The Joys of Photographing Jewelry

I've been taking pictures of some of my jewelry so I can list it on my website and my Etsy shop.

You can really see a piece clearly when it's in digital form. Like these earrings below.

Does anything jump out at you?

There's another pair exactly like this out in the world somewhere!

Don't ask me how I missed this when I mailed the earrings out. If you have a pair just like these, send me an e-mail and I'll send you the pair above free of charge. I'd rather you have two pair than two mismatched earrings!

As I said earlier, I've been taking new photographs of jewelry, and editing photos with my new Windows photo program that came with Windows 10. I'm also listing some new things on Etsy and my website that haven't seen the light of day before now. Here's a teaser:

Cleaning up photos is a full time job! I'm no photo expert, so sometimes I spend too much time trying to get the tint and light just right so the photo truly represents the colors as well as possible. Sometimes I tinker too much and the photo becomes a lost cause.

I have yet to figure out a good background for photographing light stones like Aquamarine, Light Amethyst and Rose Quartz.  I like to use scrapbooking paper, but there are times even that doesn't work. I've also tried vinyl flooring, black vinyl material, real wood, ceramics, and even one of those storage boxes that looks like a book (which is what I used for the gray mismatched earrings in the first photo).

 

Sometimes I want to pull my hair out and give away my jewelry just so I don't have to waste another minute taking and editing photos. 

And then I get a few good shots and I think maybe I'm getting the hang of it.

Maybe....

And then the day is over and the next time I want to photograph jewelry I have to start all over again.

Hope you have a bright and wonderful day!

Friday Free-for-All

Hangin' out at Caribou with Donna G. 

I'm going on vacation soon.

Not a real vacation, mind you.

Not even a sta-cation.

But I will be absent and away from home for a few days, and then I'll be house-bound for a while.

I'm having surgery on Tuesday to remove a very small Meningioma that sits at the base of the optic nerve canal. The tumor is small, but it is causing me to lose some of the vision in my right eye.

I've had this done once before, in 2008. Different surgeon. Same hospital. Could be the same tumor as far as I know. This type of tumor is usually benign and slow-growing. It's actually compressing the optic nerve and is affecting my peripheral vision on the right side. I don't see cars that come along side of mine unless I turn my head, which sometimes I forget to do. The impact to my vision is easily discernible on a visual field test which has shown a slow degradation on the entire right side of my vision in my right eye.

My vision will slowly get worse as time goes by and will go away completely if I don't have this surgery.

Since I've been through it before, I know what to expect. That is both good and bad. Good because I won't be surprised. Bad because I know what's involved and how long it will take to recover.

When I mention my vision being impaired, most people think this is some kind of eye surgery, or that they'll go through my nose or my eye to remove the very small tumor.

Nope.

In order to resect (remove) the tumor, the doctor will actually remove a portion of my skull and move the brain out of the way.

It's amazing what doctors can do these days. And with technology like the internet and Youtube, I've actually watched a few videos of this type of surgery being done on other people. I wasn't freaked out or grossed out at all. I thought it was fascinating.

But maybe that's just me.

I have a cute little diagram that shows what they're going to do. I've also seen images that are a little more life-like. You probably don't want to see any of them.

Anyway, I'll be in the hospital for 3 to 5 days, and will be somewhat limited in mobility for a week or so. Last time, my husband banished me to the living room and bedroom level of our 4-level home. I expect to sleep a lot, but I also need to walk more than I did the first time around. I would like to be stronger sooner. Thankfully I'm not working right now so I don't have to worry about taking a leave of absence, but I also don't want to drag it out any more than it needs to be.

While they don't actually call my tumor a "brain tumor" because it isn't attached to the brain, basically I am having brain surgery.

So keep me in your thoughts and prayers on Tuesday, April 21st at 12:00 CST.

Hopefully I'll be back soon!

Southtown Arts and Crafts Show

This is the week that I usually spend getting ready for my first craft show of the year.  I've been doing this particular show for at least 10 years, and probably a lot longer than that.  It's always been a good show for me, and I love love LOVE my regular customers who stop in to see me.  

I'm sorry to say I won't be able to do the show this coming weekend (March 22, 23 and 24).  

This makes me sad because I've made a TON of new jewelry, and I love sharing it with you, my faithful customers.  A few of my new pieces are in my Etsy store, so stop on over there as soon as you can while the selection is at a premium.  Use coupon code 20PERCENT for 20% off your entire purchase.  Click on this link:  Etsy store

I'm sorry that I can't say hello in person, but know that I'm thinking of you and wishing you all the best.

Here are a few teasers:

    
       

Hope to see you soon!!