Cord Scrapbook Studio

Friday Favorite: Food, Fireworks & the 4th of July!

 I may not be a fan of this summer heat and humidity, but I can most definitely appreciate the many things you can do in the summer that just aren't as fun once the weather turns cold. Like grilling hamburgers and hot dogs out on the grill--I mean, it might just be me but I swear they really do taste better in the summertime than in the Fall regardless of whether or not you're one of those brave enough to withstand the cold for a charcoal-grilled cheeseburger!

A good old-fashioned picnic and a barbecue are 4th of July traditions in my family. Seriously--you can eat watermelon and potato salad all year long but it never tastes as good as it does beside a brat and a glass of lemonade shared among family and friends on the 4th of July! 

I mean, what better time to sit back, eat like a BBQ King (or Queen), sharing the sunshine and a game of bocce ball in your backyard than picnic day? Especially when feasting on fruit salad or BBQ ribs and playing a few outdoor games are just two ways of killing time until its dark enough to enjoy the sparklers and the fireworks that have become a holiday staple!

I'll admit... I'm not always very good at documenting the 4th of July. Christmas, Halloween, Birthdays... those are all very "easy" to scrapbook because there's always lots of pictures, tons of options for journaling, etc. But unfortunately, for being such an important family tradition, 4th of July picnics are only ingrained in my photographic memory for now and not in my scrapbooks...

I'm ready to make this year a different story, however. This time I'm prepared with picnic-themed papers, chipboard stickers and fresh summertime/barbecue inspiration.  And with all that I learned in yesterday's post, I plan to document a few of the more sparkly memories (a.k.a fireworks) than I have in the past by capturing--hopefully--a couple bursts of 4th of July excitement! And finally, I've got my red, white and blue glittered papers and an outfit for my daughter that I bought to match them (so sad, but so true)so I can scrapbook the morning's parade as well as journal what my freedom means to me today, with all that's going on around me. Camera in hand, my journaling already started to write itself out in my head, I'm ready to make this holiday weekend one to remember!

Whether or not creating a few 4th of July layouts is part of your holiday plan, I hope at the very least you'll find a moment or two to just sit back and take it all in. To enjoy the food, the fireworks and the 4th of July and what it means to be "proud to be an American", celebrating your freedoms, your friends and your family.

I hope your 4th is filled with picnic fun, firework frenzy and a moment of historical reflection! All that being said... I'm off to slice my weekend watermelon.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!
Stephanne

Photographing Fireworks

Talk of the infamous 4th of July celebration in downtown Columbus--Red, White and BOOM!--is everywhere it seems! Radio, TV, word of mouth... Everyone's swapping tips & tricks for where to go, when to go, where to park, what you'll see, etc. I mean, watching the fireworks on the 4th of July really is a big deal 'round these parts whether or not you head to Red, White and BOOM or to any of the other local shows (my personal favorite spectacle actually takes place in Delaware--it's awesome!)

For some, photographing fireworks is just as much fun as watching them! It's a challenge, for sure, but with a little bit of practice, some planning, and the right tools at your fingertips, anyone can give it a go! I asked Gary Walker from Walker Photography School to give us a few pointers...

1. Plan ahead. Scout the area before the fireworks begin. Look for a background that contains a well known landmark for the area, such as a statue, building or river. This will give your fireworks images a sense of place. Water is another strong compositional element which can show reflections from the fireworks adding extra punch and impact to your photographs. An ideal vantage point has the wind blowing across your frame carrying the smoke away from the area where you are taking pictures.

2. Be prepared. Regardless of the type/style of camera you carry, there's one piece of equipment that's absolutely essential for photographing fireworks--a tripod. A sturdy tripod will make your images much sharper due to the long exposure times used when photographing fireworks. Canon's Digital Learning Center (a great resource for a wide variety of tips & tricks for today's digital photographer) adds that "... it's impossible to handhold your camera rock-steady for anything longer than a small fraction of a second (forget about several seconds or even minutes!)" So true!

Also, if you have an SLR and access to a remote shutter release, bring that along too! This will allow you to open the shutter without touching the camera, which eliminates the possibility of accidentally moving the camera and causing blurry pictures.

3. Digital Point-and-Shoot Cameras... automatic cameras set the shutter speed and aperature automatically leaving you no control over the camera's settings. Under these conditions, Gary suggests a faster ISO speed like 400 or 800. The camera will probably overexpose the fireworks due to the dark sky background. Use the exposure compensation (+/-) button to decrease the exposure. Minus 1 or minus 2 stops should work. Remember there is a delay between pushing the shutter button down and taking the picture. It may help to listen for the thump of the morter, then press the shutter release and the camera should fire as the fireworks burst open.

