The doll pattern I have been promising for weeks is finally done! It took longer than most because of the multiple video tutorials I decided to include with it, namely the wire armature and latchook menthod doll hair tutorials. The pattern is now available on Ravelry and Etsy! I also have a new doll in the works (adapted from this pattern) that will hopefully appear in a blog post in a couple of weeks.
This sleeping doll is a beautiful dream all by herself! This pattern includes written and illlustrated instructions for this exquisitely detailed, fully posable doll. Worked in fine crochet thread she stands 6.5'' tall. Links to video tutorials are included for additional help.
After I made my armature video last week, I decided to make an updated doll hair tutorial as well. I made one a couple years ago that some of you might remember, but I wanted to try it with my new filming process. I think this video came out much better, although there are still some blurry parts. I think I may have overdone the lighting in some shots. I should mention that my Mom, the remarkable Momma Cat, is the one who taught me the latch hook method as a great way to make doll hair!
Here is the video, let me know what you think! If you like it, please "like" and subscribe to my Youtube channel!
I will be dreaming Portland dreams next week but I do have a post prepared to go up while I am on vacation. I can't wait to see my family and friends up north!
I've finally finished my doll armature video tutorial! This video took a long time to make because I had to re-record the voiceover several times until it sounded okay. I'm not sure if it's my sound equipment of my actual voice, but when I talk naturally I sound to myself like a very little girl talking through a very big stuffy nose and when I attempt the Batman/Rorshcach voice I sound more like a normal person. I still ended up sounding more sad and bored than I should have, but I should get better at this with more practice.
The little tripod was a huge help for getting a better angle on the work while I'm doing it. In the past I just used the built-in webcam on my laptop, meant I had to hold everything up to the screen while I was working on it and my arms got tired! That inexpensive little tripod was definitely worth the small investment!
I've tried my hand at making videos a couple times in the past with "okay" results. I used to try and do the audio and visual stuff all at once, which makes editing nearly impossible and lets in a lot of awkward background noise, like when I accidentally kick a table leg or drop something. This time, I broke the process up into multiple steps that took a lot longer but also yielded much better results:
1. I filmed the construction process of the project without talking at all.
2. I plugged my camera into my computer and brought the video into iMovie. Then I separated the audio (just background noise like the clock ticking and me scooting supplies across the table) from the video and deleted all that.
3. Next I used iMovie to record a voice-over describing the process shown in the video. This made it much easier to edit the sound and video independently of each other, and eliminated any unnecessary background noise because I was able to keep completely still since I didn't need to build the project while talking about it. This also let me easily re-record the audio when I needed and eliminated a lot of stuttering since I am not the best at trying to work and talk at the same time!
4. Lastly, I added in background music with a title and credits.
Well, that's about it. I hope this helps someone like me who is trying to figure out how to get started on Youtube. Or, if a Youtube expert sees this and has any tips on how I could do better, let me know (nicely, of course)!
Without further ado, here is my new tutorial!
I'll see you next week, with dreams of dolls and video editing!
The Newport Beach Art Exhibition was a lot of fun. I didn't win any prizes but I'm not too disapointed because all of the art there was excellent!
Here I am at the exhibition with my two pieces in the background.
If you want to see more of the exhibition, here is their website. I think they will be posting this year's winners on there at some point.
As I work on writing patterns for my two little dolls that appeared in my exhibition pieces, I am trying to find a good way to show the process of making their wire armatures. A detailed photo tutorial might be good, but a video sounds even better!
For the past few years, almost every time I've wanted to learn how to do something I've been able to find the perfect YouTube tutorial: from hairstyles to changing a vaccuum cleaner belt. The one thing I haven't learned yet is how to make a good YouTube video! A lot of good video tutorials for crafting have the camera focused on the person's hands, creating a similar view to what you see when you are looking at your own hands while doing a project. I tried setting up a regular-sized camera tripod next to my desk while making the armatures, but the trouble was in order to get a good view I had to put the camera right where I normally sit and then stand awkwardly over it, which made it nearly impossible to make anything! If only I had cameras in my eyes they would be just perfect for the look that I want to create!
My next idea was to order this cute little table-top tripod. It shouldn't be in the way as much as a full-sized one, and the legs are very flexible so I can easily control the camera angle. I have yet to test it out, but if it works and the tutorial turns out well, I might want to make more videos in the future. We'll see!
I'll see you next week, with dreams of contact lense cameras and video tutorials until then!
