Picture Project

I made promises to put up another post but totally failed….

I failed because I’m working on another big project….

“The Picture Project”

Here’s a short post as a teaser for when I can write more, and to give you something to look at.

As I have mentioned here before, I am a Groupon addict.  A few months ago, I bought Groupons for VistaPrint, ScanMyPhotos.com and Mixbook.   I have a very robust and populated Photobucket site (photo sharing site – like Picasa or Shutterfly).  I’m am actively rounding up every physical photo I have (which incidentally, are all already labeled as to year/people) and getting them onto the site.  I’ve had a digital camera since 1995 and all those photos are already up there. 

In addition to gathering up the photos and archiving them, I’m also organizing and documenting as I go.  It’s very important to me that in addition to the photos, there is a record of who, what, why, where….  My quilts are getting the same treatment.  I’ve made so many over the years, and have lost track of a few, but I want to remember.  I also want to share my thoughts and feelings about them – my artwork.

What I want to achieve:

·         Digitize every photo I have and get them onto Photobucket

·         Put my father’s slides (that he’s already digitized) onto Photobucket

·         Take pictures of every quilt that I have

·         Make flip books (small) for every quilt design I have

·         Put together several “best of” books, with annotations, of my good quilts

·         Make a ton of calendars of family pictures

·         Self publish all my patterns (Lulu.com? maybe, not a photo site)

VistaPrint

Many of you may have gone to this site at one time or another for business cards.  They gorilla market all over the internet, but don’t hold that against them.  They have FAR MORE choices for products than Mixbook has. 

I used my Groupon there initially to make calendars for the family.  However, I had a few dollars left over on the coupon and was looking around.  One of the things that I found was a 4 x 6 spiral bound (Flip) book.  I made one up with a bunch of pictures of my quilts and I have been carrying it in my purse for a few months.

ScanMyPhotos.com

This was a coupon for scanning physical photos onto a DVD.  I dutifully spent a couple evenings rounding up my photos – even asked my ex-husband for his – and sent them off a couple weeks ago.  I did receive a confirmation email, so now I’m just waiting for them to come back.

·         $29 for the original coupon (for 4 x 6 size and includes return shipping)

·         $20 for an add on to do other sizes of photos

·         $15 for shipping to them

$64 for them to scan over 1000 pictures!  Saves me a lot of work.

Mixbook

I have now bought three coupons to mixbook.com.  I think each one cost me $15 for $50 worth of services.  (I know two did… can’t remember if the third was the same…).  They have ONLY books, calendars, and stationary items – no photo products like VistaPrint – and more limited choices but it’s still a good buy.  I think that I will make up calendars for 2013 for the whole family before mid-year, but my main project there is making a “best of” book.

I culled my quilt pictures to fifty really good ones, auto filled them into a template and figured that was most of the work….

Yeah, right….

Instead of going with same size pictures on each page, one per, with an annotation, I’ve started doing a great deal of editing.  I’m moving pictures around, using different layouts for different pages, putting 2-3 big pictures of a style in, and then adding a page with multiple small images… etc., etc. 

I’m having fun, but this is going to take awhile

Taking Pictures

I should also tell you about this.  I have made myself a promise to take pictures of ALL my quilts.  A few months ago, I took a bunch of pictures.  I’ve discovered that the fence on top of the retaining wall in front of my house is an ideal location.  I binder clip the quilts to the fence and snap pictures.  They hang very nicely there and I get far better pictures in natural light than I do inside my house.

Last Sunday I got serious.  I hauled out over 50 pieces to the fence.  I used the minivan for a staging and storing area, and snapped hundreds of pictures.  I swore that I would finish the other half or so this weekend.

Yesterday was a beautiful day, so I hauled out a bunch of the quilts and got the camera….

Which I’d left turned on….

With a dead battery…

And by the time that the battery was charged, the light was gone and it was time to go to dinner.

I got up this morning with every intention of finishing.

It was cold, windy and complete cloud cover.

Maybe next weekend?

Links:

My photobucket album of quilt pictures (all the good, recent photos): 

Flip book #1 on VistaPrint

Flip book #2 on VistaPrint

Flip book #3 on VistaPrint