Pinspiration #1

I am in love with Pinterest. It’s an endless ocean of beautiful photos and ideas. I love collecting all of the things that inspire me.

Today, I am sharing a Pin for a fabulous DIY Votive Holder tutorial from FellowFellow. Check out the tutorial for instructions – all you need is some pretty fabric, a glass jar, glue, water, sissors, a paintbrush, a BATTERY OPERATED candle (tealight or votive, depending on the size of your glass), and willingness to get your hands a tad dirty! These are fun and very easy to make. Here are a few that I made on a craft day with my grandmother and sister:

Leave a Comment

Filed under Craft Project, Fabric, Glass, Kid friendly, Pinterest, Tutorial

Spring

Did anyone make a resolution to capture family memories this year? Spring is just around the corner… do you have a portrait session scheduled yet?

Book your Spring portrait session today and take advantage of my Spring portrait promotion!

Spring 2012 Portrait Promotion

$125: 30 minute portrait session, 5 digital images. Limit one offer per household.  Offer expires 3/31/2012 and sessions must take place before 4/30/2012. Cannot be combined with any other offers/coupons.

To book a session, please send an email to info@wiseideaportraits.com or call me at 847.404.4066

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Greeting Cards

Here’s a look at some of the new greeting cards available in the shop! More cards coming next week, too. There is limited availability for each style – typically 3-6 – so grab your favorites before they’re gone! I am also taking requests for custom card orders now – so if you have a specific occasion or want to put together a set to give as a gift, let me know and we can work together to create something. Inquiries can be sent to: info@wiseideastudios.com.

This first card is probably my favorite card that I’ve made so far!

Best Wishes Card - Dream Charm

Love Card - XOXO

Best Wishes Card - Yellow Ribbon

Happy Birthday Card - Pink Ribbon

Don’t miss future blog posts – subscribe to the blog today (see upper right side of blog)!

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

And the winner is…

Congratulations to the winner of the frame giveaway… Jen Chess! Results were drawn via Random.org.

Stay tuned later this week for more additions to the handmade shop!

1 Comment

Filed under Giveaway

Back in Action… with a Giveaway!

After spending the past year on the sidelines due to multiple shoulder surgeries, I am finally getting back into the swing of things. With that also comes a new website and a new home for my handmade shop! Instead of having several different sites, everything is now connected via WiseIdeaStudios.com — the blog, the handmade shop, and the portrait photography site. This will make it easier for me to stay organized, for loyal customers to stay updated, and for new customers to get information.

I currently have session times open in November and December. Sessions times are available in the evenings on Fridays and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. To request information or setup a session time, please contact me at: info@wiseideaportraits.com. There is also information available on my portrait photography site. Here’s a portrait of my niece from a session I was able to do with her earlier this year. I cannot believe she’s 3 – how the time does fly!

AB Child Portrait

Starting this fall, there will also be a more regular schedule of releasing new handmade items – specifically hair accessories and greeting cards. Ready-to-ship items will be posted in the new handmade shop, but I will also continue to take custom orders. The first release of handmade items will take place this week!

I am also a vendor for the wonderful frames made by The Organic Bloom! Portrait customers can order these frames with their prints, but the frames are also available outside of portrait sessions as well. If you have never seen a frame from The Organic Bloom, you are missing out on a fantastic product. With over a dozen different frame styles, 3 different builds, and over 50 colors to choose from, ANYONE can find the perfect frame for any room or occasion. They even have little ornament frames that are great for gift giving or tree decorating – a great idea for the upcoming holiday season! Head over to the OB album on my Facebook fan page to check out the different options. Credit for the frame photo below belongs to The Organic Bloom.

Mary Ann - Twin Double - Organic Bloom

To celebrate being back in action and the launch of the new website, I will be giving away (1) 8×10 single stack frame from The Organic Bloom! The winner will get to customize the frame by choosing the style and color. To enter the giveaway and be eligible for a chance to win, please follow the following giveaway rules.

RULES:
You must be 18 years old to enter. You must live in the United States. Entry comments must be left on this blog post (see the”Leave a reply” area at the bottom of this page) and NOT on the Facebook fan page. The winner will be announced via a post on this blog, as well as notified by me via e-mail. This contest is not affiliated with Facebook, nor is it administered by or via Facebook. This giveaway is not sponsored by The Organic Bloom and I am not receiving any sort of compensation from them in relation to this giveaway contest (I just love their product and I know you will, too!). The winner will be chosen via Random.org. The contest is open for entries until 11:59pm CT on 10/14/2011 and the winner will be announced by 11:59pm CT on 10/17/2011. (Other vendors of The Organic Bloom are not eligible to enter.)

