Strawberry Iced Sugar Cookies

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYWHRAdcH_yuNa-UBQJaASgGT2N3L9qC3c5A6OYlvUa9Tae7XqdtAoZBs2fUMjCnUR8qp56bCtkzcNgY-98mX-LJKHUiz851dlN44uUw-P8AWBMY1H-KJ6xYeL92viPg-a7DZtDew8Mk/s1600/IMG_0549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYWHRAdcH_yuNa-UBQJaASgGT2N3L9qC3c5A6OYlvUa9Tae7XqdtAoZBs2fUMjCnUR8qp56bCtkzcNgY-98mX-LJKHUiz851dlN44uUw-P8AWBMY1H-KJ6xYeL92viPg-a7DZtDew8Mk/s640/IMG_0549.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqv0E5HJASu0BSdZXz52eIRmOEfDRBC5tXSq_72h9fWNyMqPJJDRMXWe7nLTzZ2rluCO9nKTW9ZQ2YR9_T7uLoD_zRU8R1cQtOjViTyvR03TZ7HYqo-zUIO1b6vg-ewHA_efNQK0TiJQ/s1600/IMG_0487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqv0E5HJASu0BSdZXz52eIRmOEfDRBC5tXSq_72h9fWNyMqPJJDRMXWe7nLTzZ2rluCO9nKTW9ZQ2YR9_T7uLoD_zRU8R1cQtOjViTyvR03TZ7HYqo-zUIO1b6vg-ewHA_efNQK0TiJQ/s640/IMG_0487.jpg" width="426" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqv0E5HJASu0BSdZXz52eIRmOEfDRBC5tXSq_72h9fWNyMqPJJDRMXWe7nLTzZ2rluCO9nKTW9ZQ2YR9_T7uLoD_zRU8R1cQtOjViTyvR03TZ7HYqo-zUIO1b6vg-ewHA_efNQK0TiJQ/s1600/IMG_0487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a>For each holiday, Emma and I have decorated sugar cookies together and Mother's Day was no exception.  </div><br />You can see all of her cookie projects : <br /><br /><a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2012/01/valentines-day-sugar-cookies-heart.html">1st Valentines Day (2 Months)</a><br /><a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2012/10/happy-halloween-making-emmas-lamb.html">Pumpkins (10 Months)</a><br /><a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2012/12/easy-easy-snowflake-sugar-cookies-just.html">Snowflakes (12 Months)</a><br /><a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2013/03/easter-sugar-cookies.html">Easter Chicks & Eggs (14 Months)</a><br />Strawberries (17 Months)<br /><br />As she's gotten older she likes to be more hands-on in the decorating process... no longer can I give her a cookie to play with while I intricately decorate the others.  So, I adopted a new, streamlined method for decorating. <br /><br />Instead of classic Royal Icing, I made a simple butter glaze that I pour over cookies when they're still warm.  The glaze covers the entire top of the cookie and the remaining drips off.  Then, I go back and add very simple details with a piping bag (usually during nap time).   I found that the butter in the glaze keeps the cookies really moist and tastes better, too.    And, as always, you can find my standby Sugar Cookie recipe <a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-cookies-sugar-cookies-from.html">here</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As you can see, Emma chose to sugar some of her cookies before baking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMGUHi9qAzaHXKZQrWWo9N3ntqi5jTgR7D83WWx-42PWuAQeid_WXcJhfoDLYy2ujZ-q5SxjFGHqjRpf5WJAY5il1jlBZF5wgIgGKKUCyjqyT2Fzw71Zpxhw_NfOTf_Psdm5HF4GYAfc/s1600/IMG_0498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdLcfCx0Muj8m64PXPvb-s27ZcOUmQMJ3jx49qDOdt1MHT1Lh0qIskdlrmM1A3qJrqzpuboYYEUTitzXnGHQlBfeJGYG9sTOo0p7RzSjeAYWOytTS6X-AGsYhmwd8k-b3oe2gTXf21No/s1600/IMG_0507.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdLcfCx0Muj8m64PXPvb-s27ZcOUmQMJ3jx49qDOdt1MHT1Lh0qIskdlrmM1A3qJrqzpuboYYEUTitzXnGHQlBfeJGYG9sTOo0p7RzSjeAYWOytTS6X-AGsYhmwd8k-b3oe2gTXf21No/s640/IMG_0507.JPG" width="640" /></a> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMGUHi9qAzaHXKZQrWWo9N3ntqi5jTgR7D83WWx-42PWuAQeid_WXcJhfoDLYy2ujZ-q5SxjFGHqjRpf5WJAY5il1jlBZF5wgIgGKKUCyjqyT2Fzw71Zpxhw_NfOTf_Psdm5HF4GYAfc/s1600/IMG_0498.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMGUHi9qAzaHXKZQrWWo9N3ntqi5jTgR7D83WWx-42PWuAQeid_WXcJhfoDLYy2ujZ-q5SxjFGHqjRpf5WJAY5il1jlBZF5wgIgGKKUCyjqyT2Fzw71Zpxhw_NfOTf_Psdm5HF4GYAfc/s640/IMG_0498.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><i><span style="font-size: large;">Butter Glaze Cookies</span></i><br /><br />-Sugar Cookie (warm from the oven) recipe <a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-cookies-sugar-cookies-from.html">here</a><br />-Cooling Rack<br />-4 tablespoons of butter, melted<br />-2 tablespoons of milk<br />-3 cups of powdered sugar <br />-food coloring<br /><br />In a microwave safe bowl, microwave butter with the milk until the butter is melted.  Add powdered sugar until good, pourable, but not too runny, constancy is achieved.  Add color (see my tips here).<br /><br />When cookies come out of the oven, remove the cookies with a spatchula and place them on a cooling rack.  Place a clean baking sheet lined with parchment underneath.  Pour icing glaze over the cookies tilting each cookies so the tops are completely covered.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzgvv6-rZ7ojA76jtzpvHDRXADOgm44Yjc2hunwgn_s-WfC9aDBRzyKGJ7l4DSz6YiB81RdmpE6rtuISpyqdoIgUNVGYoM2HoshnHtVGY8BYbsWXspXLDjdxUVB2HrigQxxCHpagdaNI/s1600/IMG_0506.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzgvv6-rZ7ojA76jtzpvHDRXADOgm44Yjc2hunwgn_s-WfC9aDBRzyKGJ7l4DSz6YiB81RdmpE6rtuISpyqdoIgUNVGYoM2HoshnHtVGY8BYbsWXspXLDjdxUVB2HrigQxxCHpagdaNI/s640/IMG_0506.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">She's a very serious and precise decorator - next time I'll video!  She'll spend several minutes on each one dunking, re-dunking and tasting.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6Rtz6KGmhMiLzmbT9Z1kPs9YyLR3HJheL29Sq55bAcfEGrEXcomwJ_0LkU5C7eQ28cyJ4Cy3Nushyphenhyphenjx5_U70QhV-UMD4H9CHZftkwR3h2kBbKX7xwZC9UnvXIWebIW19MwSMX9LcKJY/s1600/IMG_0504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6Rtz6KGmhMiLzmbT9Z1kPs9YyLR3HJheL29Sq55bAcfEGrEXcomwJ_0LkU5C7eQ28cyJ4Cy3Nushyphenhyphenjx5_U70QhV-UMD4H9CHZftkwR3h2kBbKX7xwZC9UnvXIWebIW19MwSMX9LcKJY/s640/IMG_0504.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Almost nap time!  <br /><br />Speaking of strawberries - it is almost strawberry picking time.  Emma and I plan to be there next week during the first few days of the season filling our baskets!

