Some packaging supply links

I've been scouring the internets to find good places to get packaging supplies and materials. I've tried Pearl Paint and Michael's locally, but they really didn't have what we were looking for. Michael's had a few jewelry boxes that we picked up to use meantime, but they end up having barcodes on them: 

Which isn't all that aesthetically pleasing.

So here is a list of what I've found so far that seems useful, I'll update this post as I find more, and if you've had any experience (good or bad) with any of these companies, please comment:

Paperworks.com - pretty much a paper site, but they seem to have a nice variety of coated, photo, and specialty papers and envelopes. There's also a section to order samples, which might be all you need for a backer, header or insert.

Papermart.com - I just found this one and it seems like there's a ton of useful items here. All sorts of gift boxes and specialty boxes, including non-square shapes, tins(!), shred, and cello bags. Pretty much anything you can think of in the packaging department, they have. Including mops. For cleaning up, um, packaging disasters. SPLODE!

Uline.com - The old standard for bulk cheap boxes, though they seem to cater more toward larger boxes for moving and the like. There are some smaller boxes though. And they have a nice amount of poly bag supplies, including sealers for custom-size bags.

Royalmailers.com - standard bubble and flat rigid mailers (good for photos or prints, which I'll probably pick up for shipping my prints), seems more catered to flat and document mailing, though they have boxes as well.

Etsy.com - I've heard people had good luck searching for etsy sellers who sell packaging supplies. 

Questionable Parade Costumes

Questionable Parade Costumes, originally uploaded by Mike Brister.

I was browsing through flickr trying to find old Epcot pictures (specifically of Figment and the Imagination Pavilion) and came across the photostream of a fellow Disney nerd. I couldn't stop giggling at this photo..

AARGH. Stupid [fake] Leica!

Okay. So I thought I was all super clever when I purchased my first digital camera. 

I had used pro digital SLRs, but they were always owned by the company I was working for. Borrowing the camera for personal projects was never a problem, so I had no need to buy one myself. Now that I'm not working as a commercial photographer, last year I thought it about time to get myself a little something something. SLRs are great, but bulky, so I decided on a point-and-shoot which I could take with me on outings and trips and the like. But of course, I couldn't get just any P&S, I had to get a super-fancy one.

Here's the clever part. Leica create—in my opinion and many others—the greatest cameras. Period. I've wanted one for, ever. So when I was looking into Leica P&S cameras, I learned that Panasonic makes their digital cameras, using Leica components. So looking at the Leica D-LUX 3, you find the Lumix DMC-LX2. 

The Lumix DMC-LX2 to the left (the pic is silver, but my camera is black), the Leica D-LUX 3 to the right. They're the same camera. Except the Lumix is about $300 cheaper. And has a little grippy thing. Otherwise it has the exact same components. Same high-end Leica lens, same CCD, same image processing. Did I mention they're the same? And the Lumix is way cheaper? Not even like, similar. MADE BY THE SAME COMPANY(s).

So yeah. Love my LX2. Takes awesome photos. 

That's enough of that. For a P&S, it's amazing. Awesome lens. Optical image stabilization (meaning the lens floats a bit and corrects for camera shake to an extent). Manual focus. RAW files. Widescreen CCD (not just a cropped square CCD). 10MP. The list goes on and on.

Now, for the not so happy things. It doesn't do well in low light (the next model up, released after I bought mine, is supposed to fix this and everything else I have quips with). It tends to add noise and look "processed." So effectively I only use it at ISO100. This is mostly due to 10MP CCD on a P&S. More pixels is not necessarily better. In fact, smushing more pixels into a small CCD means less quality per pixel, overall. So, zooming in to 100% of an image can often reveal limitations. At typical viewing and printing size, none of this is an issue, because the image is resized down and you don't see the imperfections. BUT: when shooting product shots, like I do for Sunshine Cupcake, I get issues.

P&S macro is hit and miss. They tend to have a longer minimum focal distance. Meaning, the camera and lens need to be further away from the subject before it can focus clearly than an SLR with a larger lens needs to be. So getting up close and personal with little clay dudes or buttons 1" tall means I have to set up my tripod (no problem), zoom in to the maximum optical zoom of 4x, and then still be over a foot away from the product. So I end up getting a little bitty button in the middle of a huge frame. Case in point:

Which when cropped, becomes this:

This does not a happy Nathan make. It's okay, and shows the product, and is better than nothing. But I will enjoy the day when we sell enough to warrant the purchase of a good ol' SLR, and keep my LX2 on my hip, where it belongs.

MST3K and an Owl Theremin

Tuesday was a good day for this sunshine cupcake. I received my first Etsy purchase in the mail: these fine polymer clay earrings of Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo from the show Mystery Science Theater 3000, thanks to Lauren at the Clay Collection!

Also, last night we drove over to Athens (about an hour and half drive from here) to see our friends Lauren's and Craig's band The Buddy System. Not only does the band dress in CMYK, but they also have an owl-theremin hybrid.


Craig and Lauren are also the 2-person animation studio Kangaroo Alliance and do all of the accompanying visuals for each Buddy System song..You may have seen their video for Of Montreal's "Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games".

C'mon, Lobstee!

This weekend, at Sunshine Cupcake, Nathan made a very special figurine for my good friend Sam, whom I've known for about 20 years. At least 15 of those years have been spent quoting the Simpsons ad nauseum. In honor of Sam's birthday, Nathan made me a very special lobster harmonica from the "Team Homer" episode (in a very short amount of time!)

We might try making another with a real harmonica in it.