Making Mosaics

Last week I showed you the background photos I have been collecting and a few of the ways I have been using them.   I was asked how I make the photo mosaics and although it really isn't difficult to make photo mosaics, if you are new to the process it might seem complicated at first.  There are many online programs that can be used to edit the photos and create mosaics, but I thought I would share how I go about making them.   


I upload my photograph into Picnik which is a free online photo-editing program (you can read about it here).  I then do some basic edits (which you can see over on the left side of the screen).  I often, but not always use "Auto Fix" depending on whether I like the results or not.  I also straighten the picture, and adjust the exposure as needed.  I almost always crop my pictures and for pictures you are going to use in a mosaic they often need to be square.  You can do all this on the basic edits tab.  

Once you have cropped your picture then click the "Effects" tab (along the top).  For backgrounds I sometimes like to either soften the picture so it is a more uniform texture or change the colour (which works best for neutral coloured pictures).  

You can see "Tint" down the left side and then adjust until you find the colour you want.  Of course I had to make the ice turquoise because turquoise is such a lovely colour.

You can add text now or wait until you have finished your final mosaic depending on the look you are going for.


If you only want a simple mosaic with no more than four pictures then you can use Picnik.  However, if you want a more complex mosaic like I used for my WISH Wednesday mosaics (which you can see here) then I like to use Big Huge Labs.  


If you decide to use Picnik to make your mosaic, then look over on the left of side of the screen - it shows you all the shapes of mosaics you can use (the ones on the white background are free and the more complex ones on the light blue background you have to pay for).

If you want to make a bigger or more complex mosaic then go to Big Huge Lab.  I believe you have to open an account (which is free) to use Big Huge Labs, but I can't quite remember as mine is always signed in.   Although there are a lot of  fun features on this site, "Mosaic Maker"  is what you need to create your mosaics.   You can see near the top of the screenshot from Big Huge Labs that I have selected "1+3 right with shadow" as my mosaic layout.  If I had selected "square tiles" then I could have made a mosaic with up to 36 photos in it (6 x 6 photos - just in case you needed help with the math).  For some of the mosaic designs you can select if you want to have spaces between the pictures and what colour the background should be.  

When you have finished uploading your photos then press "create" and you can see the mosaic you have made.  Here is my finished mosaic:

Then you put it back in Picnik and add text.  You can see down the left side of the screenshot the different fonts and you can adjust the size and colour in the floating box that appears on the right side of the screen.  One tip I have is that if your text is long then you will have to press "enter" where you want the words to break and go to the next line as they appear in one long line unless you do that.  

And here are the finished products in all their glory.  Definitely words to live by!


A mosaic using Picnik:

and a mosaic using Big Huge Lab:

If you use a different system to make mosaics I would love to hear about it as I'm always trying out different programs.

WISH Wednesday #14

Being that it's winter in my neck of the woods, I thought I should look for an incredible drop-dead gorgeous room with a fireplace for the WISH (Weekly Inspiration for a Seasonal Home) Wednesday photo this week.  So that's what I've been working my fingers to the bone doing.  There are lots of fireplaces out there, but I wanted a fantastic one that was so amazing that when I looked at it all I could do was sigh and wish, wish, wish that I lived in that room.   


I've recently spent a lot of time on Pintrest (by the way, did you know I was on Pintrest cause I'm a little lonely over there in my corner pinning away since I'm a newbie and haven't made any connections yet).   Anyway, I found two rooms that I think fit all the requirements.  I hummed and hawed over which one to feature and even asked my husband which one he preferred and he couldn't decide either (which is pretty amazing as he's a very decisive fellow) - so I'm featuring both.  In many ways they are similar - with beautiful stone fireplaces flanked by large windows, white walls, and simple casual decor, but there are differences as well.  


