Inuit Ivory (walrus tusk)Bear Salt/Pepper Shakers, circa 1920s

Here are some photos I took of 4 walrus-tusk-ivory bear salt/pepper shakers my grandmother acquired in 1920s Alaska.  Probably Inuit.

FOSTORIA BAROQUE CANDLESTICKS, RED PAIR & AMETHYST PAIR, DEPRESSION GLASS, GEORGE SAKIER

Here are some unusual Fostoria Baroque pattern candle holders, in Red-Amberina and Purple (Amethyst).  I also Baroque green, cobalt blue, and wisteria (pale lavender). I'll be taking photos in the next few days.

FOSTORIA BAROQUE CANDLESTICKS, AMETHYST

FOSTORIA BAROQUE CANDLESTICKS, RED Or "Amberina"

Fostoria Depression glass, Baroque Amethyst (purple) candle-holders, designed by George Sakier

Fostoria Depression glass, Baroque Red (Amberina) candle-holders,  designed by George Sakier

Striped fur-lined pelisse. Lady at Seashore.

Empire Lady & Dog

Book Covers and Christmas Cards

Browsing thru Amazon's Kindle Regencys I came across this book http://www.amazon.com/Greetings-Season-Stories-Barbara-Metzger-ebook/dp/B00GA2AS54/ref=pd_sim_kstore_71, which I naturally purchased.  I thought I'd add another picture for the cover.  Can't review the book, as I haven't read it yet, but it looks promising.  I'm rather flattered that they used my image, but [tossing head]. I wish I'd got a little credit, maybe a link to my (long neglected because my daughter HOGS the scanner all the time! Also I'm writing.) Blog.

I always wanted the gorgeous fashion plates from Ackermann's, Costume Parisien, Ladies Magazine (and others) to be used as book covers, and its gratifying to see it finally being done, though sadly, not very well. At least, not as well as my efforts.

http://athousandpix.blogspot.com/2011/09/regency-christmas-card2-2011.html
http://athousandpix.blogspot.com/2011/08/regency-christmas-cards.html

This original print is in such great condition it really didn't need any fixing up. But I did anyway. Note the "V" in the lower left corner. I believe that is the signature of the artist, H Vernet.

Costume Parisien 

Costume Parisien

Costume Parisien, before & after

Costume Parisien Fashion Plate

La Belle Assemblee Sept 1807

I'm having difficulty scanning from the center of the book, as you can see by the blurring on the left side of the fashion plate.  I finally broke down and ordere a "hand scanner", which will arrive some time next week.

La Belle Assemblee September 1807

July 1807 La Belle Assemblie

Mob Cap

La Bell Assemblee, Princess of Wales

 

I'm having a little trouble scanning these. Even with my "new, improved" scanner. Some of the fashion plates are actually crammed into the binding of the book. I don't think even cutting them out (sacrilege!) would work.

La Belle Assemblie June 1807

Ladies' Monthly Museum, May 1816

I've scanned these pictures and articles from a compilation book- therefore, there is some distortion around the "gutter" area (middle of the book). Luckily, I have a very good scanner and accompanying application for it, which lessens the problems.

The scanner/printer/fax machine is really great. I dropped it when I was moving last October "CRASH! Tinkle-clunk". Goodbye lovely printer-scanner! So I bought another, exactly the same.  Not too expensive, about $150.00 with shipping.

My first ever scanner (1990), which was only a scanner! cost $2,000.00 dollars. It was a bit larger, but other than that, does not compare to my current one.

Ladies' Monthly Museum 1816 April

April 1816 Ladies' Monthly Museum Fashion

Ladies' Monthly Museum Scan

Morning & Evening Costumes for March 1816

February 1816

Scan of Lady's Monthly Museum, Music & Fashion

Creating a Cut-out Lace picture

Layer 3 above Lace Background.

Making a Lace design/insert

I'll start with just a "shape" from the Photoshop Elements shape files.

Open your finished "lace" Photoshop.  It should have 2 layers: the dark-colored background and the white "lace".

1)  Create a new layer (3) above layer 2. 

2)  Make sure your pallet has "white" as the top color.


3)  Use the SHAPE tool to create a suitable insert.  I chose a fleur-de-lis.

4)  Go to LAYERS and apply:  Simplify Layer.  SAVE the object in SELECT filter.

Fleur-de-lis: simplified

5)  SELECT the object (fleur-de-lis)
    
Go to  EDIT filter and assign 50% Opacity.
    
Assign FILL pallet with PATTERN.
    