Strawberry Iced Sugar Cookies

For each holiday, Emma and I have decorated sugar cookies together and Mother's Day was no exception.  You can see all of her cookie pr...

Read more »

Studio Progress: Finishing touches, + an SLR lens breakdown bonus.

This past weekend I finally got around to completing the last couple projects in the office before I can call this room "Done".<br /><div><br /></div><div>First up... a new way to display an inspirational quote.</div><div><br /></div><div>After the <a href="http://jennasuedesign.blogspot.com/2013/04/beadboard-wall-shelf-ledge.html" target="_blank">wainscoting and shelf ledge</a> went up, the upper wall area was lookin a little lonely...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3h9gnnNahV044kpYI4U11cPPatHM6D9oDigVKd_yB2qCEt4PmsvxWDC5RPF8oXqnr00GuM6jSdMivpXwj8hmOQkVF4Aox2IGU8qIoSHaKJp-29Sjcp2ar8tEKm6ZhAoG8Mfuz2UI63-t/s1600/IMG_0285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3h9gnnNahV044kpYI4U11cPPatHM6D9oDigVKd_yB2qCEt4PmsvxWDC5RPF8oXqnr00GuM6jSdMivpXwj8hmOQkVF4Aox2IGU8qIoSHaKJp-29Sjcp2ar8tEKm6ZhAoG8Mfuz2UI63-t/s1600/IMG_0285.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I knew right away I wanted to incorporate some sort of inspirational quote, as a studio should be an inspiring place to spend your day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Instead of slapping something up on the wall, I thought a little harder and decided that something suspended from the ceiling could be a neat alternative.</div><div><br /></div><div>Step 1 was to choose my quote. One of my favorites is from a very smart man by the name of Walt Disney... </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.swagistic.com/sites/default/files/styles/pin_page/public/field/image/walt-disney-quotes-if-you-can-dream-it-you-can-do-it.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.swagistic.com/sites/default/files/styles/pin_page/public/field/image/walt-disney-quotes-if-you-can-dream-it-you-can-do-it.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This quote feels very relevant to me, as I started with just a dream myself and am now aiming to make it my reality.</div><div><br /></div><div>After that was settled, I figured the easiest way would be to paint the words onto wood (something I am quite familiar with).</div><div><br /></div><div>I picked out a 1x3 plank of Whitewood from Lowe's. This type of wood is my favorite because it's a light, neutral color (not orangey), it's very lightweight, and it's also very soft which means easy to imprint/modify for projects like these.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lowes.com/pd_940-99899-1031366_4294815599+4294965507+4294838194_4294937087_?productId=3605310&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=Top%20Choice|Whitewood" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/094561/094561313631lg.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I thought I'd also fancy it up a bit by notching out a little flag/banner shape on the edges. I did this once before on a smaller scale and loved the way it turned out:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhispV42dADuU9y9jyKQXN1iVPNrhN1-lydhI7C4qHoenlCP6MGjwVIvCHqmvoc2xWKrjX_3XFll6aMf7Vwl_S-3c7N8-1Q5mO8hp7gI2gHxmfF9Eb4G4I8pCK79yMs-wviFRiSbD_QR5GU/s1600/IMG_9120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhispV42dADuU9y9jyKQXN1iVPNrhN1-lydhI7C4qHoenlCP6MGjwVIvCHqmvoc2xWKrjX_3XFll6aMf7Vwl_S-3c7N8-1Q5mO8hp7gI2gHxmfF9Eb4G4I8pCK79yMs-wviFRiSbD_QR5GU/s1600/IMG_9120.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>For this part, I got to use my brand new jigsaw for the first time. It was fun!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6c4IzCioHSg6DqLhRu3oRzBR7iCTkqzb-NS8Hg3-XCH88dDyWVGw13-CAGdQZhCwcKSQFFAYiEcVeHwRIhMM0o40XoxxvYsXeRP2ZT3IjvnWGTPhHZaYItNCNt_7l2taAr04sHeqwQpn/s1600/IMG_0460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6c4IzCioHSg6DqLhRu3oRzBR7iCTkqzb-NS8Hg3-XCH88dDyWVGw13-CAGdQZhCwcKSQFFAYiEcVeHwRIhMM0o40XoxxvYsXeRP2ZT3IjvnWGTPhHZaYItNCNt_7l2taAr04sHeqwQpn/s1600/IMG_0460.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>After the edges were shaped, I decided to go with a rustic look and weather the wood using tools I had lying around.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXoxxIQcCdW5cQJq2o4INImZVVnTmZQEWVOOwRJ8iKkmtA4K1VNU_uQ_wRMQ4cPg4TiNSzZUARksT0AnsBcl8CO3SXi6e_vTa70yasouBC7W8Xb0PWIFwdlDxbirr8z8v00GjpG5953wxn/s1600/IMG_0465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXoxxIQcCdW5cQJq2o4INImZVVnTmZQEWVOOwRJ8iKkmtA4K1VNU_uQ_wRMQ4cPg4TiNSzZUARksT0AnsBcl8CO3SXi6e_vTa70yasouBC7W8Xb0PWIFwdlDxbirr8z8v00GjpG5953wxn/s1600/IMG_0465.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Since the wood is so soft, it dents easily which is perfect for this process.</div><div><br /></div><div>After it was distressed enough to my liking, I gave it around 4 coats of my go-to stain, Minwax in Ebony, and let it dry for a few days.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_clOFmDoBBRatBuoJynv35-FL-0VUg1eZ492tfX1x79Mf9rQU2gkBXX_3DD4e4Lh3deP4m4eP7-1bQAEOAxxUl6EeaEvUcJpqw2K0U8SFO9FehsT2p0sStPbzQgrivWBw7NfOwIdEdeku/s1600/IMG_0468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_clOFmDoBBRatBuoJynv35-FL-0VUg1eZ492tfX1x79Mf9rQU2gkBXX_3DD4e4Lh3deP4m4eP7-1bQAEOAxxUl6EeaEvUcJpqw2K0U8SFO9FehsT2p0sStPbzQgrivWBw7NfOwIdEdeku/s1600/IMG_0468.