The first room has a gorgeous ceiling with painted white beams.  I really like the soft furniture (what you can see of it anyway) with the striped and patterned fabric on the chair and sofa and the patterned carpet.  It makes the room seem very cozy.   I also love the large coffee table with interesting piles of books and rocks and flowers.   I would have a lot of fun arranging and re-arranging vignettes on a surface that big and then when I was done I would put my feet up and relax.  Wouldn't this be the perfect room to play a board game with the whole family by the fire.

tinywhitedaisies

The second room is bathed in light by gorgeous black-mullioned windows that surround the room.  I love the painting on the fireplace and the simple rustic buckets, boxes and tin plate placed around the room.  Although I'm not really a rifle person, I do think even the rifle is perfectly hung to balance the mantel arrangement.  I also love the long sofa and the simple lines of the coffee table and wooden chairs.  My only complaints are that the back of the sofa seems a tad low for comfortable lounging, there is no rug, and the room seems a bit devoid of colour.  I think I'd have to add a few cushions for a little bit of colour and because I like to be well cushioned when I lounge.  Wouldn't this be the perfect room to sit and watch the snow fall?

Architectural Digest

To me they are both gorgeous rooms and both make me feel like I just want to move in and stay awhile.   Anyone else hold stronger opinions than I do and like one more than the other.  Do tell!

Edit

Layla over at The Lettered Cottage is having a Word of the Year resolution challenge.  When I read her word UP and why she chose it and what an inspiration it is to her, I thought I would be up (get it, haha) for the challenge.  I had a look back at my goals - big, small, and personal which you can read about here - and thought what really sums up everything I want to accomplish this year is the word EDIT.

Now believe me when I say that I am no stranger to editing.  Hubby has had two books published and has had many academic articles published and all of them were edited by yours truly.  When the text is finally wrangled into clear, concise prose that will say just what is intended with just the right amount of words - no extra - and maybe a little poetic spin on things to make it memorable - well that is perfection.  It is one of those things that you just feel in your gut when you have it right.  Editing one's home or life is really no different I have discovered.  There is often some chaos before the simplicity and calm reigns, the process can be painful, but the results are so worth it, and the editing gets easier the more you do it. 

I looked up what edit means in the dictionary and I like the definition:  to alter, adapt, or refine especially to bring about conformity to a standard or to suit a particular purpose.  Doesn't that work well when thinking about editing your home.  It doesn't mean to make it perfect, it means to make it conform to a standard and to suit a particular purpose.  Do you have a standard for your home?  There is a certain level of tidiness that I feel comfortable with.  When things slip below that point, I get antsy.  Now my standard may be lower than other people's (and I know it is), but it's what works for us.  If I peg the standard too high, then life becomes focused on maintaining the home rather than living in it.  

The things I think of when I envision editing would be eliminating clutter - it make your home so much easier to keep tidy;  having a place for everything that you need or want to keep;  having a system to maintain the order, and finally refining the things in your home so they are cohesive and pleasing to the eye.  

I love the standard William Morris set in his now famous words:  have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.  And that, my friends, is why I want to focus on editing my life and home this year.  It won't be a finished project when December 31st, 2012 roles around, but rather EDIT is what I will focus on as I go about my daily life this year.  

Linked to:  The Lettered Cottage

My Photo Project

Over the past few months I have begun a photo project that is very easy to do and useful for when you have a blog - I've started a collection of pictures of interesting textures.  I can add text to them and use them in posts where I want to add an eye-catching title or I can use them in headers.

You can see a few examples in my WISH Wednesday  mosaics.

I know you can find backgrounds online, but I think it is fun to collect my own.  I'm always on the lookout for things that would make good backgrounds.  I've been taking pictures of cloth,

and wooden tabletops,

and tree bark,

and snow,

and food.

The best backgrounds have interesting texture, but little contrast in colours or light and dark so that the text stands out from it.  I've started a folder on my computer where I put all my background photos so I can find them when I want them.  I usually crop them into a square shape, change the colour tint if I want to, and add text using Picnik


I have to say it can look a little strange at times, but the end result makes taking pictures of a wall or the surface of an empty table worthwhile.

Linked to Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now,
and Strut Your Stuff link party at Somewhat Simple,
and Delightfully Inspiring Thursday at Delightful Order

Grace Kelly: From Movie Star to Princess

Grace Kelly was one of the most photographed women of the 20th century.  I have long admired her elegance, her classic and impeccable style, and her amazing beauty - not to mention that I adore many of the films she is in.  When I read that there was an exhibit of her dresses at the TIFF Centre here in Toronto, Kate and I had to go and have a look.

The thing that made her stand out is what we call style.

