Muffin

I like Muffins.
In Portugal we call them Queques and they look like this:

I always eat the top first, and lately I found out that most people leave it for last, because it's the best part and they like to leave the best to the end.

Well, I found that to be weird. Why should you leave the best for last?

What if someone comes and eat your muffin top while you're busy eating the bottom?
What if there's a fire and you can save only 3 things, and none of them can't be the muffin top?
What if you choke to death eating the bottom and have no chance to taste the crispy warm top?

Why would you risk that?

Can't figure this one out. I think you muffin bottom first eaters are crazy.

Autumnal Love

Hello everybody!

Happy Autumn for all of you that like this kind of weather. I kind of like Autumn, but the days keep getting smaller and smaller, and that always makes me sad.

I have some good news and bad news!

At the beggining of the month I got to have a week vacations (yay!) and I went to the beach! It was so nice! The beach all for ourselves and the weather... yummy.

We slept at a place with a natural pool, it was weird at the beggining to go into the water, but it was so nice and beautiful!

But now it's rainy and kind of cold, so... bubye Summer I guess!

No, no bubye Summer at all! Because in a couple of weeks I get to go to the South Hemisphere again!!! I'm so excited to go back :) And after I come back I have some more traveling to do, but I'll tell you about that later...

(and that's the good news)

The bad news are that because of the incredible amount of work I have now (and for the last year I guess) I don't have a lot of new stuff to show you! I have this idea for a Winter collection but I need some new beads and I haven't got the time to go look for them....

I even have some items I haven't got time to photograph yet!! Can you believe it?

This is the latest of them, a very Autumnly choker:

Keep warm and I'll be seeing you! :)

Things I want today

If I could I would buy these today (click on the images to go to the shop):

New Cards | Novos Cartões

My new MOO mini cards are here!

So simple, so perfect!

Busy Busy Busy

Hello!
Is there anyone still here?
I have been silent for so long, I know... I have been with so much work this last few months you can't imagine. Even now, I should be finishing a report, but I just came back from a 2 week vacation, and I though a few minutes to say hello to you won't make much of a difference.

So... I have been traveling this past few months! I went to Athens for a meeting in June, and last month to Chipindo in Angola (Africa) for geologist field work.

I loved both experiences. The greek are super nice and I loved Athens! It wasn't what I was expecting... but I loved it!

 

 

Then, a month later, I got to go to Chipindo (Huila Province in Angola) for geological field work.

I have to say it was the best experience ever. Everyone was so nice, friendly and always laughing. I was so lucky to have a very professional team from Angola, and when the work is going well and nobody gets hurt, and in top of that you get to work with amazing people that make you laugh until there's tears in your eyes.... What more can you ask?

There's some photos for you! Didn't see any wild animals, but there were aligators, snakes and deers there.

 Selling bread in Huambo 

 These children were a little bit afraid of me

 Making the corn flower (Fuba de Milho)

 At the Primary School of Chipindo

  At the Primary School of Chipindo (My favorite photo)

 And this is me! Happy fluffy geologist :)

Now I just want to have a little time to get nanouke back on track for the holidays!

I have listed a new bracelet and will list a couple of new things on the next few weeks.

Hugs to you all!

Better Photos - Using a Live Model

This is a continuation for the last post I wrote on this subject.
I found some new inspiring photos I want to show you! This time, rings only.
Rings are not that hard to model, if you have pretty hands! I find these beautiful!

 From starlightwoods

From LeEcoChicBoutique

 From katrinshine

From JustColor

I have been trying to enhance my photos, and tried this bracelet with a live model:

Will keep trying harder and harder until I get good results! Until then, I'll be updating you :)

Shop Makeover

New challenge: to improve my photos, my facebook page, my blog design, my shop (descriptions, etc.).

Have you noticed?

New avatar, new clean look on my facebook page, and I tried to take better pictures using a live model, but it was just a test:

Novo desafio: melhorar as minhas fotografias, a minha página do facebook, o design deste blog, a minha loja (melhores descrições, etc.).

Já deram conta? 

Novo avatar, um look mais fresco e limpo na página do facebook, e até tentei tirar umas fotos com modelo para experimentar:

The necklace is this one.

O colar é este.

There's still much to do, of course. But I'm getting there. And I'll keep you posted! Next stop: SEO!

Ainda há muito que fazer. Mas hei-de chegar lá devagarinho, e vou-vos dando notícias! Próximo passo, SEO!

Better Photos - Using a model

So I'm on a roll to enhance my photos at my etsy shop!

One of the things I have to do, is taking better pictures with a live model. One the feels I want to achieve is the urban coolness, something casual and fun.

Went trough some of the best selling jewelry artists on etsy for inspiration. If they're top sellers on this category I'm in, they must be doing something right, right? Well, funny thing. A lot of them don't use a live model! Makes me wonder if I'm going on the right direction... I still think so.

So here's some examples:

 From dangsworld, a very romantic and smart way to showcase a ring.

ItsAllAboutThePrint doesn't use a live model, but I like the feeling on this one.

These photos, from shlomitofirlook so professional! I think this is the closest with what I'm looking for. Amazing!
 On another note, I found that most of the top sellers of jewelry on etsy have customized jewelry, that engraved stuff. And... all of them have more than 100 items listed! WOW! How can they do it? Selling that much and still be able to have a shop full? Amazing...