For the Pattern: Chose the ARTIST's SURFACES pallet, and apply: GAUZE preset (64x64 pixels, greyscale to the fleur-de-lis).  Now the fleur-de-lis looks a bit like Linen.

Fleur-de-lis with "gauze" filter added.

6) Select Object (fleur-de-lis)
7)  Go to EDIT filter and select STROKE.  Chose a width proportional to your design.  On this one I chose 6 pixels on the OUTSIDE the object.
 
Opacity: 100% (of the preset 50% GRAY).  APPLY. 
The outline should be slightly grey.

8)  Save the outline selection, Select the Outline. 

Fleur-de-lis with OUTLINE (greyish) added outside.

9)  Go to FILTER:  Add Noise.  
Set Add Noise to monochromatic, set Distribution: Uniform, Noise Amount:  25%.  

APPLY to outline of object.

10)  Go to FILTER: Motion Blur.  
Set Motion Blur to 0 Angle, 5 Pixels long.  APPLY

Fleur-de-lis with "Noise" added, and then 5 pix Motion Blur

11)  Before next step make your Pallets have the  25% grey on top, 50% grey background.

12)   Go to FILTER: Sketch: BAS RELIEF
        Chose: Detail: 15;  Smoothness: 2

Bas Relief & Sharpen applied

13)  Go to ENHANCE filter.  Apply: Auto Sharpen (or sharpen as much as you like. The outline is supposed to look as if it were embroidered.)

14)  In ENHANCE filter go to: Adjust Lighting: LEVELS.  In the (default) RGB channel, adjust the Far right lightness setting to 215.  
Adjust the Middle Lightness Setting to 0.90 
Leave other settings at default.

LEVELS adjustment added

 15)  To add some wrinkles, Apply the DISTORT: Liquify filter, Brush Size: 100, Brush Pressure: 20  
(Obviously the size & pressure are adjusted with the size & type of the picture you are making). 

Now the Design Image is starting to look a little 3-Dimensional.

Liquify Filter (20%) added.

I'll do something more challenging & fun tomorrow. 

Making Lace in Photoshop/Photoshop Elements 6

I'm going to try to explain how I made the lace & cut-out cover, for those who are interested.

I used Photoshop Elements #6, so I think most anyone could reproduce the effects I managed.

Hmm. Where to start?  Well, let's start with the small (background) lace:

Finished "Background" of lace, without inserts or cut-outs.

STEP 1:  Set pallet to whatever cover background you want, with WHITE as the Top color.

Fill layer with your dark color, then duplicate layer.


On duplicated layer go to "TEXTURE" filter.

Use "Texture": Stained Glass.

Cell size: 8,   Border thickness: 6

Light intensity: 0 

(Border color should be White)

"Stained Glass" filter applied to blue copy of background.

"Select" dark background color, then use "Similar" tool to select ALL of the dark color.

DELETE dark background color (color will show through from the layer beneath).

Switch pallet background color to White, foreground color to Dark or Black

Select the Stained Glass "border".  [ & SAVE in "select" filter.]

Apply ARTISTIC: Film Grain to selected white border (aka: Lace)


Set Film Grain to: 15,  Highlight Area: 4
Intensity: 1

(Note: the "add noise" filter can also be used if you want a coarser-looking Lace)

Stained Glass with "FILM GRAIN" added to White Border.

Apply BLUR Filter: "Motion Blur"

Motion Blur:  Distance 3 to 5 pixels, Angle:  -45

Apply SHARPEN MORE Filter

White border (lace) with Film Grain Blurred & then Sharpened.

(Switch back your pallet with the original dark color underneath the white.)

Filter:

Sketch: Bas Relief  (this gives the lace  3-dimensional look)


Settings:  15,  Smoothness: 2

Apply Sharpen MORE filter again. 

Apply Filter: "Remove Color" to the lace.

BAS RELIEF applied to white border (LACE) before applying LEVELS.

In the LEVELS filter, "Adjust-Lighten" the brightness:

Right Input Levels:  212
Middle Input Level: 1.80
All other levels remain at Zero

"Remove Color" again (in lace) if you wish. Having the "texture" be the color of the background looks very nice, too.

Lace is lightened in "LEVELS" Filter.

AND THERE YOU HAVE YOUR BASIC "LACE" BACKGROUND, just waiting for designs.

You can easily change the background color in the Background layer, and the top white/shadow layer stays the same.

NEXT: Applying different designs!  NOW we get to the really fun part!

Costume Parisien