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Then I had to make my word template.</div><div><br /></div><div>For this part, I measured the height and length the overall quote had to be, typed it out in Illustrator and spaced the words appropriately, and then printed them out using several pages of plain paper:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-5YD7-omj6jSnRfaHQInNRvttfMRPbpn7MptbH2ID9ck0QBAQvm0D7VDZHloPV7kNf-qrV77fVCo9aDntJgjCsUrbQX9jXfDK-cQ90JTyFlqMJdgu8f5yMbM-ZEbUrjYWZSKlg5Seu6W/s1600/IMG_0469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-5YD7-omj6jSnRfaHQInNRvttfMRPbpn7MptbH2ID9ck0QBAQvm0D7VDZHloPV7kNf-qrV77fVCo9aDntJgjCsUrbQX9jXfDK-cQ90JTyFlqMJdgu8f5yMbM-ZEbUrjYWZSKlg5Seu6W/s1600/IMG_0469.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Then I cut boxes around the letters so I could easily tape them within the wood piece, like so:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitX0TLu08_cn6vm3ymuQZpAFcSWkMwfq60dj_y3dbiH2N8D5OmRQ_HtMCZ96QdcJtQFhHxDtzyv06YMyqxoP8J7fODUp9zAqPwj09BS9jSCVhw-NuJyGu2MKTH5HMLECELKO5HAntnBb8j/s1600/IMG_0498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitX0TLu08_cn6vm3ymuQZpAFcSWkMwfq60dj_y3dbiH2N8D5OmRQ_HtMCZ96QdcJtQFhHxDtzyv06YMyqxoP8J7fODUp9zAqPwj09BS9jSCVhw-NuJyGu2MKTH5HMLECELKO5HAntnBb8j/s1600/IMG_0498.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I carefully lined up my words and taped them down...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ztcdWVd9hHxLRsLA0FLxDuai7vbqwJdRSxfRnXBtv6-a26Rtz2KCXMq5O5q_C7juZM1Mo9fwKH4eb8VYFhrrhT4Dv18es53J50bRg51dgGRjbRAoqOEx1WnsqFB0T2CaYBZho5aVUz1J/s1600/IMG_0499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ztcdWVd9hHxLRsLA0FLxDuai7vbqwJdRSxfRnXBtv6-a26Rtz2KCXMq5O5q_C7juZM1Mo9fwKH4eb8VYFhrrhT4Dv18es53J50bRg51dgGRjbRAoqOEx1WnsqFB0T2CaYBZho5aVUz1J/s1600/IMG_0499.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Then I took a pen and pressed firmly on the outline of the letters to leave an imprint in the wood.</div><div><br /></div><div>See it?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eV7FiyPpQZyXu3LvRqW4DASEi2OQCPe8i3zBw_dWgZSw8AEykVAWcGx1yES9mZQbdWvRp74ETLOy-PhFkKF3ALodHShyqlH0O0qvMze4-bpDEqZf3_gWVLs6y88d14tECndXD5Tbi4Mc/s1600/IMG_0500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eV7FiyPpQZyXu3LvRqW4DASEi2OQCPe8i3zBw_dWgZSw8AEykVAWcGx1yES9mZQbdWvRp74ETLOy-PhFkKF3ALodHShyqlH0O0qvMze4-bpDEqZf3_gWVLs6y88d14tECndXD5Tbi4Mc/s1600/IMG_0500.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Using a small paint brush and a steady hand, I filled in the letters, one by one...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBzOUoJqktYi8hY4pXGqZpLXZvZ9HJ0XcG7HsXY07jx8tWFhM2QTQAIRcyGgzC9WxFXujWsl0ig-dsyXMAuItkFwFp0yCDfF8b7MgM9RKyM2E7jrk1kJbRrkMbA9TXelilbZGTirADjgp/s1600/IMG_0501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBzOUoJqktYi8hY4pXGqZpLXZvZ9HJ0XcG7HsXY07jx8tWFhM2QTQAIRcyGgzC9WxFXujWsl0ig-dsyXMAuItkFwFp0yCDfF8b7MgM9RKyM2E7jrk1kJbRrkMbA9TXelilbZGTirADjgp/s1600/IMG_0501.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>After probably an hour, it was done!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJv05aWE36H-FhFStCk0w3zLZu32FCRYQ3TiGieR6JQsBc3tFcreCmktWl5-VTCTV0qI_TnpAght6KHkaJwYejWRbHaTrgstvTwusmitjKgiiJyEtCcHQZsUTBIRPX2TR7dvAxjjgFBIl/s1600/IMG_0503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJv05aWE36H-FhFStCk0w3zLZu32FCRYQ3TiGieR6JQsBc3tFcreCmktWl5-VTCTV0qI_TnpAght6KHkaJwYejWRbHaTrgstvTwusmitjKgiiJyEtCcHQZsUTBIRPX2TR7dvAxjjgFBIl/s1600/IMG_0503.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Now it was time to hang this baby.</div><div><br /></div><div>After considering my options, I decided hooks and twine would be a good solution. The board is so light that it doesn't need anything heavy duty (like chains). </div><div><br /></div><div>I picked up a pack of eye hooks, and screwed one in on each end (by hand):</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKXBavMQPxAK9wtZz_XaUhlTiuozuvLHRpPacHBPuxrba2J7rPjhmZ15qF4qJDxHLqEcWc6jazfkHuWVqTkRzIWmoQqGODspkVvRkU2sLEmk4geh7BFRhQaE-f4jG7_nuhw3OozOum6la/s1600/IMG_0523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKXBavMQPxAK9wtZz_XaUhlTiuozuvLHRpPacHBPuxrba2J7rPjhmZ15qF4qJDxHLqEcWc6jazfkHuWVqTkRzIWmoQqGODspkVvRkU2sLEmk4geh7BFRhQaE-f4jG7_nuhw3OozOum6la/s1600/IMG_0523.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Then we hung it up to the ceiling, made our marks for the ceiling hooks, and used inserts to secure the top hooks into.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once the hooks were in, I snipped off some twine, knotted them tightly and it was good to go.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPR_H9wIKHjnGRP3VnHuCc5SQ6bcS9cFkUdmY9dXlyxaiSdf-wyyuGPqOREtoMcIFH8SZQ8I34CUexMz97AQ40JyhSvIAOHKbWvziINDLGYNQ9UB-1ReEMqCdueRog0xl3PjzTpZTXtDTU/s1600/IMG_0544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPR_H9wIKHjnGRP3VnHuCc5SQ6bcS9cFkUdmY9dXlyxaiSdf-wyyuGPqOREtoMcIFH8SZQ8I34CUexMz97AQ40JyhSvIAOHKbWvziINDLGYNQ9UB-1ReEMqCdueRog0xl3PjzTpZTXtDTU/s1600/IMG_0544.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtW9uhaIVFpELR81kG1t-yXvA_1_iqE-Ttu6GQKWlGbtpA1E5H4ArUiFj2Fi4PKImuOOpdn-cwBVNYVQJVhkRM9c9lz6Ua9b6MuvDG7oj7XmO55NvWgQjjXVGPtSjitaZQj7ouTl6sqABJ/s1600/IMG_0547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtW9uhaIVFpELR81kG1t-yXvA_1_iqE-Ttu6GQKWlGbtpA1E5H4ArUiFj2Fi4PKImuOOpdn-cwBVNYVQJVhkRM9c9lz6Ua9b6MuvDG7oj7XmO55NvWgQjjXVGPtSjitaZQj7ouTl6sqABJ/s1600/IMG_0547.