Product Photography at Home

*This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. This is not a paid post.

 

     When I started my crafting hobby five years ago, I decided to sell the items I made by hand on
Etsy, but  I knew absolutely nothing about photography, branding and everything else that came along with the business.

     I look back at my first photographed items and wonder what in the world was I doing?  They are
dark, with shadows and uninteresting.  It took me a while to learn how to photograph products
on my own, taking a long time to actually get it, but what I have discovered is that I can learn quite a lot from the photography classes offered at Craftsy.  I have taken a class and have learned a great deal already.  One of the many classes offered there is the Product Photography at Home class.  For someone who knew nothing about aperture and shutter speed, I have come a long way.

     There is so much to learn and gain from the classes offered there. I am very happy with the classes and the best part is that I can go at my own pace.  A busy momma can only do so much right?

     I am in love with everything Craftsy offers because they have classes for all kinds of craft such as cooking, baking, sewing, painting, woodwork, watercolors, crocheting and so much more; the list goes on.  They have just added several new classes to their site with many to choose from depending on your interest.

     As to the photography portion, it helps with my Etsy shop, my blog and my personal photos. You will learn that light becomes your best friend when shooting.  I do most of my photography outside when it's nice and bright, avoiding direct light to my pieces.

     If you like, drop by Craftsy and check out the classes that are being offered.  I hope that you find one suitable for you.  Thank you for stopping by.

A Week in Pinning

Happy Weekend everyone!  Today I will be sharing my pins for the week.

These are just a few among the many I pinned.  I was inspired by Autumn!
Hope they inspire you for Fall decorating later in the month.

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Happy Pinning!

Chicken Parmesan Recipe

This recipe is slightly different than other chicken Parmesans out there, it has less 

sauce and a bit crispier.  When I made this recipe for the first time, my little family 

loved it!

I will be sharing the recipe with you today, and hope that you like it as well.  

First let me give you a list of what you need to make this dish:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• salt and freshly  ground pepper to taste
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups of bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 or more tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of oil for frying
• 1/2 cup of prepared tomato sauce 
• 1/4 cup fresh shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup of fresh chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
• box of spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon garlic butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place chicken breast into a large zip-lock bag, on a flat level surface, firmly pound chicken with a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/2 inch.  Season chicken thoroughly with salt and pepper.
3. Beat eggs in a shallow bowl and set aside.
4. Mix bread crumbs with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in a separate bowl and set aside.
5. Lightly coat chicken breasts with flour coating both sides.
6. Dip flour coated chicken in the beaten eggs, then transfer breasts to bread crumbs and coat both sides thoroughly.  Repeat for each breast.  Set aside breaded chicken breasts for about 15 minutes.
7. Heat 1 cup oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Cook chicken until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. The chicken will finish cooking in the oven.
8. Place fried chicken in a baking dish and top with 1/3 tomato sauce. Layer each breast with evenly with mozzarella cheese, basil, Parmesan cheese and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
9. Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is bubbly and chicken is no longer pink inside, about 15- 20 minutes.  A thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F.

For pasta:

1. Boil spaghetti according to box instructions, add teaspoon of salt. 
2. Drain when done.  Place in a bowl and add garlic butter, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. 
3. Mix and serve with the Chicken Parmesan.

Recipe courtesy of All Recipes with adjustments.

Linked to:

SITS Girls

Craft Ideas to Make with Cricut

(3D Hot Air Balloons Mobile)

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. 

Okay guys, now that you’re more familiar with Cricut Explore One™, Cricut Explore Air™ and Cricut Design Space™, it’s time to chat about some of the really neat things you can create when you put it all together. 

As you’re getting familiar with your Cricut machine, it’s a great idea to take advantage of the free Make it Now™  projects and images that you get with Cricut Design Space™. 

For example, check out this adorable 3D Hot Air Balloons Mobile as seen above. It’s a fun, easy starter project and makes for the perfect baby shower or toddler’s birthday gift (and can you believe it's made with felt?). And what’s a gift without a card? Cricut has an incredible selection of card examples made with Cricut Explore machines. There’s even a whole selection dedicated to everything baby, which is where I came across this cute baby shower card. 

