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Saturday, November 23, 2019

Studio 27 Holiday Season Link List - 2019



We've got less than a week to go until Thanksgiving and there's still so much to do!
I'm going to be taking the next week off from blogging but I won't leave you hanging - I rounded up a list of Thanksgiving and Christmas posts from holidays past that are sure to inspire.  Check it out and have a great holiday!

Thanksgiving:







Christmas:













I hope this list of holiday related posts was helpful.  
Have a great Thanksgiving and thanks for stopping by!
-Jennifer

© Studio 27 by Jennifer Adams 2019

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This post was added to the following weekly link parties:

Silver Penny Sundays
You're the Star

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Photo Editing - A Few of my Tips & Tricks

Photo Shoot at The Top of a Snowy Hill

One of my favorite hobbies is photography, especially capturing memories of my kids! However it can be extremely difficult to get kids to pose or even slow down.  I manage to get great shots when I want to, but not without deleting at least 2/3 of the total shoot - that's no exaggeration!

 Part of good photography is having nice equipment (I use a Canon Rebel), another part is having some skill is posing, angles, etc.  But for me, a large part is good editing! 😁

That means that after I've gone through and tossed out at least half the batch, I use cropping and filters to really make my photos pop.  Check out these examples:



Snow Angels
Snow Angels in the Backyard

Here is a picture of my son straight from the camera.  Also known as a 'raw' image, this photo is cute, but the extra legs and fence are distracting.



Snow Angels
Cropped

A little bit of cropping and the photo looks much better.  I wanted it to seem that my son was in the middle of an expansive winter wonderland, rather than just outside the back door πŸ˜‰

It's not done yet, though.  I like to play around with various filters to see how my pictures can be enhanced:



Snow Angels in the Back Yard
Filter Applied

I have Photoshop and Photoshop Express on my PC, as well as other various photo editing apps on my phone.  With this batch however, I ended up just using the 'Icarus' filter available from Microsoft, Windows 10.

Sometimes quick and easy is the way to go 😎



Sledding
Sledding With the Family

Here is another great example of what could be a stunning photo with just a little tweaking:



Sledding
Cropped

I removed the strangers and zoomed in on the Husby and kids, purposefully positioning them at the left of the photo.  The hill that we were at is quite large (For Central Illinois, anywayπŸ˜‚) and I wanted to capture the feeling of a vast expanse.  The fact that the sky was overcast played right in to this!



Hilltop Sledding
Filter Applied

And here is the final effect, a cold and snowy day at the top of the hill!
I love to use framed family photos as part of my seasonal decor, and these work great with my winter collection πŸ’•

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I hope you enjoyed this photography editing post, thanks for stopping by!
-Jennifer

© Studio 27 by Jennifer Adams 2019

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This post was added to the following weekly link parties:

Silver Penny Sundays
You're The Star
Inspire me Tuesday
Tuesdays With a Twist
Tuesdays at Our Home
Wonderful Wednesday (Oh My Heartsie Girl)
Wonderful Wednesday (Penny's Passion)
Your Whims Wednesday
Thursday Favorite Things
Home & Garden Thursday
Creative Inspirations
Friday Favorites
Best of the Weekend

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Switching Containers for Your Pre-Arranged Florals


Changing Vases for Flower Arrangements


A couple of months ago my Mother-in-Law (MIL) asked if I could take an artificial arrangement of hers from one vase and switch it to another.  I told her no problem as this is usually a pretty easy task to accomplish and I took pictures along the way to share with you.  Check it out:



Changing Vases for Flower Arrangements
Original Piece

Here is what the arrangement looked like to begin with - a much different container and it was designed in the 'round'.  That means that the flowers were positioned so that the piece was lovely to look at no matter what side you approached it from.  That's a great thing for vases that are used as centerpieces, but my MIL wanted this one to sit on a side table.  For that reason I ended up making it a one sided arrangement, with all of the flowers facing the 'front'.

I also removed the pheasant feathers at her request.



Milk Jug Style Vase in Tin
New container close-up.

Out with the old and in with the new, the flowers now call this milk jug style tin their new home.

I prepped the container by filling with new faux/ dried flower floral foam (you can't reuse foam, it falls apart).  I also used a bit of hot glue on the end of each stem for greater security.



Changing Vases for Floral Arrangements
Comparison of the old and new containers.

Though the vases are quite different in shape and style, the are nearly the same height with almost identical openings.  This meant that transfering flowers was easy as I was sure to have enough.

It also helped that my MIL wanted the arrangement to be slightly scaled down in size - I ended up with material left over.



Organizing Stems for Floral Arrangements
Remove all stems and group by type.

I like to organize my materials into like piles to help me move quickly and efficiently.  This way I can start by adding greens, then create focal points with the large blooms, fill in with smaller flowers and finally finish off any holes with more greenery:



Adding Greenery to a Floral Arrangement
Start by greening.