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I love my hanging sign. It makes me happy :)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Ready for the next one?</div><div><br /></div><div>With the amount of paper and scraps I go through on a daily basis, I needed a pretty substantial waste bin to contain everything so I don't have to empty it 24/7. I'd been using a wicker basket in my old office but it was too small and not very efficient.</div><div><br /></div><div>Enter the steel tub.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YJJJQ6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002YJJJQ6&linkCode=as2&tag=jensuedes-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41SCAM24aGL._SY355_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>I purchased the 16 gallon version on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YJJJQ6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002YJJJQ6&linkCode=as2&tag=jensuedes-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a> because I loved the rustic look, the size was perfect, and it was just $26 shipped.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfbyu_PBl1Nk-d3SLX76PgqiDnLFiC9-Fy6zud_2cABupQA1b6hd9trJuTaCi_nsSMOJDo9jvElbPBhiL4go2SEmvj9xOtfLeQUZHGGp8Co4ENJpPxkPtB6mDcRTMdZi6hby6C6S_SuTZ/s1600/IMG_0524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfbyu_PBl1Nk-d3SLX76PgqiDnLFiC9-Fy6zud_2cABupQA1b6hd9trJuTaCi_nsSMOJDo9jvElbPBhiL4go2SEmvj9xOtfLeQUZHGGp8Co4ENJpPxkPtB6mDcRTMdZi6hby6C6S_SuTZ/s1600/IMG_0524.jpg" /></a></div><div></div><div>It was technically cool looking enough to leave as is, but I wanted to jazz it up a bit.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I printed this out and cut each letter out using my Xacto knife:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUTq60aeQPzTW-CfcSgh_zYb9fhSrSbz1pJKTIvB-5T7DALNE5wn1XmYsMQQtkDOFigJ1L7I0hDt2gMo1z3rJwpN4c44lGN2ZjljEzrw3XNIfWSYNVbaD0qXsxwsw44ItqVbU5lqKyC2s/s1600/IMG_0471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUTq60aeQPzTW-CfcSgh_zYb9fhSrSbz1pJKTIvB-5T7DALNE5wn1XmYsMQQtkDOFigJ1L7I0hDt2gMo1z3rJwpN4c44lGN2ZjljEzrw3XNIfWSYNVbaD0qXsxwsw44ItqVbU5lqKyC2s/s1600/IMG_0471.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I wanted to add a white stripe across the center and have the word RECYCLE show through in the bare steel. </div><div><br /></div><div>The first step was using painters tape around the edges of my border:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXf1ZmP5BmEaOEtMI9TjYgv2uqRySJNh7RaZZSHIA-oS831D76hdtN_cbB09YNXzMcr0l64FGFheHOwsyAh3Y2F5yQeGAA3Xbqrcomdsp2DkERfDEso5p3ArybUclJSL97we4xmBPWiAFN/s1600/IMG_0527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXf1ZmP5BmEaOEtMI9TjYgv2uqRySJNh7RaZZSHIA-oS831D76hdtN_cbB09YNXzMcr0l64FGFheHOwsyAh3Y2F5yQeGAA3Xbqrcomdsp2DkERfDEso5p3ArybUclJSL97we4xmBPWiAFN/s1600/IMG_0527.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Then I cut some plastic sheets and taped them on top and bottom so they wouldn't get sprayed.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3yvN5cMzmNFmY3De43j_UYYCZqgI-z2Nilbflky63Cri_vlrESmzgTn3GVoaLo6rAqQdn-_OiPhsg198REKYHTB75FtsfU6L-K5-1p5zWl2XF9R4rDRorKAIeOlrEuai45nfqlGCK1kR/s1600/IMG_0528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3yvN5cMzmNFmY3De43j_UYYCZqgI-z2Nilbflky63Cri_vlrESmzgTn3GVoaLo6rAqQdn-_OiPhsg198REKYHTB75FtsfU6L-K5-1p5zWl2XF9R4rDRorKAIeOlrEuai45nfqlGCK1kR/s1600/IMG_0528.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Once it was prepped, I whipped out my trusty spray adhesive (I've had this bottle for years—works every time)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYl8zsxGjCKp0CoszUgyOVEAVyMniA-2gH4fx3Dy3HTeKi8_LIiDuv3G_5Of-qdbVk0DUH9b_7usQrKWby1xVXh0eUYWRxe__cs8mIduoc2DLNFbzPDPknLH_GGdDr-WOSobZB5l7Crlt4/s1600/IMG_0529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYl8zsxGjCKp0CoszUgyOVEAVyMniA-2gH4fx3Dy3HTeKi8_LIiDuv3G_5Of-qdbVk0DUH9b_7usQrKWby1xVXh0eUYWRxe__cs8mIduoc2DLNFbzPDPknLH_GGdDr-WOSobZB5l7Crlt4/s1600/IMG_0529.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I gently sprayed the back of my letters, and used a piece of tape to line them up.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWhK64qxGDPZfutZjkFfVBdqMMLBaq3wCjvgKScqwQRiaiXh7Ie0zhIKHpj1j4v3TX54pyTZ-NsseoFcJKWZwlLyNs4JGI9Er2jNZDOr0YPHmilGZXGWeIzh9Zb9MPX9_y8zsm9vpij28/s1600/IMG_0530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWhK64qxGDPZfutZjkFfVBdqMMLBaq3wCjvgKScqwQRiaiXh7Ie0zhIKHpj1j4v3TX54pyTZ-NsseoFcJKWZwlLyNs4JGI9Er2jNZDOr0YPHmilGZXGWeIzh9Zb9MPX9_y8zsm9vpij28/s1600/IMG_0530.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>After a few light coats of paint (with some drying time in between), I peeled off my letters and admired the results.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqB7pFohniiYlyhWsmBtiEEN5y3UYZTwcg9VJ0dklihMAYVShtzN6DItTY2ceqjuYhAkbDCqEJLNK9HAZTQYE2CVXuPiqKVq1YjLYo2RmcgUdpQQi-HWaDL18V-Md75hGXVNBieoahUU__/s1600/IMG_0532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqB7pFohniiYlyhWsmBtiEEN5y3UYZTwcg9VJ0dklihMAYVShtzN6DItTY2ceqjuYhAkbDCqEJLNK9HAZTQYE2CVXuPiqKVq1YjLYo2RmcgUdpQQi-HWaDL18V-Md75hGXVNBieoahUU__/s1600/IMG_0532.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It adds a nice touch, don't you think?