McCall's magazine, 1955

We had a great time at the exhibit - the dresses, especially the ones from the 1950s, were amazing and it was fun to see letters and telegraphs from Alfred Hitchcock among others.  My only disappointment was when I got home and Googled more information about the dresses and realized that only a small part of the original Victoria and Albert Museum show in London from earlier this year was brought over (for a comprehensive blog post on the V & A exhibit see here).  Sniff, sniff.  While we loved what we saw, it was disappointing that there were such a small selection of dresses especially from her movie period. Also surprisingly they did not put mirrors on the other side of the dresses so the back side could be viewed.   Despite these issues we really enjoyed seeing the details, the materials, and the workmanship of these famous outfits.

The exhitibit was divided into Grace Kelly the actress, Grace Kelly the bride, and Princess Grace of Monaco.

GRACE KELLY THE ACTRESS
They had this gorgeous soft green dress and the matching coat (designed by Edith Head) that Grace wore to the Oscars in 1955 when she won Best Actress for The Country Girl.

Forever Young Information

Have you seen the movie High Society?  It is a gem and one that Kate and I like to watch and re-watch.  The swimming cover-up, also designed by Edith Head, from this movie was in the exhibit.  The draping across the front is so elegant and suits Grace Kelly's role in the movie as she is supposed to be a bit of a goddess.

Style Matters

GRACE KELLY THE BRIDE
There was a copy of the dress that Grace wore when she first met Prince Ranier at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955.  Apparently the electricity had gone out at the hotel where Grace was staying and she was unable to have any of her dresses pressed so she wore the floral one (in the photo below) which had been given to her by McCalls after a modelling job she had done for them.

Forever Young Information

This is the 1954 pattern that was used to make her dress.  It makes you feel like you could wear a Grace Kelly look-alike dress if you wanted to (it is pretty wild though, so I'm not sure I would really want to).

Vintage Patterns Wiki

They also had the dress that Grace wore when she and Prince Ranier announced their engagement.  Both Kate and I thought this dress was gorgeous - probably the prettiest in the show.  It had lovely details, like the cuffs on the sleeve, and the belt made of the same material with lines sewn along it, and the soft folds at the waist.

Grace added a scarf at the neck, a brooch, some sunglasses, and her famous Kelly bag and she was all set to meet the press.

Forever Young News

There was also the lovely champagne-coloured lace dress she wore for her civil wedding ceremony.  

Disco Nap

It had the prettiest edging along the hem with scalloped lace against the fabric.

Disco Nap

The famous wedding dress designed by Helen Rose, was an exact replica since the original was too delicate to travel from Philadelphia.

Forever Young Information

The view we had of the dress was of the back and I hadn't realized there were bows down the skirt with an insert of lace since you usually see the front in the wedding photographs.

Flare

And finally there was the gray Dior suit she wore when she departed on her honeymoon.

Flare

The Dior suit was so elegant - just simple lines with a fitted jacket and three-quarter length sleeves.

Flare

PRINCESS GRACE OF MONACO
They also had many of her dresses and suits from her later years some of which were beautiful, like this Chanel suit.

Flare

some were very princessy (and frankly look better in this photo than they did in person),

Disco Nap

and some were a little on the wonky side if you ask me - like this one.

Flare

We loved seeing her famous Kelly bag in a beautiful milk chocolate shade along with some of her luggage.

While I recognized many of the dresses on display from historical photographs, there was only one dress that I remember from newspaper articles at the time that it was worn.   It was the purple dress (in the photo below) that Grace wore when attending a fund-raising concert at the Royal Opera House in London in March, 1981 shortly after Prince Charles and Diana Spencer announced their engagement.  It was the first time that Grace Kelly met Diana Spencer and only a year and a half before Grace died.

abc

I do think Grace's style was better suited to the fashion of the 1950s than the 1960s and 70s.  It wasn't just that she was getting older, but rather I think her style suited the elegant dresses from the earlier time period.

If I could have made a dress request, it would have been for the gorgeous black-and-white dress designed by Edith Head that Grace wore in the 1954 movie Rear Window. To me that dress is the height of elegance and it suited her perfectly.  I would have loved, loved, loved to have seen it in real life.

Closet

These are just a few of the dresses at the exhibit - some of the ones that I liked best.  Did one of them stand out as a favourite for you?

The exhibit is still on until January 22, 2012 so you have a few days left to go and see it if you also are a Grace Kelly fan and are interested in seeing a wardrobe that has stood the test of time.