The senitment on this card is from the stamp set What a Hoot.  At $17.95, this set has 12 different sentiments regarding owls.  It would complement any owl set that is on the market.

This cute card is great for many occasions… birthday, anniversary, I love you… I will most likely use it in a Valentine’s Stamp Camp or Stamp Club.  I used Prisma Colored pencils in color him in.  To make his eyes I used 2 heart shaped, red brads sized 3/16″.  I used a white gel pen to make the whites of his eyes after I mounted the white onto the red cardstock.

All stamps for this card are from The Angel Company.  To purchase your own Be Square and What a Hoot click on the links to be directed to my secure TAC website.  While you’re there looking for owls, you might want to look at Artsy Owls.  It’s another great set at an economical price.

www.kandy.ismyangel.com

What a cute new set from The Angel Company!!  Click on my websit link or email me to get yours today! 

There are so many great new sets in the catalog.  If you don’t have your FREE copy, email your contact information and the best time to call and I will call you for shipping information.

July 4th is just 2 days away.  I’ve been searching the internet to find some information about photographing fireworks for my family scrapbook.  I found this great article by David Johnson (PC World).  He has some great tips and I thought I would just share them with all of you.

Thank you, David Johnson, for all the information!!

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For the photographer, winter certainly has its share of iconic subjects, such as Christmas trees, snowmen, and icicles hanging from a roof. But there’s nothing quite like the excitement of shooting summertime fireworks. Done right, fireworks photos are dynamic and colorful, and they convey a sense of action better than almost any other kind of still image. Read on to learn how to capture some exciting fireworks photos of your own this summer.

(Photo by foxypar4.)

(Almost) Any Camera Will Do…

Though photos of fireworks look impressive, you don’t need specialized gear to get good results. You can use almost any digital camera to capture fireworks, as long as it offers either some degree of manual exposure control (so that you can dial in the right ISO, aperture, and shutter speed settings) or a fireworks scene mode designed to do the work for you.

Even compact digital cameras can meet the challenge. The Fujifilm Finepix F200 EXR shown here, for example, hits the sweet spot for portability and simplicity–it’s a superb compact point-and-shoot that, when set to fireworks mode and stabilized to minimize image shake, can take some excellent fireworks shots.

…But a Digital SLR Is Best

Compact cameras eschew features for portability, however. If you like to tinker with your exposure settings, consider an advanced point-and-shoot like the Canon PowerShot SX10 IS. It has a convenient swiveling LCD for shooting unusual angles, such as over the top of a crowd or low down on the ground. A wealth of exposure options let you dial in the one-touch fireworks mode or take more control with shutter priority, aperture priority, and manual exposure settings.

If you have a choice, though, I recommend enlisting a true digital SLR. Digital SLRs tend to generate less noise in the lengthy exposures you’ll need to capture fireworks, and they have advanced features such as manual exposure control and external shutter release to minimize shake when you’re taking the photo. The Nikon D90 (pictured here), for example, is a favorite not just because it was the first digital SLR to incorporate high-definition video recording, but also because it provides excellent image quality, Live View mode, and face detection for those times when you’re not shooting fireworks.

Stabilize Your Camera

The most important rule for shooting fireworks: Use a slow shutter speed so that you can record those dramatic, colorful light trails as they explode through the sky. But no matter whether you’re using a point-and-shoot or a high-end digital SLR, you’ll need some sort of support to capture a sharp image, free from the blur that results when you hold a camera in your hands.

A simple, inexpensive, and lightweight tripod is all you need. Keep the tripod head loose so that you can quickly move it around to frame the exploding fireworks, while the tripod legs prevent jiggling.

If you don’t want to haul even a compact tripod around, consider using a monopod–since it has just one leg instead of three, it won’t be as steady as a tripod, but it can be a reasonable compromise. You could also prop your camera on a solid surface. Some photographers like gadgets such as The Pod (essentially a bean bag with a tripod mount in the top) for steadying the camera on rocks, fences, and other platforms.

Hands Off

You should also avoid touching the camera when the exposure starts, so you don’t jiggle it and blur the photo. You could try to use the camera’s self-timer to trigger the exposure, but you would have to trigger your exposure in advance to anticipate the best fireworks moment. A better solution is to invest in a wireless remote or a shutter release cable, both of which let you take the photo without touching the camera.

Go Automatic

If your compact camera or advanced point-and-shoot has a fireworks mode, enable it. This mode automatically adjusts the camera’s settings for a nighttime exposure. Want to know what’s going on behind the scenes? On most cameras, the fireworks mode will turn the flash off, set focus to infinity, disable exposure compensation, and lower the ISO. For the most part, I find that a preset fireworks mode achieves good results for simple shots.

No Fireworks Mode? No Problem

Some point-and-shoots that lack a fireworks mode may still permit you to adjust the settings. Here are some good settings to try, if your camera allows.

Low ISO: Set the camera to its lowest ISO setting to minimize digital noise.

Focus on infinity: Turn off automatic focus and set the camera’s focus to infinity so that it doesn’t search helplessly for a subject in the dark. Don’t have a manual focus control? Use the camera’s landscape mode, which also sets the focus to infinity; the low light will encourage the camera to shoot at a slow shutter speed and capture the light trails.