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcle1RN572wbmBbbs4MIxDx3VpStgEIq0Uh8AmJhF0KoWVIbbb5jjd-gdOQLJhuemvUmprtKSdf4W92_dXBs-Fyu6IUbFdzDJMmI-TB20L-1Z2mIPtS7NCRBBMiZA_N9cVYh52R5aoeODD/s1600/IMG_0538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcle1RN572wbmBbbs4MIxDx3VpStgEIq0Uh8AmJhF0KoWVIbbb5jjd-gdOQLJhuemvUmprtKSdf4W92_dXBs-Fyu6IUbFdzDJMmI-TB20L-1Z2mIPtS7NCRBBMiZA_N9cVYh52R5aoeODD/s1600/IMG_0538.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_tfd_yYD8MQZPXg2fZogHNrYoIEW1pN3BXnjq-uuvSkn_FAteR_IUkVr2BSuJXafsXfvykMI9ONgsidwedDlKnukl35uKs5CybGR5BfDbVNcrKaCFGalsyKYzskwuwsZhGdRVrKkC7HA/s1600/IMG_0541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_tfd_yYD8MQZPXg2fZogHNrYoIEW1pN3BXnjq-uuvSkn_FAteR_IUkVr2BSuJXafsXfvykMI9ONgsidwedDlKnukl35uKs5CybGR5BfDbVNcrKaCFGalsyKYzskwuwsZhGdRVrKkC7HA/s1600/IMG_0541.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-nGI13zzMF4XLz-H4EFQi-XkLPIZFFwDVF0xxS72zp_zmYlw04UGjYS9PddmwGcZzxIMafycxtuzYDg41GGUUiw3DcKtv1Z-4TVmn7mFO4DLwf86ywhpBCVHtfZi2U5uUouDHH64UAo4/s1600/IMG_0542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-nGI13zzMF4XLz-H4EFQi-XkLPIZFFwDVF0xxS72zp_zmYlw04UGjYS9PddmwGcZzxIMafycxtuzYDg41GGUUiw3DcKtv1Z-4TVmn7mFO4DLwf86ywhpBCVHtfZi2U5uUouDHH64UAo4/s1600/IMG_0542.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And that's as much as I can show you for now before the big reveal!</div><div><br /></div><div>But I do want to mention my other latest <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0076BNKOY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0076BNKOY&linkCode=as2&tag=jensuedes-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a> purchase... (if photography doesn't float your boat, you may want to skip the rest of this post!)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0076BNKOY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0076BNKOY&linkCode=as2&tag=jensuedes-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="504" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81aRlSgZmlL._SL1500_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div>Hello, lovely 24mm f2.8!</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the deal. I'm obsessed with my 50mm f1.4. It's so perfect in every way, I rarely even have to touch the photos in processing before posting. I use it every chance I get... except that doesn't happen too often because 50mm is not ideal for full room shots. </div><div><br /></div><div>So a while back I bought a 10-22mm f3.5-4.5 thinking the wide angle lens would be perfect, but I didn't love it. And I've finally realized that the small aperture is what's killing me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to drop $1500 on a 24mm 1.4, so after some research, I figured the best compromise would be the 24mm 2.8. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's pretty much exactly what I had expected, and I do like it. I'm still trying to decide if I want to sell my 10-22, because it does come in handy with the small rooms in my house. It just sucks in low lighting, which is pretty much my whole house minus the sunroom.</div><div><br /></div><div>Just for fun, I've done some comparison shots with all 4 lenses I own (all Canon): <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002Y5WXE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002Y5WXE&linkCode=as2&tag=jensuedes-20" target="_blank">10-22mm f3.5-4.5</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0076BNKOY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0076BNKOY&linkCode=as2&tag=jensuedes-20" target="_blank">24mm f2.8</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009XVCZ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00009XVCZ&linkCode=as2&tag=jensuedes-20" target="_blank">50mm f1.4</a>, and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00421SGTA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00421SGTA&linkCode=as2&tag=jensuedes-20" target="_blank">18-55 f3.5-5.6</a> kit lens.</div><div><br /></div><div>These are all straight out of camera shots, no cropping or editing at all (aside from the 'enable lens profile corrections' checkbox in RAW). I tried to keep the focal length about the same (except the 50mm of course). The goal was to keep a low aperture so you can see the difference in the lenses capability as much as possible—so I set it on Av and had the camera do the rest to even the playing field as much as possible.</div><div><br /></div><div>Disclaimer: I know some of these photos are dark. And also the ISO is too high (800). All shots taken with a T2i.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ready? Here's scene #1. The focal point was on the center of the light aqua pillow, for reference.</div><div><br /></div><div>10-22mm:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUW9IvrpXxVIpvXp_7xVuT-wYy50lPWgry-sjwniIuyUf5wisXkeUO60mAkVGafB3dvugddu3H4hIlW3ZyX34Hc0e4eoja63aVzYG0y2qpORSJkeHJqqyA39-p_uIk-EK6jX9EpNLMC3xx/s1600/10-22-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUW9IvrpXxVIpvXp_7xVuT-wYy50lPWgry-sjwniIuyUf5wisXkeUO60mAkVGafB3dvugddu3H4hIlW3ZyX34Hc0e4eoja63aVzYG0y2qpORSJkeHJqqyA39-p_uIk-EK6jX9EpNLMC3xx/s1600/10-22-1.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>24mm:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVwFDbj6hHCdSmpKCz6mcG7_773gATn-SxjA8Ef3Vnuz-N4szkor3xKBkDj2C3H7dlYFNITRA0GE6edNyvQqwF5FSgJG57Hv8Uw8axeeJErZTWyOSdWyUeijAC51MVoV5Wpx1Z1gQq3Kx/s1600/24mm-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVwFDbj6hHCdSmpKCz6mcG7_773gATn-SxjA8Ef3Vnuz-N4szkor3xKBkDj2C3H7dlYFNITRA0GE6edNyvQqwF5FSgJG57Hv8Uw8axeeJErZTWyOSdWyUeijAC51MVoV5Wpx1Z1gQq3Kx/s1600/24mm-1.