Birthday
What better way to tell someone how special they are than with a hand/Cricut-made card and gift? This super fun shaker card is perfect for a 21+ birthday. And even if you purchase a gift, you can always use your Cricut Explore machine to personalize it. For example, if you bought a friend a purse or a wallet, you could use your machine to monogram it with their initials. Or if you bought them a plain shirt or sweater, you could customize it with a fun image or statement. 

I love this sparkly pineapple t-shirt. All you need is a blank shirt, a roll of Cricut Iron-on, and images from the Cricut® Summer Love image set. 

Engagement/Wedding
Make your own beautiful table decorations, banners, party favor boxes, cards, and more for the happy couple in just a few minutes! You’ll find some really impressive ideas in Cricut’s Design Space, such as this lovely Mr. & Mrs. card. 

There are an unbelievable number of project examples in the Design Space, which are categorized by type (e.g. baby, holidays, home décor, school, food, etc.) and by level (easy, moderate, and advanced). You can also find a ton of great ideas for projects on Cricut's Blog and Pinterest page. 

The summer season is a perfect time to get your very own Cricut machine and familiarize yourself with Design Space and all the incredible projects you can create. Try out a few projects each month and you’ll be amazed at how easy it is. By the time the holiday season rolls around, you’ll be a Cricut pro and will wow your friends and family with your stunning crafting skills!  I hope that you have enjoyed these tips and ideas and get your craft on!

Happy crafting! 

Cricut Design Space

*This post contains affiliate links and may be compensated if a purchase is made after clicking it, thank you for your support.

When I first began crafting, I tried my best to create projects that were easy for all to do.  I used free hand to cut my designs, while many other crafters used machines for cutting and designing their projects.

I was bummed out knowing that their projects turned out so perfect and mine had imperfections. I wondered, how did they achieve perfect cutting and design?  After much research, I discovered Cricut.  I have mentioned Cricut in a few posts here on the blog, only because I want those of you who have a hard time achieving certain crafts to be creative without the hard work of design and cutting.  Cricut offers two awesome machines that do the work for you.

Not only that, but what bridges the gap between the creative ideas in your head and the Cricut machine is the Cricut Design Space™. 

Cricut’s Design Space™ is software for PC, Mac®, iPhone® and iPad® that you get for free with your Cricut machine of choice. 

Instead of trying to figure out how to make your project, Design Space gives you the ability to focus on what you want to make. Your Cricut machine takes it from there and brings it to life. 

With Design Space, you can start designing from scratch on your computer, iPhone® or iPad®, or you can use a pre-designed, Make It Now™ project. These ready-to-make projects are created by professional artists and include everything from home décor to fashion to paper crafting, and even a variety of FREE projects. 

If you want to use one of Cricut’s 50K+ images, you can try them out in the Design Space to see which will look best in your project before you commit to purchasing it. 

Uploading Images 

When you’re ready to start designing, you can either use one of Cricut’s 50K+ images or easily upload your own using the “Upload Images” tool in Design Space. You can upload and cut .svg, .jpg, .png, .bmp, .gif, and .dxf files absolutely FREE. You can even use fonts already installed on your computer. 

Cut What You Want® tool 

The Design Space’s Cut What You Want® tool makes it easy to convert your design into a cuttable image in just a few clicks! 

The Cricut Design Space™ app for iPad® and iPhone® 

Cricut’s easy-to-use app for the iPad® and iPhone® makes it possible for you can design anytime and anywhere inspiration strikes you.

It also allows you to access all the project’s that you’ve personally designed, whether on your iOs device or your PC or Mac, and gives you access to all the Make-it-Now projects. 

With this app, you can start a project while at the beach, enhance it at the ice-cream shop, add some embellishments while cozying up on your couch, and then cut it on the Cricut Explore in your craft room. Plus, it’s cloud-based, so your projects are always synced across all your devices. 

P.S. Cricut is working on an Android™ app right now, so don’t feel left out if you don’t have an iPad or iPhone. 

In a nutshell, Cricut Design Space™ gives you the creative freedom to design just about anything! Make party invitations, decorations, and favors. Create seasonal home décor or personalize wedding gifts. Add embellishments to your favorite photo memories. 

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! That’s why sometime next week, we will focus on some really fun and interesting projects that people have created using their Cricut machine and the Cricut Design Space. 

So Stay tuned!