Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Shades Magazine On The TwitterTron At Jamboree


Shades is off to attend its favorite yearly event



And this year, we are very honored to be featured on the TwitterTron. For those who have not been to Jamboree or were there but did not see the TwitterTron, it is a jumbo screen that keeps track of all the Tweets associated with Jamboree.

This year, the extraordinary Paula Hinkle (is there anything this woman can't do?) has added a few things not on last year's TwitterTron menu, and one of them will be issues of Shades The Magazine.

Yes, Shades The Magazine is honored to be flipping for you on the jumbo screen. If you're at Jamboree stop for a moment and watch an issue of Shades. I can't wait!




MAY


APRIL


MARCH

FEBRUARY


JANUARY



DECEMBER

NOVEMBER

Monday, June 7, 2010

Use Those Family Photographs

In the May Issue of Shades we discussed using our family photographs. One of the most basic ways to use a family photograph is to frame it as a gift. I have been looking for a new and creative way to frame a family photograph as a gift.


I attended a professional framers show and something caught my eye. I'm sure you've seen them, a piece of art in a white mat with lines of different widths surrounding the opening. The image displayed also had decorative square corners. I stopped and spoke with the framer who had done the mat to ask him how he had accomplished the look.

The decorative squares used in the corners was a stamp he had purchased at a local stamp store. The lines were drawn with a professional framer's tool called a ruling pen. This process is called French Matting. French matting is pale washes of color surrounded by ink lines and known as the hallmark of European mat decoration.

Ruling Pen

I loved this idea! I could see it being used so many different ways. So, I purchased a "How-To" video, Windsor Newton Acrylic paints in several colors, a corkbacked ruler, the stamp from Stampington.com and a ruling pen at a local drafting supply store (ruling pens can be purchased online for as little as $8-$9.)

I then purchased several plain white smooth mats for practicing. It takes practice and a steady hand, but the finished product is beautiful. There are so many inspiration sites online, run a Google search for French Mats or check the list at the end of this article. I started with a very basic one line one stamp style.

Additionally, the bevel can be painted and watercolor wash can be added between the ruling lines. The sky's the limit. I am having a great time learning this new method of making our family photographs look wonderful as gifts.

The next step will be to add decorative papers. I'm not there yet, but I will let you know how I progress.


Watercolor Mat

When I give a gift of a framed photograph I print information that is attached to the dust cover on the back of the frame. Below is the information I included with a gift of a framed photograph of my husband's grandmother for one of our children.



Information On Back of Framed Photograph


The picture of the little girl with her dolls is the photograph that has been framed. The information relates to the little girl. Trust me, this takes almost no time at all, and will be appreciated for generations to come.

Ruling Pens:

Green & Stone

French Matting Kits:

French Matting Kit

The kit includes: Instruction Video, Acrylic Ink, Ruling Pen, Corked-bak Inking Ruler, Corner Marking tool, Tube of Watercolor Paint, Sabeline Lettering Brush, Mechanical Pencil, Two Rag Matboards, One Rag Mat Instruction Booklet. $29.40

How-Tos:

Picture Framing Magazine

Inspiration:

The Framer's Workshop
GJ Cloninger & Co.
French Matting On Flickr
Artisan Framing
Google Images

Art Stamps:

Stampington.com

Photograph in the collection of the author.

7 Comments

Friday, June 4, 2010

The Holy Grail

To those of you who have religiously followed my collecting of women wearing glasses, you know that the Holy Grail of my search has been a photograph of nuns wearing glasses. (All puns intended.)

Well, the moment has arrived and I wanted to share it with you. I have found nuns wearing glasses. Aren't they beautiful?

There is a tremendous amount of research to do. The habits, what order, the crosses, what's on the table, etc., but I could not wait to share my find with you!

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Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Houston We Have Lift Off - Shades The Magazine - May Issue




(Select Cover or Title Above)


CONTENTS

Penelope Dreadful
A Dreadful Scheme

In2Genealogy
Discovering A Wildcatter

Appealing Subjects
The Many Migrant Mothers

The Year Was . . .
The Year Was 1919

Saving Face
A Rare Book Is Not A Manuscript

The Future of Memories
Grandpa’s Letters

Features

Let’s Use Our Family Photographs
Project Ideas

Smile For The Camera
The Ties That Bind

From My Keyboard
Letter from the Editor

The Exchange
Your comments

The Last Picture Show Back Cover
The graphic image on the back of a carte-de-visite
or cabinet card




INSTRUCTIONS FOR VIEWING

Selecting the page rather than the arrows to turn the pages enables the zoom function. Full screen using the arrows is optimum viewing


MAGAZINE BUTTON BAR


BACK & FORWARD BUTTON


INDEX BUTTON
(SELECT FOR MAGAZINE OVERVIEW)



FULL-SCREEN MODE
(RECOMMENDED FOR VIEWING)


VIEWING MODES
MAGAZINE VIEW - FLIP BOOK
PRESENTATION VIEW - SINGLE PAGE

PAPER VIEW - SCROLL TOP TO BOTTOM


EMAIL


SEARCH THE MAGAZINE


PRINT THE PAGE



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PAGE NAVIGATION



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Houston - We Have a Problem

The uploader at Issuu is having a problem. Shades The Magazine has been uploading for several days. Issuu is working to correct the problem.

It seems Shades will appear, when it appears. Sigh!

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