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>18-55mm:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHhO3CyBBIUfS-L63kJw6ebzy1eOg2cWlnCNvy5ahywdg-LYznLH9fPO3CizqYsTQNXoYawgYEXT42oWCiNZXt8LX50KnTz50ldpHsO-s66dvqPY8ff46EaNRmyl1XHyvLj58aW6Yz7QP/s1600/18-55-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHhO3CyBBIUfS-L63kJw6ebzy1eOg2cWlnCNvy5ahywdg-LYznLH9fPO3CizqYsTQNXoYawgYEXT42oWCiNZXt8LX50KnTz50ldpHsO-s66dvqPY8ff46EaNRmyl1XHyvLj58aW6Yz7QP/s1600/18-55-1.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>50mm:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEA7ka6taECh2eEOuHdMxEY3X-bLOS90R9_4wYMhyphenhyphen6WHwcodHSSfSU6rjaKhFxc4AXgNjySdQwCqflGn9ZyKhnvpZWUHk0qxKp4e3ZEO2GnvLQqvdnmYZMCyRPa1J4ljkbgK_S4CyjfvCM/s1600/50mm-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEA7ka6taECh2eEOuHdMxEY3X-bLOS90R9_4wYMhyphenhyphen6WHwcodHSSfSU6rjaKhFxc4AXgNjySdQwCqflGn9ZyKhnvpZWUHk0qxKp4e3ZEO2GnvLQqvdnmYZMCyRPa1J4ljkbgK_S4CyjfvCM/s1600/50mm-1.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Not much of a difference between the first 3 lenses, although you can see the subtle background blur from the 24mm. In a larger room like this it isn't as noticeable, but in a smaller room it really makes a difference.</div><div><br /></div><div>Scene 2.</div><div><br /></div><div>10-22mm:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEXSGUBbcGqLMFKPBiTD0VmrLcRovNM1L3Ri679t_j-R7JnpSVWDXMsPbyCkhgiO1N97JWOuqNlHQoE8ien4yF6xGvmxvFrl5rd7RbXxefO69rSYfqsqG9w5ctP9UDZh9eshocZet2u0C/s1600/10-22-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEXSGUBbcGqLMFKPBiTD0VmrLcRovNM1L3Ri679t_j-R7JnpSVWDXMsPbyCkhgiO1N97JWOuqNlHQoE8ien4yF6xGvmxvFrl5rd7RbXxefO69rSYfqsqG9w5ctP9UDZh9eshocZet2u0C/s1600/10-22-2.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>24mm:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCZdVuUYvu5ZODCJmSQmWqTnKU04OKcf5S-74PLiH3jBNvv6nP9pxZIgD5sF7K8-6WO5SpuiGWhyphenhyphenhwIA_8GDiVD_BGOOqGctnntjzQ_obJZbfJReef61SOcwifH5_67TjNNrhiixISc05/s1600/24mm-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCZdVuUYvu5ZODCJmSQmWqTnKU04OKcf5S-74PLiH3jBNvv6nP9pxZIgD5sF7K8-6WO5SpuiGWhyphenhyphenhwIA_8GDiVD_BGOOqGctnntjzQ_obJZbfJReef61SOcwifH5_67TjNNrhiixISc05/s1600/24mm-2.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>18-55mm:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3q1JhIC6wo4KHjni-PQ8N9MdzudjHFMGn4txciGzy2SrKQPZtCwVKLwJoW5lMWBz3NAvpkmP6hEGoMdh2BIBkLZBqg2ttCN37UrsusJ_VuQsLC0Ez1s14C9-Bvvnhk1Vk7vE7IRZDiIU/s1600/18-55-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3q1JhIC6wo4KHjni-PQ8N9MdzudjHFMGn4txciGzy2SrKQPZtCwVKLwJoW5lMWBz3NAvpkmP6hEGoMdh2BIBkLZBqg2ttCN37UrsusJ_VuQsLC0Ez1s14C9-Bvvnhk1Vk7vE7IRZDiIU/s1600/18-55-2.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>50mm:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerE7gbb3PlZ3kRPI4MoEQLlsTjcYo-sKmfCzVpDaxNf5N06D55oqDcSwad14AZbtYINbNfACayWjhHuGBkwoluOYto3gobkgxguRd00nUg49GRDS7I_q5Y33XIV1cX6BxR0zrgqG9uMxm/s1600/50mm-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerE7gbb3PlZ3kRPI4MoEQLlsTjcYo-sKmfCzVpDaxNf5N06D55oqDcSwad14AZbtYINbNfACayWjhHuGBkwoluOYto3gobkgxguRd00nUg49GRDS7I_q5Y33XIV1cX6BxR0zrgqG9uMxm/s1600/50mm-2.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The focal point in these shots was the top right corner of the black printer, and in this situation there is less of a noticeable depth of field difference.</div><div><br /></div><div>And finally, Scene 3.  I realize this setup sucks with the over and underexposed rooms, but I chose it because there are objects both close up and far away to illustrate the DOF. The focal point is on the sunroom pillows.</div><div><br /></div><div>10-22mm:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28UiCGOqwIQgDHBhdFDB3zuvhhG1yFcKsMKt1K-d-Vvjau3LEy6CtH_pEfvtKUIZYXKWdY-nFL20g7uzTYQiX6a0henADSv-4w8YAsZR8GumPuJx0rVw8GMohyphenhyphenHFfzzHf9spo5ls0OU_3/s1600/10-22-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28UiCGOqwIQgDHBhdFDB3zuvhhG1yFcKsMKt1K-d-Vvjau3LEy6CtH_pEfvtKUIZYXKWdY-nFL20g7uzTYQiX6a0henADSv-4w8YAsZR8GumPuJx0rVw8GMohyphenhyphenHFfzzHf9spo5ls0OU_3/s1600/10-22-3.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>24mm:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZZOtOUH2jv52UmPr213riJAMn9iiZ1Yoitx-BHx2ZXbFwS-l_NdcF9orH6Sv-ScsEX6Xl4ERdvmoJLDrpmeLc7I-ishg6zR8VAvon1DzYkO1ZnRT44eDVPQz_YsLoAeoxagkSQaXBigp/s1600/24mm-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZZOtOUH2jv52UmPr213riJAMn9iiZ1Yoitx-BHx2ZXbFwS-l_NdcF9orH6Sv-ScsEX6Xl4ERdvmoJLDrpmeLc7I-ishg6zR8VAvon1DzYkO1ZnRT44eDVPQz_YsLoAeoxagkSQaXBigp/s1600/24mm-3.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>18-55mm:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq565TVddNhVh4XzwwKZ5PyngJajdsXPN8HIIfM97xPGm7TnyNG26JHTcP-r8w_23tOYmUu_Aa-otQ7xSyq6BrDGSPzEPxj8ewdaSY4MXEQPSyzdZl2y73M0EWNO0Klvfn7TyYML2Aj5DD/s1600/18-55-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq565TVddNhVh4XzwwKZ5PyngJajdsXPN8HIIfM97xPGm7TnyNG26JHTcP-r8w_23tOYmUu_Aa-otQ7xSyq6BrDGSPzEPxj8ewdaSY4MXEQPSyzdZl2y73M0EWNO0Klvfn7TyYML2Aj5DD/s1600/18-55-3.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>50mm:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdU1FgVScS_Ph8hIvBF653OjYPJdJEn0oSNYPLGpEL8LJHwq2J2bN0DeELgE3MI-LDi5I3K5FrNmkbov4fNMrnVNYmboOVZ62JWA1GzbYklE6IR9cwypHtjuLOQpXTEzePE5ipprQRtqBu/s1600/50mm-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdU1FgVScS_Ph8hIvBF653OjYPJdJEn0oSNYPLGpEL8LJHwq2J2bN0DeELgE3MI-LDi5I3K5FrNmkbov4fNMrnVNYmboOVZ62JWA1GzbYklE6IR9cwypHtjuLOQpXTEzePE5ipprQRtqBu/s1600/50mm-3.