Some cameras (like select Nikon Coolpix models) also have a "Fireworks" mode! You might want to use the self-timer though to help keep the camera as steady as possible. Or... try out "movie mode" on your camera to capture the fireworks display with ease!

4. With Digital SLRs... you've got a couple of different options! For single bursts of fireworks - Put the camera on a tripod. Set the ISO to 100 or 200. Set the lens (and/or camera) to Manual focus and set the focus point  at infinity. Use a normal to slightly wide angle lens (55mm - 30mm). Set the aperture to f11 and the shutter to 10 sec. for starters. Adjust the lengh of time between 10 sec. and 30 sec. depending on the desired effect. If your images are too light, reduce the aperature to f16.

For multiple bursts of fireworks--Set up the camera as above, except for the shutter speed use the bulb or "b" setting. The "bulb" setting will allow the shutter to stay open as long as the shutter release button is pressed down. The shutter will close when the  button is released. A remote release works best under these conditions. You can record multiple bursts on one frame with the bulb setting by opening the shutter and putting a dark sheet of cardboard or paper over the lens to block any stray light. Remove this temporary lens shield just as the fireworks are about to go off and replace it when the burst has finished. Repeat to record multiple bursts. 

Thanks Gary for the tips! For more information on Digital Photography classes (taught by Gary through the Walker Photography School), tips & tricks check out our website!

 

The First of July...

Ok... is it just me or did time suddenly shift into warp-speed! I mean, seriously? Where did June go?!? AHHH! We're now officially in the second half of the year--six months having come and gone so quickly that I've barely had time to process everything (it seems)--let alone to scrapbook it! Does anyone else feel as though the first half of the year just slipped right past them?

Well here we are regardless...JULY. And the 4th is literally right around the corner! This year, our starting lineup of partriotic themed patterned papers and embellishments includes the Freedom Collection by Reminisce. This one's a fast favorite for me because of all of the glitter and sparkle it offers--perfect for fireworks and parades! See, every year Reminisce updates the Freedom Collection with fresh designs (this year being no different) and their idea gallery is packed full of patriotic inspiration to boot!

The talented designers behind these fab freedom projects are Reminisce Design Team members Kris Swain, Christine Traversa and Kristi Hellyer!(Aren't they great?) I'm ready to get scrappin... Now that I've realized exactly how far behind I am (not that it matters in the long run anyway) I've got 6+ months of catchin' up to do!

Taken for Granted

We experienced a temporary internet outage this morning at Cord and while I waited (patiently, of course--HA!) for service to return, I came to the realization that a large part of my life--and in this instance, my job--revolves almost completely around the internet! I felt totally crippled! (Those of you who have endured the occasional outage before would understand--it's so easy to take something for granted until you reach a point where that something is gone!) Given this spontaneous opportunity to sit quietly with my thoughts, my mind started rambling on and on about the things I just can't live with out and what life would be like if those things had never come into existence in the first place--running water, electricity, the autombile. Life sure would be interesting without the onset of technology, no?

So naturally my random thought process eventually carried me into the wonderful world of scrapbooking. (Imagine that!) Now, it's hard to imagine life without scrapbooking for me and not because I'm product-crazed and hobby-obsessed but because the life and art of taking pictures and documenting memories has become a large part of who I am and what I do. Without my DSLR camera, my Quickutz Revolution or my Silhouette, my Crop-a-dile and my Xyron "X", I admit I'd feel kinda lost! But you know..even without these extra-special bells and whistles of present-day papercrafting (electronic die-cutting machines, "quiet" eyelet-setting apparati, sticker makers...) I'd like to think I'd still be scrapbooking! (I'd just be cutting titles out by hand, noisily hammering out my metal eyelets and desperately trying to get glue on those pesky little diecut pieces instead of on my fingers using a pair of tweezers and a glue stick!)

What are some of the "modern" scrapbooking conveniences you often take for granted but realize you probably couldn't live without? Could you still scrapbook without them?!

*NEW* Bazzill Glazed Cardstock!

 You know.... Bazzill is pretty awesome. You'd think that a cardstock company wouldn't really do much other than, well... your basic, plain-old cardstock. But Bazzill is constantly expanding their product line with coordinating buttons, brads, flowers, border strips--everything you or I could ever want or need to pull together our pages and projects.  But it's not just the addition of non-paper items that makes them one of the best scrapbooking companies ever when it comes to keeping things updated and "fresh"... their cardstock lineup is top notch--textured & trendy, its selection growing all the time.

So prepare to be "Razzled, Dazzled, and Bazzill-ed." I've got a sneak peak of the hottest new cardstock lineup Bazzill has added to their collection--coming soon to a Cord Scrapbook Studio store near you!