REQUIRED FOR ENTRY (must be completed by 11:59pm CT on Friday, October 14th, 2011):
You must “Like” my fan page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WiseIdeaPortraits. You must post ONE comment on this blog post to let me know that you are a fan. If a friend referred you to this contest, please make sure to include their name in your entry comment. Duplicate or multiple comments will be deleted.

EARN UP TO (3) EXTRA ENTRIES (must be completed by 11:59pm CT on Friday, October 14th, 2011):
1) Share a link to this blog post on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog. You must make sure that it is a public post so that I can see it. After making your post, please post ONE additional comment on this blog post with a link to where you shared the link. Duplicate or multiple comments will be deleted.

2) Refer a friend to this contest. For the referral to count, your friend must be a new fan on my Facebook fan page and they must enter this giveaway contest. Make sure your friend includes your name in their giveaway entry comment so that the referral can be confirmed. Once your friend has entered the contest and indicated that you referred them, please post ONE comment to indicate that you referred a friend. Duplicate or multiple comments will be deleted.

3) Make a purchase at my handmade shop or purchase an Organic Bloom frame from me between now and the contest deadline. After completing your purchase with me, please post ONE additional comment on this blog post to indicate that you made a purchase. Duplicate or multiple comments will be deleted. (The handmade shop will be open later this week. You can order frames from me by sending an email to info@wiseideaportraits.com.)

I typically approve comments at the end of each day. If you have any questions, please send me an email at info@wiseideaportraits.com.

Good luck!

5 Comments

Filed under Giveaway

Miss A – 4/9/11 Shoot

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of doing a shoot with a family that I’ve been working with for over a year now! Miss A is the sweetest little girl and it’s been a pleasure watching her grow up. Here are a few shots from her Spring/Easter shoot.

Miss A (1)

Miss A (2)

Miss A (3)

Miss A (4)

1 Comment

Filed under Children, Outside, Photography, Studio

Giveaway! (Hair Clip Set and Hair Clip Holder)

***UPDATE***
The 450 fan goal for Cassie’s Creations was not met, so this giveaway did not have a drawing. Please stay tuned for future giveaways!

I am partnering with the lovely Cassie from Cassie’s Creations to host a giveaway if Cassie’s Creations reaches 450 fans on her Facebook fan page by the end of the day on Friday, April 1st, 2011!

I am unveiling new hair clips today and will be giving away one set to a lucky fan! The winner will not only receive a set of clips from me, but will also receive a coordinating hair clip holder from Cassie’s Creations!

The clips:

Hair Clips

You can check out examples of hair clip holders by Cassie’s Creations in the photos section of her Facebook fan page. The winner will receive a customized holder that coordinates with the clips above. While you’re there, make sure you check out her other creations, as well! She makes diaper cakes for baby showers, picture frames, and lots of other great items all customized to your theme or color scheme!

HOW TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY
You must “like” the Wise Idea Portraits fan page and the Cassie’s Creations fan page on Facebook. You must leave ONE comment on this blog entry by 11:59pm CST on 4/1/11 stating that you are a fan of both pages.

HOW TO EARN ONE EXTRA ENTRY
You can earn ONE extra entry by sharing a link to this giveaway blog post on your Facebook, Twitter, or blog page. To claim your extra entry, leave ONE extra comment on this blog entry by 11:59pm CST on 4/1/11 including a direct link to your sharing post. If you are posting on Facebook, make sure you share the post with everyone so that we can see it – you can do this by clicking on the lock icon next to the “share” button and selecting “everyone.” If we cannot see your post, your extra entry comment will be invalid. Likewise, if you are posting on Twitter or a blog, please make sure that they are public posts.

If Cassie’s Creations reaches 450 fans by Friday, April 1st, 2011, we will randomly draw a winner from the comments on this blog entry. The winner MUST be a fan of both fan pages in order to win. The winner will be announced on Saturday, April 2nd, 2011.

NOTE – your comments have to be approved before showing up. I will usually approve comments in the evening, so if you post in the morning, don’t worry if it takes a while for your comment to show up!

4 Comments

Filed under Giveaway, Hair Accessories