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here you can definitely tell the 24mm from the 10-22 and kit lens with the out of focus couch and chest, and that is the reason I bought this lens. It would be nice to have a slightly wider focal length, but I had to compromise somewhere. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm still just at the beginning stages of learning my way around my camera and different lens options so I am nowhere near an expert at any of this. But it does help me to get an idea of how different lenses perform under identical conditions though, so hopefully this is helpful to someone else in the market for a new lens. (And if you are, be sure to check out this most helpful <a href="http://www.pixel-peeper.com/" target="_blank">camera & lens review site</a>). </div><div><br /></div><div>I'd love to hear about your favorite lenses for shooting interiors (I wish there was more resources on this out there!), or your thoughts/tips/opinions! </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Next week is the big studio reveal, whew!</i></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hIQnbXAwDyaGAMqMsgUDN7opcFzgxEs23rJKRrAp2n0UTqu-auFdP81cjlg2vm0lfzLZ5dfCjU5RR9jzgJs0S_FFXpvNCYxS4y6dFIAqR0DsGSCnvghW0hiSZsTWa0CXbIj4J86OAh8O/s1600/Signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hIQnbXAwDyaGAMqMsgUDN7opcFzgxEs23rJKRrAp2n0UTqu-auFdP81cjlg2vm0lfzLZ5dfCjU5RR9jzgJs0S_FFXpvNCYxS4y6dFIAqR0DsGSCnvghW0hiSZsTWa0CXbIj4J86OAh8O/s1600/Signature.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>

Studio Progress: Finishing touches, + an SLR lens breakdown bonus.

This past weekend I finally got around to completing the last couple projects in the office before I can call this room "Done". Fi...

Read more »

Silent Paint Remover

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK4FQ6YPnnclzm_TX09PI0cyLJ1aRIsayhXVtM3SjZxYrP19BuZLhXfsg2g4h2nIySemsQyUCwmAANegV7c0XvDaYGwzZbNetEBAiGjsMQ27VGiVV8kCSkQRBjhVnoU8Sz2Y7hOn5Yrg/s1600/IMG_3096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK4FQ6YPnnclzm_TX09PI0cyLJ1aRIsayhXVtM3SjZxYrP19BuZLhXfsg2g4h2nIySemsQyUCwmAANegV7c0XvDaYGwzZbNetEBAiGjsMQ27VGiVV8kCSkQRBjhVnoU8Sz2Y7hOn5Yrg/s400/IMG_3096.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Two Christmases ago, I asked Santa for a new toy:  a <a href="http://www.silentpaintremover.com/index.htm">Silent Paint Remover</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's an infrared lamp that heats up old paint allowing it to be scraped off.  I have a</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">lot of old doors and trim and although it's a pretty expensive toy, I thought it would</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">be a good investment especially since it was on Santa's dime.  </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9r_Kh8-3DAYSjHafNLgI0PVdVGnZ2NOGJ0LN_MQlDHjLNvYx0lR_6d-V28ZOzFMB_eMG4kU_kWXHPbw8VoRrLm5-8gmnvs2owbisqaSLwObYoQ9HuRpCcUASalR2u7ikctcuSwqtB1g/s1600/IMG_0379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9r_Kh8-3DAYSjHafNLgI0PVdVGnZ2NOGJ0LN_MQlDHjLNvYx0lR_6d-V28ZOzFMB_eMG4kU_kWXHPbw8VoRrLm5-8gmnvs2owbisqaSLwObYoQ9HuRpCcUASalR2u7ikctcuSwqtB1g/s320/IMG_0379.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I decided to start with the salvaged door I bought for the bathroom.  I had already</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">taken off the little lock and stripped it so it's all set to go back on the finished door.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIhAftsXll0MeER57ir-ZygqLgNwgFbJBqrneiuJU5ATE_OZoq3QOjtD8Np6SuJbvnA4cNmlwzYcmmVKpY8c2CKM094wdenmzk72VAXNcdtfizlIz1bwvc1f5WL_hapfjW2YXriUfjZMs/s1600/IMG_3101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIhAftsXll0MeER57ir-ZygqLgNwgFbJBqrneiuJU5ATE_OZoq3QOjtD8Np6SuJbvnA4cNmlwzYcmmVKpY8c2CKM094wdenmzk72VAXNcdtfizlIz1bwvc1f5WL_hapfjW2YXriUfjZMs/s640/IMG_3101.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The lamp gets really hot so I set myself up on the back porch where</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I could set the lamp down on the old mill stone table.  I don't know what </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the manufacturer recommends doing with the hot lamp.  I put the instructions</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">in a safe place and as soon as I can remember where that is, I'll let you know.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The tool with the red handle is a three-sided scraper that comes with the kit.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrCyNS91-ZqkwXmSxsDuiDAycg6v347BkBw0ejBU6BCGQsD7CmDfTcOHp61zf_uBEK6bINBZSUdd-XxyVcu5RrqnMHw4cN5x7f9ntgKvUJI63ZPAd_tAmKzRZabBppnbuusSQD7R7Vos/s1600/IMG_3106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrCyNS91-ZqkwXmSxsDuiDAycg6v347BkBw0ejBU6BCGQsD7CmDfTcOHp61zf_uBEK6bINBZSUdd-XxyVcu5RrqnMHw4cN5x7f9ntgKvUJI63ZPAd_tAmKzRZabBppnbuusSQD7R7Vos/s640/IMG_3106.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You hold the lamp up to the painted surface and in 20 to 60 seconds, the</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">paint bubbles up.  It does emit some smoke so I'd probably work outside if at</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">all possible.  