Create Super Easy Photo Collages

It took me a few days of playing at the Picnik website before I noticed this goodie in my picnic basket!

The collage tab is on the home page. (Don't ask me how I didn't notice it for days!)

The good folks at Picnik have a great tutorial to walk you through the steps. You can see on the bottom of the screen are your photos, you can easily add more.  To create the collage it is as simple as picking your template and dragging the photos to add them to the boxes.

After you create you collage, you'll notice some adjustments you can make - one of them being my beloved round corners.  You can also change the background color here too.

Okay, now just so we are clear - I'm not responsible for time wasted playing with this new toy!

Use this feature for easy tutorials like the one I did on the Art Bead Scene.  Jazz up your blog posts or newsletters.  The collages can even be used in your printed material.  Save them on the high quality setting.

Pantone Fall Color Report

The Pantone's Color Report always makes my creative nose twitch.  I just saw this today, thanks to Vintaj on twitter.  

I'm seriously crushing on every color - except honeysuckle, I'm not buying it for more than the smallest of accents.  Oh, I need a few extra hours to play with colors.  I would love to mix these up for a series of beads.  Maybe my Bead of the Month club folks will get something inspired by a few of these colors.  Yep, that's what I'm thinking.

I'm having a hard time picking a favorite - I think it's the Orchid Hush, it's reminds me of these October Sky beads that I made last year:

What's your favorite color from the Pantone Fall palette?

BTW - Kodachrome

It's time for another round of Bead Table Wednesday!  Well you saw my real bead table on Monday and today you get to see my Kodachrome versions.  You know those dreamy, this-is-how-luscious-my-studio-is-in-my-own-mind kind of photos.

Loving these colors this week.  I've been busy working on magazine submissions, so I can't show you any finished jewelry - but you can see a little of my thought process here.

All these lovely strands of Czech glass came from Dream Girl Beads.  Marta is a hardworking mom who has impressed me to no end.  Like I ordered Friday and my beads were here Monday.  Not to mention, I just love looking at her shop.  All those earthy little touches make my inspired-ery senses all tingly!  Watch out Paypal account - you are in danger!

Hop on over to the Bead Table Wednesday flickr group to share your Kodachrome visions of your bead table or just let it all hang out in the light of day - either way, I find you completely inspiring!

Stamped Resin Beads Tutorial

Supplies:

StazOn Ink

Rubber Stamps

Resin Beads

Directions:

Press your stamp into the ink pad and stamp the bead.

Yep, that's my whole tutorial and all there is to it.  The ink is permanent and will withstand normal wear and is even water-resistant.  I only stamped one side, if you stamped on the back it will show through and that could used to create a nice effect.  You could do an image on one side and words on the other. 

I love the soft matte beach-glass look of the resin with the images.  I picked up all my resin from Natural Touch Beads at Bead & Button last year.  They have a great website with tons of colors and shapes. 

You can stamp on any of the shapes, but I like the these flat coin style beads, they show off the images more. I will warn you, order more beads than you think you will need - they are so much fun to make and you'll run out of the larger beads before you are done playing!

These are my favorites, I love the icy blue look of the beads.  I could see them matched up with rock crystal and rhinestone beads for some winter-inspired sparkle.

Bead Storage

I am organizationally challenged.  Just ask my mom, who cleans off my bead table every time she comes to visit.  Of course, we won't mention that she picks her favorite Humblebeads that are on the desk and squirrels them away.  After all, finders keepers...

You may see the photo above and think, well Heather you look pretty organized to me.  And with this little corner of my studio I am!  I organize my stones by color.  Pearls, wood, crystal, Czech glass and each of my metals get their own boxes.  I have 2 boxes of art beads from other artists and then my inventory is stored in another part of the studio. I do have each box labeled and in theory the label is suppose to be easily read when I glance down at my shelf.  Theories, folks, theories. 

This shelf is under my work desk and offers easy access while I'm creating.

Now onto the problem:

Did I mention things that are good in theory?  I have two tables in my studio covered in beads.  The future dig sits. One day I am going to make an archaeologist very happy.

Combine a shortage of time with ample work space and no motivation to pick things up and that is what you get.  I'm showing you in hopes that I will change my evil 'I-don't-put-my-beads-way' ways.  But let's face it, I would rather sit down and make a necklace for an hour than dig my way out. 

Do you pick up as you finish a project or am I alone in my wonderland of a bead table mess?