I have some ideas already, now I just need a pretty model!

Better Photos - Using a reflective card

Today, in a discussion between members of the Etsy PTteam, someone pointed out this useful idea, a reflective card, and showed me this tutorial.

I couldn't wait to come home and try it out! I just didn't use the trace paper, because I don't have any.

So, here's the reflective card I made, like the instructions:

Took a picture to this brooch using only natural light, for comparison:

 Using the reflective card, in the angle that showed more light:

Using the card closer to the piece:

And finally, no card, changing the exposure in my camera:

None of these photos were edited!
I don't think the reflective card made any difference... At least with this monitor (I'm using a Eee PC, has a very tiny screen) I don't think the changes that the card made are that good.
I was a little disappointed, to tell you the truth. Maybe I should try with a different background (white) and maybe in days with less natural light (today is sunny) the card is more helpful. The trace paper should also make some difference, to diffuse the light.
The best photo for me, is the one I took adjusting the exposure of my camera.

What do you think?

Fluffy

Não resisti...

Couldn't resist...


Have a fluffy weekend!

Promoção Especial Dia da Mãe

O dia da Mãe é já este Domingo que se aproxima, e para o celebrar, como já o fiz em anos anteriores, decidi oferecer uma Mega promoção de 30% de desconto na minha loja!

Se quiserem comprar directamente na Etsy é só adicionar o código MAEDIA aquando do checkout. Senão, podem mandar mail com o pedido para nanoukedesigns at yahoo.com!

Aproveitem para oferecer à Mãe, ou para oferecerem a vocês próprias! Válido apenas para residentes em Portugal até dia 06.05.2012!

Lx Market - Depois

Já vos tinha dito que ia com a Leonor Brilha experimentar o Lx Market. Pois, fomos este Domingo!

A feira tem muito bom ambiente, a organização é eficaz e organizada, como se quer! A promoção da feira parece-me muito eficaz porque vi mesmo muita gente a visitar, o que me surpreendeu pela positiva.
No entanto, pareceu-me que os visitantes que a feira atrai são para os artigos de segunda mão (especialmente roupa).

Já deu para perceber que monetariamente a experiência não foi vantajosa! Nada que eu já não estivesse há espera, os clássicos:

1) Não há dinheiro
2) Fim do mês (ver ponto 1)
3) As minhas peças são caras (ver novamente ponto 1)

Chegou-nos a parecer que as pessoas até tinham medo de se aproximar das bancas! Com medo da tentação!
É normal..
Mas ao menos tive a oportunidade de passar o dia com a minha amiga Leonor Brilha, de quem já tinha muitas saudades!
E vamos voltar...! Como visitantes :)

Voltar às feiras: Lx Market

Mais de um ano passou desde a última feira.
Depois de muitas, muitas! seguidas, decidi fazer uma pausa sabática que durou mais tempo que o previsto.

Mas a saudade aperta e por isso vamos experimentar a LX Market no próximo Domingo!

Easter Weekend | Fim de semana da Páscoa

 

This Easter weekend I went for a little trip. Lousã Mountains and Serra da Estrela (in Portugal). It snowed a little!!! But by Sunday the weather was really nice (when we came back home...)

Neste fim de semana da Páscoa fomos passear pela Serra da Lousã e Serra da Estrela. Chegou a nevar na sexta feira! No Domingo lá clareou o tempo, mas já era altura de voltar para casa...

Levo sempre as minhas agulhas nestas viagens, para me ir entretendo a caminho das estradas que já conheço quase de cor. Então este fim de semana fiz estes brincos:

I always take my knitting on these trips, to work on something while we are on the same boring roads I already know. So I made these earrings:

How was your Easter?

Como foi a vossa Páscoa?

500 days of Summer

This is a story of boy meets girl....

I'm a sob. I love romantic stories. I specially like love stories that don't end like "and they lived happily ever after" like we're expecting to.
Sometimes people live happily ever after without being together. (but maybe I'm spoiling the movie to you)

I really liked this movie, it was one of the best movies I've seen in years.

And I too love the Smiths, to die by your side it's such an heavenly way to die....

Go see it!

On another note, I'm listing new earrings on my shop, since I bough a batch of amazing new handmade ear wires. I love them, it was the best purchase ever.

Go check them out, I leave you a tiny teaser:

Have a nice Spring everyone!

Red and Pink Heart

I made this the other day and I can't decide what to make with it.
Necklace pendant? Brooch?

I love it, no matter what :) Do you?

Fiz este coraçãozinho no outro dia e não consigo decidir o que fazer com ele.
Um pendente num colar? Uma pregadeira?


Gosto dele, mesmo assim, e vocês?

Spring Special!

If you know me, you know about my Spring obsession! I absolutely love Spring and I celebrate it every year!
Last year I had a giveaway, and this year I'm offering a coupon on my shop!

25% off on your order!

Just use the code SPRING2012 when checking out, available until the end of the week (25th March).

 

Happy Spring everyone!

Pretty on the outside, prettier on the inside

I have ordered some new designs for boxes from AllFullofLove some weeks ago.
Just printed one, looks so cool!

Now when you buy from my shop, you'll get a pretty box too!