If you had to work indoors you could certainly set a good</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ventilation system with a few fans directing the smoke to and out a window.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq16mbPOSGX5CbmEHR3BkxrKJ4boD0SR3pH85Nrb5Pj4PAte8Q9WDywBlpsYxCQBo1nCyJu-NXwwgJZaJ_UoUpymDC2259ei9mtkm0Urp8k1s_DYjhKhoCzmpyNshiUUrpXd3PmsjiP_A/s1600/IMG_3107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq16mbPOSGX5CbmEHR3BkxrKJ4boD0SR3pH85Nrb5Pj4PAte8Q9WDywBlpsYxCQBo1nCyJu-NXwwgJZaJ_UoUpymDC2259ei9mtkm0Urp8k1s_DYjhKhoCzmpyNshiUUrpXd3PmsjiP_A/s640/IMG_3107.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Once the paint bubbles up, you just scrape it off.  I counted five layers</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">of paint in this side of the door and the majority of it came off with one scrape...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIr_f0K29QxTAd1UlUlMmFJ81ww1u7hNy4tlHLaKMlw4Vh3-EIxWYYbe1yNA7aNsL-clmMwfeuVh-h7iJQr_lo3f1moUEZiQP5DPycdFYVFqR8jUuQBGPIQyK22NWFpxUVX11dAEFr3c/s1600/IMG_3104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIr_f0K29QxTAd1UlUlMmFJ81ww1u7hNy4tlHLaKMlw4Vh3-EIxWYYbe1yNA7aNsL-clmMwfeuVh-h7iJQr_lo3f1moUEZiQP5DPycdFYVFqR8jUuQBGPIQyK22NWFpxUVX11dAEFr3c/s640/IMG_3104.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">...right to the bare wood for the most part.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can reheat an area if all the paint doesn't come off but you</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">do risk scorching the bare wood.  You can see a little scorched area on</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">this panel but I think it's pretty superficial and it should sand out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can also see I had a little trouble with the panel moldings.  The basic</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">kit only comes with a straight edged scraper so I didn't really have a good</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">tool to get into the curves.  The company does sell curved and oval</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">scrapers and I'll probably buy a few to see if those help.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsIrpoDVbSs4F8wLVzvxsMKvzjcRTQQxhptjwclRsI5pv0887xKMCcgk2TSh9JOcti3lg4NJ62VeIr_CJp4VB_1UQSdHoj09B1etr51LmjUmRQs1EM8VdI3q-YJJvZw0NIkSXBG9-p8U/s1600/IMG_3099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsIrpoDVbSs4F8wLVzvxsMKvzjcRTQQxhptjwclRsI5pv0887xKMCcgk2TSh9JOcti3lg4NJ62VeIr_CJp4VB_1UQSdHoj09B1etr51LmjUmRQs1EM8VdI3q-YJJvZw0NIkSXBG9-p8U/s400/IMG_3099.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Initially, I wasn't sure what to do with the paint scrapings.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have to assume that there's lead in any paint in my house and</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I wanted to properly dispose of the waste.  We have a pretty good recycling</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">system so I contacted the city to explain what I was doing and</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">they said that I could bag up the shavings and bring them in to the recycling</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">center on one of the hazardous waste days.  Perfect!  So I put </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">down a plastic tarp so I could easily gather them up. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGqf9XNtsFmrm-Uz5fwlBwHeI9R3idvJ5PCbs9iJu5upWnmfx876MWwRwxb2T6C5NUKyUDw-hSNP3HxZ5ZeGR664zjKniWRz-1trLC7wy1SHyvCwdRcmKEvpVsmIrDcdOcH825yRvmI8/s1600/IMG_3102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGqf9XNtsFmrm-Uz5fwlBwHeI9R3idvJ5PCbs9iJu5upWnmfx876MWwRwxb2T6C5NUKyUDw-hSNP3HxZ5ZeGR664zjKniWRz-1trLC7wy1SHyvCwdRcmKEvpVsmIrDcdOcH825yRvmI8/s640/IMG_3102.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This side of the door took about two hours' work which</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I think is pretty fast.  With more practice and better scrapers, I'm</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">sure I'll get better it.  And it's definitely faster than using chemical strippers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And a lot less mess.  Its $395 price tag isn't for the faint of wallet</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">but the only local salvage place that still does chemical</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">dipping and stripping charges $100 to strip a door so</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">it should pay off in the end.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I just don't think there's any easy way to tackle this job</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">but if you have a lot of stripping that doesn't involve detailed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">carvings, and you have some way of safely disposing of the shavings,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I would recommend the Silent Paint Remover.</div></div>

Silent Paint Remover

Two Christmases ago, I asked Santa for a new toy:  a Silent Paint Remover . It's an infrared lamp that heats up old paint allowing it to...

Read more »