Set the aperture: Dial in an f/stop somewhere between f/8 and f/16. That will help prevent overexposing the scene and avoid light “blooms” coming from the explosions in the sky.

Slow down the shutter: Pick a value between 1 second and 16 seconds for your shutter speed. The longer the exposure, the more fireworks you’ll capture in the same frame, and the longer your light trails will be. For really long exposures try covering the lens with your hand or the lens cap between bursts to avoid overexposing the picture.

(Photo by Howard Meyer.)

Shooting With a Digital SLR

If you have a digital SLR, you’ll have an easier time–and more options–when setting up your camera for fireworks.

In a nutshell, you’ll want to dial in the lowest ISO, throw the camera into full manual mode, choose a small aperture opening (try starting at f/8), and pick a slow shutter speed with an exposure time of between 1 and 4 seconds. After you take your first few pictures, review them to see if you’re getting realistic color. If the bright blue, orange, and red fireworks all look kind of white, you should use the same exposure time but close the aperture a bit and try again. That means changing your f/8 setting to f/11 or perhaps f/16. If the fireworks are too dim, open the aperture to f/5.6 or f/4.

Most SLRs have a bulb mode that leaves the shutter open for as long as you hold down the shutter release, giving you total control over the exposure. When the fireworks launch, press the shutter release to start the exposure. Hold the button down until after the fireworks have bloomed, several seconds later. If you go for superlong exposures, you should cover the lens between fireworks.

Get a Wide Angle on the Scene

While you might be tempted to zoom in to get close-ups of the action, I recommend that you use the wider end of your lens’s range–or, if you’re using a digital SLR, switch to your wide-angle lens. You’ll be able to capture more fireworks in a shot and even frame the action against a skyline or other recognizable objects in the foreground.

Of course, you can experiment by changing your zoom range throughout the evening. Just remember that if you zoom in too tightly, you’ll have trouble knowing exactly when and where the fireworks are going to do their thing, and you’ll end up missing the action.

(Photo by stage88.)

Experimentation Is Key

As you prepare for summer fireworks, remember that capturing the action is often more art than science. Experiment with a range of shutter speeds and aperture settings over the course of the event. If the weather is uncooperative, take advantage by incorporating umbrella-covered spectators into the scene. And don’t forget that your photo editing program’s cropping tool can sometimes bring a distant fireworks blast front and center, turning a mediocre shot into a keeper.

Get your FREE copy today!!

The 2009-2010 Inspiration Book & Catalogue is now available! This 129 page, full-color book features the exclusive paper collections, exclusive stamp sets and is packed full of incredible samples and ideas. You will be inspired by the exceptional artwork and products in this catalogue!

You can get your copy for FREE by emailing me your phone number at kandy@kandyskeepsakes.com.  Specify a good time to contact you and I will call for your shipping information and your copy will be on its way!

Here is another sweet picture of my daughter at one week old.  I took a diagonally cut piece of pink striped scrapbook paper and pink rose printed vellum and adhered them to a white  6″ x 6″ page of scrapbook paper.  I placed the cropped picture (4-3/4″ x 4″) in the middle.  The 2 journal-ed corner tags are stamped in pink with a rose background stamp (retired, from Stampin’ Up!).  I attached them with gold mini brads.

Another super simple page!

I’ve had my first submission published in a national magazine!  I am so excited!!!  This lovely card was published in the June/July issue of The Stamper’s Sampler.  It is on the top right hand corner of page 11.  You must be sure to get a copy.  There are tons of fabulous samples.  You can click the picture below to purchase a copy directly from the publisher.

I have made the plunge further into cyber space and joined Facebook and Twitter.  You can click the badges above to be directed to my Facebook page and Twitter account for Kandy’s Keepsakes.  Even if you are already a “friend” of mine on Facebook click the link above to be directed to my Kandy’s Keepsakes page and become a “fan”.  I’m devoting my Facebook Kandy’s Keepsakes page entirely to creativity.  And it will be different projects from what you see here.  You won’t want to miss it… become a fan!!

This adorable set is The Angel Company’s June Vintage stamp set.  This means that this vintage set is being re-released for purchase during the month of June only.  To purchase this great set, click the picture above to be directed to my secure TAC website.

Happy Stamping!

Back Pack Tags from Kandy's Keepsakes

I made these back pack tags for the boys in my daughter’s pre-school class.  They started out as laminate counter top samples.  I came across a bunch that were just going to be thrown away.  So I sat down and decided to make these…

They measure 2 x 3 inches.  I cut coordinating scrapbook paper to the proper size and adhered them with Quick Dry paper glue.  I trimmed around the corners with scissors and used a sanding block to remove any uneven edges.  I used walnut ink around each edge of the tag to give it a finished edge.  Once the walnut ink was dry I applied the star and nascar or Spiderman stickers.  I stamped each child’s name on vanilla cardstock and dragged the edges of the cardstock in red ink and adhered them to the tag.  Next I added the binder ring and lastly added the ribbon for decoration.