Camera Love

With my tax return this year I decided that I would buy a new camera. I already have a Canon 450D but felt very limited with it seeing as it was 5 years old. I did some research and decided to upgrade it to the Canon 650D. I am such a Canon girl! It has a flip out screen, can record HD movies and has filters that can be applied to photos to change the look of them. 

This is a Polaroid camera that I bought. I thought it might be a fun addition to have with me to get instant pictures of some of the things I see. 

 Seeing as I going overseas I also decided that I needed a new camera bag. I used to have a Lowepro camera backpack that I gave to my ex husband in the settlement. He wanted the SLR camera but I put my foot down and said no, so compromised on the backpack instead. I had done a lot of searching for the right bag and read lots and lots of review. I finally settled on the Clover by Epiphanie. I took it on a test run the other day to the city and it worked really well. I had it loaded up with the camera equipment I will be taking with me to the US and spent some time walking around the city after I had lunch with Belinda. It didn't seem too bad.

 This camera is my Diana Mini. I have had it for a few months and I also love it. I am not so good at using it though, but that is something I am working on. I am also going to take it with me as I think that NYC might look pretty cool through the lens of one of these.

Fathers Day Photographic Expedition

Today Dad and I took ourselves on a Fathers Day photographic expedition. We headed out past Neerim South to Glen Nayook for out first stop. Next was the Trestle Bridge at Noojee and then we went for a little drive to see a camping spot called the Poplars that Mum and Dad might use. An ice-cream at Noojee was a great way to end the expedition. 

 I gave Dad a new camera for Fathers Day so part of the expedition was to get him to use it and see the differences the different settings can make. The photos are all taken with my new camera that I am still trying to get a feel for.

Ink Blending Tools

Looking at Pinterest is one of my favourite things to do. Recently I came across a pin for how to make your own ink blending tools. I followed the link to here and thought that I could make some of my own. 

A trip to Bunnings for the supplies - 1 piece of timber - about 3mm x 1.5mm. It comes in 1.8 m lengths. I had mine cut in half to fit in the car. I also bought 4 door handles ( the smallest Bunnings sell) and a packet of velcro. All up I spent about $20 on the supplies. 

 Next I got my dad to cut the timber into the same lengths as the original ink blending too. A quick sand and voila I had my blocks! The handles I bought came predrilled with a screw. Once I worked out where I was putting the handle, I drilled a hole and screwed it in. I sort of drilled a little bit more so that the end of the screw would not stick out. Then I cut the end of the screw off that was over hanging.

 Then I cut the velcro into lengths the same as the block. Stuck it on and there I had it. My own ink blending tool. So far I have only made 4 with a handle. I don't really use the handle when using the tool, so I will make a few more without worrying.

 Blending pad stuck on and testing it out.

 Works just like a bought one. I couldn't really tell the difference when using it. It just worked like my other one.

I haven't really worked out the cost per block but it is significantly less than the original ones that I bought. Making my own also means that I can afford to have one for every colour of pad that I have.

Lulu

About a month and a half ago I bought myself my first proper Blythe. I bought her from the lovely Kate Mason who had her picture up on Instagram. I knew that she would be the perfect first normal sized Blythe for me to go along with my two petite Blythes - Zuki and Apple. This is the first time I have had  a chance to really take photos of her. I have been buying a few clothes for her from Etsy and recently got a stand for her too. 

New camera

With part of my tax return this year I treated myself to a new camera. I already have a Canon DSLR which I love to bit and have started collecting plastic cameras. So when I heard that the Canon 650D had toy camera and fish eye filters I thought it would be a good match for me. Normally I am a go to a camera shop and buy a camera but I had heard good things about buying from a company named Kogan who are an online store. I ordered the camera on the Wednesday and on the following Monday I had the camera in my hot little hands. On Tuesday it was a nice afternoon so I was able to take some pics with the camera and the new lens I bought. 

Friends Swap

A little while ago I signed up to the Friends Swap. I have done this swap before and made some wonderful blogging friends through it. I loved receiving parcels from Nin and Karina and treasure lots of the little finds they gave me.  Imagine my surprise when I was matched with Maree! Maree is one of my besties and it was great being able to put together a parcel of goodies for her. Maree is known as a babushka lover and I am known as an owl lover, so I tried to put as many babushka themed things in her parcel of goodies. The exciting thing about this swap this time round was that we were able to exchange gifts face to face when I went to Maree's house in the holidays. Her younger girls were so excited, they wanted to see what Maree got and they wanted to see my reaction to my gifts.
From Maree I received some great American themed scrapbooking paper which I will be able to scrap photos of my September trip with, a gorgeous red tea cup and some tea, some hand cream, a bottle of bubbly, some little asian inspired serving dishes, some chocolate, and a mini pedicure set. It really would have helped if I had remembered to take a picture of each thing! Thank you Maree! Mwah!

Sunday Book Review - Zentangle Untangle by Kass Hall

This book is the latest that has been added to my collection. I was very excited to receive it because it is by my super talented gorgeous friend Kass. Kass is a Certified Zentangle Teacher which is a pretty cool title to have on your CV. That means she is one of a handful of instructors in the world that have completed training with the Zentangle Masters - Maria and Rick.

So, what do I know about Zentangling? Not a lot. Did I hope that this book could teach me something new? Yes! I really enjoyed reading the introduction and the process Kass went through to get to the point of writing the book. It was a very heartfelt intro. Chapter 1 with a section on relaxation and focus made me want to read more and definitely have a go at Zentangling. Chapter 1 with its explanation of some of the key tangles was well written and inspiring. So inspiring that I bought a new sketch book to tangle in. Chapters 3 & 4 - Colour and art materials give a great explanation of how colour can be used in Zentangling and what mediums can be used in Zentangling.
Chapter 5 - Art Journal gives lots of great examples on how you can use Zentangling in your art. What I like is that not only are there lots of examples but there is work by some fantastic Zentangle artists.
To me a book that is full of inspiration needs to have a good resources section. Kass has included substantial resources chapter in her book with lots of links to other Zentangle artists and places you can find further information.

I think Kass has done a wonderful job writing and putting together this book. I would feel the same way about the book even Kass was not one of my friends. Kass has information on where to buy her book on her blog.