Monarch butterfly rings, photo styling

monarch butterfly rings
Originally uploaded by PoPkO!

New Props! I'm trying out a new look for the shop, I just need props that will work all year round. These autumn leaves are pretty now, but wont last very long. What do you think?

Photographers Assistant!

I had the pleasure to assist and work with one of my best-est girlfriends in September on a wedding shoot! A REAL wedding! The gorgeous wedding was in Bethel NY, at the site of the original Woodstock in 1969. Jamie of Jamie Kaminski Photography takes professional photographs of weddings, showers, family portraits and all kinds of fun photo shoots around New York. Shes also a mother and a teacher. Aaand she just finished a portrait project to raise money for a scholarship fund in her friends honor. She's a busy busy gal! Buzz buzz buzz! I dont know how you do it with such grace. Truely.

I got to see a lot of this** all day (above).
**Thats the grace I must have been talking about.

She invited me to assist her on the shoot, as I had worked with her during our University years together and we also traveled through Europe as a two-woman circus act. (okay so that part is only half true, there was no acting in that circus). I think we're a great team!

I held her cameras, bags, boxes, moved her ladder, beckoned her when there was break dancing, styled the wedding party, I even found myself affixing boutonnieres! I was like a mule that day. It was fabulous! heehaw heehaw
photo above by me, the assistant, overlooking what I thought was the music site, but turns out it was behind me.

It really made me appreciate her skills. She scoped out the place ahead of time and planned out some good places to take photos of the bride and groom and wedding party. Once the couple arrived on-site we got straight to work, taking photos of the dress sans bride (I would hang it where she directed and she would take the photos) . I took some photos for myself and realized that shes in the right profession. The whole time I was there I just wanted to write a Martha Stewart article about the handmade details (of which there were a million). I also realized that it's really hard to take a great photo with a point and shoot snappy camera of my own. Her camera is really the bees knees. It makes everything bigger and brighter. She even taught me a few things about composing a picture. I liked watching her work.

Here's the sneek peek that she posted in her blog for the newlyweds to glimpse:

above photo by jamie kaminski photography

above photo by jamie kaminski photography

Yes, they actually had a rainbow! They were rushing and running for the perfect shot before the faint rainbow vanished, and turned out that a great one was of them actually running.

I asked the groom if I could take a picture of his bout for my own use (and so that he wouldn't think his pro photos were being taken by my little ol digital snapper. The brides family made them and also made the bouquest and all the flowers for the tables. I HAD to share them with you, in case you loved wedding details as much as I do. The bride said they picked all the flowers themselves! WOW!


photos here by moi, the wedding lover and assistant. I couldnt help but share this cake with you its insane and fabulous! Below are the beautiful hand picked flowers that were sprinkled all over the glass room.


Thanks Jamie!

Etsy Handmade Weddings: featuring...ME! (okay, ALL the Popko sisters)

How exciting! My sister AnnMarie wrote an article for the Etsy Storque (their blog) about my Handmade Wedding! I knew she wrote it, but we didnt know when it would be published.

Today I was feeling a little bogged down with work and orders and my public art project that was due last week. But my frown just turned upside down for sure!

I went to the etsy homepage a few minutes ago... and there was a photo of me and all my sisters!

Here's the article that she wrote in its entirety. AnnMarie runs two shops on etsy, superduper for headpieces, and things to wear and a few vintage supplies, and also her gourmet pecan shop, cocktailparty. Way to go AnnMarie!

The Little Things,,, Hello Sunshine!

detail of real butterfly wing pendants
Originally uploaded by PoPkO!

I really love taking photographs, and find myself with a camera in my hand all day long. I especially love macro, and hers a good example of why. I see these pendants all the time, I'm constantly making them and working with them. To me, they are all something that I fawn over a little bit, for the few moments that it is mine, and then wrap and ship out. When I take a photo of it like this, I can get all excited about it again, by seeing it in a different light.