Pick a card, any card....

My friend Lindsey has a lovely shop on Etsy entitled "Cardstock Equine".  That's because she loves horses and makes greeting cards. Here are some cute samples of her work!

I said she loved horses, didn't I?

She seems to be fond of cats, also!

Lindsey likes shoes, but who doesn't?

But I think the horses win - by a nose.

Just click on any of the captions to see the original listing!

Bryn on a Quad.....

I've got my screen saver set to displaying photos in the My Pictures folder. This means I get to look at lots of interesting things. Photos of my jewellery, pics of the grandchildren, lovely shots of paperwork that's been scanned! Also passing before my gaze are many photos that friends send to us of Bryn's days out on the quad. When I saw this one, it was a bit dark and had half a finger intruding on the left hand side. I spotted it's potential, though!

A bit of Photoshopping and you get this!

I think our friend Paulette took it. Very nicely composed, Paulette!

An accidental discovery.....

As you are all aware, I talk about photography a lot. It's a very important subject and some would say I am obsessed by it. (But we don't take any notice of them....)

One's photography must be of the highest quality to attract on line buyers, don't you agree? I've been working on mine for years. Every time I change the way I do things I am satisfied, nay, smug even - for a short while. Then I see my pictures juxtaposed with others of such perfection it makes you want to cry and I am downcast and demoralised, yet again.

I have previously mentioned "the big lamp", haven't I? That 500W halogen monstrosity that lurks in the corner of my work room. After my last exhaustive round of research on the subject, I came to the conclusion that more light was the answer. More light than you can shake a big stick at. Well, the 500W bulb blew the other day, right in the middle of a very productive session with the ancient digital. Master of procrastination that I am, no replacement bulb had yet been procured. It was also a national holiday so popping down to Huercal-Overa to buy one was out of the question. "Don't panic!" says Bryn. "I have a 150W bulb in the garage. It's better than nothing."

Better than nothing? Bloody hell, it was better than anything! I had been having trouble with my white balance (as you do) and there were still too many shadows evident after editing. The new bulb evened everything out and produced my best photographs, to date. Well, until the next time!

This is an example of an image of which I had been quite proud, until now:

Sapphire & Silver Bangle

But look at this!

Silver spiral earrings

and this!

gold chain fringe necklace

and these!

carnelian lampshade earrings

I think I really am getting there! Mind you, I said that last time!

That elusive Etsy shot....

I know, sorry, we're back on the subject of photography again. It has become somewhat of an obsession with me lately! Being found on Etsy may be problematical for SEO reasons but, once found, you want to be CHOSEN! You want to be in Treasuries so you have to take really good photos. And not just any good photo, it has to be in that certain Etsy style because all those lovely people making Treasuries want to make it to the Front Page!

I think I'm beginning to get there:

This necklace came out quite well!

This one has even been picked for a few Treasuries already:

Black Onyx & Red Jasper Necklace

I rather like this one:

Silver Cube Necklace

I've also been going back to older listings and just taking that one Etsy style shot:

Calla Lily Earrings

Silver fringe & ruby necklace

White background, lots of light, no props and then play with it in Photoshop! We'll see how it goes. 

Painting the Forth Bridge....

I think I might have used that title before. How apt. This blog post is all about having to do things again and again and again. Like photography.

As you may know, I have recently launched my own website!  I have been adding pieces to it when they fall off the end of Etsy after four months. It's amazing how many photographs there are that I loved to bits four months ago and now I feel I have to pick them up wearing latex gloves, figuratively speaking.

So then, another round with the ancient digital camera and even more ancient version of Photoshop. I don't think these have turned out too bad. Who knows - I might even still like them in four months time?

Copper Hoops Silver Flowers

Sodalite & Olive Jade Necklace

Seafoam & Silver Bracelet

SEO and me.....

I've just launched my new web site and my To Do List is now three pages long. Where on Earth do I start? I stuck a pin in it and hit "write a blog post". Then I had to decide what to write about. Well, how about the one thing that has had to become my obsession over the last few months - Search Engine Optimization. I have read and read and read until I needed new glasses. Shed loads of advice out there about how to be found by the Great God Google. How to sift through it all and find the pearls of wisdom contained therein?