Adding Focal Point Flowers to a Floral Arrangement
Add the larger blooms.



Filling in a Floral Arrangement
Fill in with smaller stems.



Changing Vases of a Floral Arrangement
Finish off with greenery!

And there you have it, and easy to replicate process of transferring florals from one vase to another.  See an arrangement that's not quite right?  Have one that you want to update?  No problem, grab a new container, some new foam and a bit of glue, you are all set!

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I hope you enjoyed this how-to post, thanks for stopping by!
-Jennifer

© Studio 27 by Jennifer Adams 2019

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This post was added to the following weekly link parties:

Inspire me Tuesday
Tuesdays With a Twist
Tuesdays at our Home
All About Home
Wonderful Wednesday (Oh my Heartsie Girl)
Wonderful Wednesday (Penny's Passion)
Your Whims Wednesday
Thursday Favorite Things
Home & Garden Thursday
Creative Inspirations
Friday Favorites
Best of the Weekend

Saturday, November 2, 2019

A Sewing Inspired Fall Pumpkin

How to Make a Sewing Inspired Fall Pumpkin



A few weeks ago my friend Kathy gave me an adorable decorative miniature quilt that she made herself.  Intended as table decor, I have been using it on a side table in the living room underneath a lamp.  It is so cute - photos in a moment 😎

Kathy is a very skilled seamstress and quilter so when I thought about making something in return, I knew it had to be sewing themed.  After thinking about it for awhile I came up with this sewing inspired pumpkin.  I'll show you exactly how to copy it for yourself but first, the quilt:

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Disclosure - This post contains affiliate links.  If a purchase is made through an affiliate link then (at no additional cost to you) I will receive a commision.  Affiliate links are noted below.



Halloween Table Top Quilt
Halloween Table Top Quilt
Table Top Quilt

One side of the quilt features a collection of six pumpkins arranged around a checkerboard center while the back is made of mostly orange Halloween inspired section of fabric.  Let me tell you, I know which side is intended to be the top and which is the bottom, but I like both so much that I keep flipping it over!  I consider it an added bonus that the quilt is reversible,
it gives me more opportunities to fuss and play πŸ˜‰



Now on to that pumpkin:



Remove the Stem From the Foam Pumpkin
Step 1

For this project I used a Dollar Tree foam pumpkin and removed the stem by gently pulling.
I ended up using a wooden spool as a replacement stem, but even if I'm keeping the original I take it off to make decorating easier.

You can click this Dollar Tree (affiliate) link to browse their section of holiday decor, though if you are looking for pumpkins you my have better luck going in store.
While you are there, make sure to stock up on buttons, hot glue sticks and other craft supplies πŸ˜‰



Painting a Fall Foam Pumpkin
Step 2

I wanted to tone down the orange so I repainted the pumpkin in Apple Barrel Harvest Orange.  The shade is very similar to the pumpkin as purchased, but not shiny.  Besides, I needed to cover up those blemishes πŸ˜‰



Wooden Spool Turned Pumpkin Stem
Step 3

While the pumpkin was drying, I painted a wooden spool in Apple Barrel English Ivy Green.



Sewing Measuring Tape as Pumpkin Decor
Sewing Measuring Tape as Fall Pumpkin Decor
Step 4

Once dry, I cut apart an old sewing tape measure and hot glued two sections of it around the pumpkin.  I intentionally left one side of the tape in inches and the other in centimeters because I liked the variation in detail, but either way is fine.



Adding Foliage and a Stem to a Sewing Inspired Fall Pumpkin
Step 5

A fabric leaf and the wooden spool topped the pumpkin nicely and are held in place with a little more hot glue.



Adding Button Details to a Sewing Inspired Fall Pumpkin
Step 6

Lastly I embellished the pumpkin with a few buttons in shades of orange, green, brown and white.



Sewing Inspired Fall Pumpkin and Treat Bag
Seasonal Gift

I added a treat bag for Kathy's granddaughter too 😊 

These are really easy to make.  Just grab a piece of pretty paper and add a label or create a design on your pc (see this post from Abbey at Just a Girl and her Blog).  Cut your design into a square, fold lengthwise into a rectangle and staple to the top of a standard sandwich bag.  Voila, you have an adorable treat bag!

Want to make it even easier, skip the design process and purchase your treat bag labels ready to go-
You can click here to view this printable set and more in my Etsy shop.

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I hope you enjoyed this how-to post, thanks for stopping by!
-Jennifer

© Studio 27 by Jennifer Adams 2019

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This post was added to the following weekly link parties:

Inspire Me Tuesday
Tuesdays at Our Home
Wonderful Wednesday (Oh my Heartsie Girl)
Wonderful Wednesday (Penny's Passion)
Your Whims Wednesday