  Glazed Cardstock. That's right, folks. Now some of your favorite Bazzill colors have been given a shiny, transparent coating (glaze) to create a dazzling, monochromatic effect that looks wet even when it isn't!

   Available in ten colors/styles: Pink Fairy Polka Dot, Pomegranate Stripe, Festive Floral, Hillary Arboretum, Ivy Holly Flourish, Ocean Blizzard, Sugar Cookie Vine, Walnut Neighborhood, Bazzill White Lovebirds, and Raven Wallpaper, these ten new designs are sure to add that "little extra somethin'" to your papercrafts! 

    Word on the street is that some new 6x12 mini scalloped DOTTED SWISS papers are also coming into the cardstock lineup! Pretty exciting, don'tcha think?  What are you most looking forward to?

Mini Cards!

Twelve handmade mini cards with twelve unique designs.
Adorable unique designs, I might add.  

Such is the subject matter of Stephanie's July Card Club taking place next Wednesday, July 1st at the Delaware store. These are the perfect way to send out those "just because" greetings to your friends, co-workers, family members, etc... Embellished with ribbons, diecuts, buttons and assorted inks, these KI Memories inspired cards and coordinating altered tin are just about the cutest thing ever. (And what a great gift idea, too!)

$5 Crops!

We've got three crops taking place this weekend at our Clintonville, OH and Nora, IN locations! Temperatures are supposed to reach the 90's over the weekend so it's a great opportunity to settle in and enjoy the air-conditioning while catching up on some of those layouts you've been meaning to get to for a while now!

Crops are 5 hours long (6pm-11pm on Friday nights or 5pm-10pm Saturday nights), cost $5, and you can earn a $5 credit toward any scrapbooking merchandise purchase of $25! ($10 off purchases $40 or more!) Pre-registration is required, however, so call your local store today for more details!

Quickutz Epic Six Update

 Are you ready? It's coming! Quickutz *NEW* Epic Six tool will be hitting store shelves in less than a month! I haven't seen the tool up close and in person (yet) but I'm already a little anxious to give it a whirl! The suggested retail price for this baby is $89.99, however with our 30% off Everday Sale Price, it's only $62.99! Plus, customers who pre-order the Epix Six tool before August 31st can also participate in a mail-in rebate offer valued at over $20! Additional information about the Epic tool can be found here. Check it out!

Father's Day

I trust everyone had a great Father's Day this past weekend! A great big, belated Father's Day greeting and a "thank you for who you are and all you've done" to all of the Fathers & Grandfathers out there who have made our lives all the more memorable!

While I was researching ideas for a handmade Father's Day gift last Friday and Saturday, I stumbled upon the Bo Bunny blog which had some really great Father's Day card and homemade gift ideas I thought were really cute! I've posted my favorite here, but please check out their blog for additional photos & inspiration!

The Father's Day card pictured at left was designed by Design Team member Tamara Jensen, who shared step-by-step photos and instructions with blog readers here. I think I'm going to make one now for next year (and for once be one step ahead of the game!) I just think it's so unique!

On Saturday, they posted a bunch of different gift ideas for Dad--everything from a golf ball jar to a desktop brag book to a shadowbox layout or a glass magnet set... many of their projects featuring their Pet Shoppe collection.  It's a nice reminder that Pet papers don't necessarily have to be used just for pet pages! Sometimes it's refreshing to step outside the box a bit and the colors and patterns in this collection are well-suited for all of your masculine projects! 

Friday Favorite: Border Punches!

 You know how there's just some tools that seem to cycle in and out of the scrapbooking world? First there were decorative edge scissors and then they kinda went away. Fast-forward a little bit and there they were again--making a comeback as the must-have tools that were all the rage in scrapbooking a couple of years ago. Now they're sometimes really difficult to find!

Well, in a way I think border punches have kinda followed that same trail. They were once a had-to-have item a few years ago, then the "fad" moved on (although some of us still remained loyal) and now they're back with a vengeance--and multiplying! Two great suppliers of these totally awesome paper-edgers are Fiskars and EK Success--both of which provide scrapbookers with the high quality we need (to support heavy usage!) and the cute designs we crave!

There's scalloped edges, notebook paper edges, and lacy edges. Borders that mimic the look of a postage stamp, a cityscape, or waves! And punches you can weave ribbon through, punches with fancy, intricate designs, and punches that will even look like candles lined up on a cake!(You may have even noticed several of these used in Terri's Bordering Summer cards class featured in yesterday's blog post!)

Border punches are officially my favorite tool of the week. In fact, I just might make them my favorite tool for the entire weekend as I've got a stack of layouts that could surely use a little somethin' extra. So here's to livin' life on the edge... :-)