There are many purported experts out there, some more expert than others, but who am I to say? I am not a nerd, or a geek or a computer guru. I made copious notes and then took what they said (when I could understand it) with a pinch of salt!

There are also many on line sellers who, having been through the whole laborious process themselves, offer up their own experiences for us to learn from. I thank them from the bottom of my heart! Sometimes, these ordinary people find ways of explaining the complexities of SEO that even a technically challenged person like myself can grasp.

Using all these resources and a lot of my own experimentation, I have come to the conclusion that SEO is both  a complete mystery and just common sense! I know that statement is contradictory but so is the internet.

In this modern age (It's the 21st Century, for God's sake! How did I get here?) everything seems to change at an alarming rate. It may be just a function of my advancing years but, I swear I can't keep up! Google, and other search engines, rearrange their "algorithms" at least once a month to make it more difficult for the likes of us to be spotted amongst the crowd. Well, actually, no. It's not the likes of us they want to keep out. They have said so. They want relevant, interesting and real content. This is where the common sense bit comes in. We can give them that if we could just stop trying to second guess them all the time!

I have decided to just use my own words to describe my jewellery. I will not use the Google Keyword Tool because it depresses and confuses me in equal measure. I will use real, descriptive phrases that real people may use when they search for stuff on the net. This, however, brings me to the next problem. We don't all use the same words for the same objects. Fair enough, "necklace", "bracelet", "pendant", "earrings" are all standard terms but, what sort of bracelet is it? What style of necklace? We all seem to have our own ideas.

I recently spotted a pretty bracelet on Etsy and added it to my favourites. It's not really the jewellery but the photography thereof that attracts me. (I'm still trying to get that right but we won't go there today - that's another blog post entirely!)  The designer called it a "cha cha bracelet" - a term I had not come across before. It was remarkably similar in style to some bracelets of my own making but I called them "charm bracelets".

I immediately renamed this one to see what would happen:

Cha Cha Bracelet, Pink Pearls, Sterling Silver, Peridot

But this one, I still consider to be a charm bracelet:

Sea Theme Charm Bracelet, Sterling Silver, Blue Onyx, Green Agate, Pearls, Crystals

So, the upshot is, finding out what other people call things is the only research I shall be doing in future!

A photographer's lot....

is not a happy one.

As a little follow up to my last post, I thought I would share with you my recent, very mixed attempts at capturing the glorious allure of my latest jewellery pieces. I was so pleased with myself at managing to reproduce the hidden heart in my Rainbow Obsidian necklace, as seen here:

The other day, I had a lovely session with the camera and produced these:

Not bad, eh? Then, towards the end of the session, things started tailing off:

They don't look too bad on here but they are definitely not in the same league.

Today, I tried again:

Still not wonderful.

Why can't I keep them consistent? The studio set up is exactly as I left it. Background, lights, mirrors and assorted reflective surfaces have not been meddled with. The camera settings have not changed. White balance correct, flash off, macro on, etc, etc.

It must be me. Oh well, big sigh......     I'll keep trying.

They'll make a photographer of me yet!

I've had a good run of making and now I'm doing all the photography. Some people find that bit a chore but I love it. I have my lighting set up just about right now and I've mastered the intricacies of my digital camera. Every day, I thank the Lord for Photoshop!

Today, I am very proud of myself! I took this picture of my Rainbow Obsidian necklace and managed to capture the ghostly green heart buried within it's depths.

This will be listed in my Etsy shop sometime next week. I do hope this photograph manages to sell it.

A Spanish Fiesta...

This last weekend just gone, it was the occasion of Urcal's Annual Fiesta. As with all Spanish village fiestas, it starts on Friday night and no one gets any sleep until Monday!

