Thursday, February 28, 2013

Advanced Studies - NEWTs Part 1

Four brave Puffs have been crafting away since December in the hopes of completing their Nastily Exhausting Wizard Tests this term. This rigorous test of crafting is equal to at least two OWLs.

At the end of January three of our amazing NEWT-ers turned in their 50% earning 50 points for Hufflepuff!

For her 50% lea67000 completed this beautiful lace shawl as part of her Divination and Charms NEWT. She has two other works in progress to complete her NEWT.




WomblingStar has reached her 50% on the sweater she has designed for her History of Magic and Herbology NEWT.



minsue has also reached 50% on this awesome blanket she expanded and created more chart for as her Potions and Transfiguration NEWT.




Let's cheer on these Badgers as they strive for 75% this month!


This post brought to you by baxgirl and the letter N.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Quidditch Catch-Up!


Hello Quidditch Fans!

I have gotten terribly behind in my reporting - my sincere apologies!!!  Let me do a quick catch-up by letting you know who all posted projects for our Sun Shades Challenge:

lea67000
banklady6
sandy62
jaygee
LumosKP
twirlymom
Marushka
brighteyesjessy
nwheatley
suseknits
JMN
jen2291
Charityuk
krazykt82000
knitreaver
lucamama
Shawn
midwestAliceAnn
NarcissaM
VampiratKnits

anneknits
kandbpurple
Timeless1
slothmuffin
baxgirl
texaninalaska
Marifly
LarcYarn
purlingkitten
zillalatte
minsue
littlefit
WomblingStar
ChellBelle
RedNu
hafknits
vspringer
Nysssa
DragonflysArts
craftyshanna
rubypearl
starrynightsky
Luckynumbers
maineknitter1975
CurlySue
clmnj58
kimanneberly
SuperM
nummanumma
Myrtle2911
KristiRose
anthrogirl17
kazpatch
Skrewkat
Randi88
HOLLYGOOD
thestitchinwench
namihn
kristelknab
sbfh
bethsmom
msoyster
bellymonster

Now for a recap of our Winter 2013 Quidditch season:

Mascots - 87 Badger projects
Fruitcake - 88 Badger projects
Sun Shades - 63 Badger projects

I would like to challenge all of our awesome Hufflepuffs to jump on the Paired Pattern Faceoff bandwagon - find yourself a partner (this does NOT have to be from a different house, so find a fellow Puff if you like) - pick a pattern that you both can alter in some way - and get crafting for Quidditch! :)

Let's go BADGERS! :)




















































































































Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Photography 101

Hi there!  There are a lot of Puffs who have been commenting that they would like to get better shots for their projects but they just don't know how.  Many think that they need a big expensive camera and tons of lighting equipment - guess what, you don't!  All you need to do is tweak a few things and you can have some awesome shots.  I'll share with you a few things that anyone can do and I promise, there will be hardly any scary technical mumbo jumbo.  Ready?

1. Pay attention to your lighting.  Many of us finish our projects well into the night and take our photographs without natural sunlight.  This is okay to do and sometimes, it's better because you can control where and how it hits your project.  A simple tip to remember - make sure your light isn't blazing on your project and casting a harsh glare or shadows.  Indirect lighting is always best because it gives your projects a nice glow.

2. Focus on your subject.  I know a lot of you are going "Well, duh" but just because we are focused on our subject, it doesn't mean that our camera is as well.  If you are wanting a detailed shot, check your camera for a "macro" setting - generally shown on most cameras as a flower icon.  This allows the camera to focus in when you are super close to get those awesome details.  Also, if you can brace your elbows on something to act as a tripod, along with not holding your breath when you shoot, your images will be crisp and clear.

3. Be mindful of the entire shot.  All I'm really saying is pay attention to the 'noise' around the project.  Is there anything in the frame that is pulling your eye away from the project?  Is it positioned in the frame the way you are wanting?  Do you have the right perspective to show off all the awesomeness of your project?

4. Keep shooting.  I know that I delete about 90% of the photos that I take.  Just because I have my item set where I want it and I'm at the angle I want to be at, I will always take about ten shots because sometimes, I find a surprise.  Thankfully, we live in a digital age so in order for me to get those one or two perfect shots, I've taken about 40 so that I didn't have to settle for 'good enough'.

5. Learn one good photo editing program.  There are a ton of free ones out there - Pixlr, PicMonkey, Picasa and Gimp are just a handful of the ones I utilize.  They range from super simple to crazy complex.  These programs are great at giving your shots the little tweaks that you might not have been able to get in your actual settings... and it's the little tweaks that make your photo pop.

This was taken with indoor lighting and a flash at 10 p.m.  The post process was 3 simple clicks.
I hope these little things help but the most important bit of advice I can give anyone is simply to practice.  Anyone can do these things so the next time you are getting ready to shoot your project, just think of these easy tips and you just might be amazed at the end results. 

Good luck and happy crafting ~ PprmntMochaMama!

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Advanced Studies - OWLs Part 1

The proposals are in and approved and 67 brave Puffs are attempting OWLs this term! The most popular subject for Puffs is Muggle Studies but there is a good showing among all the subjects.
 

And now that its February the 50% completions are rolling in. Four Puffs have already turned in their fantastic 50% mark this month.
 

RedNu - Potions


Skrewkat - Defense Against the Dark Arts


Bethsmom - Potions

CurlySue - Transfiguration


Keep the amazing work up! Look for more OWLs and NEWTs coming your way this month on The HuffleBlog!

 


This post of The HuffleBlog brought to you by baxgirl and the letter O.