The Spanish know how to party. There is lots of loud music and dancing and they wander around the village most of the night, chatting and letting off extremely loud fireworks. In previous years, we have attended but not this year. It doesn't matter what time they show on the posters for the various events, absolutely nothing of any significance happens until about one o'clock in the morning and it certainly doesn't wind down until at least 5 a.m. I can't stay up that late any more! I used to, in my teens and twenties but now, in my sixties, I just cannot acclimatize myself to the Spanish diurnal rhythm. They have their little siesta in the afternoon, especially in the summer months, but, if I try to sleep during the day, I awaken very groggily, wondering what day it is and whether it's morning or evening.

Having said that, sleeping at night is not an option on Fiesta Weekend! We only doze, fitfully, listening to the musical offerings of the night in the distance and tensing ourselves for the next big bang. It's like Chinese water torture!

During the daytime, as the villagers seem to get away with very little sleep, there are children's parties, market stalls, lots of paella and other entertainments. There is also the very solemn occasion of the procession of the Virgin. She is brought out of the local church on her platform and paraded up and down the village High Street. It takes several strong men to hold her up - I don't think she's been dropped yet but it wouldn't surprise me.

I took this photograph a few years ago. I actually won a photography competition with it!

Needless to say, on Monday morning the village is exceedingly quiet. I think most working people have the day off. I'm looking forward to a proper night's sleep tonight!

Tuesday, 16th August....

It's catching up time again!

Life has been quite hectic lately. Bryn's son Gareth came to visit for a few days.  Bryn took him out quadding several times and he loved it. I would have had some good photos to show you but Bryn forgot to change the settings on the camera when he took it out. The last thing I photographed was close ups of jewellery so the macro was still on. The pics he took were very atmospheric, shall we say, but you couldn't tell what they were! I had to dump them. Shame.

I spent the whole day yesterday getting ready for the night market down at Vera Playa. I arrived at 7:30 p.m., set up and waited. And waited, and waited, and waited....

My friend Jen bought two pairs of earrings but the Madrilenos ignored my wares for the most part. One woman did go through most of my earring collection, physically trying each one in her ear, then walked away with nothing. Not very hygienic - I had to clean them all! I didn't get home until 2 a.m. I was overheated, exhausted and a bit depressed. Never mind! Onwards and upwards! It was very nice of Jen to let me try it out for free. I know these events can vary a lot from night to night but I'm afraid I can't afford the diesel to find out!

Still have a few things to make for C.A.T. Services. Here are some I've done so far:

I also have another shipping order from Ingebourg - at least five necklaces to make from her own beads - so I'd better get cracking!

See you later!

Gorgeous photos - How do they do it?

I've been working on my photography this last week or so.  No, you can't see the results yet because I haven't managed to reach the desired standard.  I have investigated the inner workings of my elderly digital camera, experimented with backgrounds and props but, it seems, my main downfall is not enough light!  You wouldn't think that would be a huge problem here in sunny Spain but, unfortunately, sunshine is notoriously unreliable and hard to control.

I ditched my home made light box a while ago because it was too small to set up a good shot in.   I thought I would be able to take decent pictures with my two halogen spotlights but they weren't man enough for the job.  While my husband busies himself in the workshop, mounting on a stand the huge 500W lamp he brought home for me yesterday (overkill maybe? I just said I wanted more light!), I shall content myself with a stroll through the Artfire studios of various members of Jewelry Creators Unite in Numbers Guild.  Perhaps I'll pick up a few tips!

Linda Landig's pics are always well lit. The subject matter is pretty cool too!

Tali'sCreations photos are always artistically staged. Love that bit of driftwood!

Mixed Metals really gets in close!  Love those earrings too!

Gaelic Forge - the photos are well lit, staged nicely and the colours come out beautifully! These earrings are gorgeous!

This delicate necklace from aMagpiesDream is shown off really well on one of a jewellery seller's best props, a bust!

Whereas, the latest listing in my Bluetina studio only shows how far I have to go!  I am sure I can take a better photograph of this bracelet.  Let's see, shall we? My dear husband has just delivered my 500W lamp, ready for use!